21. Ares
A res~
When I got back to the TCC offices, I’d taken every free moment that I’d had to calm down before my meeting with Frost Langley. While I was human enough to understand that Capri was probably still dealing with her father’s betrayal, that had nothing to do with our marriage.
At any rate, Frost Langley had wanted to meet to discuss some contractual amendments as it was discovered last week that his daughter had cancer, and like any father should, he was willing to spend every dime that he had to get her the help that she needed, which often consisted of experimental medications or procedures.
So, he wanted to increase his profits or sell out completely, something that I could easily understand.
So, having already known why he’d wanted to meet, it’d been no problem to set up a meeting as soon as I’d gotten back from Chicago, though I really wanted to be home, fighting with my wife.
“Now, I understand that the penalty clause is significant, so I’d like to see what you’re willing to offer at this stage,” Frost said, three of his top lieutenants with him.
However, before I could get into detail, the conference room door was swinging open, and when I saw Capri walking in with her chin held high, I fell even more in love with her.
I was not made for a weak woman, and I’d been pushing Capri more than she probably deserved, given that she was my wife.
However, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t proud as fuck of her.
“Mrs. Cormac!” Ulma yelled, racing in after her. “You can’t go in there!”
“Oh, but I can,” Capri shot back, not stopping until she was standing directly in front of me.
“I tried to stop her, Mr. Cormac,” Ulma gasped. “She just wouldn’t listen and-”
“It’s fine, Ulma,” I told her, lest she have a heart attack.
Though she looked skeptical, she still gave me a terse nod before leaving the room to let me and Capri fight it out, not even offering to escort the other men in the room elsewhere, not that she’d needed to. Unlike my wife, I didn’t give a fuck what people said or thought about me.
“Is there something that I can help you with?” I asked her as I stood from my seat.
“You forgot your paperwork,” she answered coolly as she tossed two manilla envelopes on the table. “And I know how important it is to you.”
Staring down at her, I said, “I give two fucks about any paperwork that belongs in the shredder.”
“Uhm...would you like us to step out?” Paul Messing asked, one of Frost’s VPs.
I glanced back at the table, a smirk on my face. “Gentlemen, my wife,” I said, introducing her as if we weren’t in the middle of an epic fight. “Capri Cormac.”
Refusing to rise to the bait, Capri didn’t bother acknowledging the other people in the room. Instead, her fiery blue eyes stayed glued to my face, and because she was a woman in a man’s world, I knew for a fact that she wasn’t going to bow down in a room full of powerful men.
Not my wife.
Since the room was completely silent with wariness, Capri’s voice could be heard clearly when she said, “You will never come to my place of work again and treat me like I haven’t been earning my place for the past twenty fucking years.”
I slid my hands in my pockets, cocking my head a bit. “I can’t see that happening again since you no longer have a place of work. Correct?”
Her back immediately straightened, but it was when those light blue eyes of hers glossed over that I knew that I’d fucked up.
Capri had come in here with the confidence of a thousand soldiers, and pointing out how she’d sold Martha Holdings back to TCC was a cruel reminder of just how personal this was to her.
This was her family’s life work, and I was treating it dismissively.
With all eyes on us, she said, “Go to hell.”
I didn’t chase after her as she turned, then left the conference room angrier than when she had arrived, but that was because I couldn’t. Even if I didn’t care what other people thought or said, I was not going to let anyone see my wife break.
Ever.
After Capri shut the door behind her, I sat back down, and the look on each man’s face was priceless.
Granted, it wasn’t every day that a meeting this important was interrupted with a man’s wife telling him to go to hell in front of everyone, but still.
Plus, almost every man at this table was married, so I was sure that they could appreciate the situation for what it was.
Besides, my new marriage was already the talk of the town, so a few new layers of gossip wasn’t going to bother me any.
“My apologies, gentlemen,” I lied. “Now, where were we?”
“Uhm...Ares, we can continue this meeting at another time,” Frost offered. “Obviously, you have other things going on at the moment.”
“While I appreciate the offer, your daughter’s cancer is more important than my wife’s tantrum,” I replied evenly, though that wasn’t true. Logistically, cancer was more concerning on a bigger level, but nothing and no one mattered more to me than my wife. “My wife will be fine, Frost.”
“Yeah, Capri Cohen’s always been a bit of a spitfire,” Paul remarked, and that immediately changed the tone in the room.
“First off, her last name is Cormac,” I reminded him. “Second, what makes you believe that you’re an expert on my wife’s character.”
Paul’s back immediately straightened. “We’ve done business with Martha Holdings in the past, and she also...she also used to date Matt Gable a couple of years back, and we’re good friends, so we did a lot of double-dating.”
Yeah, it was the height of hypocrisy to feel jealous over a relationship that’d taken place two years ago, but that’s what I was feeling, and my excuse was that it wasn’t the same thing.
While fond of a few, I’d never been emotionally invested in any of my bed partners before, so not any of them would ever be a threat to me or my marriage.
However, Capri had such a hangup over being labeled as a gold-digger that she wasn’t the type to sleep around.
So, every man that she’d ever slept with before me, she’d felt something for him, and that’s where the problem laid.
“Well, I’m advising you to refrain from making any more remarks about anything that has anything to do with my wife” I warned him. “Her life before she married me is one that no longer exists, something that you might want to inform others.”
Paul gave me an understanding nod. “Duly noted.”
“Uhm...Ares-”
Caring too much about what Capri thought of me, I did something that I never would have done before marrying the wildcat.
“We’ll amend the contract to include a medical emergency clause that will triple the margins for one year,” I told Langley.
“After that, we will revisit the situation to see what else can be worked out. If we can’t agree on a second amendment, then we’ll discuss a sellout price. ”
Frost’s dark eyes regarded me shrewdly for the catch, and I couldn’t blame the man. I wasn’t known for my willingness to bend when it came to business, though TCC was involved with a lot of philanthropy within the city.
“Sounds a little too simple for my liking,” Frost finally remarked, his honesty appreciated.
“Which I completely understand,” I chuckled.
“However, I’m not doing this for you or because I’ve turned over a new leaf, Langley.
” I placed my arms on the table, lacing my fingers together.
“Right now, my wife is probably searching the dark web to find a hitman to rid herself of me, and so...well, let’s just say that this move might endear me to her a bit.
The offer is for purely selfish reasons, I can assure you. ”
George Aber, Frost’s CFO, smirked as he held up his ring finger. “Totally understandable.”
I gave them all a terse nod, signaling the end of the meeting. “Give me a couple of days to amend the contracts, then I’ll give you a call.”
“I appreciate the meeting, Ares,” Frost replied professionally, though I could see the relief in the man’s eyes.
I couldn’t imagine having to deal with such a horrible turn of events, and even if the unthinkable did happen, my pockets were deep enough to make miracles happen, something that Frost Langley didn’t have.
Oh, his pockets were deep, but not bottomless.
“Not a problem,” I assured him as I stood up, everyone else in the room following suit. “I’ll be in touch in a couple of days.”
After multiple handshakes and thank yous, I was finally left alone in the conference room, and the first thing that I was going to have to do was speak with Ulma about Capri’s place in this building.
Whether speaking with an intern or in a meeting with Xi Jinping, my wife would always take precedence over whatever I was in the middle of.
Always.
I also needed to wrap this day up, then get the fuck home.
I wasn’t underestimating my wife’s anger, and I could only imagine what she was doing right now.
With my luck, Capri was probably burning down our penthouse, and I’d never been more thankful that I hadn’t taken her to my grandfather’s house yet.
I’d been waiting for that until she was in love with me.
Or liked me at least a bit.