“I own a home in Italy, and you have this penthouse in Chicago.”
“Would we have to pick one or the other?”
I’ve never stayed in one place too long. Work has kept me on the move for over a decade, but the travel is starting to wear on me.
“Not at first,” I concede. “But someday, if we have children, we couldn’t travel as easily. They need stability.”
She pushes herself up and stares at me with a look I haven’t seen before. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. You’re talking about babies I give birth to?”
“Yeah.” I touch her nose and smile. God, our children would be the most beautiful little things in the world. I could almost picture them laughing and running around our…yard? Kids can’t grow up in a penthouse surrounded by cement and metal. They need room to play, to grow, to explore.
“When should I fit that in? In between billion-dollar business deals? Just say, hey, can we put this on hold while I squeeze out a mini Forte?”
“You can take time off. You’re not the first female CEO on the planet.”
Her eyes narrow. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to have kids.”
“I’m not saying we’re having them tomorrow, but we have to think ahead.”
“Maybe that’s better left to chance.” She falls back down in my arms with a loud huff.
“I want children someday, Lauren. I want an entire army of little people with our eyes and noses. I want that with you.”
Never have I wanted anything more. Six months ago, children and marriage weren’t even on my radar. But being with Lauren and falling in love has changed everything.
“I’ll stay home and take care of them,” I say because I’m a fucking idiot. I can’t take care of kids by myself, but I’d say anything to make my dream a reality.
“Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
I settle into the bed and pull her closer. “Yes, but we’re going to have to face our future sooner or later.”
“I’m still hungover and exhausted. I need to sleep, or I’ll be useless at the office. While it’s nice to talk about the relationship future, if this merger falls apart, there won’t be much of anything happening for a long time.”
I kiss her forehead and close my eyes. “Everything will turn out fine. Sleep, and we’ll talk about it another time.”
She slings her leg over mine and cozies up in her favorite position. My hand sweeps up and down her back as I stare at the ceiling and think about our future. Two workaholics, living on different continents.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter Twenty-One
Two Months Later
LAUREN
“Congratulations.” Mr. Grayson smiles as he shakes my hand. “I now have more money than I know what to do with.”
“Sir, you had that before the merger was finalized,” I remind him.
“Maybe I’ll finally retire and learn to play golf.” He laughs, the apples of his cheeks almost kissing his eyes.
Mr. Grayson is well into his seventies, but he has never been one to sit around. He’s never missed a board meeting and has always had my back. If he retired, I’d miss his presence in the boardroom, and no one would ever be able to take his place.
“By the way, did you ever figure out who sold us out to Cozza?”
I give him a pained smile. “I did, sir, and they’re being dealt with before the end of business today.”
“Good. I have full faith that you’ll do the right thing, my dear,” he says before he walks out of the boardroom with Tad Connors at his side.
For the first time since I met him, Tad didn’t ask a single question before the paperwork was finalized with Cozza. I think all the zeros that were added to his bank account left him speechless.
“Wonderful job, Ms. Bradley.” Ms. Edwards tries to smile, but her face is so tight from a new surgery that she looks like she’s eaten something sour. “I’m sure Stanton is weeping himself to sleep tonight. Poor thing.”
I snicker because her husband, Stanton, was truly an asshole. He was a member of the good ol’ boys club that treated women like shit. I had the pleasure of working with him for a few years, and I celebrated the day he stepped down as CEO after practically being forced out by the board.
“I wouldn’t be here without him.”
She laughs exuberantly with an arm raised as she dips backward on one leg. “Thank you for doing something my husband never could.”
“What’s that, Ms. Edwards?”
“Make me happy.” She smirks that painful, face-pulling smirk before she saunters out the door of the conference room in the most beautiful pair of Louboutins.
Antonio is standing across the room, shaking hands with members of his board just as I have been doing with mine. There’s still allegiances that need to be broken and rebuilt because we started out as enemies, but we need to find a way to become a single entity that goes deeper than the company name.
I dip my head to him with a small smile as he shakes the hand of Mr. Alesci, a member of Cozza’s legal team. Antonio returns the gesture with a small wink, and it suddenly becomes as hot as a summer day in the air-conditioned boardroom, which usually feels more like a meat locker down at the stockyards.
I watch him stalk my way once the room empties, and my heart does a flip-flop. The man still steals my breath somehow, at least once a day. Even though I’ve avoided the subject of marriage and kids, I can’t imagine being with anyone else.
“Are you ready for this?”
I nod, but I’m not sure I am.
After the deal was set in stone and the merger was happening no matter what, Antonio finally revealed the identity of the mole. It wasn’t easy to get the name out of him either. He wanted to wait, but I reminded him about the sheet of paper he’d signed in my office when he waved the proposition in my face that started us down the path to merging our corporations in the first place.
I was beyond shocked to find out who had ratted us out to the executives at Cozza, but they say anyone is willing to stab you in the back if the price is high enough.
“Let’s get it over with. Rip the Band-Aid off.”
Antonio had become better with his English, picking up funny phrases and using them way too much, but I never minded because they typically made me smile.
We walk together toward my office with our hands almost touching. We haven’t been able to hide our relationship. Word spread quickly when we started to take too many trips together. The backlash was almost nonexistent after we reassured all parties that it would in no way affect the merger or how the company was run in the future.
I earned my place as CEO. I worked my ass off and brought a new engine to market that will revolutionize the entire industry. No one could deny it. I didn’t sleep my way to the top or buy my way on to the board. I earned my position through blood, sweat, and tears, and nothing could ever change that.
Cassie looks up from her desk as we approach, with the biggest smile on her face. “Is it done?”
“It is. We’re officially Cozza Interstellar Corp, CIC for short.”
She leans back and spins around in her chair, filled with excitement. “I’m buying myself a Lexus.”
Antonio and I glance at each other and laugh.
“Bought some shares, did you?”
“I’ve been socking away shares since the day Ms. Bradley became CEO. I knew this woman was going to make me rich.”
Suddenly, I feel panicked. “You aren’t quitting, are you?”
“Not yet. We have work to do, Ms. Bradley.”
Antonio pulls a yellow envelope from inside his suit jacket and hands it to Cassie after I give him the signal that it’s time to finally drop some dead weight.
She glances at the front, and her eyes widen. “You want me to…”
“File the papers, and then tell him to come to my office at once,” I say and take a deep breath because this is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
“Yes, ma’am.�
�� She picks up the phone and taps a few buttons as Antonio leads me into my office.
When I found out there was a mole inside my company, everyone was a suspect, even Cassie. As she worked the closest with me, she knew more than most people in the company. It would’ve made sense for her to sell secrets to the competitor because she could make a lifetime’s worth of money in a single shot. But Cassie didn’t sell me out. No. She’s always had my back, and her loyalty will be rewarded.
But the one person who did stab me in the back is about to have his tenure with Cozza Interstellar severed forever.
* * *
Antonio stands beside my chair with his arms folded in front of his chest, looking rather imposing. “Have a seat,” he says.
“What’s this about?” He looks to Antonio and then back to me. “I was in the middle of something important.”
“Josh.” I clear my throat and lean forward with my hands clasped in front of me on the desk. “It has come to my attention that you were behind the leak to Cozza.”
Josh. The weasel. Not only did he give away top secret information, but more than once during the merger, he tried to take my future position within the new company.
He snarls, and his eyes flash with anger. “I did no such thing,” he snaps at me.
Antonio places his hand on my chair and takes a step forward, but I hold my hand up and stop his advance. “I have a signed affidavit from Chloe Cantrell, a past employee at Cozza, which says you gave her the intel that started the entire takeover to begin with.”
“Who?” He scoots forward in his chair and plays coy. “Why would I do such a stupid thing?”
“Ms. Cantrell had quite the story to tell about you, Mr. Goldman,” Antonio adds, and I can almost hear the smirk in his voice.
“It’s all lies!”
I pull out the piece of paper and push it toward Josh so that he can read the words for himself. He snatches it off the desk before I have a chance to remove my hand and starts to scan the words.
I lean back, watching him carefully as his eyes grow wider with each sentence. The tale she had to tell was damning both professionally and personally. Josh’s wife had just had their third child, and for something like this to come out would be devastating.
Antonio told me the entire gory story in very vivid detail, and when I didn’t believe it, he gave me the affidavit so I could read it with my own eyes. Carlino, the VP at Cozza, put the entire thing into motion, and Josh stepped right into the trap he’d set. They’d watched numerous people within my company, looking for someone who had a weak spot they could exploit in order to gain insider information.
Josh was the victim of their scheme, but he could have come to me, and we would’ve found a way to fix it. Instead, he sold out Interstellar and gave an Oscar-worthy performance when they started their dawn takeover raid.
I, Chloe Cantrell, willingly took part in a scheme to extract information from Mr. Josh Goldman of Interstellar Corp. Upon gaining part-time employment at the Pleasure Den, I was to take Mr. Goldman on as a new client inside. In my position as a dominatrix and in the process of serving his needs, I was to take incriminating photos to be used later against Mr. Goldman to facilitate the extraction of information.
I had five sessions with Mr. Goldman in the month that he became my slave. While he was my submissive who was turned on by humiliation, I used the opportunity to photograph and film our sessions as proof, at the request of Carlino Sosa. After the five sessions and gathering more than enough information, I terminated my sexual relationship with Mr. Goldman along with my employment at the Pleasure Den.
After waiting three months, I called Mr. Goldman and set up a meeting. He was more than eager to see me again, but he wasn’t aware of the reason for the meeting. Instead of going myself, Mr. Sosa met with Mr. Goldman and showed him the photos and video. Mr. Goldman was told that if he didn’t provide information on what Interstellar was working on, a photograph a day would be mailed to his wife, along with clips from the lengthy video session.
Fearing that his secret would be exposed, not only for the sake of his family but also because of the sensitive nature of his sexual proclivities, Mr. Goldman cooperated without hesitation and furnished Mr. Sosa with the information, thus ending my communication with Mr. Goldman.
“Mr. Sosa and Ms. Cantrell have both been let go,” Antonio says as he moves to the front of my desk. “Your office is being packed right now, and you’ll be escorted off the premises as soon as you leave this office.”
“Lauren.” Josh leans forward, gripping the paper so tightly it crumples in his fingers. “Let me explain, please,” he begs.
If he would’ve come to me, I would’ve helped him. I could have given him something to hand over to Cozza that would’ve satisfied them and taken the heat off him long enough for us to find a way to salvage his reputation and career.
“There’s nothing to explain. The damage is done. You should’ve come to me, and I would’ve helped you.”
I’d do anything to shield my employees and stop any catastrophe from coming down on the shoulders of my company. Whether they’re willing to ask for the assistance because they need to save their own asses is their choice.
He’s pale and hunched over, almost hyperventilating.
“The photos have been destroyed and will never see the light of day. Mr. Sosa and Ms. Cantrell have both signed nondisclosure agreements, and if they break the NDA, they will lose more money than they’re willing to part with. So your secret sexual escapades are safe and shall never be revealed by any of the parties involved.”
Antonio sits at the edge of my desk and stares down at Josh. He’s kept himself composed and let me run the meeting for the most part. I expected him to take control, but once again, Mr. Forte surprised me.
“You will be given a small severance package and must cash out your stock immediately. Based on the number of shares you own, you’ll never need to work again.”
“But…”
I hold up my hand, stopping him from saying another word. “There’s nothing more to say. You are a traitor to the company and will be blackballed in the industry. If you apply for a job, I will tell your potential new employer why you were let go. Be wise and retire young. I should have your ass thrown in jail.”
“No, don’t.” He stands quickly and glances at Antonio. “I’ll go.” He walks toward the door and stares down at the floor. Before he leaves, he turns to me and says, “I’m sorry, Lauren. I really am.”
“Me too, Josh. Me too.”
He leaves without another word. Security is outside my office waiting for him. They escort him to the elevator without any problem. The entire office has stopped, and everyone’s watching him as he waits for a car to arrive.
“I almost feel bad for the guy,” I whisper as Antonio stands just inside the doorway, and I watch as Josh waits.
“We make our own choices, and now he has to deal with the consequences. It’s not like he’s walking out of here empty-handed. He’s a millionaire many times over.”
“You’re right, but that doesn’t help ease my nerves over the entire situation.”
The fact that Josh profited from his deception is sickening. He would’ve been this wealthy if our new invention had come to market without any hiccups, and he’d still be employed at Interstellar.
But I don’t let myself go there. Looking back and wanting a do-over would mean that I wouldn’t have Antonio by my side. That thought is unbearable because he’s become just as much a part of my life as my work had been.
Chapter Twenty-Two
ANTONIO
The first full day as Cozza Interstellar has started better than I expected. Morale seems to be up across the board, and not one person has uttered a snide remark in my presence. The company is still being housed on two separate campuses while a new world headquarters is being built only a few miles away on the outskirts of Chicago.
Lauren’s fitting in with the people at Cozza and has easily filled my sh
oes. She came in with guns blazing, and I think she frightened more than a few people with her don’t-give-a-shit attitude. I couldn’t be prouder of her and everything she’s accomplished with so many cards stacked against her.
Last night after we left the office, she didn’t want to go out to celebrate. Instead, we visited her parents’ graves so she could tell them the news. I stayed by the car, watching her as she wept over their grassy plots in order to give her the space she requested.
Before we left, I took a moment and went to pay my respects alone. But I wasn’t there to say something random. I wanted to tell Lauren’s parents that I would be looking out for her. I went as far as to ask her father if I could have her hand in marriage even though I knew he couldn’t reply. If he were here, I would’ve done the same thing. In some ways, I’m old-fashioned, and I know that her parents’ opinion would mean a lot.
After I said my piece, I joined her in the car and took her back to her penthouse for a quiet evening by the fireplace. There was no major celebration or fanfare. The day which was both filled with joy and excitement was dampened by having to fire her previous second-in-command.
I knew how she felt. Having to let go of anyone was awful, but doing it to someone you’re close with is beyond compare. I felt nothing the day I fired Carlino. No. That’s a lie. I felt a sense of relief that I no longer had to look over my shoulder, waiting to see the light glimmer off the shiny blade he was about to stick in my back.
Standing outside Lauren’s office now, I take a moment to glance around the floor and watch our new employees at work. They’re buzzing with excitement as they place calls and say the words Cozza Interstellar Corp. No other company can match our power and wealth, especially now that the Mercury engine is in full production and every airline company in the world has ordered enough planes to replace their entire fleet within the next ten years.
On top of that, NASA has contracted CIC to fit their newest rockets with the Mercury so that they can begin testing its power and endurance for a possible trip to Mars within the decade. Although I want to take credit, the entire thing is because of Lauren. Her drive to succeed and make her father proud has brought us to this very moment and place.
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