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“I haven’t seen her in two decades. You both realize that, right?”
“Time only makes the heart grow fonder.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “You two are the reason we haven’t seen each other in twenty years. It waswhy I was sent away, remember?”
“Tristian, you know that’s not true. It wasn’t just Belle we were trying to get you away from. My reasons were much bigger than that and you know it, but look how well you turned out? It was the best thing I could have done for you. Who knows what would have been of your life if I hadn’t intervened?”
“Which only hurt Belle in the process.”
“Time heals all wounds. It’s water under the bridge.”
“Enough with the bumper sticker bullshit, Grandfather! What makes you think she’s even going to go for this?”
“For one, it’s your job to make sure she does. I know the power of your persuasion, Tristian. They don’t call you a ruthless bastard in the boardroom for nothing. Hostile takeovers are your forte, and they’re your favorite. Besides, getting her to marry you won’t be your biggest accomplishment.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, taken aback by what he meant with his unnerving statement. I didn’t have to wait long for an explanation.
I just didn’t expect her grandfather to reveal…
“Giving us a bloodline heir will be.”
Chapter One
—Belle—
Now: Four months later
As soon as I stepped off the elevator to my office, my executive assistant, Paige, was walking beside me with her iPad in her hands.
“Talk to me,” I stated like I did every morning, requesting my daily agenda. It changed every day, sometimes on a whim.
I was Chief Operating Officer, (COO) of Montgomery Enterprises. It was the second highest position below my grandfather. My primary responsibilities were to oversee business operations, which included marketing, human resources, sales, production, research and development, and those were just to name a few.
Basically, I made sure we stayed on top of everything. Meaning, I had no personal life. These companies were my entire existence, and that was all by choice.
“Belle, your—”
My cell phone rang, cutting her off. “Hold that thought, Paige.” I answered, “Hello.”
Minutes later, I walked into my office, kicking the door shut behind me as I finished up the call. Suddenly I heard two words from a familiar, yet unfamiliar voice.
“Hello, kitten.”
My body instantly turned while my feet stopped dead in their tracks, almost giving me whiplash in the process. Our eyes met, and I was dragged back to another place and time where he looked nothing like the distinguished man who was prominently sitting in front of my desk, wearing a black three-piece suit with a blue collared shirt.
Even after all this time, I was still physically attracted to him. He was as handsome as ever with his bright, piercing blue eyes that always looked like they could see into my soul. The facial hair he was sporting only made him appear more distinguished. His golden-brown hair looked darker than I remembered, but he probably didn’t spend as much time outside as he did back then.
Tristian Hawkins.
My enemy through generations of an ongoing rivalry between our families’ businesses. His family, the Hawkins and my family, the Montgomerys, were gods in our town of Lexington, Kentucky. Everyone knew who we were and how much our families despised one another.
We were the talk of the town.
Still were.
Especially after what we’d accomplished with our families’ companies since we began working for them. The media loved to compare our businesses. Constantly fueling the fire in a war that began several lifetimes ago. If it wasn’t our rivalry that people were discussing, then it was the fact that I was still single with no suitable fiancé in the wings.
Unmarried at thirty-seven wasn’t exactly fitting for the granddaughter of the great Chance Montgomery. If it were up to my grandfather, he’d die in his office, sitting on his throne where he was king.
