Page 89 of Whatever You Need

Neil riffled through the stack of paperwork. “First, we would have to have a new agreement drawn up. You two would have to decide on which direction you wanted to go. Clearly, Owen is no longer part of this decision.”

Edward tipped his head back; his eyes were fixed on the gray ceiling. The atmosphere in the room was so tense they could probably feel it fourteen stories down in the main lobby. He cut his eyes to my grandfather; a silent understanding passed between them.

Edward took a deep breath and swiped his hand along his brow. “Amelia, this business is just as important to you as it is to us. Which is exactly why you should run it. It’s one hundred percent yours if you want it.”

“Now, wait a minute…” Owen’s eyes widened in panic. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m serious as a heart attack,” Edward fired back.

“Those photos are fakes. I’ll hire the best attorney money can buy and clear this up. I will not be pushed aside. This company is my birthright.”

Edward pounded his fist on the table, causing the wall of windows to rattle. “Owen, you can have whatever is left of your trust fund after you pay your legal bills. I have officially reached my limit. You have disgusted and disappointed me for the last time.”

Owen stood quickly and kicked the chair across the room. “This is fucking bullshit. You can’t do this.”

Edward shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tamara, how many people know about this?”

“Only the people in this room.”

“Then it’s settled. Amelia, as long as this doesn’t get in the way of your personal life, are you ready to take over as the CEO of Eastan West? If you are, the job is yours.”

I sucked in a breath. Was I prepared for this? I wasn’t sure. This was as complicated as it gets. I worked hard to get to this point in my career. This company didn’t just mean a lot to me, I was proud of it. But my relationship came first. I wouldn’t settle for less. “Further concessions would need to made before I could accept the offer. I would need time to assemble the right team to assist me.”

Owen charged forward, getting right up in his grandfather’s face. “I strongly suggest you reconsider.”

“Or what?” Edward gritted his teeth. “You have nothing to bargain with. You are finished.”

“I will fight this,” he hissed.

“Good luck with that.” Edward’s face turned to stone. “That’s going to be a little hard to pull off while sitting in a padded cell, don’t you think?”

“You wouldn’t?” Sweat beaded down his temple. His fists clenched at his sides. To an outsider you would just assume he was outraged, but I knew well enough to know better. His eyes betrayed him. He was terrified.

Edward’s stare was as cold as ice. “Son, see yourself to the door.”

“Fuck this.” His face was tight as he stormed across the room. He stopped when he reached my mother. “I always thought you were a nasty bitch.”

“I can assure you the feeling is mutual,” she said as he tipped a chair over and punched a hole in the wall on his way out.

The stack of papers that were on the table he just blew past scattered all over the floor.

Edward’s jaw tightened when the door slammed shut. “Sorry about that.”

Neil leaned forward and steepled his fingers under his chin. “We need to make sure he doesn’t become more of a problem than he already is.”

“Agreed.” My grandfather shook his head. “Now we just need to figure out what we are going to do with him and the fallout from his actions.”

“You let me worry about that. Amelia, do you have any questions?” Edward asked, his tone was calm, but firm. This entire exchange gave me whiplash. Things were coming at me so fast I couldn’t keep up, but if there was ever a time to take control of my life, this was it.

As I glanced around the conference room, I knew this was where I belonged. I took in a breath, hoping it would calm my nerves and blew it out slowly. “Once the contract is drawn up, I’ll look it over and make any necessary revisions.”

He tapped his knuckles on the table. “Very well. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some family business to attend to.”

Neil stood up and placed his files in his briefcase. “I can draw up a new contract and have it ready in a few days.”

My mother cleared her throat. “I’m going to swing by the police station. I’ll be able to sleep better at night knowing that I did my part.” She gathered up all the photos and stuffed them into her bag. She strode over and placed her hands on my shoulders. “I hope you believe me when I say that I did this for you, not for money.”

My grandfather raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You told her?”

“She knows everything.” She kissed the top of my head and walked out leaving us alone.

He looked crestfallen. “Amelia, I had no idea. I knew Owen needed to work on a few things, but if I had known that he went this far off the rails, I never would have suggested the partnership. I can’t believe I even encouraged you to marry that monster.”

“Grandfather, it’s okay. You didn’t know.”

He sighed and threw his face in his hands. “Before I start groveling for your forgiveness, tell me about this gentleman you’ve fallen in love with.”

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