Page 8 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
"That’s still an option," I replied, completely serious.
*
Tristan called me into his office early in the afternoon.He got straight to the point, his brow furrowed, his features tight.
“I received a phone call from Claire Lacomb.We’ve got a problem.Aron Capital just made a move to take over.”
I straightened in my seat, adrenaline kicking in.
“What’s Claire’s take on it?”
He ran a hand down the back of his neck, tension visible in the gesture.
“We have two options.The first one’s more aggressive, Community Pilot could buy back the available shares directly.”
I narrowed my eyes, already picturing the fallout.
“That would cost a fortune.Even with our reserves, we’d need massive capital, and pulling something like that off would put all our other projects on hold.”
He nodded, staring past me at the digital board behind.
“The second option is launching a funding round.”
I let out a frustrated sigh.
“You know how long that would take.Negotiations, financial audits, legal hurdles...And while we’re busy with that, Aron Capital keeps climbing.”
He folded his arms, the silence between us sharpening.I ran through the blind spots in my mind, then something clicked.
“What if we do both?”I said, locking eyes with him.“Start buying back shares immediately to drive up the price and slow them down.Meanwhile, we prep a solid funding round with reliable partners.”
He looked up, something shifting in his gaze.
“That might help us spread the risk more evenly.”
I nodded.
“I’ll handle the share buybacks.You focus on bringing in strategic investors.Sound good?”
He held my eyes for a moment, then smiled, genuinely.
“Have I told you how much I love working with you?”
“We make a great team,” I replied with a small smile.
And because we were at work, because the walls had ears, I didn’t kiss him like I wanted to.I stayed professional.He knew.I saw it in the glint in his eyes.
An hour later, as I stepped out of his office, Audrey was standing just outside, hand raised to knock.She froze when she saw me, then gave a polite half-smile, gone as quickly as it appeared.
She stepped aside without a word, eyes following me.I caught the faint tap of her fingers against the already open door.
“Come in, Audrey.I was expecting you,” Tristan called, his voice overly relaxed, too warm.
The door clicked shut behind me, the sound soft but deliberate.
5.What are you implying?
TRISTAN
