Page 2 of The Billionaire's Wife

I straighten my tie as I walk down the hall toward Asher’s penthouse apartment. I grip the briefcase tightly in my hand, pausing to take a deep breath in front of Asher’s door.

My two brothers and I all own penthouses in the same luxury apartment complex in downtown Seattle. They were investments we made right after our company, King Tech, really took off. And while we don’t often take business meetings at our homes—after all, we pay quite a bit for a nice office space downtown—this meeting is a little bit different.

I open the door to Asher’s place, and I see both my brothers chatting in the dining area as I walk in. Aiden is the first to look up and greet me.

“Hey, Alec,” he says.

Asher is busy going through something on his laptop and sends me a quick wave without looking up.

“Ready for the big meeting?” Aiden asks me, widening his eyes and grinning.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him. As the youngest, Aiden’s always been one to tease Asher and I about being overly nervous, worried, and “uptight,” as he calls it. Well, if “uptight” is what lands you one of the highest grossing companies in the country and a luxurious penthouse in one of the most expensive places in the city, I’ll take it.

“How’s the presentation?” I ask Asher. It’s what I assume he’s presently working on.

Asher nods. “Good. I’ve gone over it a hundred time the last few days. It better be good.”

I open my briefcase and pull out my laptop. I make sure all the necessary files are in place, along with an empty document for notes. Aiden, as usual, seems cool as a cucumber without a care in the world. I don’t even think he brought his laptop. Or a fucking notepad.

To the potentially biggest meeting of our lives.

I still can’t believe it. King Tech is considering a merger. I never in a million years thought that we’d be in this position. But we grew so quickly in the virtual reality space, that huge companies have started taking notice. And while we definitely don’t need outside help—we’re doing fine on our own—we were recently presented with an idea that we had to at least consider.

Caddelle Enterprises. The biggest name in VR. The founder had reached out to Asher personally. King Tech specializes in a slightly different form of VR. Rather than entertainment or online spaces, King Tech does more in terms of practical application. We help create programs for doctors, nurses, scientists, and the like to practice skills in a virtual setting before branching out into the real world. It’s been revolutionary in the training of thousands of professionals across a myriad of fields.

And Marcus Caddelle wants to join forces. And not just a buyout. A legitimate merger. He wants Caddelle Enterprises and King Tech to become one. Which means billions of dollars more in funding, innovation, as well as profit. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.

And it’s about to walk through that door any minute.

“I cannot believe you’re so calm,” I mutter in Aiden’s direction. He merely shrugs.

“We’ve got this, Alec,” Asher says, finally looking up from his laptop. He shoots me an encouraging smile.

We spend the next few minutes readying the presentation, pulling up the first slide on the large TV screen above Asher’s dining room table. When a knock sounds at the front door, a flurry of nerves jolts through me.

Asher goes to answer it and in steps Marcus Caddelle. He looks to be in his mid- to late-fifties, with gray hair combed back and black glasses adorning his face. He’s slim, wearing a well-fitting gray suit. The first thing I notice about him is his infectious smile.

“Hello, gentlemen,” he says as he enters the dining room, reaching out to each of us to enthusiastically shake our hands. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you all in person.”

“The pleasure is ours,” I assure him. “We’re honored to discuss a possible merger with you.”

“Would you like something to drink, Marcus?” Asher asks. “Coffee, tea, water?”

“A coffee would be perfect.”

Asher steps into the kitchen to pour Marcus a cup. The penthouse is open concept though, so we’re all able to continue chatting. Marcus mentions the flight over, his hotel stay, and comments on the beauty of Seattle. He’s never visited before. Aiden is quick to offer his advice on tourist attractions, and after a few minutes, I find myself relaxing. The mood is light, easy, comfortable. As if we’re simply catching up with an old friend. I’d already decided that I liked Marcus’s company, but now I know that I like Marcus himself. This merger—if it truly goes through—might end up better than I ever thought.

After a few minutes sipping on coffee, we jump into the presentation. Asher goes through the slides we’d painstakingly spent the last few weeks on, pointing out King Tech’s strengths, as well as our ideas for merging companies, what we think could be improved, as well as our questions for Marcus and his thoughts.

True to his personality, Marcus chimes in and answers our questions happily and comfortably. We all end up agreeing on most things. And by the time our meeting is coming to a close, a giddiness is starting to spread through me. Because I think this is actually happening. This is actually going to happen.

“I’m feeling good about this,” Asher says, glancing to each of us to gauge our reactions.

I grin. “This meeting has gone incredibly,” I agree. “I honestly couldn’t imagine a better partnership.”

Marcus is nodding along. “I like you boys. I hoped I would, based on your work and our brief email exchanges, but now it’s been proven.” He smiles, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of coffee. “And I have to say,” he adds. “I appreciate business partners who are down to earth, who prioritize the real, important things in life.” There’s a beat of quizzical silence before Marcus points to the framed photo on the wall behind Asher.

Asher turns, and his face lights up both in realization and in happiness. The photo is of him and his wife, Olivia, on their wedding day.

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