Page 49 of Point of Contention

Landon waved his hand dismissively, bringing my gaze back to him. “It’s just business, Cabot. I have great plans for the future of publishing, and I believe our merger would be the stepping off point for change. We’ll be unstoppable.”

“Unstoppable?” I scoffed. “We alreadyareunstoppable.” I looked at my father. “I don’t need to remind you of the success of Reed Romance.”

My father inclined his head, but said nothing.

I looked back at Landon. “Like I said, I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time.”

“Everyone would be welcomed at Haven. We’d find a place for any employees that wanted to remain on after the acquisition.”

My anger simmered beneath the surface. “And me?” I asked sardonically. “Where would you place me?”

Landon’s lips curved up just enough to make my fingers twitch, so I crossed my arms over my chest.

“You’d come aboard as head of the romance imprint. You said it yourself: you do quite well in that regard.”

Holding his gaze long and hard, I waited until he shifted in his seat, then turned my attention to my father. “And the rest of Reed Enterprises? Are you selling those divisions off piecemeal as well?”

My father’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then he said, “Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked at Travis.

He gave me a curt nod and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Mr. Reed, I’m sure you’ve assessed the numbers. This can’t be financially best for the long game.”

Leaning back in his chair, my father waved his hand. “You said it yourself, son, my time is up. Think of this as a clean break.”

A clean break? Isn’t that what stepping down and turning the keys over to me was? “Reed Enterprises is more than just a business to be sold off—it’s a family, a legacy.”

Myfamily.Mylegacy.

My father sat back, his face contemplative. To anyone who didn’t know him, he appeared torn between his duty to the company and his role as my father.

He was anything but.

Even as I stood here, trying to argue my case, it was in vain. If he’d already made a decision, I couldn’t sway him any more than he could sway me.

“Cabot, I understand your concerns,” he said, his voice void of emotion and borderline bored, “but Mr. Grant does have some compelling ideas. Perhaps this merger could be beneficial in the long run—”

“You can’t seriously be considering this. You always said it was about fostering creativity, supporting authors—”

“That washerdream.”

I swallowed hard. He was right, of course. She’d been the brains behind Reed Publishing; my father was the driving force behind Reed Enterprises. She’d had the heart and the vision; he’d had the drive, the desire, and the greed. She’d once told me he’d given her the publishing house to appease her, keep her busy…

And I’d always wanted to believe there was more to it, that he loved it because she did.

Because of her, Reed Publishing was a family, something to be proud of. But because of him, Reed Enterprises was a multi-billion-dollar corporation that would ensure generations of Reeds would be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, just like the Reeds who came before us.

But not if he sold it off, piece by piece.

Which is why he wouldn’t do such a thing. Not in a million years.

I watched him watching me and nearly laughed as my brain finally caught up to the moment.

This was a test.

I just had to figure out his angle.

“Consider it, Cabot,” Landon said, “Our combined resources would give authors a greater platform and ensure that their work reaches wider audiences.”