Page 9 of Bliss with a Billionaire

“Last I heard, twenty-two percent.”

“And G-Force?”

“Eighteen.” Julia sank her head into her hands as she searched for a solution.

Alex sucked a sharp breath between his teeth. “Not good.”

“No, and she can trigger a vote at twenty-five.”

“But not win it if he can sway a majority of votes his way. Hence the need for a strong ally. And you’re certain he can do this if he maintains control?”

“I am. And I speak from experience. I was CEO of Harrington for a while there.”

“Really? I feel like you’d make an excellent CEO. Any chance of making the play that they vote you in?”

Julia sucked in a breath. “I doubt it. If they’re after him, they’re going to view me in the same way.”

“A white knight may not,” Alex said.

“I see your point. And I’m happy to do it, but I really think the best choice is Grant. He didn’t build Harrington Global to the business it is today because he’s made stupid moves. He’s just caught up in this stupid war that’s attacking him on all sides.” Julia clenched her teeth together as emotions swirled within her.

“Yeah, I get it. All right, kid, you convinced me.”

“Of?” she asked.

“I have no idea if we can pull this off, but I’m calling my finance guy. I should be liquid enough. Let’s see what I can do about playing your white knight.”

Julia’s heart pounded faster as she stiffened. Heat washed over her, and she tightened her grip on her phone. “Alex, are you serious?”

“Why not? I’ll diverse the old portfolio for a while.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, don’t say anything yet. We have no idea if we can pull this off. But I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thank you, Alex. Oh, my goodness. Thank you.”

“No worries, kid. Keep it close to your vest, though. Deal?”

“Deal. Yes. I’ll watch for texts from you. And I’ll keep you updated on the board vote if it comes to that.”

“Cool beans, kid. We’ll talk. Until then, Alex out.”

She said goodbye and ended the call, staring at the phone for a full minute as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Could they really pull this off?

With a deep breath, she rose and wandered back to Kyle’s room, a sense of hope filling her.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She slid her arm around his waist. “Yeah, just wanted to finish with Alex. Where’s Sierra?”

“She’s hassling people to let Kyle go home,” he answered.

“Oh, good. You should be out of here in no time,” Julia said with a smile.

Grant’s phone rang again, interrupting the conversation. He tugged it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s Mike. I need to take this.”

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “Good luck.”