the contract. A L Investments are now a major stakeholder in your little lingerie company. And guess what? There’s fuck all you can do about it.”
“I-Impossible.” Her face scrunches as she stammers through her words. “I’m going to call my solicitor. She’ll fix this mess.” Libby turns and picks up the landline from her desk.
“Don’t count on it,” I sneer. “Do you seriously think I’d give you an easy way out? The forfeit on this deal alone is about double the investment we’re putting in, and I know for a fact you don’t have that kind of money. So guess what ... you’re kind of fucked.”
Libby holds the phone in her hand and looks over her shoulder. “Why are you doing this to me?” The tone of her voice softens and she sounds almost desperate all of a sudden. “Of all the businesses to choose from, why did you pick mine?”
The question stays in my head for a couple of seconds and I ponder my answers carefully.
Because you deserve to suffer?
Because my life can’t move on?
Because I want to run you into the ground?
“It’s simple. I’ve got money and it’s what I do. I didn’t handpick you from a pile. It’s purely business here.”
Surprise lightens my features and I stun myself with my own bullshit comments, hoping that she’ll eat them up as easily as my own thoughts did.
“I-I would never have signed that contract if I’d known. Is that why you sent Benedict to the meetings instead?” She slams the phone back into the cradle and turns. “You played me, Alex.”
“It’s just business.”
And revenge.
But I don’t let that bit slip out. My lies are running away with me and I feel like I’m going to turn into fucking Pinocchio any second.
She scoffs. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Believe what you want, but the deal is done. You need to get used to seeing me, because I don’t plan on going anywhere .” I turn and head for the door, but stop just before leaving. “You’d better be ready for this, Libby.”
And on that note, I open the door and leave her alone. I’ve won the first game, but I know the others won’t be so easy. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m prepared to go to war over this ... and I don’t plan on taking any prisoners. Not one. I’ve got the upper hand for now; I’ll just have to wait to make my next move.
~
Picking up my menu, I try and disguise my blatant staring. Coincidentally, Libby was seated next to Daniel and right in my line of sight around the large, round table in the small Greek restaurant one of the directors recommended.
Libby doesn’t like Greek. I had been waiting for her to complain as soon as I accepted the suggestion, but she didn’t. Instead, she’s stayed quiet; her silence bothering me more than it probably should be.
Following our little blow-out in her office, I’ve wanted more than anything to get inside that head of hers to see what she is thinking.
“Can I get you something to drink, sir?”
I divert my eyes back to the menu and sense Libby turning her gaze on me. “I’ll just have a bottle of beer,” I say to the waitress, knowing full well I’m not going to drink it. Alcohol and succeeding don’t mix; I can’t let my guard down. As per my fifth rule, I expect professionalism at all times, and that includes me.
“Beer?” Benedict murmurs when the waitress moves around the table taking orders. “Not like you to have a bottle of beer?”
I’m ready to ram my fist down his throat. “Why don’t you shut the hell up?” I snap under my breath, trying not to make a scene. This bastard doesn’t miss a trick and it pisses me the hell off.
“So what did you think of the presentation?” Daniel pipes up. “Some good ideas, right? Maybe we can sit down and go through it together?”
I weigh up the options, deciding that we may as well involve Libby as another way of getting to her. “Okay.” I nod and sign myself up for another round of torture with him. “My assistant,
“I-Impossible.” Her face scrunches as she stammers through her words. “I’m going to call my solicitor. She’ll fix this mess.” Libby turns and picks up the landline from her desk.
“Don’t count on it,” I sneer. “Do you seriously think I’d give you an easy way out? The forfeit on this deal alone is about double the investment we’re putting in, and I know for a fact you don’t have that kind of money. So guess what ... you’re kind of fucked.”
Libby holds the phone in her hand and looks over her shoulder. “Why are you doing this to me?” The tone of her voice softens and she sounds almost desperate all of a sudden. “Of all the businesses to choose from, why did you pick mine?”
The question stays in my head for a couple of seconds and I ponder my answers carefully.
Because you deserve to suffer?
Because my life can’t move on?
Because I want to run you into the ground?
“It’s simple. I’ve got money and it’s what I do. I didn’t handpick you from a pile. It’s purely business here.”
Surprise lightens my features and I stun myself with my own bullshit comments, hoping that she’ll eat them up as easily as my own thoughts did.
“I-I would never have signed that contract if I’d known. Is that why you sent Benedict to the meetings instead?” She slams the phone back into the cradle and turns. “You played me, Alex.”
“It’s just business.”
And revenge.
But I don’t let that bit slip out. My lies are running away with me and I feel like I’m going to turn into fucking Pinocchio any second.
She scoffs. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Believe what you want, but the deal is done. You need to get used to seeing me, because I don’t plan on going anywhere .” I turn and head for the door, but stop just before leaving. “You’d better be ready for this, Libby.”
And on that note, I open the door and leave her alone. I’ve won the first game, but I know the others won’t be so easy. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m prepared to go to war over this ... and I don’t plan on taking any prisoners. Not one. I’ve got the upper hand for now; I’ll just have to wait to make my next move.
~
Picking up my menu, I try and disguise my blatant staring. Coincidentally, Libby was seated next to Daniel and right in my line of sight around the large, round table in the small Greek restaurant one of the directors recommended.
Libby doesn’t like Greek. I had been waiting for her to complain as soon as I accepted the suggestion, but she didn’t. Instead, she’s stayed quiet; her silence bothering me more than it probably should be.
Following our little blow-out in her office, I’ve wanted more than anything to get inside that head of hers to see what she is thinking.
“Can I get you something to drink, sir?”
I divert my eyes back to the menu and sense Libby turning her gaze on me. “I’ll just have a bottle of beer,” I say to the waitress, knowing full well I’m not going to drink it. Alcohol and succeeding don’t mix; I can’t let my guard down. As per my fifth rule, I expect professionalism at all times, and that includes me.
“Beer?” Benedict murmurs when the waitress moves around the table taking orders. “Not like you to have a bottle of beer?”
I’m ready to ram my fist down his throat. “Why don’t you shut the hell up?” I snap under my breath, trying not to make a scene. This bastard doesn’t miss a trick and it pisses me the hell off.
“So what did you think of the presentation?” Daniel pipes up. “Some good ideas, right? Maybe we can sit down and go through it together?”
I weigh up the options, deciding that we may as well involve Libby as another way of getting to her. “Okay.” I nod and sign myself up for another round of torture with him. “My assistant,
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