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“It’s gonna be fine,” Nelly mouths before placing her hand over mine.
Her skin’s warmth is enough to ease my inner turmoil. My courage increases, and I nod in response before dragging in a deep breath.
“Now I’ll call out the winner,” Lisa Peckham, my secretary, announces before heading over to the voting box. She counts each vote out loud, and it’s a tie between me and Joe when she gets to the last vote.
Lisa holds up the last ballot paper and scans the faces of everyone seated at the table. My breath hitches in my throat, and Nelly’s grip on her pen tightens in anticipation.
“Ethan Everhart,” Lisa calls, and I leap out of my seat without thinking.
“Yes.” I pump my right fist in the air, for a second before realizing all eyes are on me.
“And for the merger vote, eighty percent in favor, twenty percent against,” Lisa continues. “The motion passes.”
Nelly rises to her feet as applause erupts around the room. Even though she didn’t cast a vote as she had no right to yet, she was still present to support me today.
The radiant smile on her face reaches the depths of my heart when she walks over to me. “Congratulations, you did it!”
Her warm hug only lasts a second, and instantly I miss the warmth of being close to her.
“Congratulations,” Kenneth Hickins, another member of the board, congratulates me with a handshake, and then he makes room for the others to greet me as well.
George does the same, and when it’s Julia’s turn, she snakes her arms around my neck for a hug and whispers in my ear. “Congratulations. Don’t forget that you owe me now, sweetheart.”
Julia sashays out of the room, and I don’t spare her a glance even as her words linger in my head. Whatever she wants, I can handle it later. Right now, all I want is to celebrate with Nelly.
She still has a brilliant smile when I look at her again. Her expression glows with a flush that captures my attention. I love how bright her eyes are. There’s a pull to her that I can’t explain.
I don’t want the flutters rising inside me to fade either, and for the first time in a while, the thrill of what I feel for her doesn’t scare me.
“I’ll be outside in a moment,” I whisper. Storms is still in the conference room, watching, like a hawk monitoring its prey.
Nelly nods, then leaves the conference room. Alone with him, I draw in a deep breath, bury my hands in my pockets, and then meet his gaze squarely.
“Give up, Joe. It’s over. You tried to take what’s mine, and you lost. It’s time to fall back, or I’ll be forced to come after you and what’s left of your miserable company.”
“That’s right,” I add after he freezes. “I know you’re bankrupt. In your bid to ruin me, you purchased shares far above your purchasing power.”
“Your company shareholders were against your hostile takeover move, but you ignored their warnings. Your investments and takeovers haven’t panned out, either. You’re desperate, Storms, and you’re trying to make me just as miserable as you are. But it’s over. You lost. There’s nothing you can do now.”
His glare is like a storm of clouds, and the flare of his labored breaths proves I’ve rattled him.
“I’ve proven I can beat you before, Everhart. I started my company after college, unlike you, who inherited everything you have from your grandfather, and now I’m your strongest competitor. I took the woman you loved. She chose me!”
Joe looks pathetic as I stare at him. “She didn’t choose you, Joe. I called off our engagement and she could no longer haveme,” I point out, watching him redden further. “I never treated you less than me when we were friends and I’ve never seen you as anything other than that … All of this? Your obsession with competing with me? It’s all in your head.”
“I was never your friend,” he spits. “Your roommate, yes, but that’s all I ever was. You never regarded me as good enough to tag along with you and that Sinclair kid. You made me feel like a loser because it made you feel good. Do you feel good now? Knowing you’re now CEO? Everyone’s boss? I’m coming for you, Everhart, so watch out!”
His threats resonate within me, threatening to cloud my vision with anger. I take a deep breath, desperately trying to remain civilized.
“Show yourself out of my building, Storms.” I turn away from him and loosen the first button of my double-breasted suit.
“You don’t know what’s coming,” Joe says before I make it to the door. His next words halt me in my tracks. “I’m not done with you, Everhart.”
He strides towards me briskly, his steps thudding.
Joe’s glare digs into my eyes before he smirks. “This isn’t just about controlling your company. It’s about taking what’s important to you, Ethan. Just like I did with Julia all those years ago.”
He tilts his head back and cackles now, his eyes glinting with dark intentions. The scorching intensity of his resentment sears through to my soul. Muscles tense along his jawline, and there’s no mistaking his hatred.