Page 11 of A Bossy Proposal

My father’s eyes narrow. “That’s because you don’t take any interest in anyone but yourself.”

The accusation stings, but I push past it. “So, what? You’re going to hand-pick some random woman for me to marry?”

“Elizabeth is nineteen, and she’s recently finished finishing school in Switzerland. She’s perfect.”

I scoff. “Not to me. I don’t even know her!”

“And you’ll get to know her.”

“This is insane. I’m thirty-two years old,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not marrying some teenager who I’ve never met just because you’re worried about the company’s image.”

My father’s face darkens. “This isn’t a request, West. It’s an order. Either you clean up your act and agree to meet Elizabeth, or you can find yourself a new job.”

I push open the door to my brother East’s office, dropping into the chair in front of his desk. He’s typing away on his computer, a faint smile on his face.

“West. What brings you to my dark corner of the building?”

East is the CFO to my COO, and we make a formidable team, but sometimes I do wonder how he keeps his cool.

East looks up, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he takes in my expression. “What’s wrong?”

I let out a sigh, tossing the newspaper onto his desk. “Dad’s breathing down my neck again.”

East’s gaze flicks over the headline, and his eyes widen before he bursts out laughing. “You are making the news now, aren’t you?” he chuckles, shaking his head.

I shoot him a dry look. “It’s not funny, East.”

East’s grin only widens. “I’m sorry, West, but you have to admit, it’s pretty impressive. I mean, how do you always manage to get caught up in this stuff?”

I raise an eyebrow, exasperated. “The truth is, I never get caught. I mean, I’ve been going to that club for years, and nothing’s ever happened. I’m thinking someone has set me up.”

East’s expression turns serious, and he leans forward, his elbows on the desk. “You think someone’s trying to sabotage you? That would mean it would have to be someone working here.”

I nod as a chill spreads through my chest. “I don’t know who, but it’s possible it’s an inside job. And now Dad is on my case. I don’t know what to do, East.”

My brother’s eyes narrow, his face set in a thoughtful expression. “We’ll figure something out, West. We always do.”

I let out a sigh. “But get this. He’s threatening to marry me off to Elizabeth Jameson to ‘clean up’ my image.”

“Who the hell is Elizabeth…what’s her name?” East’s eyes widen, his coffee cup hovering mid-air.

“It doesn’t matter who she is. It’s not happening. I’m not marrying a stranger.”

“He’s lost it,” East says. “An arranged marriage? In this century?”

“You’re next.” I chuckle wryly. “Dad thinks it’s a brilliant idea. I mean, who needs love when you’ve got a multi-billion-dollar company to run, right?”

“No fucking way.” East shakes his head, a grin still plastered on his face. “Only Dad would think of that. But seriously, West, we need to be careful. If he’s this fired up about it, we don’t know what he’ll do.”

“I know.” I nod, feeling a familiar knot in my stomach. “And I have a feeling it’s not only about my image. I think he’s trying to keep us in line, to remind us of who the boss is.”

East snorts. “Newsflash, Dad: we’re not kids anymore.”

I lean back in my chair, a smile spreading across my face. “You know, East, we have a certain...let’s call it ‘insurance policy’ that might take care of this situation.”

East raises an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You mean the dirt we have on Dad? That’s some good stuff, but we don’t have enough yet to release it into the wild.”

Right now, if we went public with the information we have on our father, it would ruin the company. And there’s a good chance Dad will end up in prison. “We could send him a snippet, East; just enough to let him know what we have.”

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