Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Atlanta—Present Day
Declan hadn’t missed the momentary fear in Olivia’s expression when her ex-husband reached for her, before she quickly masked it. Several pieces came together in his mind forming a very ugly picture. Only a lifetime of control kept him from pulling out his gun.
But if what he suspected was true—Kyle Armstrong’s days on earth were numbered.
“What does this mean?” Stuart asked. “For the company?”
Declan spared a glance at the balding man, but didn’t answer. His gaze slid back to Olivia. Her color had returned to normal, but the look on her face was enough to cool the violence simmering inside him.
Olivia looked like she was planning a murder of her own. His, if the death glare she was giving him was any indication. For some reason, that made him want to smile. Her Grandma Rose would be proud.
“Are you going to dissolve my company?” Richard Armstrong asked in a quiet voice.
“Not entirely. However, there will be massive restructuring.”
“You mean eliminating divisions,” Olivia said.
Declan gave a small nod. Her eyes flashed fire at him as gasps filled the room. “Yes.”
It wasn’t the way he would have preferred to let the Armstrong Electronics employees know, but it was done now, and there was no point in dwelling on it.
He lifted a hand to silence the murmuring and exclamations that filled the room. “My team will work closely with the Armstrong leadership to determine where changes will be most effective. Generous severance packages will be given to anyone who is determined to be redundant.”
“Redundant. I suppose that determination will be based on your educated analysis of a company you just discovered.” Olivia’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and pride flared in Declan’s chest even as the other people on her side of the table widened their eyes.
She wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
He was looking forward to it.
“First of all,” Declan pinned her with a hard stare, but Olivia didn’t wilt as so many typically did. Her chin tipped in challenge.
It might be the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, and he pressed his lips together to prevent the smile that threatened.
“I’ve had my eye on this company and XEROS for almost four years.”
Olivia’s lips parted slightly as she registered what he said. He’d known where she was years ago, and Declan saw the pain in her eyes before it was hidden again. Declan wanted to throw everyone out, and kiss those rosy lips. Tell her it would be okay… He cut the useless thought off at the root.
No one, not even Olivia, could know how he felt about her.
“Second,” he continued. “I hope this board will work closely with me to adequately assess the true financial state of your operation.” Declan saw the second the barb hit, and Richard shared a look with his son.
Olivia cocked her head. “Will you listen? Or is this a game you’re playing to get rid of us with no fuss? Tell us what we want to hear, and then do whatever the fuck it is you have had planned this whole time?”
“Shut up. What is wrong with you?” Kyle snapped, and then turned to Declan with a chuckle. “I apologize for my wife. She’s just surprised and spoke without thinking. You know how women are.”
Blood thrummed in Declan’s ears. How had he not known? He’d let Olivia down. Was the truth about their marriage in the dossier he had refused to read for his own selfish reasons? If it was, he would never forgive himself. He should have done a better job of making sure she was safe and happy even if it wasn’t with him.
“Ex-wife.”
Kyle blinked, confused. “What?”
“Olivia is your ex -wife.”
Kyle’s mouth rounded in an O, and then his expression turned cunning. His eyes raked over Olivia in a way that made Declan want to grab Kyle’s tie and slam his face into the table repeatedly.
“I see.” The man’s insinuating tone made it clear to everyone in the room what he was implying.
Slashes of red appeared on Olivia’s cheekbones.
“You see what?” Declan kept his tone even, but anyone with half a brain could sense the dangerous threat vibrating off him. A silent warning to back off and find cover before Declan ripped him apart.
Apparently, Declan had given the man too much credit because Kyle shrugged and then smirked. “I heard about you and Livvy in New York. You helped her back to her room, right?”
A couple of giggles sounded from the employees standing along the wall, and Stuart stared at Olivia with such a hurt look that Declan filed it away as something to keep an eye on.
“Kyle,” Olivia hissed.
“What? It all makes sense now. Did the two of you cook up this plan together? You told him about the minority shareholders. Did he pay you, or did you cut a deal to keep your job and screw over me and my family in the process.”
“Enough.” Richard rose to his feet, briefly resting his weight on his hands before pushing straight. “Olivia has worked hard for this company.” He grimaced. “We all have. Are you keeping the current leadership in place?”
“No. Cecile will notify each of you over the next couple of days. After your interview, I’ll make my decision.”
“You want us to interview for jobs we already have?” Kyle looked stunned.
Declan ignored him. “Cecile, find a space in this building for us to work. I want to be settled by the end of the day at the latest.”
“You’re taking an office here?” Olivia sounded appalled.
Declan looked at her over his shoulder as he strode from the room. “Of course.”
When the door opened thirty minutes later and everyone filed out, they seemed surprised to find him still there. Declan wasn’t concerned about the dirty looks thrown his way or the panicked questions he’d heard through the walls. He’d faced far more dangerous adversaries than a disgruntled engineer.
He wasn’t sure why he’d waited after dismissing Cecile, Vincent, and Brady’s two men. Declan hadn’t brought security with him because he genuinely believed he needed protection from Chris. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, but the show of power had been helpful. What had Chris called it? Theatrics? His former friend knew him well. Too well.
Everyone else had left, and only Olivia still lingered at the table while she typed on her phone. She was furious and worried, and even though Declan instinctively wanted to wrap his arms around her and soothe any concerns, their discord suited his purposes perfectly.
After Kyle’s outburst, more eyes would be on them. Declan needed to tread carefully. He knew it was a mistake to wait for her, but apparently he couldn’t help himself from creating an excuse to talk to her. To spend a few more minutes near her.
He leaned against the doorframe, watching until Olivia finally looked up, her lips were compressed into an angry line. Her eyes blazed sapphire with her fury as she strode toward him. But if she thought he was going to step aside, she’d forgotten who he was.
“We called several of the family members you bought shares from. You grossly overpaid for all of them.”
Declan bit back a smile when Olivia crossed her arms across her chest. She was beautiful when she was angry.
“I did.”
“Why?”
Declan lifted an eyebrow. “Because I could.”
“Pfft. That’s an asinine answer. This is some sort of sophomoric pissing contest with Chris Keller.”
His name on her lips immediately dissolved Declan’s good mood. He drew to his full height, towering over her, and Olivia tilted her head back to maintain eye contact.
“You don’t care if you destroy my employees and their families?”
“Business is brutal.”
“ Business. Right. What about the Armstrong family members who still hold shares? A hostile takeover means they have to wait until you sell Armstrong Electronics to get their money. Not everyone has time for that.”
Declan wondered why she cared so much. They weren’t her family anymore, and from what he’d learned from her divorce decree, she hadn’t been granted any of the shares Kyle possessed.
“That’s up to them. When word gets out that a premium was paid for the other shares, it will boost the worth of their own—at least for a short period. If they’re smart, they’ll find a buyer.”
“That doesn’t help the employees who don’t own stock but do rely on this job to pay their bills.”
Her impassioned voice and flushed cheeks had his body at odds with his brain. Olivia was making valid points. Professional points. But all Declan’s body cared about was getting his hands on her. Pushing her against the wall and taking her mouth.
Olivia’s growl pulled him out of the fantasy, and she moved to stalk past him. Declan caught her hand, and he dipped his head close to her ear. He kept his voice low so only she would hear. “Maybe, I’m just not done with you yet.”