Page 79 of Fifth Avenue Devil

"Annalise? Are we talking about the same person? She's far too weak to have led the company to success. That, or the stock rising is just a complete fluke."

“You’re so full of shit, Archer. Why can’t you give her the credit?”

"I know my daughter. And she doesn’t deserve a single thing!" he barks, his face contorting with anger. "Take the deal or leave it. Just remember, Nate. This opportunity won't come around again."

I want to strangle the man. Hell, if his wife weren’t here, I might actually do it. But I force a tight-lipped smile.

"I won’t make a large purchase without conferring with my money manager.” That’s not true, but I have to have enough time to game out every possible action and consequence.

"Fine," Archer snaps. His impatience is palpable. "You have twenty-four hours. After that, the offer is off the table."

My eyes widen. “You’re looking to unload your company in a day??”

He sinks back into the pillows. “I’m a sick man, Fordham. Now run along.”

I take that as my cue to leave. Without waiting for the butler, I jog back downstairs to the front door. My head spins.

Buying the company outright would save me a lot of hassle. But there’s no way that any board would choose Annalise as their CEO when I’m in the picture. I’m a rain maker in the business world. And the board members always, always go where they know the money is.

Annalise will be crushed if I take her position. But if I don’t… Cash might ruin the company just to make a buck. Can I put a stop to that? That’s currently unknown.

As soon as I'm in the backseat of my SUV, I whip out my phone and dial Cash's number. He answers after several rings and sounds groggy. "Nate? What the hell, man? It's early."

"I need you and Drew to meet me at Joe’s Diner in Manhattan. It’s urgent.”

“Urgent?” he repeats.

“Get your ass up and get there. I’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”

"Shit," Cash mutters. "All right. I'll call Drew."

After a very tense helicopter ride, I race down to the meetup spot. The neon lights of the diner cast a sickly glow over the grimy tables. I slide into a booth, waiting for Cash and Drew to arrive. My fingers drum impatiently on the tabletop.

My mind is still reeling from my meeting with Archer Gellar. What the hell am I going to do?

"Nate," Cash says. I look up as he and Drew slide into the booth across from me. Their eyes are alert, curious, and a little worried. "What's got you so wound up?"

"Archer Gellar just offered to sell me Gellar Industries," I blurt out.

"Are you serious?" Drew asks, his eyes widening in shock. “That’s… interesting.”

"Dead serious," I confirm, my jaw clenched. "But I told him I needed to think about it."

"Damn, Nate," Cash breathes. Excitement glints in his eyes. "If ViaLife buys Gellar Industries, we could take the valuable sonar technology and make a mint. Then the rest of the company would just be stripped and sold for parts. This could be huge for us, man."

"Or it could be the biggest mistake of my life," I counter. "The money would be good, sure. But Annalise will be out on the street. There is no way that this ends happily for her."

“What the fuck do we care?” Cash says, puzzled. “I know that you’re getting your dick wet, Nate. But… you can get what she’s giving you anywhere. Fuck her.”

“That’s not true,” I mutter. I hate hearing my brother talk about her like that.

Cash pins me with his silver gaze. “I asked you this once. I’ll ask it again. Are you going to marry this girl? Because if you’re not, it would be stupid not to buy the company.”

"Yeah. Since when did you start putting a woman before business?" Drew challenges, raising an eyebrow. "Buying and junking the company is the only fiscally responsible thing to do. You can't pass up this opportunity."

My mind races. Annalise's face flashes before my eyes. How could I ruin her life like that?

At the same time, can I really turn down this offer?

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