Page 10 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

Silence continues to stretch between us until Isaiah turns to face me.

He folds his arms in front of him and gives me a long and measured look. “Governor Coombes is the answer because he’s a powerful man, and people respect him. With his support and his endorsement, do you have any idea what kind of business that’s going to bring in?”

“I’m pretty sure targeting his daughter is going to have the opposite effect,” I tell Isaiah through gritted teeth. “How do you know he’s not going to rain fire and brimstone on all of us and bury us six feet under? You’re talking about pestering the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country.”

“Governor Coombes doesn’t like scandals,” Isaiah reveals with a steely look. “He’ll do anything to avoid it. His daughter is just a piece in a much larger picture. Having her on our side can help grease a lot of wheels”

I make a low noise in the back of my throat. “Including allowing his own daughter to be used as leverage?”

Isaiah shoves his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “Stranger things have happened.”

“How are we supposed to get to her? I’m sure she’s got a security detail for this precise reason.”

And just thinking about the hassle of reaching out to her and getting her to agree to a meeting is already giving me a headache.

Isaiah’s lips lift into a slow smile. “She doesn’t. I’ve been keeping an eye on her. It shouldn’t be too hard to approach her.”

I push myself off the table and fold my arms over my chest. “Why’s that?”

“When you convince her to come to a meeting, the two of you can grab and do each other’s hair and then she can tell you all about how she wants to distance herself from her family.”

“Isaiah—”

“I don’t give a damn how or why she has daddy issues. All I care about is distancing ourselves from the Emilie scandal and growing the business further.”

“I understand that.”

“Do you?”

“Of course, I do. This is my company. You know how much effort I’ve put into building it from the ground up.”

Isaiah keeps forgetting that, without me, there would be no company to invest in.

However, he also likes to remind me that without his initial investment, the company wouldn’t have made it off the ground.

As usual, the two of us don't see eye to eye on the future.

Isaiah pulls his chair out and sits. “Why are you so resistant to the idea?”

“I didn’t become CEO because I can take orders and lick your boots. You went into business with me because I’m not afraid of calling you out on your bullshit, regardless of whether or not you’re one of our biggest investors and one of our most influential board members.”

Isaiah presses his lips together. “Maybe the board and I need to choose someone else. Sometimes, I wonder if you really have the stomach to do what needs to be done.”

I let my arms fall to my sides, and my nails start digging into the inside of my palms. “You’ve said that before, but you don’t follow through with it. I’ve already proven myself. Do you know why?”

“Enlighten me.”

“This company is a multi-billionaire dollar corporation because of me and my ideas,” I remind him, holding his gaze and refusing to look away. “You need me, Isaiah. Without me, and my company, you’d be just another businessman. I’ve more than proven my worth.”

Isaiah folds his hands together and leans forward.

For a long while, he says nothing while the clock ticks in the background. Down below, there are sirens and the sound of tires screeching against the asphalt. Now and again, muted conversation wafts in from underneath the closed door, followed by a few shrieks and giggles.

As far as everyone is concerned, it is business as usual.

Isaiah is not the sort of man anyone wants to mess with… including me.

I begin to sweat underneath my shirt, droplets sliding down the back of my neck. I stand up straighter and refuse to look away, knowing that if I do, it is as good as backing down. Having known the man for ten years, there are few things Isaiah can tolerate, and a man who abandons his beliefs is not one of them. Even if he disagrees, experience has taught me that he will respect me for at least attempting to stick to my guns.

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