Page 105 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

His grin stretched across his face. “They don’t know about my ten percent. I’ve been able to hide my identity in the purchase of them.”

“So marrying me in their eyes...” I left the rest of the sentence for him to fill in.

“Is a way to control you. To distract you long enough so you don’t get your shares or, if you did, to make sure to use my influence in ways they approve of.”

That sounded more like the evil vipers I biologically called parents.

If he wasn’t on board with my parents’ original plan, then why go along with it? I still didn’t see the benefit to Jareth in any of this and my head was starting to pound. “Why tie yourself to me for one company?”

He shrugged.

“You have companies all over the world in more than just textiles. Why is this one so important?”

“Does it really matter?”

I stared at him. He looked so unaffected by this conversation. So untouchable.

“Tell me why you need this company, Jareth.”

His eye twitched. The tiniest tell. I’d learned to hide my emotions and to read others for so long that I might have missed it otherwise. “I don’t.”

“I call bullshit.”

I walked further into the space. My instincts jumped at me, screaming that this place was important. This was where something big had happened, but what? I wracked my brain trying to pull up various pieces of history in the company. This place had been shut down for almost twenty years. I’d looked into it when I started visiting the various factories my grandparents had owned.

“Why did we meet here?” I asked, watching him closely for a reaction.

Another twitch. “It was quiet.”

I was totally on the right track. I curled the contract up in my hand lightly tapping it against my other palm as I paced the room. There was something about this place that called to Jareth.

“Did you work here previously?”

He laughed, a harsh sound. “I don’t believe your family broke child labor laws.”

“But they broke other laws?” Not my grandparents. I didn’t believe that for a second, but my parents—I had no doubt they skirted the laws when it benefited them financially.

He shifted in his seat, letting his ankle rest on his knee. The position seemed to be a forced casualness on his part.

“We are not in some fucking cozy mystery and I’m not Sherlock Holmes, Jareth. If you want my help, just tell me.” I ground out in frustration.

He stared at me.

“Jareth I’m not marrying you anyway at this point.” I opened my hand and began to tick off each point. “Let’s see... you’ve been stalking me, sending a bunch of anonymous gifts, today is kidnapping attempt number three for you—”

He held up his hand. “What anonymous gifts?”

“That’s what you want to focus on here? Are you denying it was you sending me presents before I took off?”

“No, I sent them, but I’d told my assistant to attach a card from me each time. I was trying to soften you to the idea of marriage, Jess. Why the fuck would I keep it a secret that those gifts were from me?”

My mouth opened and closed. I had no answer for that.

He turned to the guys across the room. “Follow up with my assistant. Find out who fucked up and fire them.”

“Now, let’s get to the kidnapping.” His voice had a curious tone to it.

“Yes, let’s,” I responded sarcastically. Was this guy for real?

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