Page 36 of Double Daddies
“Double D Acquisitions is owned by the infamous billionaire duo themselves, as you said, Carlos.” Elle briefly wondered iftheir meeting had been a chance one but immediately scoffed at the thought. She was a measly bakery owner. She didn’t have anything they could possibly want.
“Didn’t the Tower management inform you of what was happening?” Carlos couldn’t hide his upset.
“No. This notice was the first I received.”
“It’s bullshit! They can’t just kick us out with only a thirty-day notice. Doesn’t the contract protect us in any way?”
“Not against mergers and acquisitions where ownership changes,” she said with renewed anger. “It’s a loophole I didn’t consider.”
“But what about us?” Mia’s voice trembled. “I need this job for tuition.”
“These heartless billionaires probably signed this notice between yacht purchases.” Elle’s tone dripped with disdain. “They don’t see us as people, just obstacles to their next profit margin.”
“If I can’t find another job, I’ll have to kick up my studies.” Mia started crying softly.
“If it wasn’t for Le Chic Bistro, this wouldn’t have been a problem. I would have had the capital to open a new shop. But the past two years have crippled my savings. I’m afraid I’ll have to join the workforce myself to survive.”
Her heart twisted at Mia’s tears, but her resolve hardened as she hugged her. Her voice softened.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure you get severance pay, at the very least. It won’t be much, but?—”
“Elle, no,” Mia interrupted. “You need that money, too.”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Elle said firmly, cutting her off, even as she cringed saying the words. She would need every penny to survive until she found a source of income, but she would rather eat ramen for months than abandon her people.At least she could sell the equipment and offer them a couple of months’ worth of salary to tide them over while looking for work.
“I won’t leave you two with nothing. You’ve stood by me all these years. I’ll figure something out for myself. You’ll have a safety net, even if it’s small.”
The guilt that she had failed them gnawed at her, but their loyalty deserved more than empty promises. She forced the bitter thoughts to the back of her mind and planted a neutral expression on her face as the bell above the door jingled.
“The fuck no!” She sneered as she recognized the two men walking into her shop. Her heart skipped a beat as the heat of steel-blue eyes seared over her. “You are not welcome in my shop. Get out.”
“Is that how you greet all your customers?” Drake Gould’s deep voice carried a tinge of amusement, which fired her anger to a boiling point.
“The right of admission is reserved. It says so on the sign outside the shop. I’m reserving my right. Turn your asses around and kindly march out of here.”
Elle couldn’t believe that fate could be that cruel to allow karma to saunter through the door wearing two bespoke suits.
Drake Gould and Damian White—the assholes she couldn’t get out of her mind. Now, she wished that coffee had burned their grins off their faces that morning.
Her shoulders straightened. They might never have met a hostile takeover they couldn’t charm their way through, but they had never backed a baker into a corner, either. It didn’t matter that they were eyeing her with the same intensity they probably used to devour Fortune 500 companies for breakfast.
What perfect timing. The eviction notice on the counter was still warm from Liam’s printer.The thought did nothing to calm her erratic breathing.
“This,” Drake declared, unperturbed as he sampled a dainty petit four with deliberate slowness, “is dangerous.”
“In case you missed those flashing eyes, I’d say so is she,” Damian drawled with his gaze flickering over Elle’s pristine white apron she was angrily tying around her waist.
“Since you’re clearly ancient, I assume you’re somewhat deaf, too,” she said with disgruntlement, ignoring the shocked looks of Mia and Carlos. “I’m not telling you again… Leave!”
“Well, that’s it,” Drake said with darkening eyes, albeit with a widening grin on his full and, oh, so kissable lips. Suddenly, he appeared twice as tall and powerful. “She just sealed her fate.”
“You called it once again, Drake. She’s the one. So… who’s going to tell her?”
“Oh, that pleasure will be all mine.”
Elle stomped her foot at being blatantly ignored, even while they were eyeing her like their next main course.
“One of you better start talking or leave because I’m done with senile, old men who believe money gives them the right to do what they want.”
