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I skipped all the info about his first company and the sale to Google and went straight to the carbon capturing technology. Sure enough, he pissed off several coal companies when he used the money from the sale to develop electric vehicle batteries, so much so that the Governor of West Virginia issued a statement saying that Mr. Benning was not welcome in the state.
Beyond that, he was involved in dozens of charities. The Google Image tab was full of photos of Pierce holding giant checks for Doctors Without Borders, Project Smile, The Free Water Project, and countless more. On the Google News tab, there were hundreds of articles written about him. Many journalists called him a real-life Tony Stark. Dolly Parton, who worked with him on a number of charities, was quoted as saying, “Oh I just love Pierce to death, even though he keeps declining my marriage proposals.” A quote from a New England politician stuck out to me: “Pierce Benning is the only moral billionaire on earth.”
Realizing that my jaw was hanging open, I closed it and kept reading.
Andrew answered a phone call. “Yeah, we’re still in the air. Yes. That’s correct. Okay.” He chuckled. “She’s fine. I think she’s Googling you right now.”
“No I’m not,” I lied.
Andrew listened to the call for a few more seconds, then covered the phone with his palm. “Mr. Benning would like you to know he’s doubling the offer.”
I gave a start. “Which offer?”
“Both.”
I started to laugh, but Andrew’s dark eyes were boring into me. He was serious.
Glancing out the window at the blue water, I allowed myself to think about the offers again. That much money—even from the first contract—would be life-changing. That capital would allow me to start my own company, hiring additional help right out of the gate. I would be able to put the Bobs out of business in months, not years.
Now that the helicopter was flying north toward Providence, it felt like a massive opportunity was slipping through my fingers. The kind of opportunity that only came once, if it ever came at all.
“He’s waiting for your answer,” Andrew said. “I don’t want to rush you, but Mr. Benning’s time is extremely valuable.”
“I’m sure it is,” I muttered, staring out the window again. The Rhode Island shore appeared in the distance, leading into the mouth of the Providence River. In a few minutes, I would be back in my car and driving home.
But driving home to what?
“Ms. Norris?” Andrew said politely. “Melinda?”
“Okay,” I said, leaning into the fear I felt. “I’ll accept his offer.”
Andrew looked relieved. “Which offer?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
And that was the honest truth: I had no idea what I was going to do.
6
Tristan
“She does not want to be here,” I insisted.
My tone had steadily risen over the course of the discussion. I would not call it an argument. Not yet. But it was becoming more heated with every passing moment, and I wondered how much further I could push. There were only a few men in the world who could challenge Pierce once he had made a decision. I was unfortunate enough to be one of them. In fact, Pierce trusted me precisely because of it.
“She’s the one,” Pierce reiterated while typing away at his laptop.
“I’ve never known you to be a man who believes in fate.”
“I didn’t say she was fate,” Pierce replied, like a debate champion arguing a specific point. “I said she is the one. As in, the one ideal candidate we have been waiting for. I have searched through countless surrogates this past year, Tristan. I’ve been patient. Now that I have found her, the woman who will bear my child, I will not give up so easily.”
“On paper, I agree with your assessment,” I said carefully. “However, her demeanor is far from ideal. We need someone who is enthusiastic about the agreement, not someone who needs convincing. If she is here half-heartedly, it will only upset everyone involved.”
“I do not disagree.”
“Then why did you double the offer?”
Pierce stopped typing to gaze up at me. Those green eyes had intimidated countless CEOs and world leaders. I was one of the few people immune to his stare.
