A Contract for love

James...

I love going out and having a great time. My grandfather has an amazing casino hotel, and I, of course, spend hours in there having fun. Not only with the games but also with various women. My grandfather doesn't come as often anymore due to his old age. After my mom passed away, it's just been me and him. My grandfather tells me I need to get married and start a family, but with the money I have, I can have any woman I want. I'm a confident and charming kind of playboy. No woman can resist my charm. They love my blue eyes and adore my chiseled abs. My grandfather built a true empire. He bet big, and we have one of the largest fortunes in the world. The Black Diamond Hotel is an incredible casino located in Florida, just 40 minutes from Miami in Hollywood Beach. In Florida, here in Miami and Orlando, the law is very strict, and casinos are prohibited. But the Black Diamond Hotel and Casino was strategically built by my grandfather on a Native American reservation called Seminole, because the law can't be enforced on reservations. It's my grandfather's casino! It has a massive structure and offers a miniature experience of being in Las Vegas for a few hours. In fact, our casino in Florida is much more than just a casino. It also offers various types of entertainment, such as shows by famous artists and singers, fight events like the UFC, bars, and many restaurants. The casino is the main attraction, and our customers are greeted with hundreds of slot machines, where people spend hours playing their coins and can win thousands of dollars. There are slot machines of all types and all possible games. At the tables, the most sought-after games are Blackjack, Roulette, and Poker. I know people from various places in Florida, Miami, and Orlando who come here to gamble, play, and stay at the great hotel. The structure of the Black Diamond Hotel and Casino is incredible. There are over 450 rooms, all very comfortable, with queen-size beds, robes, minibars, plasma TVs, and Egyptian cotton sheets. The hotel's leisure area is also excellent and has large pools, perfect for Miami and Florida's scorching weather, just to mention. There are also many shops for shopping and a spa. The Hollywood area has one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. Dining at the Black Diamond Hotel is also a great choice. There are more than 15 different restaurants with various cuisines. The Diamond Restaurant, for example, is a quieter and fun place located by the pool, with great drinks. It's one of my favorite places because I meet many interesting women there. There are also several other restaurants. In addition to these à la carte restaurants, the Black Diamond has a food court with faster and cheaper options like snacks, pizzas, and Chinese food. There's a Hooters there, the famous American restaurant with beautiful and friendly waitresses, making it a lot of fun.

But as I'm about to reach my favorite spot, Lucas has already called me. He never misses a weekend either. However, one afternoon arrives, and I quickly start getting ready. At that moment, I hear our housekeeper screaming. I decide to go see what happened and find her rushing out of my grandfather's room in total distress. So, I approach her and hold her arms.

"What's wrong, Suzete?" I say, shaking her. She just looks at me with a pained expression, pointing to my grandfather's room. I decide to enter and see my grandfather very serene, with his eyes closed. I go up to him and call out. "Grandpa!" I say, touching his shoulder. "I feel your cold skin."

"Grandpa, talk to me!" He remains motionless, and I scream, falling to my knees beside the bed. "No! My grandfather can't be gone!" I see Lucas enter the room and hug me, saying...

"Calm down, man! Come with me," he says, trying to lift me up as I continue to resist. "My grandfather, Lucas! My only family! He left me all alone," I cry.

"Calm down, dude! I know it hurts, but you need to be strong! He wouldn't want to see you like this," Lucas says. "I'm not leaving here," I tell Lucas, holding my grandfather's hand. I see Lucas leave the room, and a few minutes later, he comes back with a glass of water and a pill, handing it to me. "I'm not going to drink this," I say, not wanting to take that pill. "Oh, you will. You need to calm down. It's just a relaxant, trust me," Lucas tells me, holding out the pill to me. After a lot of insistence, I take the pill. After about 20 minutes, I feel my body heavy, and my eyes keep wanting to close. I try to keep them open, but I can't, and I end up falling asleep.

I wake up startled, look around, and don't see my grandfather. I realize I'm in my room, but why am I here? I get up still feeling groggy, stumbling around the room. I go to the door, holding onto the frame, and see Suzete. "Where's my grandfather? Why am I here?" She looks at me and says, "Mr. James! You slept the whole night. It's already morning, but don't worry! Your lawyer has taken care of everything, and your grandfather's body is being laid to rest in the main hall of the house, as he wished. I can't believe this is really happening." I run my hands through my hair as tears roll down my face. I see Lucas approaching quickly. "Hey, man, are you okay?" He puts his hand on my shoulder. "I'm not, my grandfather is really gone, it's not a bad dream." I hug him, crying. "Calm down, man! I'll always be by your side. You know we're like brothers." That's true. Lucas was raised with me since we were kids. His parents were always close friends of my family. He's the brother I never had.

I go back to the room and dress appropriately for my grandfather's funeral. As soon as I arrive in the hall, our lawyer comes to comfort me. He has been with our family since he was young too. His father was our lawyer, and when he passed away, he passed the work onto him. He has always had our complete trust and was also my grandfather's best friend.

The time has come to bury my grandfather, and at this moment, I feel like the loneliest person on the entire planet. My father didn't want me, my mother passed away young, and now my grandfather. Since he only had my mother and also has only one distant brother, it's just me now.

Dr. Miller tells me he will come to my house for the reading of the will because my grandfather had requested it to be done shortly after his death. We arrive home, and I head to the office. Dr. Miller quickly begins reading the will.

"Your grandfather, as everyone knows, had no heirs, so he left everything to the sole heir, James Leonard King. However, with one condition: that the mentioned heir must marry within 6 months and remain married for a minimum of 3 years, only being allowed to divorce after this pre-established time if there is no love between the couple."

I look at Dr. Miller in disbelief because even after his death, my grandfather managed to play a trick on me. Then Dr. Miller continues speaking:

"If the heir fails to fulfill this clause, he will not receive 100% of the fortune, and it will be divided equally among the individuals mentioned below: 25% for charity, 25% for my friend and lawyer Miller, 25% for the employees mentioned below, and my grandson will only retain 25% of what remains of my estate."

I place both hands over my mouth, arch my eyebrows, and stand there, stunned, for a minute. I can't believe my grandfather did this to me. He knew how much I enjoy my bachelor life, knew I don't believe in love. I know he wanted to take care of me, but this is too much! I ask Dr. Miller if there's no other alternative, and he shakes his head in denial.

He continues speaking:

"If you accept the clause, you will assume and manage the assets, while I will continue to be your executor. It's also mandatory that when you two get married, you sleep in the same room and attend some events together."

"Don't be like that, James. Your grandfather only wanted what's best for you; he didn't want you to be a lonely bachelor," my friend Lucas teases me.

Unfortunately, I have to agree to this crazy clause in the will. I can't forfeit my fortune, so I nod, and Dr. Miller asks me to sign. I sign, my friend Lucas signs, and my housekeeper also signs as a witness. We finish settling some details, and I bid farewell to my lawyer. I ask Lucas to accompany me to the living room.