Page 65 of Billionaire Romantic
Which, if I stay here, might actually sway me. “Well, that can sometimes happen when you set out to destroy other people’s lives. See you around, Maddox.”
I turn to leave but he grabs my hand. “Lucky. Stop overreacting. I’m not leaving you like this. I didn’tknowit wasyourcompany. You can’t hold that against me. The offer we made for Ashton Holdings was a fair one, considering its valuein the current market. We’re trying to run a profitable business, just like you are.”
“By forcing smaller companies to fold under your billionaire behemoth pressure?”
His blue eyes do that fucking sparkling thing. “No one’sforcingyou to do anything. It was anoffer, nothing more. And a more generous one than the other offer you got. What did Abundance offer you? Ten? Twelve? Are you holding a grudge against fucking Chad too?”
He makes it sound like I’m being petty and unreasonable. “No,” I grumble petulantly.
“Then why are you so mad at me?”
This is going to make me sound even more petty and petulant, but I say it anyway. Because it’s true. “You didn’t have to be so mean about it.”
“Mean?” Like the word is foreign to him.
“Yes. Mean.” I mimic his deep voice. “‘We’re not fucking budging on fifteen. There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that company is worth even close to that much’. Youknowit’s worth that much! You know it’s potentially worth five times that much!”
“I know it is.”
I glare at him. “You know it is?”
“Of course I do.”
“Yet you still undervalued my potential and my father’s entire life’s work?”
“Lucky, myjobis to find struggling, undervalued investment companies and make low offers on them.”
“Yeah. And you’re just so fucking good at yourjob.” I don’t even know what I’m accusing him of at this point. When he explains it like that it almost sounds reasonable. But that doesn’t change the fact that their too-low offer is now off thetable and I’m back to square one. “Does being that grumpy and intimidating usually work for you?”
“I’m not usuallythatgrumpy. I was in a fucking bad mood this morning. You know why? Because the little Irish minx who rocked my world all weekend was gone when I woke up this morning.Youwalked out onme.Ishould be the one who’s mad.”
We’re standing out on the street having a full-blown argument. People glance at us as they step around us. “I didn’t walk out on you. I didn’t want to wake you up! And Ididhave a busy day. I was nervous about the meeting with your brother and his famously bull-headed CFO! It takes all my focus these days to keep my world from crumbling underneath me. Which of courseyouwouldn’t understand at all! I needed some time to myself. Not that it helped.” I add, in my own defense, “Anyway, I left my number. You can delete it now.”
“That’s not happening. I called it. Twenty fucking times. Actually, more. You didn’t bother answering.”
“Like I said, I was trying to psych myself up for the hellish meeting I was about to go to. Which turned out to be a lot more hellish than I ever imagined. Because of you.”
Do not cry. Do not cry.
The tears are stinging behind my eyes. Noah’s expression is so concerned and so full of care it makes this whole thing ten times worse.
I pull away from him. “I have to go. Goodbye.”
I hate the sound of the word like I’ve never hated anything.
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“Goodbye, my ass, Irish.”
She glares at me with eyes so soulful it makes my chest hurt. Then she turns away and storms into her building. I follow her inside.
I’m ready for whatever she gives me. If she calls security I’ll wait out on the street for her to come out again. She has to eventually.
If I can get to her floor and she refuses to let me into her apartment I’ll order a pizza or something until she gets annoyed by my knocking and lets me in, even if it takes all day. Or all week. I’ll call a fucking camping store and get them to deliver one of those camper beds. I’ll live out in her hallway until she believes me. I’m a goddamn billionaire, I’ll figure it out.
A billionaire who’s spent my whole life making money, relentlessly, at the cost of having a life.
I don’t want to do that anymore. I want tospendsome fucking money for once. On her.
