Marry Gigi
Rowan didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Just stared at the man who had raised him, at the grandfather who had just shattered whatever was left of his reality.
Then he laughed.
A short, hollow sound.
“Fantastic,” he muttered. “Just what I needed to hear today.”
Sebastian exhaled. “Rowan you don't need to do anything. We have avoided him for years. We stole his idea so it's right if he is angry.”
This made Rowan scoffed. “To you. His idea was the basis of this company but everything else that we have achieved was from my blood and sweat. The Vaughn empire wouldn't be where ig was if I didn't get my hands dirty. Understand?”
Sebastian sighed, “Rowan…”
“No,” Rowan cut him off, raking a hand through his hair. “You don’t just drop that on me and expect me to sit here like a good little heir.”
Sebastian studied him carefully. “What are you going to do?”
Rowan clenched his jaw. “Find out everything he’s done. Every move he’s made against us. And I’m going to make sure he regrets it.”
His grandfather’s lips pressed together. “That’s exactly what he wants.”
Rowan narrowed his eyes. “What?”
Sebastian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “He’s baiting you. He wants you to go after him. To lash out. Because the second you do, the second you start digging into the past, you make yourself an easier target.”
Rowan’s fingers curled into fists. “So what? I’m supposed to just sit back?”
“No.” Sebastian’s gaze hardened. “You’re supposed to think.”
Rowan let out a breath, pacing the room. His mind was moving too fast, piecing together years of missing memories, rewriting the story of his own life with every step.
Finally, he turned back to his grandfather.
“You said he wants us dead,” he said. “But why now? Why try to kill me?”
Sebastian’s expression didn’t change.
And that was Rowan’s first clue.
A bad feeling twisted in his gut.
His grandfather exhaled. “Because you’re the only one left standing in his way.”
Rowan frowned. “Explain.”
Sebastian tapped a finger against his desk. “Your parents were taken out first. I barely survived the attempts made on me. Your father’s brother was never a real contender for power. That left only you. But you were too young back then too insignificant to be a direct threat. So he let you live.”
Rowan’s stomach turned. “Until now.”
His grandfather nodded. “Until now.”
Rowan inhaled sharply. “And what changed?”
Sebastian’s next words sent a chill through his veins.
“You came back, Rowan.” His voice was heavy. “You survived the accident, you regained control of the company, and now you’re starting to ask the right questions.”
Rowan’s jaw locked.
The plane crash.
The island.
The accident.
It wasn’t random.
It wasn’t just about Vaughn Industries.
It was about him. The man was a narcissist. Obsessed. Mentally awful.
His fists clenched. “Alright. I will still deal with it. As for Gigi, what's your obsession with her?.”
Sebastian hesitated.
Rowan’s patience snapped. “Tell me.”
His grandfather sighed, rubbing his temple. “The engagement wasn’t just for business, Rowan.”
Rowan’s stomach twisted. “Then what the hell was it for?”
Sebastian looked him dead in the eye.
“Protection.”
Rowan stilled.
“…What?”
Sebastian leaned back, expression unreadable. “Gigi’s family is powerful. More powerful than you realize. Aligning with them meant keeping you safe. They have powers in the police sector. Politicians.”
Rowan’s chest tightened. “You think marrying Gigi would have stopped Davenport from trying to kill me?”
His grandfather’s silence was answer enough.
Rowan let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head.
“So that’s it, then?” he said bitterly. “You want me to marry for survival?”
Sebastian’s gaze didn’t waver. “It wouldn’t be the worst decision you’ve made.”
Rowan’s entire body tensed.
Something inside him—something deep—snapped.
His entire life had been decided for him.
His future. His fucking marriage.
And now, his survival was just another business deal?
A fucking contract?
Rowan let out a sharp breath, stepping back. “You think tying me to Gigi will keep me safe?”
Sebastian folded his hands, watching him carefully. “I know it will.”
Rowan scoffed. “And what about what I want?”
Silence.
The kind that spoke volumes.
Sebastian tilted his head. “You’ve been given everything, Rowan. A company. A legacy. A name that holds weight. Do you think you get to complain about how it’s managed?”
Rowan laughed. A hollow, bitter sound.
“So, that’s it?” he said. “You want me to sacrifice my life for a name?”
Sebastian exhaled, slow and measured. “You are the Vaughn heir. That is what comes first. Always.”
Rowan’s fists clenched.
He had heard those words his entire life.
Duty. Legacy. Obligation.
But this time, they tasted like fucking poison.
His voice dropped. Low. Cold. Final.
“I’m not marrying Gigi. And if you want to.takw the company, feel free to. I can survive just fine without your name close to mine.”
Sebastian was taken aback by this, “Rowan—”
“I don’t care what strings she can pull with the police. I don’t care how many politicians are in her family’s pocket. I am not going to be another piece in this game.”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “Then you will lose.”
Rowan stepped forward, meeting his grandfather’s gaze head-on.
“Then I’ll lose.”
A tense silence stretched between them.
Sebastian leaned back, assessing him.
Then—he sighed. “You’re more like your father than I thought.”
Rowan’s jaw locked.
He turned on his heel, heading for the door. “I’m done here.”
Sebastian didn’t stop him this time.
Rowan didn’t look back.
—
The drive away from the Vaughn estate was quiet. Too quiet.
Rowan gripped the wheel, exhaling sharply through his nose.
His thoughts were a fucking mess.
Lucious Davenport. The attacks. The plane crash.
And now his family trying to sell him off like a pawn?
His grip tightened.
He had been right to walk away.
But something about Sebastian’s words still dug under his skin.
You are the Vaughn heir. That is what comes first.
His phone buzzed against the dashboard.
Rowan barely glanced at the screen before answering.
“Talk.”
“Sir,” came Inspector Sebastian’s voice, firm and clipped. “We have a development.”
Rowan’s brows furrowed. “Go on.”
A slight pause. Then—
“I suggest you meet me in person for this.”
Rowan’s fingers tapped against the wheel.
“That serious?”
Inspector Sebastian’s tone was unreadable. “Very.”
Rowan exhaled sharply. “Where?”
“I’ll send you the location.”
The call ended.
Rowan tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, his pulse thrumming.
What the hell now?
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