Page 5 of His Wild Seduction

I hardened my heart against the sudden concern that welled inside of me. He didn’t deserve my compassion. And I couldn’t afford to feel it.

Not there. Not when he was about to takeover Gray Corps and send thousands of people home without jobs by the end of the business day.

“So, let’s begin. Did your father discuss the terms of the loan with you? Do you understand what is at stake?” Josef asked.

“Does it matter? We can’t pay it back. I checked with his accountants this morning.”

“Then Sigma International will seize control of all the assets, properties, and holdings of Gray Corps, under Volkov Industries, starting when the clock strikes twelve. You best prepare yourself, Miss Gray,” Josef said coolly.

I glanced at the clock. It was already ten AM. Anger filled me.

How could he be so damn uncaring?

“Prepare? What about the employees? We have thousands of people working for us! You can’t just?—”

My chest heaved, I could hardly breathe. I was so mad. I was damn near spitting.

“All employee contracts will be terminated within the first twenty-four hours of the takeover. Those were the terms of the loan. Your father should have read them more carefully,” he said.

So much time had passed, but this was the moment I realized I had no idea who Josef was anymore.

That realization hurt.

“What happened to you, Josef?”

His dark eyes flashed, and I knew I’d made a mistake, referencing our turbulent past.

But I couldn’t help it.

The man I knew and fell in love with could never just hurt thousands of people with no sign of conscience.

“Of all people, you are asking me that?”

Like it was preposterous. Like I was the one who’d left him standing, waiting for hours in the dark.

“Look, I only became aware of this situation last night, if you could just give me some time?—”

“There is no time, Meredith. Your father?—”

“Stepfather,” I corrected him.

“Stepfather? Since when?”

Josef’s silence had me meeting his gaze boldly. Seemed like Mr. Know-It-All didn’t know everything.

“Since always. I thought you knew,” I replied and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever our past, the fact is Franklin’s situation is precarious. His immediate future is uncertain. To answer your question, I learned of all this just last night. Franklin and I have been estranged for years. He sent for me after a long day of work, so I am sorry if I am not up to speed, but he barely told me about this loan, asking for my help, before he had a heart attack,” I said, shouting the last.

Pressure. So much pressure, and all of it sitting on my chest.

When I thought about all the employees. Fired with no notice. Fuck, there had to be another way!

“Are you trying to tell me you are not involved with Gray Corp? Your name is on the employee list,” Josef said, and I could tell he did not believe me.

I gritted my teeth.

Of course, my name was there. Franklin never took it off. He just kept paying me a check every week, depositing it into my account.

To date, I had over a million dollars in untouched money sitting in the bank.

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