57__The second offer

57__The second offer
“Something about you and Erin?” asked the Chairman. His eyes sparkled like he knew something he wasn’t telling them. “Go on. What is it?”

Erin was silent but her entire facial expression was screaming at Braden and he could hear her loud and clear.

“I think it’s important for you to know, grandpa,” he continued. “Erin and I… we’re friends now.”

Erin stared at him. The chaos in her mind shattered and heavy silence finally swept in. Her knees shook but she forced herself to remain standing. He was insane. How could he scare her that way?!

The Chairman looked at them over the top of his glasses. “You’re friends?”

“Yes, Sir,” Braden said with a smile.

Erin nodded even though her skeleton was trembling in her body. “Yeah.”

“Since when?”

Braden shrugged, walking around the table to stand beside Erin. “Since Brazil, I think.”

“Yeah,” Erin agreed shakily. “Since Brazil. We really had to work together to get that contract, it was the first thing we’d ever joined forces on.”

Julius looked sceptical. “And that made you friends?”

“Yes,” Braden said. “We’re good friends now. So, if anything harmful is done to Erin, trust… I will get mad.”

His grandfather blinked tiredly. “Shiver me timbers.”

“I’m serious, grandpa.”

The Chairman gave him a cautious look and cleared his throat. After Braden’s outrage a while ago, he knew his grandson wasn’t joking. He sighed. “Oh, fine. I’ll make sure Don Michaels knows his place, so don’t worry, you two.” He stood. “Focus on work.”

Erin released a breath of relief. “Yes, Sir! We’re going to be heading to the office in about an hour.”

“Are you heading out now?” Braden asked.

With a grunt, his grandfather nodded, stretching his hand out.
Braden passed him his cane. “You had breakfast?”

“Of course, I did. You worry about yourself, I know you collapsed at work.”

Braden and Erin’s jaws fell open. They looked at each other, looking back at the Chairman as he walked to the door.

With a chuckle, he glanced back at them. “Next time you wanna keep that a secret, sonny, don’t use a friend of the family doctor.”

With that, he was gone, leaving them there to anxiously process his words.
Erin gulped. “That’s… that’s all he knows, right?”

Braden bit his lip. “I mean… probably.”

She spun on him. “Wait, first of all! What were you going to tell the Chairman about us?”

He grinned. “Did I scare you?”

“Oh, no! You only gave me a mild heart attack and the sudden urge to silence you even if it meant knocking you over the head.”

He rolled his eyes in that sassy way that used to piss her off. “Relax, Erin. I wasn’t going to say anything.”

She gave him a mild glare. “I don’t trust you.”

He stuck out his lips. “Kiss me.”

“No.” She pushed his lips back in with a finger. “You almost ruined both our lives.”

He didn’t share her fear, thoroughly amused by her panic. “You’re stressing over nothing. I’d never tell anyone about us without your approval.”

She looked at him. “Really?”

“Yeah. Even if I wanna announce it to the whole world right now that I have insane feelings for Erin Moore.” She blushed and he smiled. “I won’t do it. Not until you let me.”

Erin was checking the final draft drawing of the main hotel of their island spa resort, smiling to herself at the perfection of it all.
“The architectural design team,” murmured Athena as she carefully studied the drawings. “Are so badass.”

“For real,” Erin agreed. “These are insane. I didn’t expect them to understand my vision this well.”

“Oh my God, I think we might win,” said Caitlin.

Athena kissed her teeth. “As we should! Are you looking at these?!”

Erin smiled but said nothing. She was happy about their plans coming beautifully together but couldn’t say she’d be completely happy to win. This company wasn’t hers to have, losing would make her more comfortable. If she won, she was worried she’d have to convince Braden that she didn’t want his company, all over again.

Something hurried by in her peripheral vision and Erin looked up. Her brows twitched in surprise.
It was Chris.

Lowering the plans, she quickly stood and hurried to the door. Chris burst into Braden’s office just as she got into the hallway.
Several glances were already being thrown in the direction of Braden’s office so she ran over and peaked in, hoping the two weren’t fighting or anything.

“What the hell is wrong with you, man?!” Chris was demanding.

Braden was behind his table, seated in his chair with a stylus pen in one hand and a tablet in the other. “I figured there was only one way to get your ass in here.”

They started muttering a few things and Erin strained to hear.

“Erin?”

She spun around.

Athena stood in the doorway of their office, waving a phone. “We might have an issue with those Corinthian pillars for the hotel…”

“Ah, crap,” whispered Erin. She felt inclined to discard the idea and find any old typical Asian style pillar but decided against that. The refreshing change from the spas to the hotel was an important part of their presentation.

Sparing Braden and Chris a final glance, she pulled the door closed and returned to her office, taking the waiting call.

Braden had seen the door close and was glad Erin trusted him to handle this alone. And handle it, he would.

Chris slammed his hand on the table and leaned in, his eyes full of distaste. “You think you’re some God who can summon me at any fucking time?” he muttered. “You think I should come running just cause you said so?”

Braden met his gaze with tightly controlled rage, his jaw clenched. “I don’t think, Chris. I know. 40% of your father’s company is owned by Stone Holdings and another 10% is owned by my grandfather, your entire future is in the palm of my fucking hand and you’re trying to get it back by marrying Erin. Cut the bullshit about appreciating her qualities. The only qualities you appreciate in any woman are those you can exploit.”

His clenched teeth were bared in a furious snarl before Chris pressed his lips together and reared back his anger. With a huff, he straightened. “I don’t see why the fuck that’s reason enough to tell my father about the party in Brazil.”

“I told you to behave,” Braden said coldly. “Instead, you went behind my back and sent your father to our house. I clearly told you he’d know all about your escapades on a drug and orgy boat if you didn’t fuck off.”

“Fuck you, man! We used to be friends!”

“We were never friends,” Braden informed him. “Your father forced you into my circle because my grandfather owns him. Seven of your current projects are funded by Julius Stone, your father depends on his money.”

“You know what? I don’t care! I’ve never been afraid of you, Braden. Even you know that. I’m not like the others.”

“With Satan for a father, I’d be surprised if you feared anyone at all.”

“Fine! Yes, I sent my father to arrange my marriage with Erin!” Chris spat. “What are you gonna do about it?! Nothing! Cause you have no power, despite what you believe in your delusional head. You think me going after Erin is bad?”

“It is,” Braden said. “Clearly not as bad as your father. That was your entire plan, wasn’t it?”

Chris forced out a laugh, nervously patting his hair like he was forcing his composure to return. “It just came to me. Why go after Erin myself when I’d have to deal with you? It’s so much easier to tell my father my plan and let him do it himself. He’s an obsessive man and I know he’ll get it done, whether or not you like it. Anything to get that 40% back under the Michaels name.”

Braden scoffed, looking to the side. “Like father like son…”

Chris made a face. “What?”

“Nothing. Get out. You won’t be marrying Erin.”

“How the hell will you stop me?”

“You won’t marry her but if you try again, 40% of your company will be owned by Wesley Michaels.”

The words were said quietly but struck Chris with the force of a steel fist. He stared at Braden with tightly pursed lips and a pale face, his eyes wide with increasing madness.
“W…w-what?”

Braden calmly returned his stylus to his iPad, correcting the draft sent through by his team. “Mm-hm. How long has it been since your uncle was heartlessly chucked out of the family business? Robbed of his entire life by your father? About fifteen years, not so? I bet he’s dying for vengeance, wherever he is.”

Chris hadn’t been able to blink and so his eyeballs pricked with tears. “You… you wouldn’t.”

Braden slowly raised his eyes. He smirked. “Try me.”


Erin sighed as she followed a hostess upstairs to the rooftop of the restaurant.

Chris’s dinner invite had finally come through. It was great timing, Erin thought. She’d play good cop and smooth over whatever terror Braden had struck into the man and end this ridiculous situation once and for all.

It was already seven at night and she’d been looking for Braden all day to get the tea about what they’d discussed with Chris, but he’d constantly been out of office.
It didn’t matter, she’d find out from Chris himself whilst she put him in his place as politely as she could.

He was the only person on the rooftop, his all-black suit making him look like a grim reaper in the night.

He shot to his feet when he saw her, nodding to hostess in dismissal.
“Erin… thanks for coming.”

She grabbed her chair before he could and sat herself down.
Gritting his teeth, Chris kept it together and returned to his seat.

“I assume this is about the tricks you and your father pulled,” she said. “The very creepy tricks, might I add.”

He sighed and Erin suddenly noticed how teary he looked. “Yeah, about that uhm… I’m really sorry.”
She pursed her lips in silence.
“It’s… it’s all been a huge misunderstanding, Erin.”

Erin frowned. “How so?”

He nervously licked his lips and she noticed his lower lip trembling. “I apologize if I’m nervous, my father would murder me if he saw me here.”

His nervous state was getting to her and Erin found herself straightening, feeling uneasy. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I didn’t send him there,” he said, shaking his head like he was gripped by mild panic. “In fact, I begged him not to go, Erin. My father’s… a monster. I didn’t think he’d listen to me, but I begged anyway.”

“What exactly is going on?”

He swallowed, his knee bouncing. “Firstly, I’m sorry. The truth is that I like you, I have since high school. I wanted to ask you out and booked out a restaurant but Braden stopped me. My father has people who stalk me so he found out about it and questioned me.” He looked deeply apologetic then. “I told him about my feelings for you, but I shouldn’t have. He’s the greediest bastard ever and he decided it would be a great way to acquire a part of Stone Holdings if I married you, so he went ahead to discuss it with Braden’s grandfather. I’m really sorry, Erin, I should have stopped him somehow. I know you’re probably disgusted with me…”

She was frowning, processing the information. “Oh… so that’s what happened.”

Chris nodded. “Yes. I’m really sorry.”

“No…” She waved it away. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know you probably don’t like me that way so you’ll reject the proposal…” He smiled sadly but only grew more restless, putting his hands on the table and fiddling like a drug addict. “And my dad’s gonna kill me.”

“Oh, come on.” She shook her head, her heart already dripping with sympathy. “He’s your father, he wouldn’t. Not over this, at least.”

Chris was shaking his head before she could even finish. “You don’t know him, Erin. I begged him not to go but he wouldn’t listen. Yet I know he’ll still blame me for his plan failing.”

His gaze feverishly searched the ground and Erin was so starkly aware of his signs of severe anxiety that she couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“I wish…” he whispered. “I wish I could catch a fucking break.”

Quiet, she sat still and watched him, not knowing how to comfort him. After all, of all Braden’s trolls, Ice Block had been the one she’d hated the least. She’d seen his father, he’d looked every bit as mean as Chris was describing. She pursed her lips. She hadn't known that he'd liked her though. That bit was extremely weird.

“Hey, Erin?”

She straightened. “Yeah?”

He looked hesitant but then leaned a little closer, looking at her with the most pitiful eyes she’d ever seen. “Erin, if… if my father thought you were marrying me… I think he’d leave me alone.”

She stared at him. “W…what?”

“Please, Erin. I know I’m asking you to lie, but please…”

“Wait, what exactly are you asking—”

“I know this is pathetic, but I just can’t take it anymore, he really might kill me this time. I… I have the scars to prove it. Please. If we could just lie to him… just say you’ll marry me and he’ll leave me alone. We'll pretend… just for a month.”