I call William's assistant to find out where he is as I drive down the street, entering the main road. Turns out he's not been leaving his house ever since they got back from Italy.

It takes me thirty minutes to reach his house and during the entire time, despite being tense, certain serene contentment gripped my brain.

In these few days, I felt real happiness. Everything before these four days I spent with Gracie seems like a cheap replica of the emotion.

Gracie... my Gracie. I can finally say that without feeling like shit.

A wide grin breaks over my face. We're together, finally! Under no circumstances am I willing to risk losing her. Neither am I going to let anyone hurt or upset her.

Sure, a lot of people—including her brother—will talk shit, but that's what people do, it's all they ever do. And if that's the price I have to pay for being with the woman I love, so be it.

At this point, I know I'll do anything to keep her happy and mine.

Hopefully, once all of this is over, she'll gain back her trust in me, and I'll show her I'm not going anywhere. But for now, I have to remember to assure her every now and then, just in case she starts worrying and doubting.

I push my glasses up as I drive past the opened gates of William's mansion and park near the entrance door.

One of the guards hurries towards me and I toss my key to him as I climb out of the car and go up the few steps. The door opens and one of the maids leads me to William's workroom.

I knock on the door once before letting myself in, not waiting for him.

William's head snaps up from his tablet and his features twist with anger. He aggressively takes off his reading glasses, his nostrils flaring as I shut the door and stride to the leather armchair across his desk.

"William," I greet him as I sit down and prop my ankle on my knee.

"So you finally decided to show up?" he growls, throwing his glasses aside and glaring at me.

"Yeah." I nod, drumming my fingers on the armrest. "I thought it's about time we have a good talk."

"What is there to talk about!" he thunders, his protruding eyes glacial. "After what you did!" He jabs the space between us. "Do you have any idea of the problems you've caused?" he yells.

I scratch my chin. "Technically speaking, you started everything, so the majority is your fault. I kept telling you to not trust Gracie, to not go along with this-"

"You son of a-" he roars, cutting me off but halts himself.

"Bitch?" I complete for him before steepling my fingers. "Mortifyingly, for the first time in my life, I didn't act the way my mom would've approved. I did what you would have done. You know what they say, like father like son." I wave my hand around as I add, "Surprisingly, it turns out it applies to me too."

He clenches his jaw and glares at me, his mouth turning to a white slash. "It's all that girl's doing, isn't it?" he growls.

"Gracie? No, not at all." I shift in my seat, making my spot more comfortable as I face him directly. "I came here because I wanted to."

He plants his forearms wide apart on the desk. "What do you want?"

A sardonic smile twists my mouth. "If someone who didn't know us would've heard you right now, no way in hell they would've been able to tell we're blood-related. You talk to me like I've killed your father."

A muscle on his jaw ticks from anger. "Spencer," he warns in a low voice.

I hold up my palm in mock defense. "Fine, I'll get to the point." For a moment I study him, assessing how I should approach the matter.

With a man like William, you use his own tactics. I'm going to fight fire with fire, that might have the highest chance of success.

"Withdraw the case, both the suing one and the other one demanding for her money."

"No," he snarls. Jabbing his index finger down on the wooden surface of the desk. "That girl has to pay for what she did. She humiliated Kristian and all of us when she stood him up at the altar. She made a fool out of us in front of everyone. This will be her last and biggest mistake. I will make her pay the price of messing with me."

I nod, pursing my mouth as I push my glasses up. "Okay... the only thing I have a problem with is the pronoun you're using."

Confusion flashes across his features, weakening his anger.

"You forgot one thing. It's no longer just Gracie, it's the two of us. If you mess with her, you're messing with me too. If you hit her, you're hitting me too. Think twice before you do anything because it's us and not just her."

He harshly laughs and rebukes, "She's fooled you too. The only reason she's with you-"

"Has nothing to do with you. That's between me and her, and you don't need to flaunt your fake concern to my face. Gracie and I are together, and I'm not asking for your opinion, I'm simply informing you of the circumstances."

William purses his mouth and fists his hand, pressing it to his chin.

"Draw back your allegations-"

"So you can impress her?" William snorts and shakes his head. "Spencer, are you even hearing yourself? That girl has-"

"She is my partner, and one day she's going to be your daughter-in-law on the paper, so act wisely."

His face turns blank and his tense shoulders slump as he leans to his seat, his head cocking to the side. "For a girl you barely know, you're threatening your own father? Unbelievable. I expected better from you."

"I am threatening you. And why would you expect better? I have your DNA at the end of the day, what's so shocking?"

"Spencer, listen-"

"No, you listen," I interject, planting my palm on his desk. "Withdraw the defamation case right now, and let go of the madness of making her pay for the contract. Everyone knows I'm your son, and maybe not today, but in the near future, Gracie and I will marry. Sure what we did five years ago wasn't right, but the rumors and everything else will only revolve around us, keeping you safe and out of it, and we can handle it with ease, people will forget it with no harm done."

"I'm not doing that," he growls defiantly.

"I wasn't done yet," I snap. "However, if news goes around William Wright has sued his son's partner? The ones who matter to you won't forget. Imagine the things people will start saying about you after Gracie and I become official and you steal her company away from her. You'll lose your credibility in the industry. You'll become the man who overtook his daughter-in-law's company."

"That's why the wise thing to do is forget that bitch-"

"Watch it," I snarl.

"None of these things will happen, because once I get everything from her, and you fail to give her the money she cherishes, she'll leave you."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "So you're not going to back down?"

"No."

I nod. "Okay." Laying my palms on my knees I fix a steady stare on him. "For the sake of sharing the same family name, I'll let you in on a secret."

Interest sparks up his features, and he leans closer the slightest, ensuring me I have his full attention.

"Five years ago, when Gracie and I solved and published that millennium prize problem, we won one million dollars." A wicked smile arches my mouth as his brows furrow with confusion. "I never took my share of money from her, and she started the business with that million dollars. Assuming fifty-five percent of it belonged to me, it means from the one million dollars she started the company with, only forty-five percent of the initial money was hers and the rest was mine. In your way, it means I own fifty-five percent of that company since it was my money that it all started from, correct? It's like I invested in her company, and bought fifty-five percent of the shares early on. So the company you're planning on stealing is technically mine."

He gapes at me. "Why didn't you tell me this before!" He jumps to his feet. "You already can overtake the company without the bother of putting up with her."

I rub my temples and clench my jaw. I raise to my feet and set a deathly glare on him. "That is none of your business. The reason I'm telling you this now is if you don't back out, it's just simple paperwork for us, taking less than a day to make everything mine, and then you'll be going against me. I wonder how your shareholders and investors would feel about that? A business tycoon who can't even let his son have something of his own. I wonder how you'll live that down."

"Spencer, don't be stupid, you won't."

I smile at him. "Are you really insane enough to try me?"

We hold each other's glare.

He fists his hands. "You're stupider than your mother," he spits.

"Good thing I don't give a fuck about your opinion." I shove my hands into my pockets. "Well, what are you waiting for? Your decision," I demand.

"This isn't how a father and son are supposed to be."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "When were you ever a father to me?"

"You're doing all of this bullshit for a girl who's going to leave you in two days. You're threatening your own father!" he bellows.

"I'm doing all of this, and will do way worse than this for her, for the woman I love, a term that's probably unfamiliar to you." I push my shoulders back, holding his hard stare. "The choice is yours. We either peacefully solve this matter right here, right now, or you're going up against me. But don't blame me when Judy Corp crashes and you go bankrupt."

He shakes his head, presses his mouth to a thin line. "You thought everything through before you came here," he mutters.

I shrug. "Obviously."

He huffs a disbelieved laugh. "Sometimes, I forget you were the one who guided and solved an entire unsolved math problem with that girl... I forget how easily you can blackmail me, or outsmart me."

I blankly stare at him.

He sighs. "Spencer, I don't even know what you see in that girl you're willing to go this length-"

"And you don't need to. I have reasons, and it's enough for me."

He holds up his arms. "Is this what you've wanted all along? To ruin me? See me go through the same hell your mother went through?"

"I never intended to ruin you. But I won't stand aside and let you destroy Gracie and her family's lives."

He shakes his head. "Don't fool me, boy. All these years, and not once have you called me dad." He huffs. "This is just the perfect opening for you to get back at me." Defeated, he flumps down on his chair.

"Because you didn't earn it," I say through gritted teeth. "Yet, I gave you a chance. Wanna know why? Because Gracie insisted. When we were together five years ago and she found out about our rocky relationship, she talked me into giving you a chance. Four years William. You had four years to show me you gave a damn about anything but your money and work, but you didn't. All you wanted was for me to work alongside you. Fine, I get it, not everyone can understand why I'm into teaching and doing research, but that doesn't mean the second I talk to you, you can force down your opinions on me and pretend to be a good father."

I stride to the desk, planting the tips of my fingers on the desk while I jab my other index finger in his direction. "I gave in and came to your office. I worked for Judy Corp and you kicked me out in front of your employees like I'm the dirt beneath your shoes. If I wanted you destroyed, with not a penny left in your bank, I wouldn't be here right now."

"You bought thirty percent of MK industry's shares and just hand it over to that kid!" he shouts.

I groan and straighten myself, shaking my head. "I didn't steal the company's money that you pulled off that stunt, kicked me out in the middle of the day, yelling at me like I'm some five-year-old kid in front of the entire goddamn company. I bought those shares with my own money, and I saw fit to hand it over to Mason. None of this was any of your fucking business, yet you allowed yourself to interfere."

He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Fine... that was extreme, but I had my reasons. I didn't know why you did that... why didn't you ever tell me you two had a past?"

I open my mouth before clamping it shut and lift an indifferent shoulder. "I didn't find a reason for you to know."

He shoots me an incredulous look.

I shrug. "What? I don't owe you an explanation... she- I never thought we'd reach this point," finish in a quieter tone and heave a sigh.

"What I'm getting is, you're serious about her, and you're going to bring her into the family."

"No. We were never family to start with. Yes, Gracie and I are together, but she's not going to put with you and that wife of yours."

He purses his mouth with annoyance as he fists his hand, turning his knuckles white before unclenching his fingers. "She's going to be a Wright... eventually," he improvises through gritted teeth.

I nod. "Yes."

Long beats of silence go by. I study him closely as he deliberates.

"I have a deal."

I scoff, "You're in no position to make deals, William."

Annoyance flares his nostrils, but he decides to ignore my comment and present his offer. "I will call off the contract, with no requirements of payment, and withdraw the suing case right now, if you accept to start over with me, as your father."

Are fucking serious! I shove my hand through my hair before pushing my glasses up. What the fuck! I shake my head incredulously.

Nonchalant he lifts his shoulders. "What? So far, what I understood from your deal was that you want us to handle this in private and peace, like a family. Now how can I do that when you don't even consider me as your father?"

I retreat a step and wave my hand.

He raises his brows in a challenge. "You have no idea the number of cases that the odds were against me and yet I won. Sure, your plan sounds perfect on paper, but the chances of you and Gracie winning against me in the courtroom with her suffering no financial losses is less than fifty percent. Your plan's chance of success is fifty-fifty, Spencer, and you know that too."

I clench my jaw so hard my teeth begin to ache as I glare at him and ball my hands. "You are a-"

"I'm sick of being at war with you. It's been fifteen years, Spencer. Fifteen! I'm not going to live forever, and I don't want to die knowing my first child, my son hates me."

I shake my head. "What the hell! These two matters are completely irrelevant!"

"They're not. You're cutting me off from your future, from your life, again. I'm taking my chances to not let you do that again."

I huff. "Where was this fatherly concern when I was a kid and needed a fucking dad in my life!"

He stands up again, a vein standing out on his neck. "You think I didn't want to be around my two kids? Your mom didn't want me around you two, but whatever I say about your mom, you won't ever believe me and it's fine, I gave up on that a long ago. But I cannot let you throw me out of your life again. All I'm saying is, I'll do all these things you asked for, I'll even support Gracie until Benjamin is captured and her investors and shareholders are back on track, if you stop seeing me as a man you have to put up with because of your sister. I'll do all of it, but for you, son."

Irritation scrapes my veins, but I hold still and focus on my breathing to calm myself. If I lose my temper, Gracie's future is on the line too, it can jeopardize her chances of success.

He's right, though, as much as I hate to admit. Taking this fight to the courtroom can lessen the chances of success, and I don't want to risk losing when I can give Gracie a peaceful way out.

"Define being a part of my life? What do you want exactly?" I ask in a steady voice after regaining my composure.

He heaves a sigh. "To be your father. You said we're not a family, I want that to change that, I want to stay a part of your life. I don't want my eldest son to hate me."

I eye him suspiciously. "I don't believe you."

Disappointment glimmers in his features and he nods, looking away.

"But... I'll give you a chance to fix this mess. Don't screw it up. Also, I'm not like Saff, I won't put up with your wife's bullshit, and neither will Gracie."

His head snaps up, his eyes widening with surprise.

"And keep Kristian away from Gracie, I don't want him to bother her."

A corner of his mouth twitches up before a wide Cheshire cat smile spreads across his face. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead, push my glasses up. I have to remind myself to keep my cool, I'm doing all of this crazy shit for Gracie.

Gracie's one smile is worth putting up with William and his botchy wife.

"We have a deal, son."

I nod and thrust my hands into my pockets.

William grabs his phone and for the next few minutes, he ticks off all of my demands and promises to send off Kristian to another State for a while until he calms down and gets a grip over himself.

Curtly, I thank him and leave, calling my lawyer and asking him to check if William did all those things or if he was just bluffing in front of me.

By the time I reach in front of Kathryn's house, he calls me back and says the deed is done.

William is no longer a problem.

Relief washes through me, along with a sense of satisfaction, I did. I pulled off what I promised Gracie. She no longer has to worry about William. A smile spreads over my face.

❦ ♥︎ ❦

I hope you find this resolve satisfying and fitting =)

Comment your thoughts, I'd love to know what you think about this chapter and the way Spencer handled the situation.

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I'll try to upload the next chapter in less than 12hrs =)

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