Page 5 of Prince of Her Heart
Tabitha blinked.That’s what her mother thought this was about?That she was still heartbroken over Martin?
“I’ve definitely moved on,” Tabitha said with a sharp laugh.“I moved out of Hendersonville.I have a great job, a home, a car.I’m not stuck in the past.”
“You’re still in love with Martin,” her mother said, sliding the words in like a scalpel.
Tabitha stared at her.
Still in love with Martin?
Not even close.Her cheating ex-fiancé was a ghost she barely thought about anymore.
Her boss?That was a different story.
“Mother, I’m not still in love with Martin,” she said, letting out a dry chuckle as she stabbed another piece of orange.
Her mother nodded, apparently satisfied.“Good.Then you’ll take a few days off and come home for the parties and the wedding.”
Tabitha stared.“Not a chance.”
Tilda gave a dramatic shrug.“Why not?If you’re not in love with Martin, then it shouldn’t bother you that he’s marrying Leandra, right?”
Tabitha smirked.“It doesn’t.Leandra was dating someone else when she slept with Martin.They’re both cheaters.Honestly, they deserve each other.”
Tilda huffed.“So why aren’t you coming?”
“Because I have better things to do than spend a weekend being around two people I wouldn’t even hold the door for.”
Tilda didn’t flinch.“Stacy is your best friend,” she snapped, then took a breath and softened her tone again.“She’s hurt that you’re not standing beside her.You should see her with John—they’re really in love.”Tilda reached for her wine, shaking her head.“And you’ll get to see all the babies that’ve been born since you left.Five years of life, honey.Five years of pretending you’re not still in love with Martin.”
Tabitha laughed.“Mother, you’re not going to guilt me into coming to the wedding.I’ve already told Stacy that I can’t be there.She understands.”
“She doesn’t,” Tilda argued.“She’s pretending to understand because she knows that you’re still not over Martin.”
Tabitha rolled her eyes and changed the subject.“Tell me about Aunt Mable.Is she still in the hospital?”
Once they were finished with lunch, Tabitha lifted a finger towards the waiter.He immediately appeared by her side.“I’ll take the check, please,” she told the man with a smile.
The man politely bowed and smiled back.“Your lunch has already been paid for, Ms.Jones,” he said with a professional smile before backing away.
Tabitha stared at him open mouthed.When she looked at her mother, Tilda chuckled.“I think we can guess who paid,” her mother teased, a twinkle in her hazel eyes as she patted her mouth with the linen napkin.
Tabitha’s lips pressed together.“I know,” she groaned.“That man!”she hissed, but gathered up her purse.She glanced at her phone, waiting for the message that would tell her if Ramzi was successful in his meeting.She’d done a lot of research into which company he should invest in next.Tabitha knew that Bondras Corp was the best choice, because of their patents.She knew what Ramzi hoped to accomplish in Uftar and the products were exactly what was needed.
But would Mark Bondras sell to Ramzi?Would the grandfather accept that his grandson was part of the problem?Or would the older man accept that selling to Ramzi was the best option in order to maintain the company?
Tabitha always did a great deal of research on a company before she recommended it to Ramzi.For this analysis, she’d met with the grandson several times, talking with him and getting to hear what he planned to do with the company in the future when he took over.Unfortunately, Jeff Bondras was an obnoxious, slimy weasel, who had made more than one pass at her while Tabitha tried to get information about the company.She suspected that Mark Bondras would attempt to keep the grandson employed with the company, but Tabitha had urged Ramzi not to accept the deal with those terms.
So, had Ramzi walked away?Had Mark sold those last few shares needed to release control?Or had he risked a takeover from the disreputable private equity firm that had been skulking around?Private equity companies claimed that they merely played by the capitalistic rules of engagement.But private equity, hedge funds, and their ilk were the hyenas of the business world.They made their own rules, not doing much for the world other than increasing dividends for the wealthy stockholders, then dumping the leftovers after they’d picked through anything that might be profitable.
Private equity managers had approached her several times over the past several years, offering her outrageous amounts of money to join their team.They wanted her research and business skills so that they could rampage through the vulnerable businesses and make more billions.What they didn’t know was that Ramzi paid her even more money.Plus, he might be merciless, but he was ethical and moral.Crown Prince Ramzi El Sandir might also rampage through the business world, but he did it to make his people’s lives better.When Ramzi bought a company, he used the outputs to help his country.
Bondras Corp had a very specific glue formula that would allow Ramzi’s country to make building materials from sand that could withstand heat, cold, and wind damage better than concrete and at a fraction of the cost.Ramzi wanted to use that formula to build affordable housing for hundreds of thousands of people.
And that, more than the money or any other incentive, was why she stayed with Ramzi.
Her loyalty had nothing to do with the pathetic, pointless crush she had on the man.
“Are you even listening to me?”Tilda demanded.
