Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
I met her hard glare with a smirk. “Following my company, are you?”
She returned my smirk with a tight smile—glare still in place. “Just doing my research so I know all your weaknesses when the time comes for me to buy you out.”
“That’s enough,” Hank reprimanded.
Without missing a beat, she dropped the innocent smile and snapped her attention to her father. “It would be if we weren’t in this situation. If you could just wait a couple more years…”
“Then what?” her father asked, all traces of his good nature gone. “Another five? Then five more? Until what? I’m dead?”
“Stop,” she pleaded.
“I’m serious, Aspen. I spent the best years of my life with your mother. She showed me what true happiness and freedom was.”
“Yeah, dating someone twenty-five years younger than you will do that,” she muttered.
“Damn right,” Hank agreed without remorse. “She was the pure definition of life, and I miss it—I miss her. The least I can do is live the life she wanted to live, and I don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”
“Do you plan on finding another twenty-something woman, too?” Aspen sulked.
I watched the back and forth between father and daughter, soaking it in. My father told me the best way to know your opponent was to observe them, and right then, Aspen was proving to be exactly as I expected. A selfish, pouty princess. One who asked her father to put his needs aside so she could reach her own wants more easily. One who pouted when he stood his ground, and she didn’t get her way.
I also soaked up the personal details of the two. Hank never mentioned his wife, but I imagined her to be younger because of his age when Aspen was born. I assumed the woman was who Aspen got her darker looks from because she sure as hell didn’t have Hank’s green eyes or a single freckle dotting her face.
“Hah,” Hank barked. “Never, and you know it. Your mother was it for me, in life and death. I just want to do all the things we talked about.” He shook his head and smiled softly. “I have no doubt that if you truly want this company, five years will be the perfect amount of time for you to earn it, love it, and truly value it. I have faith in you.”
Aspen swallowed and looked away. Then it finally happened—a single perfect line dipped between her brows.
“I know,” she agreed. “I know I will win and keep majority ownership under the Quinn name.”
“It’s not always about winning,” Hank corrected.
Despite his fatherly advice, Aspen and I were on the same page with one thing—it was all about winning.
Not a challenge, I tried to recall.
She shifted her narrowed eyes to mine, and I smiled.
Fuck it. Challenge accepted, princess.
Knock, knock, knock.
Despite the interruption, I didn’t look away from the depths promising retribution, which was the only excuse I had for my raw reaction upon hearing a familiar voice.
“Lucian?”
Aspen and I turned from our staring contest to find a tall, leggy blonde in a simple pencil skirt, blouse, and heels that added to her already impressive height.
Emily.
Not that I’d use her first name. I clung to enough control to keep from revealing our familiarity. Which was more than she could say. Irritation shoved aside my shock, bringing my brain back online. Although it took me an extra moment to remember her last name. “Miss Green.”
“You two know each other?” Hank asked.
“Obviously,” Aspen muttered.
Emily’s smile warmed, and I answered before she could imply a more personal connection. “Acquaintances.”
Her smile dropped while Aspen leveled me with a doubtful side eye.
“Emily is on our financial staff,” Hank explained.
She glanced between the three of us and forced a smile back on her face. “I was just coming to drop off the copies you requested.”
“Thank you, Emily. Now that I know Aspen has a hard copy, I can be assured she can’t create any reason to not look over the contract,” Hank teased wryly. He accepted the stack of papers and passed the copy to a stoic Aspen, who did everything to avoid my gaze. Once Emily left, he sat back and slapped his thighs. “Well, I think we’ve gone over the important aspects of the contract, but I encourage you to read through the details. If you don’t mind, I have another meeting to attend.”
“Of course. Thank you for taking the time to break it down for everyone.” I glanced toward the thundercloud in the corner, hoping she caught the slight about her lack of preparation.
Hank stood and paused in front of a frowning Aspen. “If you have any questions, maybe we can discuss them over dinner this weekend?”
“I’ll have to let you know.” She busied herself with placing the contract in her tote bag, missing the disappointment her answer caused.