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“And so you should be,” he continued.
This was turning into a giant mutual admiration society meeting. He still hadn't explained what he meant by expand the conversation.
“What, then, is it you think we should be discussing?” I asked him.
Liam placed the papers in front of him and steepled his hands. “I think a quarter of your company is worth more than twenty million.”
His associate shifted in his chair, perhaps not totally in agreement with his boss on this.
This negotiation had gone completely off the rails. Since when did the investor suggest the price was too low? Liam hadn't had any more sleep than I had. Perhaps that explained it.
I eyed him, unable to guess his game. “Perhaps you should explain further.”
Liam shifted forward in his chair. “I would like to discuss buying more than twenty-five percent of Tiffany's.”
I tried once more to read his expression. “How much more were you considering?”
His eyes bored into me. “All of it, for one hundred twenty million,” he said calmly.
I did my best to control my voice. “You want to take my company away from me?”
“No, I didn't say that. I'm offering to buy you out at a significant premium to your suggested valuation of the company.”
I worked to slow my breathing. “But Sam and I built this company. We’re not about to walk away.”
Now I understood his game, and it was not one I wanted to play. This was our baby. We had started with a vision and created the reality. No one was going to take it away from us. I didn't even have to ask Samantha about it; the answer was crystal clear.
“I understand and appreciate that,” he said calmly.
It was clear he didn't appreciate anything. He had no idea what we had put into this company and what it represented to us. To him it was merely a series of numbers.
“I'd like you to stay on, working for Quigley-Fulton as we fold our businesses together,” he said.
I stared him down. “We started this business to be in charge of it, not to be pawns on your chessboard.” Bile rose in my throat. I didn't intend to work for somebody else again, and neither did Samantha. We had discussed this. It had been our dream to start a company and not have to justify ourselves or our actions to anybody else.
“That's not an option,” I told him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Grace relax a bit. She was probably quaking in her boots at the prospect of working for these jerks——and men at that.
Liam folded the papers I’d given him and placed them in his pocket. “It seems then that we’re done for today.”
“We would consider a forty-percent investment, if that would make a difference?” I told him, trying to salvage the discussion.
He stood. “Thank you very much for your time. I really think you should consider our proposal. It would meet all your capital needs, and you'd still be in charge of your business, only as a subsidiary under the Quigley-Fulton umbrella.” He made it sound almost warm and fuzzy, like being safely out of the rain.
But I understood how conglomerates worked. You had autonomy to do what you wanted until the day you didn't. Which was ten seconds after they decided it was in their interest to cut you out of the equation. I wasn't signing up for that life, not for any amount of money.
“Ms. Hudson, call me if you change your mind,” he said as we shook hands. He walked out the door without looking back.
Our best prospect, with the fattest checkbook, had just walked away.
Chapter 7
Liam
“How did it go?”Josh asked as soon as the elevator doors opened on our floor.
I marched toward my office and ignored him.
