Chapter 19: The Request

Dylan Windell's POV

After an exciting evening with my family reunion, Uncle Sam has requested me to meet him in his library. I hoped it was nothing serious like cutting my funding to pursue my research. I hoped that was not it.

I knocked on the door before he called after me. I got inside the room as my uncle was sitting in front of the fireplace. He was holding a brandy in his hand as he was staring at the fire crackled.

"Ah, Dylan. Please, come join me," he said as I went to take a seat next to him. He handed me a glass of brandy and I thanked him before I was sipping on the liquor. It did nothing to calm the raging storm inside me.

"Now, do you have any idea why I call you here?" He asked as I was looking at the fire before I turned to look at him. I arched my eyebrows.

"If I have known, I might not be here right now. Who knows you might be planning something behind my back," I said before I was sipping on the brandy again. Uncle Sam was smiling before he was sipping on his brandy as well.

"You have the same wit as your father," he said suddenly before sadness was in his voice.

"I see that you missed him," I said as I was leaning against the chair, enjoying the comfort that the fire was giving us. He sighed.

"You know I do. He's my brother and he was gone far too soon," he said as I was rolling the glass in my hand. Then, uncle Sam cleared his throat.

"So, I call you here was to discuss your future," he said. Urgh, no not this again.

"Uncle, how many times do I have to tell you—"

"You quite enjoyed the moment alone with that lady friend of yours," he said before he was putting an envelope in front of me. I was looking at the envelope before I took it and peeked inside.

Fuck!

I put away the photographs that uncle Sam had caught me with Daisy. I mean, it was dark and we were in the garden! How come he got these pictures anyway? Then, I remembered who he was.

He was fucking Samuel Hayes, the business tycoon.

Something like this was probably a small matter for him. I sighed before I was putting the envelope on the coffee table. I rubbed my face after that.

"So, something to share what was going on between you two?" He asked me as I turned to look at his green eyes. It ran in the family.

While Maxwell and I have grey eyes, the Hayes have green eyes. It was how to distinguish us from the distance even if we're related.

"I don't know what to say,"

"I think I do. I think you have been loving this woman but you're too afraid to admit it. I heard that you accused her that her father was your father's murderer," uncle Sam said as I was standing up from the sofa.

"That was not an accusation. It was the truth!" I barked at him before uncle Sam was regarding me with his hard green eyes. It was unnerving before I was pacing back and forth in the study room.

"So, you do not wish to marry her?"

"Marry her? Are you out of your mind?" I asked my uncle before he was smirking at me. Damn him for reading me so well.

"Well, I cannot say that I was happy with this development but look at Cam. He was happy that he brought this woman Ella home. I think he has been frustrated on how to introduce us to her," the uncle said as I sighed before I was sitting on the sofa again.

"So, what do you want me to do? It's not like I can take back my accusation on her father. She already hates me for being in the same room with her. I tell you, uncle, it will not be like you expected," I said before he looked at me. He smirked.

"Are you sure about that boy? I would not be so sure if I were you," he said before he was standing up from the sofa as he was looking at me.

"I want you to go out to the new club that will be opening soon. Get Cam to go with you. You will thank me later," he said as he was moving to the door. I was dumbfounded as I don't know what he was thinking.

"Why would I go to a club?"

"You'll thank me later. Just grab Cam and go enjoy life. You look too tense," the uncle said as I was raking my fingers through my hair.

What the hell was going on here?!

I went to the bar before I was pulling the brandy from the counter. I was putting the glass down before I was refilling the drink.

"Woah, I thought you never drink?" Sabrina said as I was drinking the liquor as much as I can.

"Not in the mood for games, Sabrina," I said as Sabrina was sitting next to me on the bar. She was pulling a glass as well before she was taking the brandy and poured some for her.

"Okay, what's wrong?" She asked as she was sipping on her brandy. I sighed before I was sipping my brandy and turned to look at him.

"Your father was acting up again,"

Sabrina turned to look at me as she arched her eyebrow. She sighed before she was sipping on her brandy as well.

"So, he told you that he wanted you to settle down?" She asked. I nodded grimly as I was staring at the night sky. It was nice and all but I think the raging storm will be coming sooner than later right now.

"So, what do you recommend me to get away this time?'' I asked Sabrina. Ever since I have come of age to get married and when uncle Sam was pestering about continuing the line of Windell, I would ask Sabrina on how to delay it.

Get married at the age of 21, I continued my studies.

Get married at 23, I entered a Master's program.

Get married at 25, I was on my pursuit to break the scientific discovery.

I sighed before I was looking at the glass, raised it, and drank the liquor in one go. It burned my throat but it was only brandy, not the strongest drink but still, I was not a frequent drinker. So, it was still hard for me.

"Why don't you just go with it this time? But with a little twist?" Sabrina said as I turned to look at her. Her green eyes were showing before I was arching my eyebrow.

"Hear me out. You know how we're a conservative family and that we can only have one person to share our bed and cannot do it until we're married?" She asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, it was like the Sacred law of the elemental wielders," I said as Sabrina rolled her eyes at me.

"Anyway, I think if you were to have sex outside of the wedlock, I think dad will not force you to get married then," she said as she was wiggling her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes at her.

I think I spend too much time with her to adapt that rolling.

"I think Uncle would force me to marry that woman then,"

"Then, sleep with someone that will not get married to you since you guys hate each other or something," she said as she was sipping on her wine. I turned to look at her as she just stated the most brilliant idea of all time.

"What?"

"Thank you. I think I have the solution to everything," I said before I was running out of the room. I was too overjoyed that I wanted to get the plan into motion already.

Or was I too eager to get this done with someone responsive to my touch but yet still hate me?

I don't know how to answer it but I can only hope that she did not feel any kind of love for me to get attached to me afterward.

Daisy Dyer's POV

I was looking at the city lights as the weekend night came and went. I sighed as I was sipping on my hot tea. I was looking at the phone. It was only 11 PM but my mind was running through thoughts that I don't think I would be thinking about.

Was Dylan will be in the expedition?

Will he be there to annoy me again?

Was he avoiding me?

I sighed before I was settling on the sofa that was facing the window in my apartment. Aunt Milly was too busy with the ranch to call me over the weekend. It was the selling of livestock and I cannot distract her to get the best price for each cattle.

I smiled as I was remembering the ranch and meadow that I used to run. I think I might get some time off to visit aunt Milly and just maybe, forget all the things in this city, especially one Dylan Windell.