Page 99 of The Contract

“Adrian has raised another concern,” he starts, his voice measured. “Something about the long-term scalability of the Wolfe Industries development strategy as it pertains to?—”

I cut him off, my patience already running thin. “Why don’t we let Adrian explain it himself?”

Adrian shifts slightly in his chair, adjusting his cuffs like the extra second will help him find an answer worth saying. His smirk is still there, but I see the crack in it.

“Of course,” he says, clearing his throat. “I just think we need to take a closer look at the, uh... the projected growth model, particularly in the?—”

“Which model?” I ask smoothly.

His lips part slightly, like he wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot so quickly. “The... uh, the one outlining?—”

I cock my head. “You mean the one already vetted by Calloway’s board? The one that’s been analyzed, projected, and confirmed three times over?”

His mouth clamps shut.

I press forward, my voice silk over steel. “Or do you mean the alternate model you proposed yesterday? The one that—remind me—was missing half its financial projections and fundamentally misunderstood market demand?”

Marcus lets out a barely contained chuckle.

Adrian’s jaw tightens. “That’s not what I?—”

“Cut the bullshit,” I say, my patience snapping. “Every so-called ‘concern’ you’ve raised has been nothing but an attempt to derail this deal. And quite frankly, I’m done entertaining your amateur-hour tactics.”

Adrian bristles. Calloway sits back, watching me carefully.

I level my stare at him through the screen. “Your nephew has tried to lob bombs at our plans that, frankly, have no merit. So make a choice, Calloway: Are we doing this, or are we going tokeep playing twenty questions while your competitors circle you like sharks?”

Silence.

Then—Calloway lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he beams.

“You’ve got a spine, Wolfe,” he says with something like pride. “Damn good trait in a partner.”

I lift my glass to the screen in mock salute. “Then let’s get this merger done. And you’ll have the biggest shark in the tank on your side.”

His laughter is warm, genuine. “Hell yes, we will.”

Before Adrian can muster another weak attempt at interference, Margo enters the frame, settling gracefully onto the arm of her husband’s chair, her arm slipping around his shoulders.

“Smartest decision you’ve ever made, darling,” she tells Calloway, her eyes flicking to mine with something close to satisfaction. “This isn’t just about numbers. Wolfe Industries isn’t just building an empire—it’s building a legacy.”

She looks directly at me as she says it.

And for a reason I don’t quite understand, it hits.

Harder than I expected.

Legacy.

Not just holdings. Not just assets but something that goes on longer.

A family.

For the first time, I realize that’s what Calloway sees when he looks at me. Not just a business partner—but a man with a future. With a wife.

With Elena.

I swallow, my grip tightening around the remote in my hand.

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