Cade knocked on the door and waited to hear from Charles. “Come in” the gruffy voice from inside commanded. Cade opened the door and pushed himself in with Ophelia on his tail. Her goal there today was to charm him. He might seem like a closed-off man but she knew that since he was asking his grandchildren to start families to be entitled to the company then he was probably a softie at heart.
“What took you so long,” Charles asked taking off his glasses from his face. He rolled his chair towards them and Ophelia titled her head in wonder. All the times she had met him he had been walking, she wondered why he was bound to a chair after seeing him walk last night.
“I came with him and I was the one who took his time” Ophelia’s tone was different. She was like a child who was trying to get something from his parents. Cade was so taken aback by her tone that he almost asked her what had happened.
“You came with him?” Charles asked his eyes shifting to Ophelia who now left Cade’s back and stood side by side with him.
“You do not sound happy to see me? I was eager to come to say hello but it seems like you aren’t” she murmured.
“Well..” Charles trailed off. Whenever he spoke that way no one had challenged him like that and this was a first for him so he did not know what to say or do.
“You are really not happy to see me?” she asked. Cade wanted to stop her but he was also willing to see how far she would go and how far Charles would let her go.
“Why would you say that? I am joyed that you are here to say hello”
“Well that is a relief because I heard that you hated your grandchildren and their wives, you did not want them to be part of your life” Ophelia was hoping that Charled was the kind of man who liked frank people and that her method would work on him.
“Who said that?”
“Can you guess who?” Ophelia asked going to sit beside him.
“Frances?” he asked and she nodded. “I knew it, I don’t think I ever liked her, she always rubbed me in the wrong way,” Charles said. Cade gasped in amazement as he sat beside Ophelia. She had cracked the code to get him talking and it was such a mystery to him because he had never seen it done like that before.
“Oh but do not be angry with her, she is only doing her best and she wants you to approve of her as Cael’s wife” Ophelia replied. She was now used to the tactics that Frances was doing, if she could influence her wedding to Cael then she should otherwise she would have a new demon to deal with.
There was no surprise there, anyone who would be promised marriage to the Vale family would want to try and make sure that their husband was the owner of the company, that way they could secure their children’s future. Frances looked like someone who would play petty tricks and just stop there. She did not want to risk it and then give room to someone worse who she had to actually engage in a battle to win.
She was not interested in getting any alimony from her husband but she would be damned if she was not named the winner of the fight, she had to, by all means, win or else how could she hold her head in public?
“What?” Charles was taken aback again by her statement. Was she praising or criticizing the gitl?
“I am just saying, it seems like Cael is a much better person because of her now and she seems like a more traditional woman who would do all she can to help her husband be better. I am sure she wants you to approve of their marriage”
“But I did not disapprove of it”
“She would love it if you could tell them to go ahead and get married” Ophelia spoke like Frances had asked her for a favour. The earlier she got them married and uprooted them from this house the better for them. “I am going to gift them a house for their wedding gift”
“That is so thoughtful of you” Charles said and she smiled.
“I am glad you thought it thoughtful, I was afraid it might be a bit forward which was why I wanted to tell you first” she replied. She knew she was being forward but if this old man agreed to it then she was fine and could work around it.
“Of course not,” he said and he nodded with the smile still on her face. “I have to ask though, are you two trying for babies?”
“Grandpa?” Cade asked. He knew that Ophelia would not want to talk about that. She had made her stance clear on their wedding night, She had no intention to birth children who would end up having broken homes.
“What is it? Can’t I ask?” Charles asked turning to face Ophelia who sat still. It was like her soul left her body. She was now wishing that she did not come there and implicate herself to have this conversation.
“You can” she struggled to say.
“See,” Charles said telling Cade off before turning to Ophelia and then asking. “Do you not want to have kids?” he asked and she shook her head. Cade glanced at her to know why she was chatty with him but could not tell him that she did not want to have kids.
“Ophelia, Cade,” Charles said slowly. Both of them raised their heads to look at him. “I am not trying to be pushy but I want you to know that the family that has a child will be most likely to get the company at this rate”
“Grandfather!”