AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I clear my throat. “When do I meet her?”
“I’ll introduce you to her over lunch this Thursday. I think you’ll get along marvelously.” He twirls a pen between his fingers the way he used to when he was anxious about something. “Last night over dinner she mentioned this was precisely the opportunity that she’d been looking for to really make her mark.”
Over dinner? My stomach clenches. Is he dating Eliza? Did he buy my company just so he could hand it over to his skanky little girlfriend? I think I’m going to be sick.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to center myself.
“Are you all right?” For a moment, he sounds likemyRhence, voice full of genuine concern about me.
I want to scream at him, to ask him why he’s being such an incredible ass to me, but I merely shake my head and lower my hand. “Just a little bit of a headache. I’m fine.”
“I can have Gladys bring you some ibuprofen or something.”
“I’ll be okay.” I lift my eyes to him. “Thank you, though.”
For a moment, he holds my gaze in silence. There seems to be some burning question there, but for the life of me, I can’t discern what it could possibly be. But I can see him in there, that eighteen-year-old boy I loved so much. I want to reach out and stroke his cheek, but just as fast, he closes off again.
“Very well,” he says in a clipped tone. “Let’s review the financials. With Eliza’s new salary, you’ll need to cut expenses and streamline your operations.”
And just like that, I’m annoyed again. My eyes flick back to him. “I thought you said Horizon would cover it.”
“Eliza’s compensation will be split between the books, which means fifty percent will be borne on yours. With all the big clients she’ll be bringing with her, you should more than be able to cover it. What could be better, two hot-shot Harvard MBAs running the show?”
This is the second time I heard the distinct sneer in his voice when he says “Harvard MBA.” Why such animosity toward my alma mater? I would have been perfectly happy at Chapel Hill or NC State if it had meant staying with him. I only went to Harvard after he’d abandoned me. Did he expect me to curl up and die when he left? Does he resent me for having made a success of my life despite being brutally dumped by him?
“Running the show?” I take issue with the phrase. “It’s still my company, Rhence. I’m the president.Irun the show.”
“Under my authority,” he retorts. “I intend to make a success of your company regardless of who’s at the helm.”
“Why do you care what happens tomycompany?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
His jaw clenches tight, and the pen in his hand is in serious danger of snapping. “Let’s just call it charity, shall we?”
“Call it what you like,” I say, glaring at him. “But I’m not handing over the reins of my company to anyone.”
“Didn’t that high-powered attorney daddy of yours read you the fine print of the contract?” he barks. “It’s no longer your company, it’s mine. And you’d do well to remember that.”
I tremble with rage at his audacity. When did he become this controlling, sadistic prick? I was between a rock and a hard place. I could either deal with this nasty little shark or walk away from the company I built. I clench my jaw and dig in my heels, prepared for battle. I once had Rhence Dalton eating out of the palm of my hand, I can do it again. Only this time, I’ll walk away first.
“The first place you can reduce expense is in your office lease,” Rhence says, staring at his computer screen. “You’re going to relocate to an office space in Ballentyne.”
“What? We’ve always been uptown. It’s what the clients expect.”
“What clients?” he quips, flicking a glance at me, and I have to stop myself before I actually snarl at him. “The new industrial park is upscale and plenty prestigious. Eliza agrees that her new clients will be impressed with the accommodations.”
My blood boils and I grit my teeth so hard I can barely get my next words out. “You andElizachose the new office space without consulting me, the president?”
He waves dismissively. “Calm down, no leases have been signed yet.” I can tell he’s hiding a self-satisfied smirk. “You’ll take a ride out there tomorrow morning. Have a look at the space and let me know what you think.”
“And if I don’t like it?”
His eyes snap back to me. “You’d better have a damn good reason why you don’t.”
“Why didn’t you discuss it with me first?”
He gestures at the computer screen. “Exhibit One: your dismal financials.”
“It’s a temporary glitch, and you know it,” I snap. “Stop being such a pretentious dick about it.”
