Ultimatum

Nicholas stared at his father with incredulity, his brain suddenly feeling warped by what his father had just spewed, but he had to get himself together.

"What is the meaning of this? What does getting married have to do with you kicking me out of the company?" He demanded. 

"Or wait, is this some ultimatum? It's either I get married or the company goes to Paul? Is that it?" He cocked a brow.

"It's exactly that," Richard affirmed.

Nicholas stared at him stupified, utterly unable to fathom what had come over his father. Richard was the most sane, smart, and wise person he had known all his life, so how could someone like him come up with such a silly ultimatum?

This has got to be a joke.

He chuckled. "This is a joke, dad. I'm sure it is a prank."

Richard shrugged. "You can call it whatever you like, but I can assure you this is real."

"What is real? You kicking me out? And who exactly is this girl you have in mind that you want to kick your son away for? What has she got on you?"

"No one has got anything on me, Nick. I just want you to be settled, and I've discovered you have no intentions of doing that on your own anytime soon."

"So you decided to interfere? Since when are we doing that now?" He asked in disbelief. 

His father had never been one to meddle in the lives and affairs of his kids, so why now? And why him?

Richard picked up the lines of anger and annoyance forming across Nicholas' face, but he had expected them. "I guess as a parent, there comes a time when you just have to meddle, especially when your kids are the highlight of your life and when they don't want to know what's better."

Nicholas was about to retort to that when Martin returned with the doctor.

"Mr. Vice, I see you're awake." The doctor smiled as he approached the man.

Richard nodded with a warm smile. "You don't have to look so surprised. I have a strong heart here, and you're an incredible doctor." He praised, bringing a faint smile to the man's face. 

"I'm sure it's all you, sir. You are very strong willed."

"That I am." Richard humbly agreed. His eyes dashed towards the door when the door flung open and his daughters came rushing in.

"Dad!"

"Daddy!" Grace and Sophia cried in unison as they hurried towards the bed.

"Do not pounce on him, Grace." Nicholas warned his grown up sisters who preferred to act as kids around their father. 

"I won't." Grace tossed him a glare and held onto her father's hand. "Daddy, are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Do you hurt anywhere?" Sophia asked, holding onto his other hand.

Richard looked at both his daughters and let out a robust smile. "I feel better seeing you girls, and I'm sorry for troubling you."

"That's nonsense, dad. As far as you're okay, we're fine." Sophia told him, and Richard warmly smiled. 

"You both should let the doctor check up on him before you smother him." He said and tipped his chin towards the doctor, who approached the bed.

Sophia and Grace stepped aside and walked up to him. He studied both their faces and sighed. The last few hours have been horrible for them, and he could tell.

"What's that?" Grace asked, looking at the document in his hand. "You didn't bring anything work-related for him, did you?"

Sophia glanced at the document in his hand and then at Nicholas. "He's more sensible than that. I'm sure Dad is the one bringing up the work-related stuff, right dad?" She raised a brow at her father, who flashed her a sheepish smile and Sophia shook her head.

"Let me see that." Grace reached for it, but Nicholas denied her access to it.

"It's no business of yours, and if you both can give us some privacy,"

"Why?" Grace demanded. 

"Because I'm asking nicely." He turned to Sophia. "Please get your elder sister out of here."

Sophia narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not going to scold him, are you? He just came out of surgery."

"I promise he will still be here when I leave, and very healthy too, to continue plaguing my life the way he intends to."

Richard chuckled. "You're making me sound like a villain, Nick."

"And I think that's exactly what you're aiming for."

"He's fine." The doctor announced, interrupting the family little banter. "We will have to conduct more tests, but for now, he's stable and in good shape."

Sighs of relief echoed across the room, and Nicholas wore a grateful look on his face.

Grace walked back to her father's side. "Do not scare us like that ever again, okay?" She brushed her hand across his tender hair, which had a fine mixture of gray and black. 

"I will try not to, sweetheart." Richard assured her and she kissed his forehead.

"We will be outside. Do not fight with him." Sophia warned.

"I won't." Richard promised. 

Taking up her role as the first daughter of the family, which automatically qualified her as the mother of the home, she shot a warning glare at Nicholas.

"Fine, I won't. Now leave." 

The girls warning glances lingered on him before they reluctantly followed Martin out of the room, and the doctor followed suit.

"I'll send a nurse to come check his vitals again." The doctor said, and Nicholas gave him a dismissive nod.

Once they were alone again, Richard watched the hard look on his son's face and sighed. "You don't have to be so gruff, you know." 

Nicholas glared at him. "Then you better explain to me exactly what this madness is all about, dad, because this is madness. I'm not ready to settle down, at least not now. And even if I wanted to, I will pick a girl for myself. I'm capable of doing that."

"I honestly doubt that, Nick. I mean, no offense, but none of the girls you've been with seemed responsible to me, and this has brought me to the conclusion that you're not capable of finding someone good for yourself."

Nicholas did not agree with him on that. "You liked Hannah."

"Yeah, but that was before I found out she ripped off her ex-husbands and has built a fortune for herself with that money."

"And Gia? You liked her too."

"I liked the kindred spirit of being business minded people, but someone like Gia would never make you happy. She's only focused on her legacy and nothing else. She's emotionally unavailable, and isn't this the reason you keep dating these women?" Richard cocked a brow at him.

A guilty look flashed through Nicholas face, but he quickly cast it away.

"You date these unavailable women with issues simply because they don't want to be committed. They're the safe bet for you, because they won't ask you for what you're not ready to give, and that's why you choose them."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nick denied and darted his eyes away from his father's peering one.

"Of course, you know what I am talking about, and this is the truth. I know you, Nicholas. You're my son."

"But that doesn't mean you can meddle like this. And assuming you're right, don't you think I have my own reason?"

"Of course you do, but this isn't entirely about you. This is for the company. I will only give it to someone who can show true commitment and a perfect balance between work and life. That is the only condition under which you're getting your hands on the company." Richard declared, and Nicholas heard the finality in his tone. 

He could tell his father was serious about doing this to him. On ruining his life and future. 

They peered at one another. "And is Paul getting the same ultimatum?"

"Paul has his own share of conditions, which will be revealed to him eventually if you fail to meet my condition. So, for now, you are at an advantage and that's only because you are my son." Richard told him. 

Nicholas peered at him for a few more seconds. "So, this girl you have decided to ruin me with, what is her name? And who is she?" 

Richard smiled upon hearing his question. This wasn't a victory, but they were heading somewhere. "Her name is Kimberly. Kimberly Campbell."