Page 131 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“You are just determined to shut down anything I say today.” He smiled in his mischievous, boyish way. Maxim was so easy to get along with while Alexander was intense and overwhelming. It was so tempting to stay, but my mind was made up. I had to leave or the daily reminder of my heartbreak would end up killing me.

Twenty minutes later, I was packing up what little I had around the office at Caldwell Publishing. I stared at the bare walls, wondering what Alexander was doing now. What had he been doing for the past two weeks? Had he been seeing anyone else?

The buzz of my phone startled me. Tired, I glanced at the caller ID and a heavy sigh left my lips. It was Callen. I didn’t want to talk to him right now. I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. Instead, I forced myself to answer the phone.

“Hello, Callen.” My own voice sounded strange to my ears.

“Livy, what the fuck is your husband doing?” his voice sounded furious through the phone.

God, I felt tired. I had no idea what Callen was talking about, but I really didn’t have it in me to figure it out.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your husband bought eighty five percent of the shares of my publishing company.” His voice was angry as he added a couple of curses.

I sat up straight, confused about what was going on. “I don’t understand.”

“He took over my company, Livy. He wants to push me out, completely.”

“Why would he take over your publishing company?” I was still so confused. “Are you selling it?”

“No, Livy. He muscled his way through everyone, making some ridiculous offers and bought them all out.”

“What? Why?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.” I sensed he was getting agitated explaining, but I was utterly lost. “He came full force after my company right after your wedding. Over the last two weeks, he’s been merciless. He threatened William with the promise of destruction of him and his family unless he sold. He bought out all their loans and was ready to bankrupt them. I assumed it was because of what happened when I chose William as a partner and you were mad.”

It struck me right at that moment that Callen, after all of these years, still didn’t know me at all.

“Callen, I can’t believe you’d think that I would take your publishing company. What you did was an asshole move, but I would never take your company by force.”

The line went dead and I thought he hung up. I glanced at the phone and it lit up showing him still on the line.

“I’m sorry,” he finally broke the silence, his voice full of regret. “I don’t know what to think.”

It didn’t make sense why Alexander would go after Callen’s company. What was he planning?

“He’s leaving me no choice but to publish Caldwell’s history and bring up all the dirt his family has been so careful to make people forget,” he threatened.

He would have all the wrong facts. I couldn’t let Caldwell’s suffer through that. “That is shitty, Callen. And a totally wrong approach if you are trying to save your company.”

“If you have any ideas that would work better, share away.” I really didn’t like Callen right now. He sounded like an asshole.

“If you threaten his family, you’ll lose it all. Alexander will come after you and your family.” I knew my husband well enough to know this to be the truth. He’d protect his family with ruthlessness and I couldn’t say that I would blame him.

“Then you talk to him,” he suggested, his tone hopeful. I wanted to tell him it won’t help him, but before I got to get in the word. “You are his wife. You saved this company before. Maybe you could save it again.”

A heavy sigh escaped me. I couldn’t save his company this time. I didn’t know if I even wanted to but I didn’t know how to tell him that without revealing everything about Alexander and that my marriage was fake. And that was the least of the story.

“I won’t just sit here and let him take it all. I have to fight him back,” he spat out angrily but there was also a slight tone of desperation in his voice.

“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you,” he exhaled in relief, acting like I already saved his company. “I can’t thank you enough.”

He was going to be so disappointed, but I didn’t want to say that to him. It didn’t hurt to at least give him the courtesy of trying. I hung up the phone, rolled down my address book, and stared at the screen. My mind went back to the day he entered his phone number into my address book. The man with cold blue eyes who had held me while I cried for my sister and best friend. He just added his number into his phone so I could call him if I needed anything. I never thought I would call him to help Callen and leave his company alone.

“I swear somebody is laughing at me up there,” I muttered to myself as I pressed the call button.

---