CHAPTER 132: DINNER WITH DAD (6)

As agreed, once dinner was over, Nick followed his father into the home office. Benjamin Knight reached for a crystal decanter, poured two generous glasses of wine, and handed one to his son before settling into the chair opposite him.

"What exactly are you planning, Nicholas?" Benjamin asked, his tone deceptively calm as he swirled the ruby liquid in his glass, eyes sharp and unblinking.

Nick leaned back on the sofa, lifting his own glass. "Like I said, I want to take the CEO position you offered me before. It’s about time, don’t you think?" He inhaled the aroma of the wine, let it linger a moment, then took a slow sip.

Benjamin’s lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "And this sudden ambition... is it because of that woman? Georgia Lewis?"

Nick’s grip on the stem of his glass tightened, a flicker of fire in his eyes. He hadn’t expected his father to strike straight at his heart.

Benjamin Knight was many things: a generous husband, a commanding and loving father, but gentle had never been one of them.

In the ruthless maritime industry, his name was legend, carved from steel, storms, and sacrifices. Every story of his rise from nothing was equal parts awe and warning, and Nick had learned early that defying Benjamin came with consequences.

He had gambled once, years ago, walking away from the path his father laid before him. That disobedience had been tolerated, perhaps even indulged, because the sea was in their blood.

Benjamin’s father was also a ship Captain, which was the only reason why Nick had gotten away from his controlling grip.

But this—this challenge, rooted in love and defiance, was something entirely different. And Nick could feel the danger coil tighter with every word unspoken.

"Even without her, I would still walk the same path," Nick said firmly, his voice steady, though his heart beat hard against his ribs. "I’m growing tired of the sea. I could command a ship even in my sleep. It no longer excites me. I need something new, something that will challenge me."

It was a safe answer. A shield. Nick knew it. He neither denied nor confirmed his bond with Georgia, refusing to place her within his father’s line of fire. Not yet, not until he was sure she would be untouchable. He wouldn’t risk her becoming his father’s enemy just because of him.

Benjamin leaned back, narrowing his eyes, studying every flicker of expression on his son’s face. "Is that so? Then tell me, what is this talk of settling down and marriage?" His words cut like a test, like an interrogation wrapped in silk.

"You want us to settle down, give you grandchildren. I’m doing exactly that," Nick replied evenly, each word carefully measured, protecting the woman who had become the center of his world.

Benjamin’s gaze sharpened. "Then why reject Sarah? She comes from a good family. What’s wrong with her?"

"There’s nothing wrong with her," Nick admitted with quiet sadness. "But she does reckless things... blinded by ego, pride, and obsession. You know what I mean, Dad. You’ve lived through that." His tone dropped lower, aching with unspoken memories.

Benjamin’s face hardened, yet his voice was calm, persuasive. "Can’t you look past that? Like you said, she’s obsessed with you. She won’t ever look at another man. She’ll devote herself to you entirely, bend to your will just to keep you.

Isn’t that what a man would want? To never make an effort, to have loyalty without question? She’s not only from a good family, but she’s also beautiful, intelligent, and has good genes. Those are qualities you could pass on to your children. Don’t you want that kind of legacy?"

Nick’s chest tightened, but his silence was not weakness. It was defiance—quiet, steady, and unyielding. Because what Benjamin could never understand was that love wasn’t about convenience, bloodlines, or legacies. It was about fire, peace of mind, and trust. And Nick had already found his.

"I don’t, Dad... because my heart isn’t with her," Nick said, his voice rough with conviction. "It doesn’t matter if I have to chase the woman I want. I know what I can give, I know what I can do. And I made a promise to myself a long time ago... one I will never break."

Benjamin’s brows furrowed, curiosity flickering beneath his sharp exterior. "A long time ago? When? What promise did you make?"

Nick let out a heavy sigh, the weight of years pressing on his chest. His father noticed—the way his son’s shoulders tensed, the way his gaze darkened with memory.

"Are you sure you’re ready to hear it?" Nick asked softly, almost cautiously, though there was no malice in his tone.

Benjamin leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "Please. I won’t know if I’m ready or not until you tell me."

Nick swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as the words clawed up from the depths of his soul. "I made that promise the day you and your wife took us away from Mom. That day, I swore... I would never let my children suffer as I did. I would never let my future wife be hurt or humiliated like Mom was.

I promised myself I would grow old with my family, and we would be happy... truly happy." His voice broke, trembling as his eyes turned red, fighting against tears, against the storm of anger and sorrow that burned in his chest.

"I want you to be happy too, Dad," Nick whispered, the raw honesty in his words striking harder than any defiance could.

"So let me... let me do this my way," Nick said, his voice low but charged with emotion. His eyes locked with his father’s, steady yet pleading. "Let me prove to you that I won’t disappoint you. Allow me to stumble, to make mistakes, and to rise from them—just like you did when you first built your empire. Give me the same chance you once gave yourself."

Benjamin’s grip tightened around his wine glass, the weight of his son’s words cutting deeper than he expected. For the first time in years, he saw not just the boy he had raised under strict rules, but the man who now stood before him—unwavering, determined, and carrying a fire that mirrored his own when he was younger.

Nick’s voice still echoed in his head, every word reminding him of the mistakes he had buried beneath power and pride. He saw the anger burning in his son’s eyes, but beneath it was something else that even he perhaps was not brave enough to face until now.

For a moment, the powerful Benjamin Knight felt his chest tighten, his armor of steel cracking under the weight of a truth he could no longer ignore. His son wasn’t defying him out of rebellion. He was fighting for his future, for the kind of love Benjamin himself once dreamed of but had long forgotten.

*******

Thank you for the Golden Tickets!

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