Page 46 of Two of a Kind
“Have you come to a decision?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“And I’m not convinced a full merger with Chamberlain is in our best interests.”
His father narrowed his eyes, no doubt realizing this was not one of his sure things. “Perhaps I did not make myself clear. This is not a negotiation.”
Spencer pressed on.No guts, no glory.
“How closely have you looked at their bottom line? Chamberlain might have a large presence in the European market right now, but they’re stagnant. They haven’t produced anything new in the last five years, and their takeover rate since 2015 is practically nil.”
“Suddenly you know more than our team of financial analysts?” his father asked with cutting sarcasm.
Spencer ignored the dig and continued. “I’ve done some research. Call it a hunch, but I think Chamberlain Corp needs Dumas Industries more than we need them. Why else would the old man put his daughter on the bargaining table like that? It’s a desperate move.”
The old man didn’t blink. “The marriage was our concession, not his.”
Spencer’s progression of carefully thought-out counterarguments came to a grinding halt. “Excuse me?”
“Caldwell expressed concerns over your ability to lead the company into the next decade. The tentative merger agreement includes a clause that Chelsea share in the responsibilities of running the company. That, of course, is most easily accomplished by a marriage where, in the absence of a prenuptial agreement, assets are shared jointly by husband and wife.”
Spencer didn’t look down to confirm, though it felt a lot like someone had just cut him off at the knees.
Only through years of practice did he keep his expression and his voice even. “When were you going to tell me this?”
The elder Dumas waved his hand, as if what he had just revealed was inconsequential. “It is all spelled out in the marriage contract. Our lawyers have already looked it over and assure me everything is in order.”
Surely, he hadn’t heard correctly. Spencer’s sharp mind grabbed at the words and pulled them in, turned them around, twisted them to make more sense, but he still kept coming back to the same conclusion.
“This is a new low, even for you.”
“You need to look at the bigger picture here, Spencer.”
“Oh, I’m seeing the bigger picture, all right. You think Chelsea Chamberlain can do a better job running this company than I can?”
“She has already proven herself to be more than capable. However, there are those who will not readily accept a woman at the helm.”
“So, basically what you’re saying is, I’m to be the figurehead, not her.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. I’m sure the two of you can come to an agreement you are both satisfied with.”
“And if I refuse?”
His father exhaled. “We have already been through this. If you refuse to marry Chelsea, you forfeit your position in Dumas Industries.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Take it or leave it.”
Spencer stood up. “Thanks for making it easier,Dad. I’ll leave it.”
“Think carefully before you walk out that door, Spencer,” his father warned in an authoritative tone. “Consider all you will lose.”
“Believe it or not, many have found success outside these walls.”
“And what do you know about it? Your life has been one of privilege.”
