Chapter 16
Ethan
The day before the vote, Nelly and I meet with the victims of the crash for the settlement, and once that’s out of the way, we prepare for the d-day. Before walking into the conference room, I try not to think too much about the possibility of losing the vote to Joe.
My stomach is in knots, and my jaw stays so tightly clenched that it feels like it would snap at any minute.
Joe Storms’ eyes twinkle with a hint of mischief during the vote. I try to ignore the upward curl on the corners of his lips. He’s convinced he will win the vote for my seat as CEO, or at the very least, my removal. My deal with George Brene would make that impossible.
Except, of course, if George decides to betray me.
My gaze lands on George after he casts his vote in front of the conference room. His expression is unreadable as he returns to his seat. Nelly is sitting by my side. She glances at me, and her encouraging smile helps lift my spirit.
“It’s gonna be fine,” Nelly mouths before placing her hand over mine.
Her skin’s warmth is enough to ease my inner turmoil. My courage increases, and I nod in response before dragging in a deep breath.
“Now I’ll call out the winner,” Lisa Peckham, my secretary, announces before heading over to the voting box. She counts each vote out loud, and it’s a tie between me and Joe when she gets to the last vote.
Lisa holds up the last ballot paper and scans the faces of everyone seated at the table. My breath hitches in my throat, and Nelly’s grip on her pen tightens in anticipation.
“Ethan Everhart,” Lisa calls, and I leap out of my seat without thinking.
“Yes.” I pump my right fist in the air, for a second before realizing all eyes are on me.
“And for the merger vote, eighty percent in favor, twenty percent against,” Lisa continues. “The motion passes.”
Nelly rises to her feet as applause erupts around the room. Even though she didn’t cast a vote as she had no right to yet, she was still present to support me today.
The radiant smile on her face reaches the depths of my heart when she walks over to me. “Congratulations, you did it!”
Her warm hug only lasts a second, and instantly I miss the warmth of being close to her.
“Congratulations,” Kenneth Hickins, another member of the board, congratulates me with a handshake, and then he makes room for the others to greet me as well.
George does the same, and when it’s Julia’s turn, she snakes her arms around my neck for a hug and whispers in my ear. “Congratulations. Don’t forget that you owe me now, sweetheart.”
Julia sashays out of the room, and I don’t spare her a glance even as her words linger in my head. Whatever she wants, I can handle it later. Right now, all I want is to celebrate with Nelly.
She still has a brilliant smile when I look at her again. Her expression glows with a flush that captures my attention. I love how bright her eyes are. There’s a pull to her that I can’t explain.
I don’t want the flutters rising inside me to fade either, and for the first time in a while, the thrill of what I feel for her doesn’t scare me.
“I’ll be outside in a moment,” I whisper. Storms is still in the conference room, watching, like a hawk monitoring its prey.
Nelly nods, then leaves the conference room. Alone with him, I draw in a deep breath, bury my hands in my pockets, and then meet his gaze squarely.
“Give up, Joe. It’s over. You tried to take what’s mine, and you lost. It’s time to fall back, or I’ll be forced to come after you and what’s left of your miserable company.”
“That’s right,” I add after he freezes. “I know you’re bankrupt. In your bid to ruin me, you purchased shares far above your purchasing power.”
“Your company shareholders were against your hostile takeover move, but you ignored their warnings. Your investments and takeovers haven’t panned out, either. You’re desperate, Storms, and you’re trying to make me just as miserable as you are. But it’s over. You lost. There’s nothing you can do now.”
His glare is like a storm of clouds, and the flare of his labored breaths proves I’ve rattled him.
“I’ve proven I can beat you before, Everhart. I started my company after college, unlike you, who inherited everything you have from your grandfather, and now I’m your strongest competitor. I took the woman you loved. She chose me!”
Joe looks pathetic as I stare at him. “She didn’t choose you, Joe. I called off our engagement and she could no longer have me,” I point out, watching him redden further. “I never treated you less than me when we were friends and I’ve never seen you as anything other than that … All of this? Your obsession with competing with me? It’s all in your head.”
“I was never your friend,” he spits. “Your roommate, yes, but that’s all I ever was. You never regarded me as good enough to tag along with you and that Sinclair kid. You made me feel like a loser because it made you feel good. Do you feel good now? Knowing you’re now CEO? Everyone’s boss? I’m coming for you, Everhart, so watch out!”
His threats resonate within me, threatening to cloud my vision with anger. I take a deep breath, desperately trying to remain civilized.
“Show yourself out of my building, Storms.” I turn away from him and loosen the first button of my double-breasted suit.
“You don’t know what’s coming,” Joe says before I make it to the door. His next words halt me in my tracks. “I’m not done with you, Everhart.”
He strides towards me briskly, his steps thudding.
Joe’s glare digs into my eyes before he smirks. “This isn’t just about controlling your company. It’s about taking what’s important to you, Ethan. Just like I did with Julia all those years ago.”
He tilts his head back and cackles now, his eyes glinting with dark intentions. The scorching intensity of his resentment sears through to my soul. Muscles tense along his jawline, and there’s no mistaking his hatred.
I struggle to hold back my anger, clenching my right fist tightly at my side to keep myself from bashing his nose with it.
Joe’s reasons are clearer to me now. I often wondered why he would betray me. But his need to feel superior drove him into thinking I treated him as beneath me.
The man standing in front of me is nothing like the confidant I considered my friend all those years ago.
Holding back my anger, I exit the conference room without a word to him. Nelly’s waiting in my office when I get there.
“You alright?” She walks over and touches my arm as worry forms in her delicate features. “Did something happen with you and Joe after I left?”
“No, I’m fine,” I lie, shaking my head and forcing a smile to dispel any doubts. Nelly’s hand still rests on my arm, and I glance down at the curl of her lean fingers over my biceps.
“We should celebrate tonight,” I whisper. “Just you and me. We’ll do anything you like.”
A slow smile spreads across her features, and I can’t hold back at that moment. I reach out to brush the strands of her hair framing the left side of her face.
My finger strokes her skin, and she sighs, her lips parting and drawing my attention to their moist folds. The velvety red shade of her lipstick suits her skin and blends with the rest of her outfit.
She’s irresistible.
My mind spirals out of control as I inch towards her, wanting to renew her taste in my memory. I want to hear her sigh, indulge in the moistness of her lips, and slide my tongue into her hot mouth.
“Ethan,” she murmurs breathlessly. Her soft sound only makes me tremble inside. The kiss happens slowly—our lips meet, cling, and part for an adventure that makes me bond with her.
We slowly pull away after a minute, but neither of us moves as we stare at each other. Her harsh breaths are little puffs expelled on my face. They tantalize my nostrils until I’m lost.
“Tonight,” I manage, knowing I need to pull away from her now.
“It’s a date,” she replies. Her eyes widen like she realizes what she’s said, then she shakes her head, “I mean … It’s not a date, date, but …”
“It’s a date, Nelly,” I counter, staring deep into her eyes. “Just you and me. That’s a date.” A smile lights up her features before I pull away from her.
“See you tonight,” she whispers, then slips out of my office.
I sink onto my chair with a deep sigh, then bury my face in my hands. I’m falling for Nelly and it’s about to get more complicated.
Because I don’t think I can handle being in love with anyone else and being vulnerable like that ever again.
***
Nelly is already dressed when I return to the house. I had dropped by my penthouse in Hollywood’s Boulevard to spend some time alone nursing and debating what to do about my feelings. I think about Nelly way too much and it’s unnerving.
My heart skips a beat when Nelly walks into the living room. The elegant black dress she has on hugs her petite frame the right way. Soft pearls run down its full length, adding a touch of glamor, and as she moves, the gown swirls around her like a graceful waltz.
“You look …” My throat tightens, and the lump there makes it impossible for me to speak without sounding hoarse. “… breathtaking.”
“Thank you,” Nelly answers, then draws another inch closer to me. “You look amazing yourself. Love the shirt.”
She sweeps a hand down my chest and beams at me.
“I got you something.” Nelly steps back so I reach into my suit’s inner pocket and take out the polished wooden jewelry box. Nelly opens it and gasps.
“Ethan,” she says breathlessly while staring at the silver necklace. It took three hours of scouting to figure out what I could get her, and her expression proves that she loves it, just as I anticipated.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Let me help you.” She holds her hair aside, and I clasp the necklace around her neck. She fingers the pendant a bit before turning to face me again.
“I love it”
“I’m glad.” Nelly hooks her hand in mine, and we leave the house together.
“I made reservations,” she tells me once I get into the driver’s seat of my Mercedes. “It's a steakhouse on Brighton Avenue. You’re gonna love their steak.”
“I’m sure I will.”
It’s a fifteen-minute drive to the restaurant, and our reservation is on the rooftop area where we have a perfect view of the night skies.
“What happens next?” Nelly asks after we enjoy the filet mignon served with their special Yorkshire pudding and a bowl of green salad.
The blend of cedar and grapes in my bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild adds a flare to the savory taste of the meat in my mouth. It makes the experience even more enjoyable.
“We move on with our expansion plans. Storms is desperate to ruin things for me, but he’s lost all his cards now. He’s broke, so he can’t afford to cause any more trouble.”
“So, you think that’s it? After trying so hard to take your company, he’ll just fall back into the shadows?”
“No,” I answer, moving my head from side to side. “He’s still up to something. We just need to progress with our expansion plans and secure the right deals and funding from the government. I can handle Joe Storms if he tries anything else.”
Nelly’s eyes soften when I reach across the table to touch her hand. “You don’t need to worry about anything.”
She seems thoughtful for a moment, but before she can ask anything, my phone beeps in my pocket.
“Excuse me.” I plaster the phone to my ear after seeing the call from Julia.
“I’m making dinner tonight, and it’s your favorite. You should come over and—”
“I’m kind of in the middle of something. Can’t it wait?”
“No, it can’t,” Julia answers in a stiff tone. “I told you that you’d owe me if I helped you, Ethan, and you agreed. I have to discuss something with you, and I want to do it at dinner tonight. I’m making your favorite pasta with seared scallops. I know how much you love those.”
“I told you I’m in the middle of something. Can’t we do this later?”
“You know, it’s clearly stated in the company’s rules that any shareholder can call for a re-vote twenty-four hours after the first vote was cast if he suspects any sort of foul play. How would you feel if I inspired someone else to call for a re-vote?”
“Don’t …” I interrupt, then recall I’m sitting with Nelly.
“We had a deal, Ethan. I help you with my grandfather, and you have dinner with me at the time of my choosing. You’ve always been a man of your word, so what would it be?”
I can almost sense her smiling as she speaks, and knowing Julia, she won’t back down till she gets what she wants.
I don’t want Nelly finding out about this deal either, so I better get it over with.
“Fine,” I answer through gritted teeth. Nelly’s staring at me with a worried look when I glance back at her, but it quickly fades away even before I say anything.
“I’m so sorry, but I have to go,” I mutter.
“Oh …”
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
She nods quickly. “It’s fine … I’ll just … I’ll be fine.”
I press a kiss to her cheeks and spare her one last remorseful glance before walking away and paying the bill.
Whatever Julia wants, I need to make sure this is the last time she makes me do her bidding.