Chapter Eleven #4
“Finn, I know you’ve got that poor little Flora girl under surveillance because you’re afraid she’ll blow the merger.
I know that Roman has a crush on her to this day.
I know he’s not entirely convinced he should be marrying Jane.
I know you’ve pushed the wedding to get the merger accomplished—begging, borrowing, conning people left and right…
” She paused. “Not that I blame you, of course, darling! A good businessman or woman is a great con artist. I think you’re a genius.
The only pathetic part of your plan is that you thought I was dumb enough to just sit around and wait for you to dump me once you got bored. Not going to happen.”
Silence.
“None of that’s true, Holly,” Finn replied, evenly.
“See, you have a good poker face—or voice, in this circumstance—and I would have believed you had it not been for Roman being so drunk on the Fourth that he coughed up the entire story from his end without much prodding. That jungle juice really is dangerous.”
Finn felt his stomach tighten and a shot of adrenaline run through his forehead.
Roman… of course.
It was always Roman.
“You’re taking drunk Roman’s word over mine?” Finn asked in the same poker-voice as before. “I thought you were in law school, Holly? Have you not taken evidence yet? No court would admit that. Hearsay. Submitted for the truth of the matter asserted.”
“It would be admitted, Finn. It’s not hearsay.
Roman wasn’t offering me evidence of the truth, he was describing how he felt.
I took evidence last semester and quit trying to distract me.
It won’t work. Since I know you’ve basically sandblasted your way through this merger, and the entire thing is hinging on sewing thread holding up an elephant, I’ll make you a deal. ”
Finn was silent again.
“We’re official, Finn. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
We’re going to date, plan an engagement, and enter marriage as a business partnership.
We’ll learn how to manage our differences.
I don’t need romance, Finn, I want a dynasty.
I don’t need cuddling, handholding, or coddling.
Since this is a business deal, that shouldn’t be a problem. ”
“And if I say no?”
“Yes, I assumed you’d ask that. I’ve got a good friend at TMZ and the entire conversation with Roman recorded.
All I have to do is press send on an email to them.
You know Tyson will quit everything when he finds out Roman isn’t really in love with his baby girl, Princess Janey.
Then the merger will fall apart. Roman will be irate, not to mention your mother.
And the stockholders.” Holly made a noise as if she couldn’t imagine the fallout.
“I didn’t want to do this, Finny, but I can’t let you get away.
You’re too great of a man for me to just watch you slip through my fingers. ”
“Holly, this is… cruel.”
“This is business, Finn.”
“Even if any of this were true, you really want to blackmail me into becoming your boyfriend and eventual husband? You know once the merger is over, this story doesn’t matter, right? You’re operating on a timeline that will eventually burn out.”
“Not really. For one, Tyson would go nuclear even if this information came out a year from now. For two, your relationship with Roman would be tarnished, not to mention your precious little woodland elf, Flora. Finally, no one in the business world would ever respect you again.”
“This can’t be… real, Holly. To know I could never love you.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s real, Finn. I don’t care about love. I tried to be a good date the last five months, I tried to be well-behaved, but you just wouldn’t fully take the bait.”
“I can’t do this, Holly. You can send whatever you like to TMZ. I’ll make you out to be crazed ex-girlfriend. Woodhouse has publicists that make TMZ look like the local college radio.”
Holly laughed. “You see, I thought you might say that too. And now you’re forcing my hand again. Check your email.”
Just as she said this, a message came through from some strange address Finn had never seen before—Marin Private Investigators.
RE: F. Woodhouse and driver’s daughter
Finn felt a hot sweat break out.
Attached to the email were several pictures. Ones that were undeniable. No publicist team could fix it.
He and Flora downtown Mill Valley walking to dinner from the other night.
His hands were around her waist. Then at dinner.
He was whispering something to her. Then when they’d gone to the river.
Flora with the earrings on. Flora leaning her head on him, his hands around her waist again.
Photos from him leaving the flat above the garage in the morning.
Photos of them in the car together at a coffee shop in Tiburon.
But worse than the photos were evidence that he really had been keeping Flora away from Roman.
“The pattern tracking is the most interesting piece,” Holly added. “Every time Roman is within ten feet of her, you appear within five minutes. You took her to the city the day Jane came back. It’s all very clear, Finn, you’ve been running interference for months.”
Finn stared at the long list in front of him.
Subject arrived at 3:12 PM. F. Woodhouse arrived at 3:17 PM.
Subject redirected to city outing.
Subject and friend gifted Saint Ghost concert tickets by F. Woodhouse. H. Carlisle present.
Roman deterred from visiting subject by family doctor on multiple occasions. Interaction prevented.
Family doctor notes Roman’s pain medication prescription high due to alleged “low pain tolerance” …
It went on for three pages.
He shut the file.
“One false move, Finn,” Holly said quietly, “and your precious little Flora becomes worldwide news. The driver’s daughter, who was being followed and isolated by a billionaire.
Evidence that you really were conning your way through this deal and, while you did so, you managed to get a pathetic, poor girl to fall in love with you. You heartless, heartless boy.”
Finn closed his eyes, barely able to breathe.
He had calculated every single ending where the merger went wrong—Roman getting cold feet, Flora ruining everything, even Jane backing out—
But he hadn’t calculated this.