Playing With the Rich Boys | ✓

Chapter Forty-Seven - hold you

Chapter Forty-Seven

♪ All You Need to Know – Gryffin & Slander ft. Calle Lehmann

Parker

"Who's the second invitation for?" He'd asked when he realised Ashton had handed him two envelopes.

"Mum and Dad," Ashton replied. "Why not give it a shot at mending things?"

Daisy had left hours before his parents had come home. Now, he wasn't so sure he could broach the topic of Ashton and the wedding. Maybe it would've been easier if Daisy had stayed; after all, they were all about keeping face.

There was stony silence at the dinner table. His mother and father were at opposite ends of the table. Their kitchen staff had just begun setting out dinner. He placed the envelope on the table. "This is a wedding invitation," he began. "Ashton – " As soon as the name left his lips, both of his parents set their cutlery down on the table, the sound of metal against the glass tabletop echoing in the mansion.

"We've talked about this before," his dad began, this referring to anything relating to Ashton. "And a wedding? He said no to that six years ago."

"He didn't even know that girl," Parker said through gritted teeth. He was only twelve at the time, but he could remember the arguments his parents and older brother had. The girl was the heiress to a similar company.

"He made the decision to leave this family six years ago. That's on him, not us," his mum said sternly.

"You made him choose!" Parker raised his voice, and the staff seemed to momentarily stop what they were doing to stare, before continuing, lest they be let go by the family.

"And he didn't choose us," his mum finished. "Family is everything," she recited, as he'd heard about a million times in his life.

"Family!? You're telling me family means arranging a marriage for your son and then disowning him when he chooses the woman he loves instead!?" His voice was followed by silence and stunned looks from both his mother and father. He'd been the obedient child, the one who was to take up the role of the eldest son after Ashton left.

"I'll be there. If you don't come, you'll lose the only son you have left," Parker said. He stood up, pushed his chair back and left.

"Get back here!" His mum yelled.

His parents were happily married, because they were both the same kind of ambitious people. There were never cheating scandals; they would never risk anything for the success of the company. It was slightly twisted, but they really were made for each other.

It took everything in him to keep walking away. He'd started something that he might not be able to fix, but he knew this time, things would be different, because he was their last child. That company was everything to them. If they disinherited him too, who was going to look after their precious company? They couldn't bear to just let it go.

Then his phone started ringing. "See? Phone calls aren't fun," was the first thing she said.

"I happen to like phone calls," he replied.

"Are you free right now? My mum wants to meet you over dinner," she said.

"Yeah...I am actually." He called for a taxi, considering he wasn't able to drive, and he didn't want to go back to the house.

Daisy was grinning from ear to ear when she swung the door open after one knock. "A taxi?" She asked, peering out behind him to see the taxi backing out of the driveway.