Read Online To Charm A Billionaire (Men of Monaco Book 1) by Michelle Monkou - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michelle Monkou
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walked slightly ahead. Her face radiated with open joy as she waved to someone.
"Walk around like you're a member of the royal family." Dane snorted. His irritation set his face with a dour expression.
The idea of his brother out of sorts pleased Damien.
"You can get rid of that damned smirk. Just because you are the media's darling and hitting the top sexy bachelor list doesn't give you a pass to disrespect the family," Philippe said sharply.
"I have no intention of disrespecting the family. I've been the face of Laurent to wine and dine the clients and the voice of Laurent Holdings to coax them into seeing us as a partner for their needs. I'm the deal maker. And I'm good at it."
Dane snorted his disbelief. "But when you fall, the result is a colossal mess.
"The trip with the prince was a fail, but tossing around political hot potatoes isn't my thing." Damien looked around the table, lingering over each face. "None of us would have been able to handle the prince or his country's issues. I handled a shitty situation."
"It wasn't just that—" Dane interjected, but halted at Philippe's slight hand motion that signaled quiet.
Dallon took his cue from their father and held up his hand. "Let him continue." His brother was the low-keyed type who would probably outlive them all with his no stress, no fuss outlook on life.
"Not much more to say. Looks like my handling of the prince situation has earned me a traitorous stab in the back."
"You weren't fired." His father pointed his finger at Dane, then at Damien. "That wasn't the message to be delivered."
"I did not tell him he was fired."
Philippe continued as if Dane hadn't spoken. "We said that your hospital stay was private and you would return when ready."
Damien didn't mind defending his work ethic or his job performance. Now his father was about to clumsily walk through his private affairs. He had no intention of opening up to anyone. Even if it meant that he'd have to leave them believing the worst, he refused to talk about his mental health.
"But I'm not accepting the heart problems excuse. Laurents are healthy. I have to come up with reasons for your emergency room runs a month ago, and again, two weeks ago. Are you on drugs?" His father banged his fists on the table.
"Um ... no." Damien would have laughed under different circumstances. "Is that why you didn't rush to defend me from the rumors about being fired?"
"We are at a critical juncture with major collaborative projects ahead. We don't need any scandals." His father's grim defense left no doubt where his concern fell.
"And if it's the media's freakish fantasy to see us split apart our loyalties?" Damien asked.
"Sometimes those commit the worst damage."
"Each of you is ready to turn your back on me?"
"You needed to rest. Your mother was beside herself accusing me of overworking you." Philippe never showed any signs of caring what his mother thought.
"Like I said, we have aggressive goals in the days ahead. We need everyone's commitment, their one hundred percent commitment." Dane leaned back in the chair. His focus stayed on the bottom line of the company's profits.
"What do you say?" His father turned to Dallon whose slight shake of his head didn't go unnoticed.
"Didn't he have a say before? I assumed everyone had voted on this matter." Damien looked at his father for clarification.
"We did. I suspect Dallon may have second thoughts. I'm giving him the floor to voice them."
His eldest brother didn't meet his gaze. "You're not telling us everything. And that's your prerogative. But to be fair to yourself and to us, maybe you should take a temporary step back and focus on you."
"What on earth are you saying?" Damien wanted to insert a few expletives in the question. "I feel like I'm being hit by a freight train from every corner. Did I wake up in some alternate universe?" Damien wanted to wipe off Dane's smugness.
His father glanced at his phone without responding.
Dallon looked
"Walk around like you're a member of the royal family." Dane snorted. His irritation set his face with a dour expression.
The idea of his brother out of sorts pleased Damien.
"You can get rid of that damned smirk. Just because you are the media's darling and hitting the top sexy bachelor list doesn't give you a pass to disrespect the family," Philippe said sharply.
"I have no intention of disrespecting the family. I've been the face of Laurent to wine and dine the clients and the voice of Laurent Holdings to coax them into seeing us as a partner for their needs. I'm the deal maker. And I'm good at it."
Dane snorted his disbelief. "But when you fall, the result is a colossal mess.
"The trip with the prince was a fail, but tossing around political hot potatoes isn't my thing." Damien looked around the table, lingering over each face. "None of us would have been able to handle the prince or his country's issues. I handled a shitty situation."
"It wasn't just that—" Dane interjected, but halted at Philippe's slight hand motion that signaled quiet.
Dallon took his cue from their father and held up his hand. "Let him continue." His brother was the low-keyed type who would probably outlive them all with his no stress, no fuss outlook on life.
"Not much more to say. Looks like my handling of the prince situation has earned me a traitorous stab in the back."
"You weren't fired." His father pointed his finger at Dane, then at Damien. "That wasn't the message to be delivered."
"I did not tell him he was fired."
Philippe continued as if Dane hadn't spoken. "We said that your hospital stay was private and you would return when ready."
Damien didn't mind defending his work ethic or his job performance. Now his father was about to clumsily walk through his private affairs. He had no intention of opening up to anyone. Even if it meant that he'd have to leave them believing the worst, he refused to talk about his mental health.
"But I'm not accepting the heart problems excuse. Laurents are healthy. I have to come up with reasons for your emergency room runs a month ago, and again, two weeks ago. Are you on drugs?" His father banged his fists on the table.
"Um ... no." Damien would have laughed under different circumstances. "Is that why you didn't rush to defend me from the rumors about being fired?"
"We are at a critical juncture with major collaborative projects ahead. We don't need any scandals." His father's grim defense left no doubt where his concern fell.
"And if it's the media's freakish fantasy to see us split apart our loyalties?" Damien asked.
"Sometimes those commit the worst damage."
"Each of you is ready to turn your back on me?"
"You needed to rest. Your mother was beside herself accusing me of overworking you." Philippe never showed any signs of caring what his mother thought.
"Like I said, we have aggressive goals in the days ahead. We need everyone's commitment, their one hundred percent commitment." Dane leaned back in the chair. His focus stayed on the bottom line of the company's profits.
"What do you say?" His father turned to Dallon whose slight shake of his head didn't go unnoticed.
"Didn't he have a say before? I assumed everyone had voted on this matter." Damien looked at his father for clarification.
"We did. I suspect Dallon may have second thoughts. I'm giving him the floor to voice them."
His eldest brother didn't meet his gaze. "You're not telling us everything. And that's your prerogative. But to be fair to yourself and to us, maybe you should take a temporary step back and focus on you."
"What on earth are you saying?" Damien wanted to insert a few expletives in the question. "I feel like I'm being hit by a freight train from every corner. Did I wake up in some alternate universe?" Damien wanted to wipe off Dane's smugness.
His father glanced at his phone without responding.
Dallon looked
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