Love Over Gamble

I stood at the window of my office,the beautiful city of Toronto sprawling beneath. My office was on the 13th floor of the 22-story building which was my father's company. Any free time I have in my office is always spent admiring the city and the people going around with their daily business.

I mean who wouldn't!

I felt a surge of pride as I looked down at the company my father had built - a company I have dedicated my time to since I graduated from college. I had been offered a well paying job immediately after I got out of college by a Public accounting firm,but I declined the offer because I already made up my mind to use my skills for the benefit of my father's company.

Although he had not really appreciated my efforts since all his attention was on my stepmom and her daughter,I poured my heart and soul into my job nevertheless. I knew my efforts were crucial to the company's success.

I was so lost in the view before me and the thoughts running through my head that I didn't hear the phone on my desk ring.

Silly me!

The continuous ringing jolted me back to reality and I made my way to the table to answer the call.

"Hello, Miss Sophia," said a voice from the other end of the phone. It was Abigail,my dad's secretary.

She had been working for my dad since only God knows when. I met her in the office too when I finished school.

So, don't blame me!

"Yes, Abigail."

"Your dad requests for your presence in his office right away. He said it's urgent."

"Oookay......Abigail, I'll be there right away."

Curiosity got the most out of me as I dropped the call and made my way to my dad's office. I wondered what my dad would want to tell me that could be so urgent.

He rarely called me into his office and was always formal in his dealings with me when in the office. Even a stranger would doubt it if someone told them he was my dad. As I entered,I found him seated behind his massive desk, engrossed in the newspaper he was holding in his hands.

He gestured for me to sit and I complied, a knot of anxiety forming in my stomach. The office was dimly lit,the afternoon sun casting long shadows through the half closed blinds.

His face; usually stern and composed,looked uncharacteristically vulnerable as he directed his gaze away from the newspaper and turned towards me.

"So, Sophia," he began, clearing his throat as he started to speak. His voice sounded softer than I had ever heard it.

"I need to discuss something important with you." I shifted in my seat, a churning unease creeping through me. I could sense from a far distance that this was not going to end well.

"What is it Dad?"

He took a deep breath,his eyes fixed on the papers scattered across his desk.

"An old friend of mine, Richard Smith,has made a proposal. His son,Lucas,is in need of a partner. In exchange, Richard has offered to fund your mother's surgery."

"The popular CEO of Smith's Groups of Company?" I asked him.

"Yes dear"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the room spin as I processed what he had just said. "You want me to marry a stranger to save mom?"

"You heard me right," he said nonchalantly.