Page 24 of Chosen By a Billionaire (Rags to Romance #24)

The meeting had just wrapped up and the owners of the startup walked out of the conference room. Harrison leaned back in the executive chair at the head of the table and ran his hands through his hair.

Carter Davenshaw, who was with him, leaned back too.

They rarely took Saturday meetings, but this was an exception.

The Canadian startup had requested it, and flew it just for the meeting.

Harrison only agreed because it was a startup that had loads of potential.

It was the hottest commodity untethered right now.

But there were many other promising startups clamoring to join forces with BCT. That was his hesitation.

“They’re hungry,” Carter finally said.

“That’s a good thing,” Harrison replied. “But is it good for us?”

“They have plenty of upside, that’s for damn sure.

And I can’t count how many major players who would love to get their grubby little hands on them.

But they want to partner with the best. They want to partner with you.

And the fact that you showed up for this meeting and didn’t send me or Archie to handle it alone, had to be encouraging for them.

They believe they will soar with you and your fat wallet on their side. ”

“I already know the partnership will benefit them. That’s not at issue. But the upside for me is quite limited. Especially if our figures don’t hit our targets this upcoming quarter.”

“Which they won’t,” said Carter. “But we will already be in partnership with them. If they fly the way we anticipate, they could somewhat help to bring us back.”

“Coming back is always a long road fraught with too many obstacles,” said Harrison as he stood up. Carter stood up too. “The key is to not need to come back. The key is to not be forced to play the long game. ”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Carter said as they walked out of the conference room, “but we have to face facts, too. We’ve got to pile up sure bets more than ever right now to help cushion our fall. Especially if your father doesn’t rule in your favor.”

Harrison found that terminology weird, as if he was on trial and his father was his judge, but he didn’t comment.

It was all bad choices, he thought as they walked out of the conference room.

They were in Harrison’s suite of offices within BCT where his smiling face greeted all whenever they walked in, and on the other side of the wall whenever they walked out.

Chairman and Founder Harrison Bainbridge the Fourth was etched in gold below his face.

They continued going back and forth about whether or not they should throw their support behind another startup Harrison was still on the fence about when they passed his secretary’s desk.

“Any messages for me, Irma?” Carter jokingly asked her.

“You? No.” She then turned to Harrison. “You have a message, sir, from the hospital.”

Harrison found that odd. Carter did too. “Why would a hospital be calling him?” he asked Irma.

“They said a young lady asked them to phone.”

That was still a mystery to Harrison.

“What young lady?” Carter asked.

Irma continued to direct her comments to her boss, which wasn’t Carter. “She was apparently in an accident, but she didn’t have your personal phone number. I’m not sure if she’s somebody you would want to have anything to do with, sir, but just in case. . .”

“Certainly,” said Harrison. The only person he could think about was some woman he might have had a one-night stand with who thought there was more to it. “Who is this person?”

The secretary looked at the name she had written down. “A Jayda Robinson, sir.”

When she said that name, Harrison’s heart fell. And a deep frown of concern appeared on his face. “She’s okay?” he asked urgently. “Did they say she was alright?”

Irma was surprised by his sudden frantic reaction. “They didn’t say, sir.”

“Which hospital?” he asked again urgently.

Even as the secretary was telling him, he was already running toward the elevators. By the time she had finished, he was already on the elevator with the doors closing.

The secretary was shocked. “I didn’t think it was that urgent or I would have interrupted the meeting,” she said.

“No way for you to know,” Carter reassured her. “Me either. Until you said the girl’s name.”

Carter had seen their interaction last night. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know they were both smitten with each other. But he was still shocked that Harrison would be that far gone already. He’d never seen him so worried.

“Is he going to be alright, sir?” Irma asked Carter.

“He’s fine,” Carter replied with a smile. “But I’ll bet you wish the message was for me.”

She smiled too. But Carter’s smile was only a cover. He was gravely concerned that their best laid plan just might be blowing up in smoke.