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“I am well aware of that, Mr. Windsor,” she went on, her voice betraying just how nervous she was. “Unfortunately, we have another buyer for the property, and he’s willing to match any price you make, and up it by two-hundred-thousand.”
“What?” I asked, feeling incredulous. “How is that possible? The Estate isn’t worth more than six million. You’re already ripping me off here. Why would anyone be willing to pay that much?”
A standing offer with a guarantee to outbid the competition? That’s not even practical. Only a fool would do that…
“You are forgetting about the custom-made Italian marble tile in the grand bathroom,” the woman went on. “And of course, we can’t forget the glass fixtures straight from the island of Murano near Venice in Italy-”
“I don’t give a shit about the fixtures,” I responded as coolly as I could, but I was getting impatient. “And we both know the house isn’t worth more than six mil. So, Marlena, darling, please let me know when we can sign the papers.”
“We can’t,” she breathed out after a short pause. “The other buyer… he will match any offer you make.”
“Then just don’t fucking tell him,” I spat out. “Here’s the final offer, Marlena. Ten million. You’re robbing me fucking blind, but I’ll ignore that if you give me the house. I’ll draw up the papers, so the extra two mil go into your account.”
I could practically see her eyes widening at that even though she was on the other side of the phone.
“Um…” Her greed seemed to be overpowering her initial hesitation.
That’s what I thought. She isn’t confident enough to believe the other buyer will actually match an offer this absurd. I win.
“Think of that, Marlena,” I went on, my voice dripping with sugary sweetness. “You have two sons in high school, don’t you?”
“And a daughter,” she whispered.
“You could pay for their education,” I said, trying to tempt her with my offer. “You could pay off your house… Hell, you could buy a new house. A vacation home. You’d be taken care of, Marlena. So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”
“I…” Gone was her chirpiness, now replaced with raw nerves.
“What’s stopping you?” I said gently. “Your sense of what’s right and what’s wrong?”
She was stubbornly quiet.
“Do something for yourself for once,” I suggested. “And for your family. Think about how grateful they’ll be. Your daughter, how old is she?”
“Eighteen,” she managed to get out.
“Eighteen,” I repeated. “Does she have a boyfriend?”
“Yes,” Marlena answered. “A high school sweetheart. They’re already talking about getting married.”
“You could pay for her dream wedding,” I told her gently. “Give her everything she wants. So say yes, Marlena. This is the chance of a lifetime.”
A long pause followed, then finally she whispered, “Okay, Mr. Windsor. We have a deal.”
Of course we do. I don’t lose. She knows that…
“Perfect,” I said, back to my professional voice. “I’ll have the papers sent over and sign them on my end. I’d like the property available to me in a few days. Can you do that, Marlena?”
“Of course, Mr. Windsor,” she said, her voice shaking lightly. “Thank you so much… you have no idea what you’ve done for me.”
“Don’t mention it,” I ground out.
I knew I could change lives with the sweep of a hand. But it didn’t matter to me. None of the people whose lives I’d just changed mattered. All I cared about was Violet Cabot and giving her everything she deserved.
“One last thing, Marlena,” I went on. “I need to know who the other buyer is.”
“Oh, Mr. Windsor,” she said nervously. “We’re not allowed to give out that information-”
“Listen to me,” I practically growled. “I want to know who the other buyer is right the fuck now, or the whole deal is off. I don’t take kindly to people taking what’s mine. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she managed sheepishly.
“The name, Marlena.” My voice got more threatening, enough for her to know ten million dollars could disappear in an instant.
“Mr. Windsor, I-“
“Now!” I could barely contain myself, and I could almost see her shivering at the sound of my voice.
“Mr. Windsor, I don’t know how to tell you this,” she whispered.
“What?” I barked in response.
“The other buyer…” I could hear her swallowing the lump in her throat. “The other buyer was your father.”
Son of a bitch.I strode into my father’s office building two hours later, wearing an expression of pure rage. I practically had an aura surrounding me. Everyone that tried to greet me saw it. They scattered. Not even his most trusted employees were bold enough to make a move towards me. I was angry enough to say something I might regret, but I didn’t give a fuck. I was blinded by aggression and there was only one target that deserved to get the brunt of my wrath. I pushed his door open and let my emotions flood out of me in an instant.
