Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
I blinked in surprise as I automatically returned the hug. “You seem well, Your Grace.”
“What have I said about calling me that? I told you to call me Gramps,” he scolded me, stepping back and holding me at arm’s length. He looked me over with his warm blue eyes before smiling. “How are you? That rotten grandson of mine isn’t treating you badly, is he? Is he the reason you haven’t been to see me? Is he overworking you?”
“Father, at least let her sit down before you bombard her with questions,” Alastair said from behind his desk. “Come in, Chloe.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Theodore asked. “I haven’t seen you in two weeks, Grandfather.”
“Whose fault is that, you swine? You know where I live,” the duke said, ushering me inside and sitting me down. “Cassidy, get us some tea, dear.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Cassidy shot me a smile before disappearing out of the office.
“Sit down, Theo. You’re making the place look untidy.” The duke sat on the sofa. “Alastair, let’s talk here. It’s more comfortable.”
“Only if you promise to wait until we’re done to interrogate Chloe.” Alastair got up and looked at me. “I heard about the business with Emily Grandstein. She didn’t cause too much trouble, did she?”
“She was a nuisance,” Theodore replied before I could. He took the armchair next to where I’d been plopped down by his grandfather. “She refused to leave and wouldn’t wait quietly, then questioned Chloe’s competence and gave her a papercut.”
The duke leant forwards, steepling his wrinkled fingers. “I see she’s chosen death.”
“Let’s not be quite so dramatic,” I said, waving my hands. “It’s only a papercut, and her rudeness is nothing I haven’t dealt with before. She’s hardly the first woman to march into the office and demand Mr Black’s attention.”
Alastair mimicked the duke’s position. “I see security have chosen death.”
“Please control yourself, sir.” Cassidy set a tray down in front of us with four cups of tea and handed them out. “You cannot kill the security team for something so trivial.”
The duke looked at her. “Emily Grandstein gave our Chloe a papercut.”
Cassidy paused, setting his tea in front of him. “I’ll contact an assassin immediately.”
“Oh, not you, too.” I couldn’t help but laugh as I took my cup. “Thank you.”
“Cassidy, arrange for all my investments in Goldstein Corp to be withdrawn,” Alastair said. “And sell whatever shares we may hold in any business related to the Goldstein family. Not only do they insult us by suggesting their daughter is a suitable wife for my son, but they hurt someone dear to us and cause a ruckus in our office.”
She bowed her head. “Right away, sir. What shall I tell them if they ask why we’ve pulled investments?”
“Tell them I said to piss off,” the duke declared. “And tell Eddie to handle mine, too.”
If anyone outside of this room heard these words coming out of the mouth of the great Duke of Ruxleigh, they’d be absolutely horrified.
I, however, was more than used to it.
“Very well, Your Grace,” Cassidy said, not batting an eyelid. “If that’s all, I’ll leave you to your meeting.”
“Yes, can we get on with it?” Theodore asked, sitting back in the armchair. “I’m busy.”
“Not as busy as us, you little shrew,” the duke said. “Are you joining us in retrieving your money from those bastards or not?”
“I’ve already done it. I told Emily her father’s business is no concern of mine unless he’s selling it, so I thought I’d show her I wasn’t messing around.”
“You’re a ruthless little shit, aren’t you?”
Alastair cleared his throat. “Pa, we’re in the office. Please keep your insults to one every five minutes, rather than one every sentence.”
Theodore slid his gaze towards his father. “Surely you should be telling him not to insult me at all. I’m your son.”
“Who am I to tell him what to do? He’s still head of the House of Ruxleigh. He doesn’t listen to me.”
“There are only two people I listen to,” the duke said.
Yes.
Thankfully, one of them was in this room.
Me.
“Perhaps we should get on with it, Your Grace,” I said, resting my hands in my lap. “Let’s save the familial squabble for after we’ve discussed business.”
“I agree,” Theodore said. “There’s a lot to prepare for this, so we shouldn’t waste time.”
“Yes, yes.” The duke shuffled until he was sitting up straight. “Chloe, you’re familiar with the Adair Travel acquisition, aren’t you?”
I peered over at him. “Of course. Isn’t the announcement scheduled for next week?”
“It is. The reason we were able to acquire the company so easily is because some of their holiday rental properties were leaseholds on land that our family has managed for years,” he explained. “It was easier for them to sell to us rather than have to worry about transferring the leases to a third party, and it was beneficial to us to take over what was once a successful business. I’m sure you’re familiar with why their business struggled.”