CHAPTER 16
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“Notice deliveries must be made today, without exception,” William explained, handing the folders to Emma and Liam.
Emma wanted to yawn, but refrained from doing so. She was dying of sleep, but she had been urgently summoned to report to the office at five o'clock in the morning.
William Sanders had called her and told her that her presence was indispensable, getting her out of bed in the wee hours of the morning.
“It was only a few weeks ago that this team achieved a victory and we took over the executive management of the company,” Liam began to explain. “I want to know the level of commitment from both of you for another such attack”
“I'm already fully aware,” said William, pointing to the folders he had prepared. “Rather, the question is directed to you, Miss Darby,” looking at the young woman.
Emma had only been in the investment world for a short time, but given Liam's latest campaign and so much secrecy, she was planning a coup.
She had little to doubt. She had confidence in Liam's financial ability. That and something else she would never dare confess.
“My level of commitment hasn't diminished. I'm on the team”
Liam smiled at her, causing her to glower momentarily.
“I'm going to initiate an operation similar to the one we did to merge FINANCIAL, but this one will be much larger and more aggressive. And it must be carried out with the utmost discretion,” Liam explained again and pointed to the folders. “I want to take complete control of my company, getting rid of as many shareholders as possible...so we will begin the private purchase of shares individually from all the holders. Those guys would never sell to me, but to that end William has created a pile of briefcase companies that will serve as a nexus to get our hands on those shares”
Emma's eyes widened.
Liam was planning a total coup.
“In the end, only the Foreman shareholder would be left,” Liam continued. “But I'm sure I'll find a way for him to sell too. Everyone has a price, even him”
Emma made a mental map of everything that would have to be done, mainly the private purchase notices, done in an almost hostile manner and which had to be delivered in an unfailing manner.
“I'll have to cancel several days' schedule,” Emma reached for the Tablet.
“Not only that, in addition to freeing up the agenda, I only trust you to make the proper notifications, that there is no reason to contest them,” Liam explained.
“That's hundreds of notifications....”
Liam nodded.
“That's why we have to work in a row, you understand?”
Emma nodded in agreement.
She already gave her word, plus she always wanted to prove her commitment to Liam, that her loyalty remained unchanged. That he would see her as a competent woman, far from the image of a Dorothy .
“Besides you, you are authorized to hire help for the notifications, but they must be reliable and efficient people, who present clear results,” Liam authorized. “But don't charge it to the corporate card, I will set up a petty cash box with sufficient funds to finance the operational costs of this expedition”
Liam had thought of everything.
Emma looked at him and couldn't wait to tap into his prodigious mind working at a mile a minute. He was a very smart man, far from the image projected by the networks or his battered reputation.
The woman was sure that he would reverse that reputation.
“Well, let's get to work!” Liam exclaimed, getting up.
That alone woke Emma up completely, and the first thing she went to do was to get a strong cup of coffee. She was going to need it.
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Emma called in sick to Human Resources, because it was a Michael Foreman spy den and she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
So did William and two members of his team.
Liam had a so-called trip scheduled to Connecticut. All facades so they could work quietly.
They arrived at an apartment located in the exclusive Chelsea neighborhood owned by the lawyer, where they set up base of operations for the day.
“We couldn't use Liam's apartment on 5th to avoid running into Michael Foreman's daughter,” the lawyer commented in passing.
Hearing the name of Liam's girlfriend, the magic that had Emma stunned since early morning dissolved, remembering that he was a committed man and even if he wasn't, he would never notice a petty woman like her, whom he would despise if he learned the truth about Tanner.
But this was no time to dwell on that.
He had a lot of work ahead of him.
Between printing notifications, then there was the mapping to locate the recipients.
Emma was in charge of taking two of them, making sure the secretaries put the receipt stamp on it to validate the act and start the impeachment deadline.
William and his two assistants, two young law students eager to win a position in the future, set about the task of distributing notices in the more remote areas.
Emma only stopped for a moment to eat lunch and as she did so, she glanced back at Liam who was working in front of his MAC in a separate room.
She could see him working, taking his work very seriously.
Who was she to ruin his bright future with an inappropriate ill-timed confession as he once thought?
She glanced at the couple of notices she still had left.
She could take them herself, but she had some calls to verify, so she decided to contact the other reliable person she knew in New York, to whom she would also pay some money for that extra, considering that Liam had set up a fund for that.
He called Lisa, who had the day off.
When he did, the woman was walking with Tanner in Central Park, her favorite activity.
The task was simple and Lisa could do it, even with Tanner for company.
And she could earn five hundred dollars for the task.
To avoid any unexpected encounters, Emma went out to wait for them in a corner with the envelopes.
“Mommy, why aren't you at the Wall Street building,” was all Tanner asked as Lisa checked the envelopes. The two women had already talked on the phone beforehand.
Emma bent down to hug her son.
“It's okay, I promise. It's just a little extra work.....”
The boy was satisfied with the answer.
“I've looked at the addresses and it's very simple,” commented Lisa after checking the addresses. “By the way, did you bring the yellow umbrella, there is rain forecast for later”
“I'll borrow one here, so don't worry, rather you guys go back to the apartment once these notifications are finished”
Lisa and the boy left almost running while Emma was left watching them disappear in the corner.
Lisa adored Tanner and her mother couldn't help but feel guilty for delegating so much to that kind woman, who besides opening the doors of her house, was like a timely bread of God.
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As midnight fell, Liam finished reviewing the last acknowledgment of receipt of the notifications that had already been completed.
The painstaking work that had begun in the early morning was now complete.
Everyone had worked hard.
He closed the folder and headed for the living room where Emma was, or at least where she should be closing the day's work, tidying up the folders and putting documents away.
He had to see her and thank her.
He also had to tell her that once the stock purchase was complete, she could take whatever vacation time she wanted, even if he didn't like it, because he thought he would never find another secretary as efficient as Dorothy.
It was a bit of an internal struggle for him to say those words.
But just as he was about to do so, the door opened, ushering in a cheerful William with a bottle in hand.
“This we must celebrate”
Liam tried to look into the living room, but William was blocking his view.
“What are you looking for?”
“Nothing... I just wanted to congratulate the employees”
“You'll have to wait another time. Leave them please, I have already sent them all to rest,” announced the lawyer sitting down, passing the bottle to Liam.
“I won't drink; I still have to drive. I have the car in your parking lot at the apartment,” Liam assured him.
“Water parties...”
But Liam needed to get out, so he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.
“Take the 9th to your house, because the rain is not letting up”
“Is it raining?”
“Yes, amazingly the weather service got it right....”
Liam grabbed his keys and headed out.
Even if he went out quickly it would be very difficult to find Emma, as she would most likely have headed for a subway stop. That put him off.
As he picked up the path, his cell phone began to ring.
Liam only glanced sideways and saw that it was Anna Foreman, double reason not to answer.
The rain, which had been incredibly calm, began to imprint power and force.
He frowned grumpily, as he didn't like driving in the rain.
But as he was about to turn onto 9th, a figure standing on a corner caught his eye.
No umbrella and getting wet from the falling water, even though she was trying to shield herself with part of a tent roof.
Emma Darby seemed to be waiting for something, probably a cab or perhaps someone .
That last possibility did not strike him as a pleasant idea to assimilate.
He didn't hesitate a bit and approached the area where the young woman was stationed.
He could say something nice to her...but he chose not to.
“Hey, are you some kind of masochist for waiting in the rain, Dorothy?”
“Mr. Van Dyke...” The woman hugged herself, betraying the cold she was feeling and was very surprised to see him.
He opened the passenger door.
“I recommend you get in... or are you waiting for something?”
But Emma resisted.
“The subway is running late and I'm waiting for a cab....”
Liam opened the door.
“Don't make me insist, Dorothy,” patting the seat. “And it's not a request, it's an order”
The girl, after hesitating, got into the car. She was embarrassed to wet the seat of the luxurious car.
Liam felt genuinely sorry and in one swift movement took off his jacket.
“Remove that hideous windbreaker and put this on”
Though fearfully embarrassed, Emma took the garment and began to remove hers to put on his.
“Good, we're here, now tell me where you live and I'll take you home.....”
Another silence, but Liam could tell she was embarrassed, but he was determined.
“I live in Queens...”
“Was that so hard for you to tell me? Buckle up, we're on our way....”
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It was raining like never before.
And ever since he picked her up, Emma had been shivering.
Liam remained serious, staring straight ahead and very focused, but she was a nervous wreck. What was worse was that the scent of the perfume from the jacket he practically forced her to wear was already starting to get to her.
It was like a mixture of bergamot and green tea.
“Did you know my neighborhood?” she dared to ask him when they entered it.
“ Dorothy ...there's no place in New York I don't know,” he was smug. “If I spent a year in Cheyenne where they barely knew running water, what do you think I don't know about this place?”
Emma recognized her block and the building.
A humble area, of buildings with rent-controlled apartments. A world apart from Manhattan, so she figured she should get down there before he started to get disgusted with her neighborhood.
Besides, she wanted to avoid, by some ridiculous and unthinkable accident, Liam and Tanner seeing each other again, though she reassured herself that, by midnight, her son would be asleep.
“I thank you very much for bringing me. I'll pay for the gas tomorrow, I promise,” she opened the hatch, anxious to leave.
He looked through the windshield.
“So you live in this building?”
“I imagine it's a pigsty in your eyes....”
“I didn't know you were such an efficient secretary that you're already able to read my thoughts....”
An awkward silence where both contenders looked at each other, until finally Emma could no longer stand it, lowered her gaze and got out of the car.
“Goodbye, Mr. Van Dyke”
She was aware that she had been rude and ran without looking back.
And the worst thing was that the smell of bergamot was a stronger, because of Liam's jacket that she brought for her and forgot to return.
She went through the door, since her building had no concierge and tried the old elevator. It wasn't working or was stranded on some floor. She pushed the button again several times and it still wouldn't move. And she was desperate to go up, because she was foolishly afraid that he might catch a glimpse of the floor she was going to.
It was bad enough that he knew her address, even though she imagined he would never come back.
That began to make her even more nervous, so she took off her shoes and took the stairs to the fourth floor.
She wasn't in shape by any stretch of the imagination, but anything was preferable to fleeing quickly.
The adrenaline of the moment prevented her from thinking about anything other than getting to her apartment, opening it and taking a shower with plenty of hot water, as long as the shower heater felt like working.
When she finally arrived, she was panting with exhaustion. Her apartment was 406, she fumbled for her keys and found them for us. Then she realized that she didn't have her purse on her and that her jacket pockets were empty because it wasn't hers.
Her jacket and purse were left in Liam's car. She didn't have a cell phone, she put her hands to her head, she was a brute, she went to ring the doorbell and hoped that Lisa or Tanner heard her.
Bad time she had become forgetful.
The worst thing was that she heard the sound of the elevator arriving.
Fantastic, that meant that that crap was working.
“Thank goodness your floor number is in the bunch,” Liam's loud, clear voice paralyzed her. “Sorry I went through your bag, it's just that you didn't even take your cell phone because you were in such a hurry”
Emma turned to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.
“What the...?”
“ Dorothy , I imagine you keep your life in your purse...so I came to give it back to you”
Emma wished the earth would swallow her up and never spit her out again.
But it got worse when the door to her apartment opened.
“Mom?”
It wasn't Lisa who opened the door, but Tanner. And there was no way to hide the situation because both her son and Liam found themselves face to face.
“This... I forgot my keys...” she stammered,” This is Mr. Liam Van Dyke, my boss”
“Well, It's you! “Tanner's excited voice towards Liam caused terror to dent her chest.
Liam was surprised by the boy's presence and his calling Emma his mother.
“But he's my future financial advisor...” then he looked at Emma. “I didn't know you were married”
“And I'm not...” She had nothing left to say.
“Do you live with his father?” he asked surprisingly.
That was enough to make Emma shield herself in self-sufficiency, she took the bag and jacket from Liam's hands.
“Being your secretary doesn't oblige me to talk about my private life”
“I don't know my father and we don't know where he is,” was Tanner, who broke the moment with brutal, trauma-free sincerity.
“That doesn't matter, son, why are you still awake, let's go into the house”
“It's just that Lisa drank a beer and fell asleep. I was hungry and I made some muffins with hot chocolate,” said the boy and looking at Liam. “Do you want to try?”
“Sure,” Liam was quick to agree, much to Emma's despair.
The boy practically led Liam into the kitchen, while Emma hung up her purse and had no idea what to say.
The smell of sweet pie was delicious.
Tanner had learned to use the oven and liked to make himself sweet things.
It was very late, but Emma was unable to blame him. Not with Liam's presence at the table.
“You mean to tell me that in addition to being a financial advisor, you like baking?”
“Sure, so I can save myself from buying it in the bakeries, don't you think?”
Liam laughed with the boy and Emma went to her room to take off her wet jacket and change. She wasn't going in to take a shower because she wanted to make sure Liam left right away and besides she wanted to hear the talk between those two.
“So my mother is your secretary, you're not mad at her for taking me to your company on that occasion?”
“Of course not, because that also allowed me to meet you again....”
“Besides, you caught me with these muffins, and you'll give me your honest opinion. It's just that I have a dream of ever sharing muffins with my father, if he ever comes back so another man's opinion is good for me”
“Your father?”
“When we moved to this city, my hopes of meeting him grew. I want to tell him I'm going to be a great Wall Street broker and I hope he and my mother will be proud”
Liam had a short silence.
“I've known since I was a little boy that I wanted to be a financier, too,” Liam's voice sounded warm. "Don't worry, your mother must be very proud of you, and your father will feel the same way when you meet him.
Emma, who could hear behind the walls decided to come in.
“Mommy, do you want to try the muffin?”
Emma shook her head.
“No honey, I've already had dinner”
Liam watched the interaction of mother and son.
“You have a very intelligent son, far from the image of a Dorothy ...” This time the observation was for her.
“Tanner is a very smart boy....”
Liam put the empty cup down on the table.
“Precisely because he reminds me of me, I'd like to invite him to the Hampton's, where I have a house and my favorite library of Wharton collected books... Do you like fishing, Tanner?”
“Yes I do, although I don't get the chance!”
Emma's throat was sealed and he noticed.
“Talk to your mother and get permission. I can assure you that a ride on the Hampton's will take a lot of stress off you while you get ready to go back to school, is that all right?”
The boy nodded his head.
Liam got up from his chair.
“I'd better get back; your mother must be exhausted....”
“I promise to call you at the office if I can convince my mother to come to your summer house!”
“I'll be waiting for your call”
Emma, the landlady, had to follow him out the door.
Already from the hallway, Liam turned to her.
“Come on, don't be mad about the invitation. I only did it, because when I was a kid, one of my dreams was to meet the Hampton's and I like your son very much. He's very smart”
“I'll think about it...”
“Before I forget, I ordered a bonus check to be prepared for you for this semester, for your good work”
“It hasn't even been six months...”
“Come on, Dorothy , take what you're given. You deserve it, okay, so you'll go to the human resources department tomorrow to cash it”
He waved goodbye and went to the elevator, that damn thing that magically opened when he touched the button.
Liam walked away, leaving a thread of bergamot scent in his wake, the same as that jacket Emma had hung in her room, at the head of her bed, which she had the opportunity to return a moment ago but chose not to.
The young woman put her hands to her mouth.
This matter was getting out of hand.