DARK HEARTS - BILLIONAIRE MARRIAGE CONTRACT ROMANCE

DINNER GUESTS

My father's health is deteriorating fast, and I can't imagine my life without him. Whatever I have to do, I must convince Evelyn Graham to save him the way she saved me. Only, I've insulted her, and she wants nothing to do with me.

Unfortunately for her, I live in a world full of sharks who lie in wait for you to expose a weakness they can exploit to take everything you've ever owned.

Even your soul.

And having a brain tumor is as big a weakness as any. If not the biggest. Having the type of tumor my father has is a death sentence if not handled early on. So, I stand outside Evelyn's front door frozen in place.

I need her.

If only I hadn't been such an arse. Offending her the way I did when she was just trying to help me.

"Mr. King, I'm afraid it is not safe out in the open like this. We should go." My bodyguard, Benji, informs me.

Nodding, I force my feet to walk away from my miracle. From the woman standing between my father's life and certain death. If she could only set our differences aside.

Climbing into my waiting car, I feel both defeated and helpless as I watch my miracle slip through my fingers.

***

After Alexander left the house, Karen did what Karen does whenever she's interested in a guy, and she looks him up. His net-worth, his history, his family... everything. Then she launches into this speech about how amazing he is, and I stop her there.

I don't want to know anything about him.

However, that doesn't stop him from sending gift after gift to my home and office. He's hoping to persuade me to one day accept his offer.

He's relentless.

When that doesn't work, he starts showing up everywhere I am to annoy me with his presence. Injecting himself into my world in an attempt to wear me down.

And I hate that it's working.

I almost feel sorry for him... almost.

"When mother told me you accepted our invitation to dinner, I must say I was surprised." My sister Mary smiles smugly at me across the dinner table.

It's been almost eleven years since I've been invited to a family gathering. So, when my mom called to invite me, I was stunned.

I was also skeptical.

After all these years, why is she reaching out to me now?

She must want something.

Never-the-less, I accepted her invitation. Elijah is old enough to ask questions now. And he's been asking about my family a lot. Questions I avoid because I don't know how to answer them without opening an entire can of worms. But questions I am ready to answer.

"You look good." My brother Christian smiles at me. Noticing my polished appearance. "Life must be treating you well."

My gaze instinctually travels over to Jackson whom I've been in love with since we were teenagers. And my heart still aches to look at him. He broke me in ways I never thought possible because I trusted him with my life. It never dawned on me he would leave me at the first sign of trouble. But being a successful white man from a very influential family, if you're going to bring a black girl home to mama, you better make damn sure she can hold her own.