Page 12 of Believing in a Billionaire
Had she already set this in motion? Was this a last gasp from a desperate woman?
If it wasn’t, they were in trouble. They couldn’t let them get to a critical percentage where they could trigger a board vote.
He collapsed into his chair, sinking his head into his shaking hands. He tugged his phone from his pocket and stared down at the black screen for a moment before he toggled it on. A message waited for him from Julia.Surprise? But I hate surprises.
The message, answering his previous one about planning her surprise dinner, made his heart ache. He desperately wanted to return to planning it, but the burgeoning crisis required his full attention. Hopefully, they’d find a solution that would allow him to make it to their meal.
He began typing a message to her, outlining the situation, but before he could send it, he deleted it entirely and retyped a new message.I know, but tough luck. You’re not getting any information about this one. That’s the price you pay for ruining my big surprise.
He tried to let the levity he’d put into the message lift his spirits, but it didn’t. The decision to keep Julia in the dark felt like a weight sitting on his shoulders, but he didn’t want to worry her. She’d been through enough. The last thing she needed was to hear more of his woes when he was trying to convince her that she could be happy with him.
He’d built this company into what it was. He could handle this.
Evie bustled into the room, interrupting his thoughts. “Sir?”
He set the phone on his desk. “Evie, yes?”
“I have made the reservation for you, ordered the champagne and the roses. If there is anything else, please let me know, and I will attend to it.”
He heaved a sigh. “Thanks.”
“I take it the news is not good?”
Grant’s jaw tightened again. “It’s not. Let me know when finance is ready in the conference room.”
“I will, sir,” Evie said with a nod before she disappeared from his office.
He grabbed his phone, reading the latest message from Julia.You’re tough! Hope everything is going okay at the office.
The words sent a mix of guilt and longing through him. He considered telling her the situation. She’d spent two years of her life fighting DG Industries, but he shook his head. He refused to drag her back into this situation. He’d handle it alone.
He typed a message back that was general enough not to give anything away before he shoved the phone into his pocket as Evie buzzed him. “Mr. Harrington, the finance team is ready and waiting for you.”
“Thanks,” he said as he leapt from his seat and made his way to the conference room.
He stormed into it, his nerves already taut. “Tell me something good, people. I want to hear solutions to stop this now.”
Silence met his demand. His eyes went wide as he slammed his hands onto the table, rattling the conference phone in the middle along with people’s coffee cups. “Are we not listening? I said I want answers. I want solutions. I want this over. Now.”
His final word came out as a growl.
His Vice President of Finance fiddled with his pen as he leaned forward. “Mr. Harrington, it’s not going to be as simple as–”
Grant shook his head. “Not what I want to hear. Try again.”
The man shifted in his seat, glancing across the table at a few of the others. “The problem is…”
Grant raised his eyebrows, and the man flicked his gaze to the table. “I don’t want to hear problems, Ben. I want to hear solutions. I was very clear about that. And if you can’t come up with any, then I’ll fire you and promote the person who can.”
At the end of the room, Mike Donovan’s lips tugged into a frown as he stood silently witnessing Grant’s temper.
The target of his ire mustered his courage and tried again. “At this point, we don’t have many options. And if this company continues to purchase shares at the rate they have today…”
His voice shook at the end of his statement before trailing off. He shifted his gaze to Grant. “We could reach critical level soon.”
“Critical level?” Grant questioned.
Ben swallowed hard, refusing to meet Grant’s eyes. “DG Industries could become a majority shareholder which means they can trigger a board vote to remove executives.”
