AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My parents are gearing up with lawyers.” She blows out a breath and her left leg is shaking.
“Tell me, Exie. What is going on?”
“That means she hasn’t told you.”
“Told me what?” I snap.
The fucking suspense is killing me. I want to reach over my desk and shake it out of her.
“They are threatening to take Lane Jr. away from Aura. She put everything in a trust that Lane can only access when he is of age, and he is still too young to make any decisions. My parents are expressing their concerns over her ability to provide adequately for Lane in the same capacity as they could. My parents are going to get a court order from a judge to have Lane Jr. stay with them because they can provide a more stable environment than Aura. They will want to see financial statements that we both know only show Lane’s assets, cars, and his company.”
“They want her to sell it. This is not about Lane Jr. and his lifestyle.”
“Exactly,” Exie deadpans.
I lean back in my chair but then get up and walk over to pour a scotch. I turn my head. “Want one?”
She sighs and places her coat on the chair next to her. “Yeah.”
I pour her a glass and hand it to her. “What are you willing to do?”
She looks up. “Honestly, she is my best friend, my brother’s only love, and the mother to my nephew. Anything.”
“How much of the company do you own?”
“Majority share, and I placed some in Aura and Lane’s names. She doesn’t know.”
“How is your parents’ retirement? Do they have enough?”
“Of course, they wouldn’t threaten her if they didn’t feel a sense of financial empowerment. They have more money than they know what to do with. Since my brother’s death, I’m the sole beneficiary. What are you proposing?”
I level her with a hard expression, taking a sip of my scotch. The cubes inside the glass moving with the amber liquid. “Retire them like I did mine and outvote them with the board. Take away their power, and in return, it will give you your freedom with Dex.”
Her face softens, and I can tell she is in love with him. Dex was Lane’s right-hand man. He runs Turner Automotive and takes care of the shops and sends reports to Aura on a weekly basis. The guy is loyal but has the same issue Aura has with her in-laws. He doesn’t come from a privileged family, so their relationship is hidden.
“That would piss them off, but they would move forward. They still have enough money to get even with Aura. Even in the sense of dismantling what Lane built. They were never happy Lane had deviated from the family business and built cars to race. He moved out when he turned eighteen and never went back. It was against their wishes, and let’s not even talk about his marriage to Aura and the fact he had a child with her. My parents don’t believe their children should marry for love but for convenience and money.”
“We share a similar issue with our beloved parents, but I see things differently. I’m sure you do too.”
She takes a long sip of the scotch that makes her eyes water. “I do,” Exie croaks.
“Slow down there, slugger.”
She starts to cough and her eyes water. “What is this?” She holds up the glass like it’s nuclear.
I chuckle. “Macallan Fine and Rare, aged scotch.”
“It’s smooth, but shit, it’s strong,” she declares.
“I opened it for the occasion.”
She coughs and clears her throat. “What occasion is that?”
“I have decided it’s time to propose to Aura and make her my wife. She will be untouchable as a St. Claire.”
She snickers. “You really love her, don’t you?”
“With everything that I am, Exie. She and Lane Jr. because he is a part of her and my best friend’s son.”
