My brow pinches together. “Why one dollar?”
“Because if I leave you nothing, you could contest it, saying I merely forgot to add you. One dollar is intentional.”
Jesus Christ, he’s serious.
“And my job?”
“Maria’s husband will inherit my position, but don’t worry, you’ll still have a job. You’ll be making a fraction of what you are now.”
Maria has the most sense of my three cousins, though her husband is a complete moron, which my granddad surely knows.
“You can’t be serious. He’ll run the Rossi name into the ground.”
“All he has to do is float the business until the next generation comes of age.”
“Your oldest grandchild is seven. Do you really expect him to ‘float’ for over a decade?”
Granddad winks. “He’ll have plenty of help.”
“Well, aren’t you a bastard.”
He smiles smugly, and despite the situation I’ve now found myself in, I still love him to pieces.
“Will my sister fare better?” I ask.
“Maria gave me two beautiful grandchildren, so yes, she’ll do fine.”
Jealousy needles me, but I refuse to let it show. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to start looking for places that might value my experience,” I tell him, knowing he’ll see it as a threat.
“I wouldn’t look so fast if I were you.”
“Really? Because you’re taking everything from me.”
“And leaving you a sliver of hope.”
“Explain.”
“If you can secure a wife by month’s end, you’ll get to keep your job and salary, and if you can knock her up before I pass, you’ll keep your inheritance.”
“Knock her up?” I blurt, appalled.
“I want a goddamn grandchild by your blood. Even if my time on this earth is limited, I want to know that the line is still growing.”
I shove my fingers through my hair, contemplating his demand.
“There’s not enough time…”
“With your good looks and family name, you could be married by the end of the day.”
“You know as well as anyone that marriages into legacy lines like ours take careful screening.”
“Then I guess it’s good that I gave you a head start.”
“A head start?”
“I put in an application with Wife for Hire, a company specializing in matchmaking. Miss May, the owner, has put together a list of potential brides. All you need do is pick one.”
“But she could pick anyone?”
