Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
LEO
“Fuck.” Leo tossed his phone into the passenger seat of his truck.
So much for the spirit of giving. Cytotech Corp had rejected his proposal barely an hour after he’d left.
The petty part of him wanted to use his connections to make sure the royal family never did business with them again.
But it wasn’t their fault he’d waited until December to make a pitch.
Two meetings, two rejections. Greenfuture Industries sat across the parking lot from him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to remember the words from Emma’s pep talk earlier.
Lola had sent an email with the top three donors in Lynoria, and he had blatantly used his royal connections to secure meetings with all three in a single day.
This was the final one, and the business with the best track record for philanthropy.
He grabbed his laptop bag and started for the building. Emma and Lisa were arriving the following morning, and he was determined to have good news to share.
The receptionist led him into an intimidating room full of executives.
“Your Highness. We’re honored to have you here in our humble office,” a man in a suit said with a small bow. “I’m Robert.”
Humble was not the right word. Greenfuture Industries had made a name for itself in clean energy and had branches all over Europe and North America. Everything about their office was modern, sleek, and seemingly recyclable.
“There’s no need for formalities,” Leo said with a wave. “It’s just Leo. And thank you for seeing me. I know it’s not an ideal time.”
He handed over a box of pastries. They weren’t Emma’s, but they were better than showing up empty-handed.
“Thank you,” Robert said as he took the box.
The other people in the room introduced themselves. The conference room was decorated for Christmas. Garland and bright red bows were everywhere, and multicolored lights were strung on a tree in the corner. He could only assume the tree was fake.
“We’re interested to hear what you have to say. I have to be honest though, most of our funds earmarked for philanthropy have already been utilized this year.”
Leo’s stomach plummeted. “Well, I respect your time, so I’ll make this as quick as possible.”
He hooked his laptop up to the projector and went through the spiel as quickly as he could.
The last part of the presentation was Emma’s video. He had seen it multiple times now, and it hadn’t gotten any easier to watch.
When the video ended, there was silence in the conference room. This investor was his last hope. If they said no, they would be set back for another year while he applied for grants, and by then, the ski resort would already be built.
Was it enough?
They asked a few questions—when would the project start, was there an environmental impact assessment scheduled, would Leo be open to including a sponsored corner of the library where children could learn about clean energy.
“Honestly, if I had all the money in the world, I’d remodel the old library into a children’s museum and devote a whole floor to clean energy,” Leo said. “But I have to build the new one first.”
Robert looked thoughtful. “We’ll have an answer for you by the end of the day. Thank you for coming in, Your Highness.”
Leo shook everyone’s hands. “I really appreciate your time. I look forward to hearing from you.”
With that, he was back out in the blustery cold. He had done all he could.
“So you still don’t know what you’re going to do about the ski resort,” Sal said as he poured a glass of beer.
Whiskey swirled dark and warm in his glass. The atmosphere was festive, but his mood was not.
“Emma claims to have a plan.”
Sal slid a Guinness down the bar and turned back to him. “I believe it. She’s a smart girl. So she’s coming in on the first morning train?”
Leo nodded. “You’re sure you don’t mind me staying for a few days? I know it’s a big ask.”
Sal shrugged. “Stay as long as you want. Cal’s chuffed. Make sure you comment on the sheets in the guest bedroom though. He’s been dying for someone to ask what the thread count is.”
“Sheets. Got it.”
His phone beeped, and his heart flew into his throat until he realized it was just a text, not an email.
Emma had sent her flight and train information. The fact that she—and her mom and the two dogs—would soon be here brought some quiet to the storm in his mind.
“Emma?” Sal nodded at Leo’s phone.
Leo nodded.
Sal leaned forward. “When are you going to tell the girl you want a real relationship with her?”
Leo put his glass down for a refill. “What am I supposed to do, hold her hostage? She lives five thousand miles away. Her mom—and her dreams—are in New York.”
Sal poured another finger of amber liquid. “Dreams can change.”
“I’m not going to ask her to compromise the goal she’s been working toward her entire life for some titled idiot she met two weeks ago. I’ve already gotten her fired. I’ve done enough damage.”
“But you still want to,” Sal said with authority. He had always been good at seeing through Leo’s facade.
Leo lowered his voice. Sal had barred a member of the press from coming in earlier, but he couldn’t be too careful. “She shouldn’t have to change anything for me. She deserves to have her dream exactly as she imagined it. I’m not part of the equation.”
“Have you talked to her about this?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then how do you even know what she’s thinking?”
Leo’s phone vibrated, and they both jumped. Not a text. So did that mean—
He clicked his email app. There it was. A message from Greenfuture Industries. His hands shook as he opened it and read.
“Dear Prince Leo,” he muttered, then skimmed the rest of the text.
He slapped his phone down on the bar and buried his head in his hands.
“Should I put this away?” Sal asked.
Leo opened his eyes to spot a rather expensive-looking bottle of champagne. It mocked him.
“They were generous,” he said carefully, “but it’s only half of what we need. We won’t have an answer on the grants until next year. The project is dead. I’ve failed. Again.”
“Hey,” Sal said, “you are not a failure. You’ve done more for this country than any member of parliament or even your own—in a minute, Tony, can’t you see there’s a man having a crisis here?” Sal called to a man who was banging his empty glass on the bar.
Leo pushed his chair back and stood. “I should go. Do some more research, maybe. I don’t know.”