Then, the old man gave her a malicious smile and added, "However, if you want your son to truly succeed my legacy, there is one condition."
"What condition?" Mia questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Tell me."
"That my grandson and heir should take our family name: Ashford." William Ashford replied proudly while crossing his arms over his chest. "From now on, he shall be Oliver Ashford!"
"What?" Mia cried out in shock upon hearing her father's demand. She didn't expect something like this from him.
"This isn't negotiable! Oliver must carry the Ashford name from now on if he's going to inherit my wealth and power in the future. I can't have my legacy taken over by someone who isn't an Ashford."
The old man glared daggers at her as he emphasized every word of what he said, making his point clear and resolute.
There was a long silence between the two as Mia tried to process her thoughts. She hadn't been prepared for such a request at all. It was something completely unexpected, and while she wanted her son to have a good life ahead of him, she didn't want to do something that would hurt Adam.
Adam was a good man, and he had always treated her right. He loved her with all his heart, so she didn't want to betray him in this way. But she also didn't want her son's chance of inheriting the Ashford Group's legacy to slip by.
It was an offer that came with pros and cons, but the choice was difficult for her to make. Especially if it involved her relationship with her husband.
Adam spoke up then, his voice calm and steady. "Mia, I don't understand what happened between you and your father. However, I know that this is something you have to do."
He turned toward his father-in-law and continued, "I understand the value of family. And if this is how we can bring you closer together, then let's do it. Oliver's last name isn't that big a deal to me, so I'm okay with your request, sir."
William Ashford narrowed his eyes, but he didn't say anything back. Instead, he looked at his daughter expectantly, waiting for her answer.
Mia gave a small nod. She knew Adam well enough to know that he wasn't lying when he said that he didn't mind this at all.
So, Mia looked at her father with a stern expression. "You better hold to your end of the bargain, Father! You better help Oliver and make him your successor if he changes his last name."
"Oh please... Don't worry, daughter of mine. All things are ready for that. Both of you just have to sign some contracts and paperwork, and Oliver will become my grandson and heir of Ashford's legacy."
William Ashford responded before leaning back against the chair with an evil grin spreading across his lips. It was as if he knew this was going to happen all along.
Meanwhile, Oliver was still too bewildered by everything. It all happened so fast: from the invitation by the old man claiming to be his grandfather, to the discussion about Ashford's legacy being given to him, to finally now being asked to change his last name.
He didn't know what to make of it and whether he should even accept such an offer at all.
Yet, before he could come up with an answer, his mother and father already agreed to it. It appeared his opinion didn't really matter much in this matter.
"Mom? Dad? What the hell is this? Why are you two acting like some greedy person who suddenly finds an unexpected golden treasure?" Oliver complained at them, not bothering to hide his displeasure about the matter anymore. "This doesn't sit well with me."
Mia walked over to him and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She gave him a reassuring squeeze before replying, "Listen, honey... It's not what you think. If I didn't leave everything behind in the past, then all of this would have been mine from the beginning. So technically, I'm getting back something that is already mine anyway."
Then, she pointed at Adam. "You know how your dad is. He's a simple man and doesn't care much for things that are not important to the happiness of his family. And so, he's fine with changing your last name."
Adam nodded his head with a smile when he saw Oliver look at him. "That's right, Oliver. Just because you're changing your last name doesn't mean it'll change our relationship. In fact, I'm happy you'll be able to gain more from it than you would've otherwise gotten from a normal life."
Hearing his parents' opinions made Oliver sigh. He knew he had no chance to argue against this now that it had been decided. It was an all-or-nothing type of offer, and when he thought about being able to give his mother what she'd left behind, he decided to accept it.
So, he nodded in return and looked at his mother.
"Okay, Mom. I'll change my name then. As long as both of you agree, I don't see any problems with it either," he stated matter-of-factly. "Though, I never knew that you were born into such a rich family before. That's a real surprise."
Mia shook her head in response. There were still some things she didn't want him to know. Things that could affect him when he gets to learn the truth about what kind of life rich people like them had to deal with.
She didn't know if it was the right thing to do or not, but she will make sure that Oliver becomes ready to take on Ashford's legacy and responsibilities without getting corrupted by it.
Of course, his happiness was her biggest priority, so she'll also do everything in her power to help him achieve that, too.