by Cooper, Jodi
“Great, we can announce it this week, as well as the fact that we are an item,” he says.
“And I will be right there supporting you,” says Rhett’s mother.
I smile and hug both of them.
Finally, my life is changing for the better.
Rhett, nor his mother, will be sorry for taking a chance on me.
Chapter 14
One week later…
Cameras are everywhere and my nerves are starting to kick in.
Rhett is making the announcement of my promotion via a news conference. All the big business magazines are here, along with the board of directors.
Talk about pressure.
The press love Rhett’s company. Any news from his business can have a profound effect on the stock market, so they watch his every move very closely.
“It’s going to be okay,” says Rhett as he kisses me gently on my neck.
“I know, but it still doesn’t stop the nerves. There are so many cameras and there are going to be so many questions. Especially since my father is now home. I just know that it’s going to be crazy,” I say.
“Yeah well, if it gets too crazy then we can always stop it. We’re in control here. Remember that. You don’t have to answer anything that you don’t want to,” he says. “Besides I’m going out there first. So therefore you can pull yourself together a little more.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
He kisses me one more time before he heads out to the stage.
As he walks away, I feel a tap on my shoulder.
I turn around and am face to face with my father.
Damn.
I haven’t seen this man since he’s been home, but not for my mom’s lack of trying though.
She has been calling me every day since he was released and I have been avoiding her calls at all cost.
I stare at the man that I share genetics with.
Jail hasn’t been good to him. He’s gotten old, fat and bald. He used to be handsome but now it looks like he’s swallowed the man that he once was.
“Uh, hi,” I say. “Now is not a good time.”
“Hi sweetheart,” he says. He tries to hug me but I pull back. “So how have you been?”
“I’m fine,” I reply. “Really, now is not…”
“I see that you are doing pretty good for yourself,” he interrupts me. “You’re working for Rhett now?”
“Yes I am.”
“I could give you some advice if you want it.”
“Advice? I don’t want any advice about business from you. You couldn’t teach me anything.”
“I could teach you how not to get caught.”
A look of shock crosses my face but then I realize that men like him will never change. “Really? That’s what you’re here for? Look, buddy, you don’t need to teach me how not to get caught because I’m not doing anything to get caught.”
“Yes but the temptation…”
“Not everyone is like you! I will never be like you Dad!” I snap. “There is not one thing that you can say to me that will make me want to do what you’ve done to people. You may have smooth talked your way out of prison but you’re still the same selfish man that you were when you went in there. You did what you wanted to do without ever thinking how it would’ve affected me or Mom. Do you know the shame and ridicule that we had to endure because of your mistakes?! And you have the nerve to come at me hoping that I will follow in your footsteps?! Well you have another thing coming to you!”
I know that my face is red because that’s how pissed I am but I don’t care.
What a bastard.
Just as the rage builds, I hear applause sound out from behind me.
What?
I slowly turn around to see that everyone has been watching me. Rhett has opened the curtain.
They must have heard everything.
“And that’s her ladies and gentleman. My new business manager - Jessica Jacobs. Come on up here, sweetie,” he says.
I throw one last glare at my father before I go on stage with Rhett. The crowd’s applause grows louder and I smile.
“Uh well, for starters thank you all for coming out here today. I am honored to be taking over as business manager for Williams Investment and I am especially grateful to Rhett for taking the chance on me, knowing my family’s history. I have no intentions of being anything like my father and I know that I can help build and grow this company into something even more wonderful than what it is now. I know that I will make everyone proud because I love to succeed in everything that I do. Now if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.”
All the reporters started talking at once and it was hard to distinguish one question from another.
“Jessica, are you nervous about what fellow investors will think now that you’re a business manager?” asks a blonde reporter.
“I am but I know that I can change their minds about me. My father and I are two completely different people and their business will always be safe with me,” I reply.
“Do you think that you will ever talk to your father again after what just happened today?” asks a bald guy.
“No, I don’t have any words for him. It’s clear that he’s still the same man that he once was and there is nothing that I can do about that except accept it and move on.”
“How did you and Rhett manage to find love?” asks a man with a French mustache.
“I don’t know; I guess that it just sort of found us. But our relationship has no affect on our working environment. We are completely professional and it will remain that way.”
“Okay ladies and gentleman, that’s enough questions. Just be prepared to see what she does with this business,” says Rhett as he leads me away. Once off stage, he pulls me to him and kisses me deeply. “You are an amazing woman.”
“You are an amazing guy,” I reply.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Good. Now, let’s go make us some more money.”
I laugh as we walk off with each other hand in hand.
Who ever thought that business could be this much fun?
The End
Other titles by bestselling author Jodi Cooper:
Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure
The Billionaire’s Demands
The Billionaire Games
The Exclusive Club
The Billionaire’s Mansion
Return to the Billionaire’s Mansion
Interviewing the Billionaire
The Billionaire Actor
The Billionaire’s Assistant
The Secret Billionaire
Bad Boy Biker
The Billionaire Boss
The Billionaire’s Holiday Mansion
The Billionaire’s Wish
The Damaged Billionaire
Author’s Note:
Thank you to Taquila, Hannah, Sara and Beth. These wonderful women have developed this story from a bare plot to what it is today. Without their input, this story would never have made it to print. Thank you to Run Free Publishing for showing faith in me and continuing to support me with their expertise.
I penned this story because I love strong women, especially those in the business world. Having strong female role models is important for the next generation. Every time I see another woman as the CEO of a company, a little smile reaches my face.
If you enjoyed this story, please check out my fan favorite - ‘The Billionaire’s Mansion’ series.
Much love
Jodi xx
Bonus Chapter:
Romance: The Damaged Billionaire
Jodi Cooper
Archer Phillips never cared about his family’s wealth.
All the handsome billionaire ever wanted was to be loved. When he is injured in yet another drunken incident, nurse Lara Scott is hired to help him recover.
Lara, a brilliant young nurse still struggling with her difficult youth, throws herself into her work, hoping to discover pe
ace.
When she is assigned to Archer’s file, there’s an undeniable lust between them. They couldn’t possibly be more diverse, yet their burning desire is difficult to ignore. As fresh feelings awaken within Lara, she comes face to face with the Archer’s troubled past…
Can Archer overcome his past and prove to Lara that he is worthy of her love?
Romance: The Damaged Billionaire
Jodi Cooper
Prologue
This is cruel.
My heart skips a beat as I stare at my pathetic boyfriend, Jack, standing next to my evil stepsister, Joanne.
I can sense that something terrible is about to happen. The smirk on Joanne’s smug face says it all.
“What’s going on?” I ask slowly.
“There’s no easy way to say this Lara,” Jack avoids eye contact with me. He has never been good with confrontation.
“Just tell me what’s going on Jack,” I say slowly.
“I… um…” Jack can’t get the words out.
“He’s leaving you for me,” Joanne bluntly answers for him.
My eyes almost pop out of my head, “Jack?”
He doesn’t answer.
“Jack?” I question again. “Is this true? Are you dumping me for my stepsister?”
“Um… Yes,” he gulps.
No.
No way.
Not her. Anyone but her.
“You’re doing what?”
“I’m leaving you for your stepsister. You’re always so busy at the hospital and you don’t have time for our relationship. I was lonely. Then your stepsister started coming around and one thing led to another and, well, I like her – a lot. She is the one I want to be with. I’m sorry to have to tell you this way but it’s just how it is,” he says looking at me with concern.
“Okay,” I say in a drawn out tone, trying to resist the urge to punch Joanne in her small little petite jaw.
“Okay?” a confused look crosses Jack’s face. “That’s all you have to say? I’m telling you that I’m leaving you for your stepsister and that we’re not going to be together anymore, and all I get is an ‘okay’?”
I nod my head.
“Yes, that’s all I have to say. What am I supposed to do? Cry? Beg you not to leave? Because if that’s what you’re waiting on then you’re going to be standing there for a long time.”
I’m not going to give either one of them the satisfaction of thinking that they have the upper hand on me.
“Come on, Lara. Don’t be so passive. I know that you’re torn up over this,” says Joanne with a smirk in her eyes. “Stop trying to be brave because I know that soon as Jack and I walk out that door you’re going to be a wreck.”
“Actually… no, I’m not. If he thought that you were the better choice then I definitely know that he’s not the one for me. Jack you can get your stuff and leave and take her with you,” I defend myself.
Truth is, no matter how much it is inevitable, breakups still hurt.
Yes – I will be crying once they leave the apartment, but I’m not going to let them know that.
I thought that I had hit the prize when I had found Jack - handsome, intelligent and funny. It’s a pity he turned out to be a wimp.
“What are you waiting on? If you’re in love with her then move your stuff out of my apartment and into hers. It’s not that hard. You have ten minutes because after that my show starts and I don’t want either of you in here.”
Jack sighs and goes to the back of the apartment to pack his stuff, but Joanne doesn’t take her eyes off me.
I stare back at her and coolly drink my glass of wine. She is looking to see if I am going to breakdown in front of her but I won’t. My feelings with Jack were beginning to fade and frankly, this was a lot easier having to break up with him myself because I sucked at stuff like that.
Jack comes back out the room with a large suitcase and rolls it to the door.
“I’m sorry that it had to end like this,” he says. “But I thought you would put up a fight for me.”
“Why? You already made your decision? What more did you want me to do?” I ask him.
“I don’t know, but I never thought that you would let me go so easily,” he says.
I wave my hand at him as they leave the apartment. I finish off my wine and let out a sigh.
I know that Joanne hates me but I never thought that she would sleep with my boyfriend.
But then again, I would put nothing past her. She hates me and I hate her. It’s the one thing we have in common.
I flip through the mail, noticing that my magazines have come in and I see a picture of billionaire Archer Phillips on one of the covers. Now that’s the kind of guy I need in my life. I’m pretty sure that being his girlfriend would be a lot better than Jack’s girlfriend any day.
I walk into the living room and turn on the TV to watch my favorite show to forget that this day ever happened.
Things will get better.
I still have my job, my health, and I’ve just made a new investment in a technology company that I’m sure will provide a silver lining to my life.
Chapter 1
My mouth drops open as I read the medical file.
My new patient is the Archer Phillips - the infamous billionaire playboy, charming socialite and headline hunter.
The man whose father left him a billion dollar pharmaceutical company - which supplies almost every hospital and pharmacy in the US. It was a big responsibility when it was handed to him ten years ago, when he was just eighteen years old. He was expected to rule the company with the same vigor that his father did. He was expected to be shaking hands with Presidents, holidaying in the Swiss Alps and working twelve hours a day.
Problem was, Archer wasn’t ready for that life.
Saying he liked to party would be a massive understatement.
That’s what we all saw in the newspapers every weekend.
The papers loved him and he seemed to love having his face in the paper – along with a string of stunningly beautiful women.
I thought he would have grown out of it. I thought the responsibility of running a billion dollar company would have taken precedence over wild parties.
But ten years later, it seems nothing has changed.
And by the way he has acted in that decade, I am surprised that he was still able to grow the business even further.
He must have amazing staff working for him.
According to his file, Archer was admitted after he fell off of a balcony at one of his fancy parties over in the Hamptons - aka Rich People County.
Of course, he was drunk.
The fall must have been quite high because he has caused injury to his lower back.
The notes also state that he also can’t remember much about what happened, so he may also have slight amnesia or could be suffering from shock. My guess is that it’s a little of both. He’s also on tons of painkillers to ease the pain of the injuries he’s suffered.
I place the file down and walk toward the hospital bed.
This isn’t just any hospital bed either. This hospital room would be like a fancy hotel for the average person. I work as a nurse in the best hospital in the country.
And I love my job.
As I look over the still body of Archer, even through all of the cuts and bruises, he still looks impossibly handsome.
Even more handsome than the pictures I have seen in the papers.
His body is strong and toned and he has nothing but muscles on top of muscles.
In my lonely moments, I often had fantasies about Archer Phillips.
Some of those fantasies included Archer riding a white stallion and rescuing me from an oncoming stampede of horses. He rides up on his beautiful horse, picks me up in his strong arms, and we ride to the sunset together.
Sigh…
With as much medicine they had to give him to sedate him, he wasn’t going to be waking up any time soon.
I knew that it was going to
be very interesting considering he came into the hospital yelling and trying to throw his money at us all. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or all the pain that he was in, but he really came off as a snobby jerk.
It was a quiet night in the ER before he came in the ambulance. His party crew came shortly behind him.
It took us two hours to calm them down and clear them out of the waiting room because they were upsetting all of the other families that were sitting in there.
And once Archer came out of surgery we felt it was good to keep him sedated and away from the crowd just for the sake of peace.
Besides no one in his little crew would’ve been able to see him anyway because it was hospital protocol to only allow family in the room when a patient was dealing with a major injury and none of them were family.
We tried to call his mother but she said that she was so tired of Archer’s antics and was not leaving her charity event to come babysit him. Needless to say his family are a real piece of work. And since he didn’t have a wife and kids, the only ones allowed in and out of the room are the nurses and the doctors.
I take another glance at him in all his sexiness and I can’t help but think of my ex-boyfriend Jack, who was also very handsome and charming, and how he ran off with my stepsister Joanne.
Jack leaving me was the beginning of the downfall in this story that I call my life.
After Jack left me, I lost all of my savings in an investment for a technology company that went horribly wrong. They went bankrupt two weeks after I gave them my money and I was devastated. They assured me that it was a good investment but apparently they didn’t how to manage money.
Now I have to pay back a huge loan that I took out to invest in it in the first place and it was a lot of money. I took out a twenty-five thousand dollar loan and I had no idea how I was going to pay it back.