Page 85 of BillionHeir
“I would love to,” I answer immediately.
Her face lights up with joy, and I would do damn near anything to make sure that I put this look on her face every day for the rest of my life.
“Great! I will text you once I get to the hospital and talk to her.”
And while she is gone, I will put my plan into place.
I order room service while Chloe showers. Once she is out, I make sure she has a proper breakfast before she leaves. Then I kiss her goodbye at the door and get straight to work.
“Ethan,” I say in greeting when he answers my call. “I have something I want to talk to you about. Is now a good time?”
“You are asking?” he says with a laugh.
He has become far more confident over the last several weeks. I am proud of him.
“Apparently I am.”
“I always have time for you, boss. How can I help you?”
“I have been thinking lately, and I have decided to hand most of the major decision making over to you.” There is an audible sound of something clattering in the background. “Ethan?” I ask after a few more seconds of silence. “Are you still there?”
“Ye–Yes, I am. I am just, uh, not quite sure if you are serious, Si–Maxwell.” The man is so blindsided by my decision that he can barely get a sentence out.
“I am serious, Ethan. You have been an incredible asset to me and the company. It is time you are rewarded for your hard work. I want you to take over as CEO. I will stay on as chairman of the board, but you will become responsible for the day-to-day operations.”
“I don’t know how to thank you, Maxwell. I promise that I won’t let you down.”
“I am quite confident about that, Ethan. That is why I am trusting you with my family’s company. Don’t fuck it up.”
I hang up the phone. Better to leave him hanging with a threat I am not afraid to follow through with. I wouldn’t hesitateto take back what is rightfully mine if I need to. But right now, Ethan is doing an excellent job.
I spent a long time after Chloe fell asleep last night thinking about my life and my priorities. I can see now that while my company needed to be my main focus for a few years, I have used it as a wall between myself and the world for many years now.
My time recovering helped me realize that it is time I actually start living my life. And the person I want to do it with is Chloe.
I will do anything I can to make that happen.
Up to and including making sure that her mother gets the best healthcare money can buy. I have been talking with a team of doctors over the last few days. They have consulted with her physicians and have reviewed her medical records. They are prepared to take over her care in the United States and make sure that she is getting the best treatments available.
Now I just have to get the woman I have never met to agree.
* * *
“I thought you would never get here,” Chloe says as I walk up to meet her.
We are standing at the same door she disappeared into that first night we were here in London. We have come so far since then, but I still feel like this will be a major test. Maybe it is just this meeting with her mother, but I get the distinct feeling that this needs to go well.
“Am I late?” I ask, kissing her cheek as she hugs me.
“No, of course not,” she says, giving me a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I am just anxious, that is all. Mum is all in a tizzy that she gets to finally meet you. Like a schoolgirl about to meet her celebrity crush or something.” She rolls her eyes slightly, but I can tell that she is not as put out as she is acting. Her nerves show in her eyes, but so does her love for me.
She grabs my hand and leads me to a bank of elevators. We take one up to the third floor and then walk down a series of hallways until finally we are outside a door that looks similar to my own when I was at Sanctuary Springs.
I should be nervous about meeting Chloe’s mother for the first time, but instead, I feel a weird sense of calm. I have no doubt that Chloe is my future, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing gets in our way. That includes charming her mother and making sure that she gets well again.
Chloe turns to me before she opens the door.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. You could just turn and leave and never look back.” She is smiling, but I don’t think she is joking.
