by Adair Rymer
I fully believed Maynard about those pictures. Anthony was far more cunning and ruthless than I thought him capable of. I hated Anthony for what he was doing to me and for what he'd done to my relationship with Maynard.
I wanted to see that son-of-a-bitch hurt.
“No, please don't.” I sighed, hating what I was about to say. “If you attack him. It will look terrible for your image.”
“I don't care,” Maynard growled. “I am so goddamn tired of my fucking image.”
I felt for him. I really did. I couldn't imagine so many people having an opinion about how I lived my life. Even the thought of it made me angry.
“Unfortunately, your pretty face is tied to your company.” I gently touched the noticeable stubble that was on his face. I liked the look. It made him look more roguish than usual; but I could tell that there was a lot on his mind because he never went a day without shaving. “Don't jeopardize all the work you've done for your charity foundation.”
Maynard bared his teeth and glanced away. I knew he wouldn't make me any promises that he couldn't keep. The anger that welled in him over his former friend's betrayal wouldn't leave his mind easily.
“You have to be smarter than him.” I squeezed his hand.
I realized the horizon was beginning to brighten. Dawn was robbing the night of its inky blues. My father would be up soon and I would need to get home before they knew I was gone.
“We should head back,” I said, lamenting the quick passing of time. These past few months without him had gone by agonizingly slowly and this one brief moment together blurred by far too fast.
“Can I see you when you get back to New York?” Urgency furrowed Maynard's brow. Seeing me really mattered to him. Deep down I had known that, but being shown it in person felt really good.
“Yes!” I squeaked, excited at the thought of being back together with Maynard. You still need to graduate, Claire. I quickly added the caveat, “But only on the weekends.”
“Rules, huh?” He gave me a half smile and sly look, then put the car into first gear.
I shrugged, my demeanor lightened.
“Hey,” Maynard hesitated before driving us back. Something else was on his mind. “I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. I'm no saint, I promise not to judge you.”
Maynard took off. We weren’t far from home so it didn't take us long to get back. I thought about that silently the whole way back. I wanted to tell him everything, but even though I had been so wrong about the stripper thing, I was still nervous.
I just got him back, I didn't want to scare him away. A baby was the biggest possible deal. I had no idea how he felt about kids, what if this was too much for him. There was no way I could tell him right now. Maybe in a few weeks when we were stronger as a couple.
Maynard slowed to an idle just around the corner from my house. It would be a short walk for me without giving away that he had ever picked me up. Maynard took the side of my face in his hand and pulled me close for another kiss.
“This time I'm never letting you go.” He stared at me deeply, reassuringly. Little flecks of color around his pupils shimmered in the predawn light.
“Good.” I said hypnotized by his handsomeness. “Because I'm pregnant.”
Chapter 25
Maynard
I couldn't get this damn smile off my face.
It had been stuck there all week. I checked my watch again as I briskly walked through the lobby of Cooper Coorp headquarters. I wasn't used to feeling this good at three p.m. on a Friday. I don't think I'd ever felt this good.
Claire had dropped one hell of a bombshell on me in Chicago and I still hadn't recovered. I was going to be a father. That was huge news!
I never saw myself as a father. I never saw myself as a person who could handle any responsibilities at all, let alone everything that came with having a kid. Claire had to get back inside before we could really discuss it, but I was able to talk to her about it on the phone later that day. I was extremely excited.
I stepped onto the elevator and punched in the code for conference rooms at the top. The reflection of my grin in the polished walls of the elevator was extremely telling.
“Shit, I'm still excited!” I forced myself to relax my face. I didn't want to be beaming during the meeting.
I had slowed down a little driving back to my jet that Sunday night. It was a weird feeling. I had lived my whole life without repercussions and now everything was changing. I couldn't just live for myself anymore. It felt like my life wasn't just mine anymore.
With a child I might finally find the purpose that I so desperately needed.
It had been five days since I'd seen Claire. Knowing where we stood made every minute apart from her now feel like agony. I needed to wrap up today's shareholders' meeting as quickly as possible so I could pick her up from college myself instead of having a ride sent for her.
I couldn't wait to take her out to celebrate.
I had been planning this weekend together since pulling away from her parents' house. We'd fly out tonight for the private island in Belize where I'd rented us a villa for the weekend. We'd be pampered by a small staff while enjoying miles of nothing but blue skies, white sand, and waist-high crystal clear sea.
It was going to be romantic as fuck.
My cock stiffened at the thought of it. After not seeing her for months I doubted we should even bother bringing clothes. I was going to fuck Claire on every inch of that island. I'd never gone nearly this long without sex, it was killing me.
It would have been the easiest thing in the world to have sex with some groupie while Claire and I weren’t together, but even then it didn't feel right.
Honestly, I didn't want anyone else. It didn't matter that I was single again, I'd fallen too hard for Claire. I was fucked.
How hard had I fallen for my beautiful blond girlfriend?
I bought her apartment building just so I could order that all new state-of-the-art locks be put on all the doors. There was no way that prick Anthony was ever breaking in there again. She didn't need to know that I had done it, all that mattered was that she was safe in her own home now.
When I reached the top floor I greeted the secretary. She looked surprised to see me, but that was probably because I was a little early. I had never been on time to one of these meetings, let alone early. The woman probably thought there was something wrong with her clock.
I pushed open the large door. Despite being a few minutes early most of the shareholders were already present. There was a vibe of displeasure and unease at my appearance. What the hell was going on?
“So good of you to join us, Maynard.” Adam Boniello walked forward and extended a hand in greeting. “We weren't sure you'd be coming by in light of recent events.”
I figured there was a fire or a strike or something. Being a CEO sometimes meant only hearing about an incident after all other avenues for correcting it had failed.
That's happened a few times since I'd taken over. There was a dispute with the labor unions and an audit that required my attention. I scanned the other shareholders' faces and was put off a bit. This time was different, I could see it in their nervous expressions.
“What's happened?” I asked.
“A video has been uploaded to YouTube. An indecent video.” Adam cleared his throat. “Of your Miss Tremont.”
“What?” My eye twitched.
“Earlier this morning,” Adam continued, taking a half-step backward. It wasn't just him, everyone had that look on their faces as if they were preparing for me to fly off the handle. “We had thought for sure you had seen it by now. It seems to have gone—I believe the word is viral.”
There was a video of Claire and everyone here had seen it except me. A flash of red boiled up the back of my neck, I had to force my eyes shut for a moment to keep from losing my shit.
Adam began to speak again, but I held up a hand to stop him. I took out my phone and searched for the video. It came up
right away and was trending. It was a video of Claire dancing topless at some shitty strip club. YouTube had removed the original video due to the nudity but others had reposted censored version of it.
This was horrible.
I immediately thought of Claire. She'd been in class all day and it was only a matter of time until she was hounded by either reporters or inconsiderate assholes looking to cause her trouble. I needed to protect her from all of that.
I called Claire. No answer. I texted her that I was on my way.
A few seconds later she replied with Hurry.
“Have the meeting notes sent emailed to me.” I declared loudly to the room, then pocketed my phone. I glared at everyone for having indulged in their twisted curiosity and shook my head. I didn't blame them too much for looking but someone should have told me before I arrived. “I'm leaving.”
“So soon?” Asked an unfortunately familiar snide voice that had just walked in. It stopped me dead in my tracks.
Anthony wore a blue suit and broad self-satisfied smile.
It only took two words from him to make my fingers clench into fists. I had gone hunting for him in Chicago after I left Claire's parents', but he was nowhere to be found. And now here he was.
“You.” I stalked toward him. Every muscle in my body tensed like a viper ready to strike. I was going to tear his fucking head off. “First the images from your party and now you release an old video of Claire.”
“I'm appalled and insulted and...” Anthony's feigned outrage melted away. He shrugged carelessly, then addressed the shareholders. “Yeah, it was me.”
“Why?” Adam asked. The old man had a disbelieving look on his face. “This affects the entire company negatively, why would you—”
“Those images and videos exist! That's the point.” Anthony swept his arms out to illustrate his point, then he circled the long way around the conference table. He was putting as much distance between us as possible. “They were bound to surface eventually, that's the nature of things. Ladies and gentlemen the Cooper family is a dying entity. Hate to break it to you but you've all backed the wrong horse.”
“So as a shareholder and a friend,” Anthony paused to place a gentle hand over his heart. I was going to break that hand off and shove it so far up his ass that he'd choke to death on it. “I've come here today to offer a solution.”
“What's this all about, are you vying to be made CEO?” One of the shareholders shouted, indignantly.
“Of this shitshow?” Anthony scoffed, pulling out his phone absently. “God, no! I have my own better company to run. No, no... It's time we put this lofty corporation out of its misery. That's why I'm here actually. I've had my lawyers draft up buyout plans for you all.”
“You're talking about a hostile takeover.” One of the female shareholders yelled. “That's outrageous!”
“What's outrageous is how much you'll all stand to make when you sign on.” Anthony looked up from his phone and winked lewdly at the woman. “I've just emailed you all our proposal. I think you'll all find it more than generous, well, given the state of the company at the moment.”
“It'd be a cold day in hell before I let you cannibalize my family's legacy.” I spat the words. I tried to cool my head enough address this motherfucker. “As president I get the final say in all this, and I can't be removed for at least the next three months until the biannual meeting.”
“Alas, you make a valid point.” Anthony looked comically stumped as if I had just given him an extremely difficult math problem. “The only way you can be removed is if you are unfit or unable to maintain the position.
“Is that a threat?” I'd have leapt over the table then and there to get at my former friend but he saved me the trouble. Anthony had walked fully around the long U-shaped table back toward me. Was he insane? He knew I was always stronger and faster than he was. He'd need a gun to stop me.
“I would never dream of it, Mayday!” Anthony smiled again, stopping within easy arms reach of me. “You know, I used to go to that strip club. The one Claire danced at. I remembered her. She used to go by the name of Star.”
Blood was boiling in my ears. My vision was full of red. Somewhere in the back of my head a buried voice of reason screamed for me to leave but I couldn't think straight.
“Star wasn't that great a dancer—granted none of them were headed to Broadway— but...” Anthony glanced past me then smiled and licked his lips “That whore could suck a mean cock—”
The next fifteen seconds were a blur for me. I had never been so angry in my life. I could deal with insults, I had grown up with them from the media, but hearing lies about Claire was too much for me.
I knew that Anthony was full of shit because I trusted Claire. I knew that. But it didn't matter, I went completely unhinged. I couldn't stop myself. It was almost like my brain flicked off and my fists took over.
I was pried off Anthony right away, but not until after I'd broken his nose and knocked out at least a few teeth. I'd have caved in his goddamn skull, but security was all over me. How did they get there so fast?
Shit.
When I saw Anthony's bloody broken smile I knew. He had them waiting for me. He knew this would happen and of course he would be pressing charges. I shook my head, disgusted that I played right into his hands. Anthony didn't have to remove me as CEO: he knew I'd do it for him.
This was all part of his plan! !hat devious little fuck!
It took four men to drag me off Anthony, but once I realized my mistake, I let them take me to the security office without a fight. I was fucked and I knew it. They walked me through their office and into an empty white room, then they sat me in a chair and zip-tied my hands behind me. Most big corporations had these holding rooms, it allowed for quiet removal of disorderly guests while the police were called.
I wasn't going anywhere for a while. When it wasn't an emergency the police took their time. Cooper Corp also had a deal with NYPD to handle matters like these as discretely as possible for fear of bad publicity so they would be waiting for a plain-clothes unit to take me in.
Fortunately I recognized a few of the security team members and easily convinced one of them to tell Christian to pick Claire up. It was a half an hour later when the door was opened, but it wasn't my lawyer or the police.
It was Anthony.
“Hey, buddy.” Anthony had finally won in a competition against me and there was no way he'd pass up the opportunity to gloat about it. He had a ruined, reddened handkerchief covering the lower half of his face.
For as fucked as I was, I was glad to have caused him at least that much pain.
Anthony made sure that I was fully restrained then dismissed the guards to the adjacent room. We both knew that they would be watching us through the room's live camera feed, but they wouldn't be able to hear what we were saying. If there was any trouble they would be in here in seconds.
I had figured out most of his plan as I sat quietly, but a few things nagged at me.
“Why convince me to become CEO after Bianca?”
“Are you joking?” His abrupt laugh ended in a cough. I had really done a number on him and was surprised that he stayed conscious. “By the time I could arrange for Bianca to be removed, you'd just doubled the cost of shares that bullshit charity stunt! I needed you in there as CEO so when I destroyed your image your company would take the hit publicly. That, in turn, would lower the value of your stock. Only then would a takeover even be possible.”
“So you planned all this to ruin me just so you could buy my company on the cheap.” I shook my head at how petty this all sounded. I couldn't have been more wrong about Anthony. He did change but for the worse. “You're proud of yourself, aren't you?
“You're goddamned right I am. You can't even imagine how good it feels to have beaten you!” He went to plunge a finger into my chest but caught himself. If he laid even that finger on me he might jeopardize his case. “My cock is so hard right now.”
“Beat me at w
hat exactly? Once news gets out about today, the company will be worthless on the stock market. Why would you even want it?”
“You have no idea how Wall Street works do you?” Anthony raised his eyebrows. “We'll hold onto all your assets, lay off the majority of your workforce, and then rebrand Cooper Corp. as something else. In a year no one will even remember a former disgraced billionaire family.”
There was a knock on the door and the police were finally let in. The zip-ties were cut, and were then replaced with more traditional handcuffs.
On my way out of the room Anthony said one last thing under his breath that really put everything into perspective for me.
“My family always hated yours.”
Chapter 26
Claire
“What are you doing about all this?!” I nearly shouted the words at Bianca when I stormed into her minimalistic Madison Avenue office. Bianca's secretary was in tow, she was threatening to call security.
Go right ahead.
I was allowed to see Maynard briefly in Central Booking right after his arraignment. For some vindictive reason the judge denied bail for Maynard. So after a sweet kiss and him telling me not to worry, he was quickly whisked off to Rikers Island to wait for his court date.
I was a wreck for weeks. The more research I did about that prison the sicker I became. It was commonly described as one of the worst places in the country. Each time I talked to him he refused to let me visit. The whole thing was so horrible.
Where was Bianca in all this?
Aside from a brief and extremely dismissive conversation I had with Maynard's sister the day he was arrested, Bianca's schedule had been 'too full' to see me. Three months later and she was still 'too busy'. It was insane!
I was done waiting.
She would see me today even if I had to be removed from the building because of it. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I really didn't want to be here. Bianca was such a powerful, intimidating woman. She'd achieved so much in her short career. Who was I to barge in on her?