Levi's POV

"I know, Dad." I pinch my nose bridge, trying to stifle a sigh that threatens to escape.

I wish my father would just get off my back. He's been pressuring me for over a year to get married, or to produce an heir. It only got worse in this past month. If only he could understand that marriage isn't a business transaction, even if it's for the sake of his empire. I'm still young, still strong. I have enough time on my hands to decide if and when I want to procreate.

"The least you could do is get a girlfriend, Levi," my father speaks up again. "I've been lenient enough. If you don't get a wife, or a grandchild by this time next year, you can forget about taking over the legacy."

"Dad-" I cut myself short as the line goes dead. I hung up. Of course.

A string of profanities escapes my lips, and I almost fling my phone across the room. Just then, the door clicks open, and my secretary, Sarah, walks in. The file in her trembling hands shakes slightly.

"Don't you know how to fucking knock?" I snap, the frustration from the call boiling over.

She recoils, her eyes wide, and I immediately regret my tone. Sarah is shy enough when I am in a good mood, and now there's a high chance she might start cowering in fear, whenever she sees me.

I shouldn't be letting my personal issues affect my professionalism. I've always tried to be a good boss, creating a stable working environment for my employees, but today I don't feel up to it.

I inhale deeply. "What do you want?"

She fidgets with the edge of the file in her hands, her knuckles white. "Uhm... You have a meeting, sir, with the potential partners for a new hotel project."

My stomach clenches. Negotiation meetings are the last thing I need for my already sour mood.

I suppress a groan, so I don't scare her away. Why had I forgotten about this? To think I almost convinced myself to go home for the rest of the day.

Fucking hell.

"Alright. You may leave now." She remains standing, her gaze darting nervously. "What is it now?"

"The meeting is in thirty minutes, sir. At the King Royale Hotel."

"Christ!" I mutter through gritted teeth. "Can it be canceled?"

"You already canceled the last three meetings."

"Rescheduled to a later time, then?"

"No, sir. You have an outing with your mom by five."

At this moment, my father's threats to hand the company over to my cousin, are starting to look appealing. I'm sure he would do a better job than me and not whine about every inconvenience.

"If that's all, you can go now."

She doesn't hesitate to walk out of the office, her heels clicking against the polished tiles in a manner that only serves to get on my nerves.

I gather my things - consisting of my keys and some files - and head for the door. My personal assistant, Walker, meets me just as I close it, and falls into step beside me. Heaven knows he'd have borne the brunt of my anger if he hadn't shown up when he did.

"Guessing you forgot you had a meeting?" He asks, amusement evident in his voice.

Did I mention that he's my best friend? As far as my friendship goes, that is. He is the only person who dares to call me out on my bullshit, and I begrudgingly respect him for it. I have enough people sucking up to me in this office. His boldness almost feels like a breath of fresh air.

I hand over the things in my hand to him. "Shut the fuck up. I don't know why I still keep you around," I murmur, adjusting my tie.

He doesn't say anything again, but a grin remains plastered on his face.

My driver pulls up in front of us immediately after we exit the building, and we drive in silence to the hotel.

I retreat into my memory, trying to recall the important details of this meeting. The Secretary had already stated that it's for a new hotel, but I don't seem to remember initiating a new project, or who is leading it.

I don't get enough time to recollect my memories either, because we're soon pulling into the driveway of the King Royale Hotel.

I step out of the car, gazing up at the massive five-star hotel structure, one of my father's finest works.

This was the first hotel he ever designed - although it has gone through some modifications over the years - and it was the hotel that served as the stepping stone for the King Architecture and Real Estate Empire.

The same empire my father is trying to blackmail me into inheriting.

"Ready to meet them?" Walker asks as he stands beside me.

I shrug, not giving him an actual response, and enter the building. Staff members stare after me as I walk by them, while a few daring ones offer hesitant waves. I offer them brief smiles in return, a little way of rewarding their boldness.

It's not that I'm a terrifying boss, but I have a reputation. A reputation that led my father to transfer me from the headquarters in Los Angeles, to New-goddamned-York, giving him the upper hand over my affairs. A leverage that he is taking full advantage of.

We make our way to the restaurant area of the hotel, the meeting venue. An odd place for a meeting, in my own opinion. But then again, I can't say if I'm the one who picked the venue or not.

The air buzzes with the clinking of silverware and hushed conversations. Thankfully, two men are already seated, waiting for us. Wide smiles appear on their faces when they catch me approaching.

"Mr Levi," one of them stands, extending a hand.

"Nice to finally meet you," the other man says as we shake hands. His smile stretches his thick features, making him look somewhat like a caricature.

I almost beg him to stop. But instead of doing so, I settle for what I hope looks like a genuine smile. "Nice to finally meet you too. Sorry for the cancellations."

The man with the hideous smile opens his mouth.

'Someone please make him stop doing that,' I almost cry.

"It's no problem. We don't expect a great businessman like you to be any less busy."

His partner nods in agreement. "Your father already had everything taken care of, all this is just a formality we are patient enough to go through," he says lightly. "We can't wait to-"

I raise a finger to silence him. "Did you mention my father?"

The man's brows furrow slightly before he answers, "Yes. Mr. King had fixed the meeting and pitched everything needed for the project. He just needed you to sign the papers," he brings out some documents from his bag and places them on the table, "seeing as you're the one in charge of this branch we're working with."

The nerve of that man. Not only is this overstepping, it is also insulting and demeaning. He hadn't bothered to inform me first, even if he still wanted to make his own decision.

I clench my jaw and look away from them. If he thinks that by doing so he is going to get the upper hand, then he has another thing coming.

I clasp my hands on the table. "The deal is canceled."

The better-looking man's smile wavers, while the other one's features twist unattractively. "W-what?"

"You heard me. We will no longer be working with you." I say calmly and slowly, as if I hadn't just scattered their expectations.

I stand, the chair scraping against the floor. "You can go tell my father that if he's so interested in working with you, he might as well take the job himself."

The men stand also. "You have to reconsider, Mr King. We already made all the arrangements, and we've gotten everything prepared."

"You didn't make them with me. Sorry for the trouble my father caused," I say and begin walking away, but stop and turn back to them. "And it's Levi. Mr. Levi, not King."

It's not like it'd make any difference, but it's already enough that people recognize me only because of my last name. I can't stand them calling me by his name.

I hear the sound of footsteps behind me as I move through the door, and Walker appears by my side.

"Why did you do that?" He questions. "They were your father's clients, and you know how valuable Mr King's clients are to the company."

I face him briefly. "If you're so worried about that, maybe you should go work for him instead."

That shuts him up. At least he knows I'm more bearable than my father is.

We continue walking, but I bring my steps to a halt when I hear a familiar voice nearby. I turn in the direction of the sound, and surely, she is the one.