Chapter 4
Win
“There is a woman at the entrance of the building demanding to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment, and security is threatening to have her arrested for trespassing.”
I glanced at the employee who dared to interrupt my phone call. Channing must’ve been creating one hell of a scene, because entering my office without an invitation was forbidden. No staff member, regardless of job title, would risk their job by disrupting me. I looked at my cell phone and saw a message from Rocco. He handled the security of the office in the city as well as in my private life. He was warned well in advance about Channing’s eventual arrival. Having her arrested was a last resort. I had no qualms about letting her sit behind bars for a few days if it took me one step closer to my goal.
“Let her up to my office and clear my calendar for the next hour.” I gave the assistant curt orders and turned back to the call I’d put on hold while I dealt with the matter at hand. “Yes, I’m sure I want to purchase the building. I don’t care that the asking price is more than the property’s value. I’m not interested in making a profit. I’m buying it to make a point.”
The building manager on the other end of the call could hardly hold back his excitement. “Most of my clients who rent the space have been there for many years. If you want them to vacate the building before you take ownership, just let me know.” He didn’t hesitate to throw the people who’d kept the building profitable all these years under the bus. There was no loyalty when it came to making money.
I gave a dissatisfied hum. “Don’t worry about that for now. I’ll address the current residents in the future.” I had no desire to move anyone out of their business, as long as Channing agreed to my proposition. If she kept pushing back against my wishes, not only was I going to kick her best friend out of her salon, I was going to make sure she couldn’t find an affordable spot to relocate anywhere in the city. Just as the mahogany door to my office was thrown open, I hung up the phone and watched as a furious Channing stormed to my desk.
Her cheeks flushed rosy red, and fury made her eyes bright. She was breathing hard, and I could see little marks on her hands and wrists where she’d obviously struggled with someone. No wonder the security staff didn’t want to let her enter the building. She appeared a bit savage.
The corner of my mouth hooked up in a slight grin as she glared daggers at me. If looks could kill, my mother would be planning my funeral.
“Next time you want to see me, make an appointment like everyone else. You’re lucky my security didn’t have you hauled off to the closest police station.” I leaned back in my leather chair and motioned for her to sit down. She looked like she was ready to crawl over my desk and strangle me with my tie. “Calm down, Harvey. Let’s have a civilized conversation.”
She picked up the heavy, engraved nameplate that sat on my desk and chucked it directly at my head. I dodged to the side; it hit the shelf behind me with a bang and knocked everything to the floor.
“Civilized? Do you even know what that word means?” Channing’s chest heaved, and I could clearly imagine her breathing flames in my direction. “What you’ve put me through in the last month is anything but civil. You’re the devil, Chester. I always thought your mother was the only truly evil member of your family, but you’re a chip off the old block. I had no idea you could be so cruel.”
I shrugged and watched her carefully to make sure she didn’t launch anything else at my head. “I warned you what would happen if you decided to do things the hard way.” My tone was dry and disinterested, even though she looked like she was on the verge of exploding.
“You’re right. I made the choice. I rejected your offer.” She pointed to herself, eyes blazing with unfiltered fury. “I understood exactly what was happening when I got an eviction notice overnight. It didn’t surprise me when my boss suddenly let me go. He’s a nice man, but he has a business to run. Profit over personnel makes sense. I’ll admit that having my identity stolen made things extra tricky these past few weeks, but none of that was a shocking consequence after saying ‘no’ to a Halliday.” She slammed the side of her fist on my desk and leaned closer. Channing gritted her teeth, and I could see her entire body shaking with suppressed emotion. “My dad is a jerk, so I wasn’t too bothered when the cops suddenly picked him up on a bunch of old warrants and sent him to jail. It’s not like I had the money to bail him out, even before my identity was stolen.” She reached out to grab the front of my jacket, but I quickly stood up behind the desk to evade her grasp. “I could’ve navigated it all. It’s not like I’ve never had to rebuild my life from the ground up before. But then you went after my mom. How fucked up do you have to be to mess with a mentally ill person, Chester? My mom doesn’t have the ability to understand complex situations. She doesn’t adapt to change well. She is more like a child than a grown woman. It’s equivalent to picking on a kindergartener. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
Channing looked at me like I was something vile stuck on the bottom of her shoe. However, I remained unfazed by her ire. In fact, I predicted her reaction. I’d started my method of harsh persuasion by only targeting her, knowing that she was a resourceful woman and wouldn’t break so easily. When I moved on to manipulating her friends and family, I did it to purposely push Channing past what she could tolerate. Her loyalty to those who mattered the most to her was her downfall.
I fixed the knot of my tie and walked around the desk, so we were standing face-to-face. I was a good three inches taller than her. It was easier to be intimidating when I could loom over and look down on her.
“There is no bottom line when it comes to getting what I want. I told you that already. Don’t underestimate me. This is just the tip of the hard way. Things will only get worse the longer you refuse. Your mother isn’t the last of this.” Was it unethical to buy a long-term care facility, just so I could threaten to shut it down? Yes. Did I care about morality when it came to getting what I wanted? No. I pointed to the open file that contained the marriage contract on my desk. “Your friend should have a plan for what to do once I shut her salon down. Be sure to let her know you’re the reason she won’t be able to find a new space for a reasonable price anywhere in the city.”
Channing swore at me as she grabbed the paperwork. She threw it at my chest, and the contract inside fluttered harmlessly to the carpet.
“You can’t move my mother from her care facility. I won’t allow it. That’s the only place she’s known for the last decade. If you force me to take her somewhere else, she might have another breakdown and fully lose track of reality. I won’t risk her health.” She lowered her head and her strawberries and cream-colored hair swung to cover her flushed face. She put a hand over her heart like she was trying to hold it inside her chest. “I’ll do whatever you want, Chester. Leave the people I love alone.”
My eyebrows shot up. I didn’t expect her to acquiesce so quickly. I made a mental note that her mother was clearly her Achilles’ heel, and her best friend was her tipping point. It was always good to know the exact spots to disable an enemy.
I reached out and patted her shoulder in a conciliatory manner. “Don’t act like I’m taking you to the gallows. I told you this is a business transaction. Both parties will benefit from it.” I was ruthless when making deals, but I was also fair. I didn’t play dirty unless I had no other choice. Whether Channing could see it or not, my mother’s unrelenting demands had backed me into a corner, forcing me to take extreme measures to circumvent her.
Channing let out a long breath and shoved my hand off her shoulder. She lifted her head and our eyes locked. I felt like she was trying to stare a hole through the center of my forehead.
Sounding defeated, she asked, “How long do you plan to keep up this charade?” She blinked hard and tilted her head. “I’m thirty-five. If I want to settle down and start a family of my own, I don’t exactly have forever to make that happen. If you want me to play this game with you for too long, you’re really going to ruin my future.” There was a hint of devastation in her tone.
I was hit with guilt. I quickly moved to recover my composure. Initially, my plan was five years. By then Winnie would be close to graduation, and it was a significant amount of time so my mother wouldn’t try to rush me into another relationship. I wanted a clause in our contract that Channing didn’t have to sleep with me, but she wasn’t allowed to sleep with anyone else, either. But I’d given little thought to what those five years might mean to Channing. I never considered her future, which irked me, because I hated that mine was stolen the minute I was born. I ignorantly believed if she was going to start a family, she would’ve done it before now. She’d had plenty of time and opportunity, but she wasn’t a Halliday. She didn’t come from my world, where you got everything you wanted without question.
I could split the difference. “Two-and-a-half years, with an option to extend the contract to five.” I motioned for her to sit down, and once she was calm enough to sink into one of the big leather chairs, I propped a hip on the edge of my desk and stared down at her. “I’m not asking you to do this and not get anything out of it. Once we separate, I’ll compensate you for your time. You give me a number and we’ll negotiate to a place that makes sense financially, for what you have to give up for that length of time. I’ll fund your mother’s stay at her facility for as long as you want to keep her there. And you will get as much time with Winnie as you want. You get to be there for her and watch her grow up. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted this entire time?” I thought it was a win-win situation, but she still looked like she ate something sour.
“You’re over-simplifying things. I don’t need or want your money, and I can take care of my mother. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I do want to play a bigger role in Winnie’s life, but not under your mother’s watchful eye. This is an absolutely bonkers idea to protect you from Colette. Have you given any thought to how you’re going to save me from her? She hates me. She hates my family. You couldn’t have forgotten what she thinks my sister did to your brother? Are you seriously suggesting that I live where Willow died? That’s too much to ask.”
There was no escaping my mother’s accusations. Of course I remembered.
The only reason I moved home to the family estate was because my mother was so unpredictable after the death of my brother and father. When she found out about my father’s affair and the existence of my half-brother, she became fully unhinged. I had to stop her from hiring a hitman to take out the innocent young man. I had to prevent her from downing an entire bottle of sleeping pills with a bottle of French champagne. She never said she wanted to kill herself, but the intent was clear. I foolishly believed my mother was asking for help. There was a bleak period where I was certain only Winnie and I would be around to carry on the Halliday name. I felt like a failure when it came to keeping my family together.
Belatedly, I was aware how manipulative my mother’s actions were. She used my fear against me, because she was the only parent I had left. I felt it was my responsibility to take care of her and mitigate the damage she could do to others. One of the reasons I wanted to do this with Channing was because of just how tough and resilient she was. She’d been able to handle every curveball that was thrown at her since she was a kid, and she handled the loss of her sister far better than I’d dealt with the death of my brother. Additionally, she was one of the few people who was not intimidated by the Halliday name. No one else stood a chance of going up against Colette and making it out unscathed. She was my only option.
“It is asking a lot. But you can handle it.” I truly believed that.
Channing wasn’t Willow.
When my younger brother fell in love with her older sister, both sets of parents were vehemently against it. My parents went to drastic lengths to keep the young lovers apart. Archie was miserable as a Halliday, and much like his daughter had done, he ran away from home so he could breathe and be with the person he loved. Channing was young back then, so she probably didn’t know exactly how hard things were for her family after they defied mine. The way I manipulated her was a very ugly part of our families’ history repeating itself.
My brother lived a vagabond lifestyle after he ran off with Willow. He only brought her home after she was pregnant with Winnie. They’d decided they needed to be responsible parents, so Archie had to reprise his role as heir. I still got a tickle in my throat when I recalled my brother’s huge smile and bright eyes when he told me he was naming his daughter after me.
I wanted to believe my father and mother would adjust their prejudice when they allowed my brother to come home with his young family. Instead, they alienated my brother’s bride and made his life a living hell for defying them in the first place. I told Archie he should take Willow and leave again. I promised I would help him and make sure they still had a good life, but he stubbornly maintained that we were family. He was unwilling to give up his place in the legacy. He had no desire to relinquish his inheritance and ready-made position in the company. And more than that, he didn’t want his daughter to miss out on what could be hers. While he was away from home, he learned how hard normal people had to work for what they had. He was determined that his wife and daughter would never suffer just to merely exist. All the Hallidays were selfish in one way or another. My younger brother was no different. He was convinced that my parents would eventually embrace Willow and Winnie.
They didn’t.
Willow was isolated.
She was tormented.
She was belittled and mocked.
At every turn, she was made to feel inferior.
It drove a wedge between her and my brother. Willow wanted to leave. He wouldn’t let her.
I often wondered if he’d known there was a history of mental illness in Willow’s family. Would he have taken her feelings more into consideration? There was a bomb with a long fuse moving through the lavish manor. When it ignited, no one was spared from the explosion’s shrapnel.
I was overseas on a business trip with my father when the news came. My little brother was dead, and so was Channing’s sister.
The investigation showed that the fire was set deliberately. An accelerant was purposely placed all around the main bedroom. It was revealed that both Willow and my brother were drugged with sleeping pills when the fire started. Because of all the antique furniture and old wooden fixtures, the flames gobbled up that wing of the house before anyone could save it, or the people inside. According to the experts, it wasn’t clear who set the fire. But with the Harveys’ mental health history, the blame automatically fell to Willow. Especially since she’d arranged for Winnie to be out of the house that night. I think the reason my mother still hated Channing was because Willow took Winnie to her before she ended her, and my brother’s lives. It was clear that Willow felt her sister was a better choice to care for Winnie than the rest of us. If their mom hadn’t had a serious breakdown and needed around-the-clock care in the wake of Willow’s death, there was a high probability Channing would’ve gained custody of Winnie. It was no secret Willow wanted her daughter raised by her family and not her husband’s.
It was a tragedy. Just like the fact my mother had buried my brother before my father and I made it home. It was an entirely preventable catastrophe. It was cruel and heartless to ask Channing to walk into the lion’s den when she knew exactly how hungry the beast inside would be. However, the woman hated me. It wasn’t like there would be a point in our relationship where I could change her opinion. It was better that I kept up a front of loathing and distaste, even if I didn’t think Channing was the monster Colette made her out to be. My mom appreciated that we shared a common foe, so I always pretended to hate any Harvey as much as she did.
I picked up the contract and offered it to her. “This is the bare-bones agreement. Read through it and make the changes you think are necessary. I’ll adjust the required time limit.”
She took the file with shaky hands. I heard her gulp as she looked at the document as if it might bite her. “Even if I agree to this, we aren’t going to fool anyone. Your mother knows we don’t get along. Winnie knows we don’t like each other. I told her we were sworn enemies a couple of weeks ago. Your entire inner circle is going to think you being with someone like me is a joke. They’re going to think I’m only with you for the money.”
I dipped my chin in agreement. “You’re right about all of that. I don’t care if my mom thinks it’s fake. She can’t keep hounding me to get married if I already am.”
Channing laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “All she’s going to do is harass you until we divorce. You’re just trading one headache for another.”
“She won’t.” I pointed at the document she couldn’t seem to look away from. “If I initiate a divorce before the contract term is complete, you will receive a portion of my shares in Halliday Inc. My mother will never let that happen.” The only thing she loved in this world was this company. It felt like she’d been trying to take it over since she was a child. Her singular goal in life was to become a Halliday.
“And if I initiate a divorce before the contract expires?” Channing asked in a strangled voice..
“You’ll have to pay for a breach of contract. You won’t be able to afford it. Don’t think that’s an option, Harvey.”
She stared blankly at the papers in her hand for a long moment before she lifted her head to glare at me. “I really hate you, Chester. I would give anything to have never met you.”
I couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her sudden surrender. I thought she would call me every name in the book and throw more things at my face before she relented.
“You’ve always hated me from afar. Now you can hate me up close and personal. Think of it as an upgrade.”
She scowled at me, and I thought it was cute. There was a slight tingle under my skin that made me pause and consider why I wasn’t reacting the way I always did when I closed out a difficult business deal.
I liked to win, but something about this victory felt different. Money was typically what I gained after a hard round of negotiation. There was an idea creeping into the back of my mind, whispering that this triumph held something much more important. When I could drop the heartless fa?ade that was second nature to me, I would give some serious consideration as to why I felt like I had both won and lost this battle with the feisty redhead.