Chapter 31—The Offer

Heels clicked, and heads turned. It was an effort not to cringe from the eyes that followed as she crossed the parking lot. It was expected. She was the talk of the town—maybe even the world.

Leaving Scotland had been hard, but Ivette had been left with no choice. She had already begun to miss everything. Cian’s family. Cian’s home. She hadn’t enough time to say goodbye to them but she had consoled herself with the knowledge that she would be returning soon. After she had fixed the mess she started by running in the first place.

Falling into step by her side was Cian. Cian had blatantly refused to let her come out in public alone. He had stuck to her side since they got off the flight like she was honey and he was a bee. She hadn’t pushed any further. She didn’t think she could face it alone either.

She didn’t have a plan yet.

Her fingers grew sweaty as they reached the sliding doors of the company. This was it. The moment she had chewed off her nails for. Anxiety drummed within her and as if sensing it, Cian moved closer to her, placing his fingers on the small of her back.

His heat seared through her suit and she let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. She could do this. She could walk into the damned conference room and—

Hell. She had no idea what to do.

Cian urged her forward and they stepped into the building and Ivette paused by the door, noting the few employees that walked about the halls, clearing their desks. The building was nearly emptied out. They were leaving, her employees.

Her jaw clenched. Down the drain, everything she had worked for.

Little wonder her father no longer had the motivation to keep the place running. They had never had it this bad. Not even when they had nearly lost it all had the company been this deserted.

“Come on, lass,” Cian said behind her and she didn’t have the voice to tell him there was nothing to save. That she had no plan. That she had come here hoping that her presence would make a difference.

“You can do this, Ivy,” he said to her and her heart plummeted at the faith and confidence in his voice.

No. She couldn’t.

But she began moving again, ignoring the wide-eyed stare from her workers and the judgment on their faces when they realized who she had with her. They could think whatever they wanted. She was past caring about the public opinion of her relationships. There were larger things at hand.

Cian ushered her into the elevator and when the doors closed, she leaned back against the cool metal, unsure that she could remain standing. She let her eyes close as she drew several breaths in, trying and failing to ready herself for what was to come, trying and failing to wear the mask she had lived without in the past week and days.

She began sobbing when she found that she couldn’t calm down.

Cian was there instantly, hugging her, kissing her, soothing her. It was all he had been doing since yesterday, and she was grateful, for without him, she would have fallen apart completely.

“I’m here,” he said softly. “Everything will be fine.”

There was such calm in his voice that her body hearkened to his words, and her sobs calmed. She breathed in the thick air, his heady scent and she drew it in, all the way to her belly.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt better. Cian’s brown eyes met hers and held. Slowly, her frown smoothened out, her lips tilted, and her back straightened.

His lips curved into the dazzling smile she had fallen for those weeks ago. “There’s my lass,” he cooed and kissed her, melting all of her fears and anxiety.

Yes. She could do it. Cian was with her. He was all she needed.

****

The frozen rage on her the blonde’s face as his eyes landed on Ivette and whose fingers were entwined with hers was a sight to behold, and Cian might have laughed if he didn’t know how important this was to his woman.

He could feel her bristling with anger, but she said nothing as she led him to the empty set of chairs on the far end of the table. Cian’s gaze flitted across the room, settling on her father whose gaze kept flitting between her and him. His eyes were unreadable, but his mouth was stretched in a grim line.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Aaron demanded, shooting out of his seat. “You had the nerve to show up here with that bastard—“

“Ugh,” Ivette said, rolling her eyes. She kept the bored expression fixed in place. “Get original, Ron.”

Cian couldn’t help the grin that stretched on his face at his lass tossed a withering look in the male’s direction. He couldn’t have made a more perfect choice of a woman. She had silenced him with just a look and the blonde’s jaw slackened at her reply.

Aaron’s gaze met his and Cian held it, pushing into it enough intensity to make the man realize just who he was trying to fight against. A sentence from him would end this meeting. A single sentence was all he needed to end whatever agreement his lass’s father was going into with the dubious Maxwells who were on the verge of bankruptcy.

But he knew just how much it would affect Ivy. She was his now, but she had shared a past with Aaron Maxwell. Most of her adulthood, if his findings were correct. He hadn’t told her a thing about it before because she had been convinced that she loved Aaron. She would have been broken. Torn. He hadn’t wanted her to go through any of that. He had wanted to maintain the man’s image in the lass’s eyes.

Never had he thought the man would stoop this low.

It had angered him that she had taken the fall for his carelessness. Scandals had little to no effect on his establishment. His workers and his people were loyal to him and only him... Ivette, however, didn’t have that. Though she never blamed him for the leaked photo, he knew she blamed herself for it. Perhaps, he should have been more careful.

But he didn’t want to be careful with the lass. He wanted the entire world to know he’d won her heart. He wanted her in a way he had never wanted a woman. He feared he might never stop wanting her; needing her; craving her.

“You can’t give him the company, Dad,” the lass said, drawing him out of his reverie.

“You have no say in this. You should not be here.”

Cian watched his lass and her father stare each other down. Perhaps, he should have gotten some popcorn on the way.

The staring contest was interrupted when Mr Maxwell stood from his seat, ire flickering in his blue eyes. Much like his son, he wasn’t pleased with Ivette’s sudden appearance with him. He seemed rattled by it even. Like a man whose life depended on the contract he was about to sign.

Cian smiled, knowing how true it was.

“We are doing you a favor, Alden, despite the stunt your daughter pulled disrespecting my family and my son. If you will not conclude the formalities, we will take our offer elsewhere. Clearly, you aren’t deserving of our kindness.”

“Don’t you talk to my father that way!” Ivette yelled, and Cian admired her for it. Though it was obvious they didn’t share the best relationship, she would not stand and watch him insult her father. His fingers tightened around hers and Cian figured it was time to end all of this.

He straightened in his chair and adjusted the flaps of his suit. “You cannot afford to take your offer elsewhere. No one would be desperate enough to give you a company at such a low price. But that was the plan, was it not?”

There was a sudden silence in the room, and the three investors seated watched the three parties with sudden interest. Cian was well respected in the business world, and knowing how much the words that left his lips were worth, Alden King fixated his gaze on him, as did the rest of the men.

“What do you mean?” Alden and Ivette asked in unison. The lass’s eyes had narrowed dangerously at him, and he knew she would probably punch him when they were in private for what he was about to do.

“Nothing. What could he possibly know of our affairs? Sign the contract, Alden. We have little time to waste here,” Aaron said quickly. Too quickly, and even Alden’s eyes narrowed at the sudden desperation in his voice.

Ivette noticed too because she frowned at Aaron and then at Cian. She arched a questioning brow at him, and Cian winked before saying, “The Maxwells are on the verge of bankruptcy. Your company’s fall was their way out.”

Ivette’s eyes widened and he saw a lot of emotions go through her before settling on just one. Anger. She had figured it out. . .but. . . It wasn’t directed at the blonde. Cian knew he was in trouble when she glared at him. “You knew this and didn’t tell me about it?!”

He flinched and winced simultaneously at the sudden shout. The rate at which the lass processed things was frighteningly fast. She’d put two and two without him having to explain anything.

Alden King looked to Mr Maxwell and his son, and one look at them was enough to confirm his words.

“It doesn’t matter. You have no other choice. Your stocks have fallen. No one else would buy your company right now. Our offer still stands,” Aaron said and one moment, Ivette had been glaring at him, and the next, her fist was in the blonde's face.

Burning hell. He really should have gotten some popcorn on the way.

Cian stood, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her back. He couldn't help but think of how familiar this moment was. He had been in the blonde's place weeks ago, and it was why he knew her punches hurt like hell.

"You're a bastard. Don't you ever get tired of leeching off people?!"

"Leeching?!" The blonde said, holding his bleeding nose. "At least I'm not whoring myself to the nearest richest male I find—"

Cian let Ivette go for long enough for another punch to land in the male's face. The men were standing now, watching his lass with pure fascination as tried to claw off Aaron's face.

"Ivette!" Her father's voice cleaved through the space and she went limp in his arms. "Behave! We still have no other option. With this, we might have no one to sell the company to! Don't ruin this too!"

"We do not wish to go further with this agreement!" Mr Maxwell said, pulling Aaron out of the room.

"I have an offer for you," Cian said as he released his hold around Ivette. It was why he had insisted on coming along with her.

"Cian, you don't have to—"

Cian stared straight ahead at Alden King and continued. "I'll invest in King Corp and give you everything you need to rise again. I offer you partnership."

The man's brow rose and though he tried to hide it, he saw the man's interest. But he said, "Because you're interested in my daughter?"

Ivette shifted uncomfortably beside him, clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand.

Cian said, " I'm a Businessman, and as such, I invest in potentials. My affection for your daughter does not drive my decision-making. She is a remarkable woman. Under her management, it shouldna be hard to get King Corp back to its place at the top."

"Cian—" Ivette began to protest but Alden King interrupted sharply, "Done."

Cian nodded. "I'll have my lawyer draw up a contract to be signed with your daughter. You do understand that I will only work with your daughter, and not you."

Alden King's jaw clenched. "Agreed."

"Good. One more thing," Cian said, tugging the lass closer to him. "I make a formal request to you, as her father. I wish to court your daughter. I wish to marry her."