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He slumped back in the chair in his home office, sucking in a deep breath through his nose. His brain needed oxygen and fast. This was a huge problem and it had to be solved before it was too late. He knew that each Langford sibling owned 5 percent of the company. With that amount of stock in the mix, it would absolutely be feasible for Aiden to take down LangTel. And with everything Anna had once told him, Aiden had an axe to grind.
He wandered into his bedroom. Fixing the situation with Aiden wasn’t a one-person job, and he couldn’t go to Anna for help. It would expose her to far too much stress. He had to protect her and the baby. That left one person, the person he’d vowed to never trust again, especially when it came to business. He had to go to Adam.
He hopped in the shower and dressed quickly. It was time to find Adam, pronto, and there was no time for second-guessing what the outcome might be. The sooner they devised a plan to get Aiden under wraps, the better. Luckily, Adam was notorious for getting into the office absurdly early. Jacob asked his driver to take him to LangTel headquarters, sending Adam a text along the way.
We need to talk. Important. On my way to your office. Don’t ask questions.
Adam’s response came quickly. I’ll tell security.
Jacob could only hope that Adam meant he was instructing security to let him into the building, not escort him out of it. He arrived at LangTel in ten minutes and rushed into the lobby. A guard was indeed waiting for him, but only to issue a security badge and instruct him on which elevator to take for the executive floors.
Jacob’s head was grinding, mulling over options, devising plans. Short of amassing a huge amount of money to buy Aiden out, how would they stop this? His heart pounded fiercely in his chest as he made his way down the hall to Adam’s office.
Adam’s assistant was waiting. “Mr. Lin?” She stepped out from behind her desk. “May I take your coat? Can I get you a coffee?”
Jacob mustered a polite smile and handed over his black wool coat. “No, thank you. I’m just fine.”
“Mr. Langford is waiting for you.”
“Actually, you can do one thing for me. Adam and I are discussing a surprise for his sister’s birthday. If she comes by, make sure you don’t let her in. Don’t even let her know that I’m here.” He raised his finger to his lips to encourage her compliance. He had to keep Anna away from this powder keg at any cost.
“Of course, Mr. Lin. Your secret is safe with me.”
Jacob stood straighter and took extra-long strides into Adam’s office. He tried to think of a time he’d had to swallow his pride any more than at this moment. He couldn’t think of one, not even with his dad. Could he keep it together, stop himself from getting sidetracked by old problems?
Adam turned slowly in his massive leather executive chair like a villain in an action movie. “This is a surprise.”
Jacob didn’t wait for an invitation to sit, taking a seat opposite Adam’s desk. “I’m as surprised as you are.”
“Are you going to tell me why you’re here or are we going to play twenty questions?” Adam tapped a pen on the desk blotter.
“It’s the War Chest.”
“The gang of thugs you put together to take down the corporation my father built from the ground up? I know all about that.”
It was so like Adam to bring up the most damning details. “The investment group I was kicked out of when I pushed them to stop because I didn’t want a takeover to ruin my chances at a relationship with Anna.”
Adam cleared his throat. “Don’t get me started on Anna.”
You have no idea. Adam was going to blow up when he found out that he and Anna were as involved as a man and woman could possibly be, even if the romantic side of things was fragile. “Please, Adam. I know I’ve done some things you aren’t happy about. You can’t say that you haven’t done the same to me.”
“I have a busy day ahead of me. Can you get to the point?”
“Your brother Aiden has joined the War Chest.”
“What?” Fury blazed in Adam’s eyes.
“With his percentage of stock in the mix, they can take over LangTel. Without much problem, I have to point out. You need to do something about this now.”
“Oh, my God. Aiden.” Adam’s skin blanched, his eyes grew wide with disbelief. It was the first chink in Adam’s armor that Jacob had ever seen. “He’s been estranged from the family for years and it got worse when my dad got sick, but I never imagined he would go this far.”
