Vindication of the Rejected Heir

Chapter 3

Lord Rowland was red with rage as he flashed Declan, who was confused, a deadly look.

"Take him out of here", he commanded. Two pairs of strong arms grabbed Declan immediately. He was scared to the bone.

"And I don't want to ever see you anywhere near this household, or the company", he said as they took him out.

Declan insisted that he would speak up on this matter. Even though he was an adopted child, accepted by his father into the family, there was no way it was his fault.

A tear slipped from his eyes, and another followed until he was sobbing like a child.

Reminiscing on how much he had endured, he thought this marriage would land him a place in his family, then this happened.

At this moment, more than he ever desired in the past, he wished his father was alive, the only man that was always solidly behind him.

"Please grandpa, hear me out just this once", his stuttering was worse because he was not just angry, but he was also scared of how his life would turn out after this.

He wanted to negotiate a place in the family business, even if it was a second-class staff. He just wanted to have a place in the family.

"Just get out of here with that stuttering lips of yours", Lord Rowland roared, stirring up fear in Declan.

He was thrown out of the event that was supposed to be his wedding and his saving grace. He wanted so much to have the wedding, even if it was not what he wanted.

All his hopes were crushed and he knew this. He stood outside for a while. He wanted to know what would happen after he was gone.

The business merger would probably be off the table, and Patricia would not be getting married to a man she did not like anymore.

Contrary to what he thought, something different was unfolding inside. Lord Rowland was indulged in a conversation with Paul.

"We can't go back on our agreement because of this singular mistake. Let's bury the hatchet and see how this merger would still work in our favor", Lord Rowland began, trying to reach a compromise.

"How do I even trust you on this one?" Paul asked.

"Mary confirmed that Daniel is my biological grandson. He'll seal the agreement instead", Lord Rowland answered, he had calculated his next move already. The man was greedily wise.

When they finally agreed, Paul was more convinced and agreed to the terms of the business. He barely considered the interest of his daughter.

To him, a female child was no child. However, she came in handy for these kinds of things. He knew she was unhappy but he cared less.

Declan watched as his grandpa took Daniel to the side and he knew that something was up. He just wished it was not what he was thinking, but at this point, his hands were tied.

Some of the guests had begun to leave. They were already fed up with the drama and would take it no longer.

"There has to be a reunion today", Lord Rowland said to Daniel, and you would be taking the place of that bastard Declan.

Daniel let out a triumphant smile. It was all he wanted. "Of course sir", Daniel replied with so much optimism. After they had concluded, they announced to the guests that there would be a wedding.

Declan watched as Daniel took his place on the altar, with a smirk plastered to his face. His eyes went to Patricia.

She had been standing at the altar throughout the entire unfolding and she looked far from happy. He could barely see her face from the outside, but he could tell that she was far from happy.

A young girl of her age did not deserve to have grooms exchanged on a day that was supposed to be special to her. He saw her wipe her face and he wondered if she was crying.

His heart went out to her, and it was surprising that her father cared less, like she was not his only child.

Daniel looked at Patricia as the priest commenced the marriage proceedings. He was smiling at her, not because he liked that he was getting married to her, but because he was still going to be fully in charge of the family business, without any obstruction whatsoever.

There were a lot of things he could do with this merger and getting married to Patricia was going to be the starting point of everything.

He would begin building his legacy with the company's proceedings. He was seeking to invest in oil and gas.

He heard it was a very good and extremely lucrative business. When he said his "I do", he was saying it to more money, more of his philandering ways, and more of his control over the family business.

He was so obsessed with his success that he would be so glad if his grandpa died and he was given full reins of the business.

When he kissed Patricia, he did it with the least concern for how she felt. He wanted to be done with this wedding as soon as possible.

Patricia would have a good life of luxury, but he had no plans to be committed to her. He could not wait for Monday morning.

The documents for the merger would be signed and he would assume chairman of the board, as his grandpa was already retired. He smiled in fulfillment. His plans were finally coming to play.

Declan turned away in total and complete disappointment. He never for once thought this was how his day was supposed to go. He began to wonder if the universe was just in his favor.

He held his shoes in his hand as his legs romanced the beach sands. Life to him was hell. He watched the waves of the sea and assumed what his life would become.

When he finally found a spot to sit, he held his face in his hands and cried excruciatingly. This was the part where he was going to start life afresh. He was tired of this much suffering and he wished it would all end.

When he had cried out his eyes, he finally looked up. The sun was already going down. He decided he was going to make something out of himself.

He was going to do this because of his father, who had always believed in him. He wiped the tear that threatened to roll down again and was soon on his way home.