Page 19 of Worth Every Penny

David draws back, his red cheeks blanching as a tiny frown forces the wrinkles on his forehead into high relief. “My wife couldn’t make it, so I brought Martin as my plus one. I hope I haven't transgressed a boundary. Martin was very keen to see all the Lansens again.”

“Figured I could crash the party very briefly and see you all,” Martin says. “I didn’t want to miss Gerard’s son turning thirty-five. Time flies.” He gestures to the balcony. “Was that Nico Hawkston you were out there with?”

The sudden mention of Nico has the butterflies in my stomach sprouting wings and soaring, but Martin’s malevolent tone kills them off almost instantly. I collect myself enough to nod, but offer no further explanation. It’s none of his business.

“Hmm.” Martin’s fingers rasp over his unshaven chin, stretching the slack skin around his jaw. “Tricky bastard, Nico Hawkston. Looks like a gentleman, but he’s not. Steer well clear, Kate.”

I’d rather steer clear of you. The thought pops up unbidden, like a mushroom in a dank forest.

David scratches his white beard and laughs uneasily. “Martin is our newest member on the Argentum board.”

Martin chuckles, but the sound is so clogged with phlegm that it sounds more like a smoker’s cough. “I’m very excited about your spa project. I remember how much your father loved that idea. Can’t wait to get my hands stuck in and get dirty.”

He utters the last sentence with such malice that a cold sensation ripples over my skin.

“Don’t look so worried, Kate,” David says, looking just as concerned himself. “Martin assures me his vision aligns with ours. Anyway, I just wanted to touch base before I head home. Wife’s home with the grandkids, which is where I should be.”

“About time for me to leave too.” Martin drains the last of his champagne and plonks the glass down on the nearest table.“Wouldn’t want to outstay my welcome. Bye, Kate. Have a good night.”

I watch the two men walk away. I’m unsettled and, without thinking, I reach for the contract in my bag and look again at Nico’s handwritten scrawl, and the addition of ten million pounds.

Surprisingly, staring at the neat black ink on the page no longer stirs up the same anger it did only moments ago. It’s still true that an offering of cash will never take away the pain of losing my father. And yes, I still don’t want Nico to think he can buy me.

But maybe the gesture wasn’t all bad.

Comfort spreads through me, soothing the unease that Martin’s appearance dragged up. Because if I had to choose between the two evils that are Nico Hawkston and Martin Brooks, I’d pick Nico.

Every fucking time.

7

NICO

"You overpaid.” Seb kicks his feet up on my desk, sliding his hands behind his head. He looks casual, but his eyes narrow as he stares at me. “What were you thinking? I’m surprised you got it past the board.”

Seb has been pestering me about this since I added the extra ten million to the purchase price of Lansen, but I’ve given him the same answer every time. “It’s a good business”. I keep my words to a minimum so he can’t squirrel out whatever meaning he’s searching for, but the fucker won’t let up, especially not today, when the Lansen team is moving into our building. Jack and I managed to wrap up the deal in less than a month, and this day has careened towards me like a freight train.

I swipe my arm across the desk to knock his feet off. The shock of it nearly sends him flying out of the chair, but he grips the armrests and shoots me a death stare.

“If I didn’t know you better,” Seb says when he’s recovered, “I’d think a pretty face and a good pair of tits had you digging deep for that company.”

This irritates me. “That’s not how I do business.” I glance at my watch. Kate will be in the building in the next fifteen minutes.

Why am I thinking about her? It's not as though I don't have enough to occupy my mental space. It must be because the Lansen team is starting today.

But why do I feel so…on edge? We’ve done buyouts before. This isn’t new.

Seb arches a brow. “I saw you out on the balcony with Kate at Jack’s party. It looked heated.”

I sigh, deciding to edge closer to the truth. “She was kicking her feet in. Didn’t want to sell her dad’s company. She would have done everything she could to stop Jack selling up. And you know how much he adores her. He might have let her sway him. I’m thinking of taking her to lunch today. See if we can sort things out.”

Seb purses his lips, but before he can say anything else, his phone pings.

“Shit,” he says as he reads the screen. “Matt’s downstairs. He’s got Charlie with him.”

“Why?”

Seb scrunches his face. “Where’s your head at? He’s here for work experience. Matt wants him to spend the summer in the office.”

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