AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Or perhaps two.
––––––––
BELLA HAD A THROW OVERher legs and was hugging a cushion as Blake sat on the sofa next to her, nursing his whisky.
Okay, fine, he was chugging it down. Which, under the circumstances, was understandable.
“You should slow down. After being in the hospital and all the drugs, it’s not a good idea to be drinking so much,” Bella chided.
She was right.
Blake placed the cut crystal glass on the coffee table and ran his hand through his hair as he let out a sigh.
“Let’s go through this again,” he stated, laying his arm along the back of the sofa. “Randall Scott is your father, but you have never met him. Your mom walked out on him, essentially deserting her family fortune when he abused her after you were born.”
“Yes.”
“And she never played an active part in the organization from that point.”
“Only through lawyers when necessary,” Bella shared.
“Right,” Blake said.
As a shareholder, there were things she would have needed to sign over the past two decades, but he was surprised Ward hadn’t encouraged her to take action.
In saying that, he’d never experienced abuse in his life and knowing what he knew of Randall Scott, he wouldn’t put it past him to be a very dangerous man.
“He tried to get Mom to sell her shares, again through the lawyers, but she refused,” Bella added. “She said there was some documentation about overturning my inheritance, but again she ignored it. He couldn’t do anything without her consent. Which Mom never gave.”
“Rightly so,” Blake agreed. “You do realize you’re a very rich woman, don’t you? You could sell them and never think about money again. Ever.” Blake brushed Bella’s locks off her shoulder.
And yet she had followed her passion to work in a damn museum. He couldn’t help but admire that.
“Mom also left me her shares in Ward Enterprises. I’m never going to starve.” Bella shrugged. “This isn’t about money, Blake. It’s about taking back my family’s company from an abuser.”
God, she was strong.
But Randall Scott was no amateur. It was clear he knew what he was doing when he abused Tina Kennedy. Bella was walking into a minefield by taking him on. No matter how many shares they both held.
He wasn’t a good man.
And sure, Blake had his own reasons for hating the man. And...dare he say it, being interested in Bella’s proposal.
But there was one thing they needed to get out in the open.
“Bella, K-Scribe is killing InkWell. Clearly I have a vested interest in seeing changes in leadership, leading to changes in the way he works so my company survives,” Blake announced. “But—”
“Insider trading.”
Beautiful and intelligent.
“Correct.”
“My lawyers have assured me that they will cover it in a separate contract. We wouldn’t be the first couple to marry who own or work for competitors in business,” she insisted.
“That doesn’t change the fact that I would be motivated by it,” Blake said honestly. “It’s time to put your cards on the table Ms. Montgomery, because if you’re aware of the legal implications then I presume you have an offer for me.”
That was also assuming Bella hadn’t jumped to the conclusion that he was in love with her.
