“That’s not a question,” she pointed out, smiling. I smiled back. She was smart.
“Why have I never heard of you until now?”
She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot about you though,” she answered. “Anthony loved to talk about you. My parents obviously saw him much less after your parents died in that horrible car accident.”
At the mention of the accident, my stomach churned and I drew in a deep breath to control myself. All the years that had passed since, I still didn’t like to talk or think about it. I had made my peace with the accident, but the mention of it still gave me horrifying flashbacks of my helpless parents.
“Your scar is barely there now. You can hardly notice it,” Amber said, lightly touching her forehead, between her eyebrows, to indicate the location of my scar. The scar had healed over the years, especially after the skin graft I had gotten a few years ago, but the emotional scar still ran deep. I had accepted that the pain would never truly go away, or heal properly. In fact, I realized only now that the only time it felt as though the pain didn’t exist, was when I talked to Greta.
“I’m sorry. I’m being such a downer right now. Maybe some wine will lighten the mood,” she suggested apologetically.
That wasn’t a bad idea. I nodded and stood up to get an open bottle of wine from the kitchen with two glasses. I poured out the wine, glad to be able to drown myself in some more alcohol.
Amber raised her glass and smiled. “To Anthony.”
“To Uncle Anthony,” I chimed in, raising my glass.
Amber took a big gulp and continued to search the box. She retrieved another old photo and smiled.
“You look a lot like him,” she pointed at my younger self, her gray eyes full of intrigue. “You actually remind me a lot of him. You also have a good heart, and are just as charming as him.”
She moved closer to me on the couch. “But you are definitely a lot more attractive than he was.”
“I don’t know about that. Uncle Anthony was quite a ladies’ man in his younger days,” I shrugged.
She raised an eyebrow and leaned in even more close. It was way too close. My instinct was telling me to kiss her, but my heart was telling me that I shouldn’t. I held up my hands, stopping her from coming any closer to me, which took her aback.
“I’m sorry, Amber. I mean, I am flattered, but my life is a little complicated right now, and the last thing I want is a relationship,” I told her.
She leaned back on the couch and cocked her head. “Why not?”
“My uncle added some stupid condition in his will that I have to produce an heir before I’m thirty, or I lose control of the company,” I admitted.
“That’s a little extreme. Why would he do that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
She frowned. “So what are you going to do? You obviously don’t want to lose your company.”
“To be honest, I hired a surrogate to have my baby.”
Amber narrowed her eyes. “It sounds to me like you’re trying to get around Anthony’s will.”
I pursed my lips and lowered my head. She continued, “Knowing your uncle, he would have wanted you to have a child born out of love, not for the sole purpose of getting control of the company. It’s just so impersonal and fake, don’t you think?”
“It’s not like that at all. She’s great, and I couldn’t have picked a better person for the job,” I pointed out, a small smile forming on her lips.
“Well, I still think it’s a little strange, but it’s none of my business,” she sighed. “I just think that Anthony would have wanted you to do it differently. Family was really important to him after all.”
Her voice broke for a moment and she lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s alright, Amber,” I replied.
She drew in a deep breath. “I think I better go. I am feeling a little emotional right now.”
I nodded and stood up, and she did the same. Then, she stuck her hand into the box and took the photograph of Uncle Anthony when he was about my age and clutched it against her chest. “I can’t even be here right now,” she sighed dramatically and I watched in confusion as she hurriedly walked out of my house, like a whirlwind. As the door slammed shut, I frowned heavily.
“What a strange woman,” I sighed and sat back down on the couch, pulling the box close to me. But when I looked inside, I understood why Amber had become upset. Everything in the box had belonged to Uncle Anthony – it still smelled like him. A pang of sadness formed in my heart and my throat tightened.
What if Amber was right about what Uncle Anthony had really wanted? Was I going against his wishes to hire a surrogate? Was Uncle Anthony looking down on me right now, disappointed in the way I had chosen to produce an heir?
“I could use a little help, you know,” I muttered, looking up at the ceiling.
But all that did was make me feel silly for even thinking I’d receive an answer from the skies.
14
Greta
I took a bite of my chicken and cringed at the bland taste. However, I had promised myself that I would change my diet into a slightly healthier one – for the baby’s sake. It was an adjustment, only a temporary one. I tried to think positively about this situation. Anyway, in nine months, I could go back to binging on mini doughnuts and Pop Tarts, while vegging out on the couch.
For the past few days, I had also been drinking a lot of water, which made me go to the bathroom a lot. But, overall I was feeling good.
Garrett was surprised that the in vitro had worked so fast, but I obviously couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d strangle me, and Isaac, for sure. And I wasn’t sure how he’d really feel if I ever did tell him. I knew that he’d definitely not be happy.
“So, how are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m okay, actually. A lot better than I thought I would be. I read that the first trimester can be a struggle, like with morning sickness and exhaustion, but I haven’t felt any different yet. My boobs are killing me though.”
“Okay, that’s an overshare,” Garrett muttered.
“You asked for it,” I shrugged. Garrett blew a raspberry at me.
“Isaac’s been in a foul mood the last few days. Did you have anything to do with that?” he asked.
I glared sharply at him. “Why would I have anything to do with it?”
“I was just asking.”
“You’re asking all the wrong questions today, it seems,” I muttered, angrily. “Isaac is the one who’s in the wrong. He….”
I quickly shut my mouth as I realized that I couldn’t tell him what Isaac had accused me of doing because then he’d know that we had slept together.
“He what?”
I sighed and shook my head again. “He was just being a controlling asshole, and I told him to leave me alone. I haven’t been answering his calls or replying to any of his messages. He keeps telling me what to do, and what to eat. It’s so frustrating.”
“Okay,” Garrett said, trying to keep a calm tone. “So, I would normally commend you for sticking up for yourself when anyone is being an asshole, but this is a different situation. You should never let anyone control you, but you and Isaac have an agreement. You’re carrying his baby, so he’s going to want to control the whole situation, even if you don’t want him to. The only reason he’s being controlling and telling you what to do is because his little baby is inside you.”
I hated it when Garrett reasoned any problem in an undebatable way. How could I disagree with this argument? I just crossed my arms and pouted.
“Plus, I don’t know why you’re getting yourself so worked up. It’s just business,” Garrett muttered.
As I opened my mouth to respond, my phone rang in my pocket.
“Greta, hey. It’s Mad.”
“Hey, Mad. What’s going on?”
“I just got a call from Destiny Developments. They’ve decided to terminate thei
r contract with us.”
“What?” I gasped, as my heart plummeted down into my shoes. “They can’t do that! Can they?”
“Apparently, they received an offer from someone else, who can offer them the same product at a steep discount.”
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with it.”
“What are you going to do, Greta?” she asked in a worried tone.
“I’m not going to take this lying down any longer. I’m going to go down there and renegotiate.”
“Do you think that is a good idea?”
“We can’t afford to lose this one, Mad. I have to go. I’ll see you in a bit.” Before Mad could answer, I disconnected the call and grabbed my bag.
“What’s going on?”
“Tamara is going after the only big client we have,” I answered, seething with anger.
“Where are you going?” he asked as I stood up.
“To the CEO of Destiny Developments to tell him he shouldn’t screw us or himself by working with that bitch!” I answered. “Thank you for lunch, Garrett.”
“Greta, wait!” he called out.
“I’ll call you later, I promise. I really need to go,” I shouted back as I headed out of the restaurant.
The restaurant was only a couple of blocks away from Destiny Developments, and I took a brisk walk, with the afternoon sun on my face. Even though I knew I should probably not walk so fast, my determination was overpowering.
Within a few minutes, I entered the tall building of Destiny Development and walked straight to the elevators. I knew that Charlie, the chief technical officer, sat on the same floor as the CEO, so I planned on speaking to the CEO directly and cut the bullshit or hierarchy. The bastard would have to speak to me personally.
The elevator doors opened and I stepped out onto a busy office floor. I approached the woman behind the front desk and smiled at her. “Hello. My name is Greta Gray from GrayBit Developers. Could I speak with the CEO?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but it’s really important that I talk to him.”
“You’re welcome to take a seat. I’ll see if he is available.”
Her dismissive behavior made me realize that even if he was free, she wouldn’t let me through without an appointment. I knew how things worked, as I used to tell Cassie the same thing whenever I didn’t want to be disturbed.
The timid Greta would take a seat and wait for hours, but I wasn’t that woman anymore. I was a business owner who was adamant to secure her only financial lifeline. So, I waited until the assistant turned her back and I rushed past her desk.
“Excuse me, Miss. Where do you think you’re going?” she called out to me.
“I’m sorry, but it’s really urgent,” I answered, marching down the hallway toward the CEO’s office. I opened the door and marched inside.
It was Isaac.
My jaw dropped when I saw him behind the desk. He looked at me, confusion on his face. After what felt like an eternity, but was only few seconds, he said, “Greta?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and he stood up.
“Sir, I am so sorry,” the assistant said, having run to his office behind me. “I tried to stop her but—”
“It’s okay, Holly,” he told her. She nodded quietly and closed the door behind me. He turned to look back at me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked in shock.
“I should ask you that question,” he asked.
My gaze lowered to the gold-plated plaque on the desk, and realized that Destiny Developments was Isaac’s company.
“Oh my God!” I gasped. “You’re the CEO?”
“I am,” he answered, with a coy smile. Usually, this smile would have melted me right at the spot. But I was trying my hardest not to let myself be affected by him.
“Oh, shit!”
Isaac chuckled and approached me. “What’s going on, Greta? You look like you were ready to rip my head off. Plus, no one has the balls to bypass Holly like that.”
“I’m sorry about that,” I replied. “But I’m here on an urgent matter. You know the computer program you use across the whole office? That’s mine.”
“I know. You’re the brains behind GrayBit,” he answered.
That was the second shock of the day, but I kept my composure. “Anyway, one of my coders told me that she received a call from you guys, saying that Destiny won’t be needing my program any longer. You were offered the same program for a significantly lower price.”
“What?”
“Yes. So I’m here to make sure that your company doesn’t do that. Because if this is some way to punish me for not calling you back or returning any of your messages, it’s a dick move, Isaac.”
He held his hands up in defense and shook his head. “I would never do such a thing, Greta. I mean, I offered you this surrogacy to help you keep your business afloat, not to ruin it.”
“You didn’t know about this?”
“No, I honestly didn’t,” he answered and walked to his desk. “Just give me a second.” He picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Charlie. Hey. My office, right now, please.”
He slammed the phone down and explained, “Charlie is my CTO—”
“I know Charlie. I’ve dealt with him many times. I just didn’t know that he worked for you,” I interjected. “I didn’t know that you owned Destiny Developments, in fact. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It honestly never came up, you know. We’ve never really talked about our jobs or our companies.”
There was a knock on the door and Isaac called out, “Come in.”
Charlie stepped inside the office. “You wanted to see me.” When he noticed me sitting in Isaac’s office, his face paled.
“Hello, Charlie,” I said simply.
“Greta, hey. What are you doing here?” he stuttered.
“Charlie,” Isaac said firmly. “Did you call GrayBit and terminate our contract with them?”
Charlie wrung his hands. “Isaac, we were offered a better deal, and I just wanted to keep within our budgets. I thought the new deal would be better.”
“Did Tamara Stark offer you this deal?” I asked him, tapping my foot in agitation.
He paled again. “How did you know?”
I sighed and looked at Isaac, who seemed surprised that I knew about the new deal. “Tamara was the one who stole my code,” I explained to him.
Isaac nodded in understanding and turned to Charlie, who was looking very terrified. “Okay, so here is what is going to happen right now, Charlie. You’re going to call Tamara Stark and pull out of this deal with her, saying that you’re not interested in her stolen program. We’re sticking with GrayBit, because we’re loyal, and it’s not always just about money. It’s about supporting the people who have been with this company for a long time. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I should have come to you first,” Charlie said and glanced at me. “I’m sorry, Greta. I didn’t know that she had stolen the program from you.”
“It’s okay, Charlie,” I replied in a flat tone. Charlie nodded, and bolted out of the office.
I turned back to look at Isaac, standing proudly beside his desk. He was looking sexy in his dark suit. Noticing me looking at him, he pursed his lips and asked, “What?”
“Nothing,” I shrugged. “I was just thinking that no one has ever stood up for me like you just did.”
“That’s not true. I kicked that tenth grader’s ass when he pushed you into the street,” he replied.
I had to wrack my brains for that memory, and when I finally remembered it, I smiled widely.
“I also remember you getting into so much trouble for that,” I said.
“It was worth it,” he shrugged.
He was looking at me with such warmth in his eyes that I couldn’t help feeling all fuzzy inside. His eyes shone brightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up to form the perfect smile. I wasn’t sure whether it wa
s the pregnancy hormones that were making me feel this way, but the attraction I felt for Isaac right now was very intense. I bit my lip and lowered my gaze, as I couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. My heart pounded painfully in my chest and I drew in a deep breath.
“I better go,” I finally said.
Isaac came to stand beside me. “It was good to see you, Greta.”
I nodded. “Thank you, for coming to my rescue. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you – the company, I mean.”
He smiled and nodded. “Anytime, Greta.”
“And I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you. I just needed a few days to recoup, you know. I’ve been in a world of my own lately, and I know that you’re just protecting your asset,” I said and pointed to my stomach. “I won’t be such a hard-ass anymore, I promise.”
“Good to hear,” he said.
“I’ll get going then,” I said and walked to the door. I stopped in the doorway and glanced back at him. “You knew that I owned GrayBit and you still bought the program. Why?”
“Your program is amazing, and you deserve to be recognized for it.”
I smiled and cocked my head. “Garrett told you about it, didn’t he?”
“I’m not telling you a thing!” he smirked.
I smiled. “Have a good day,” I told him as I walked out from his office and he winked at me.
Walking out, my knees felt like jelly and my clitoris tingled. It was definitely the hormones.
15
Isaac
“The implementation of a training space will encourage lower-level employees that want to attain a formal certification. I have already consulted with the University of San Francisco to allow us—”
“Hold on, Isaac.”
I abruptly, albeit reluctantly, stopped and glared at Andrew. This was not the first time in the Board meeting that he had rudely interrupted me, questioning my choices and the changes I wanted to implement. I wanted to show the Board that I was up to the task of being the CEO and that the terms of Uncle Anthony’s will would not affect my commitment to the company.
Andrew looked at me with a smug expression. “How will this impact the budget?”
Twins for Brother's Best Friend Page 10