by Piper Rayne
Tanner hung up the call, put the phone in his pocket, and strolled back to see his father. He didn’t realize he’d ambled far enough from the room that he had to make a turn. Bumping into someone, he looked up to see a young woman. The tea she was holding splashed on her arms and sleeves.
The woman was in her early twenties and dressed in a white blouse with a black skirt and black cardigan. Her blonde hair was tied in a bun. Was that a pen sticking out of her bun like a hairpin? Her face was pale like snow and her skin dried in the winter season. Blue eyes glowered from behind round, black glasses.
Darn! She looked way older than his mother and she was fierce like a tiger too! What did I do to get on her bad side?
Tanner had never become rude to a woman in his life, regardless of their looks or status. So, he forced a grin on his face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you to spill.” He grabbed a napkin from the table and gave it to her. “You can use this to wipe off the tea.”
“Are you blind, you moron!?” the woman snapped and tossed the cup into the trash can that leaned against the wall. “Do you need glasses to see your surroundings? Don’t tell me that this is your way of hitting on girls?”
What the fuck!? Did she just reprimand me? Who did this lady think she was?
The woman took out a handkerchief from her purse. Dabbing at her sleeve, she tried her best to dry it.
Tanner smirked at the poisonous viper as he stepped toward her. “Watch your mouth. You're not even my type, so don't flatter yourself. You don’t have to be that angry. I already apologized, didn’t I?”
“Stay away from me!” The offended lady shoved him as she stumbled a few steps backward, suffocating from his smell. "I hate that repulsive odor emanating from you."
What the… Did she just say I stink? Is she, by chance, referring to my cologne? This is high-brand perfume from a top company in Manhattan! I didn’t even spray too much peach scent on me. Either she had a bad nose, or she just wanted to attract my attention.
A man, in his early thirties, walked out of the elevator to stand alongside her. Tanner frowned as he gawked at the visitor staring at him. With jet black hair and deep brown eyes, he was dressed in a dark blue suit. His body wasn't that much different from his own form too. The only difference was that he was a few inches taller than Tanner.
Is this man her boyfriend? Do I look like a prude just now for hitting on someone else's lover?
The other gentleman surveyed the lady from top to bottom and then interjected himself into their conversation, “Calm down. Your outfit is fine. This is the hospital so you shouldn’t cause a scene.” Staring at Tanner, he instructed in a calm tone. “I hope you can be on your way and stop causing trouble for us.”
Tanner was startled at the other man’s implication. No wonder this woman had reacted so aggressively toward him for bumping into her. All girls in Manhattan couldn’t wait for him to flash them a smile and they were desperate to serve him every single time he entered a club. Since she was rude to him, then this must mean this young man was someone close to her.
“I didn’t mean to make a move on your girlfriend,” Tanner stammered, shaking his head. “It wasn’t her fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Before the two visitors could answer Tanner, Hudson's voice reached them from the other side of the hallway. “Young master, there you are. Your father told me to check on you, in case you ran off with your tail between your legs. I think you should get back to the room.”
Tanner hadn't had the chance to turn around before the butler faced the two people standing next to him. “You both are finally here, Mr. Thompson and Ms. Nelson. Master McGuire was waiting for the both of you. Please hurry up and join us in the room too.”
Did I hear him right? Hudson said my father called me a deserter. I guess my father still doesn’t trust me after all these years. Wait! Does our butler know these two people? Who are they?
2
Stacey
She had never met a man as insufferable as the disgusting man standing right in front of her. Why did she feel such bad vibes from him? Or was that only her imagination?
Stacey raised her brows at the announcement, sneaking peeks at the unbearable jerk. The butler, that she had met yesterday, scolded the sleazy man in an affectionate tone. She hadn’t been sure if Hudson had already left the hospital to go home to change into a new outfit.
Didn't I already warn the butler to keep a good watch on our employer? I even told him to not let any people disturb the CEO's rest. Master McGuire needed more time to heal from his illness. Wait a second! What was that again? Please don't tell me...
“Hudson, why did you say that?” the older man asked, turning to look at Tanner. “Are you saying that he is…?”
The butler nodded. “I’ll introduce all of you.” Hudson turned to Tanner and waved his hand at the two individuals. “Young master, both of them are employees working for your father. They're Ethan Thompson and Stacey Nelson.” Pointing to Tanner, he glanced at the two secretaries. “Both of you, this is the only son of our boss, Tanner McGuire.”
Stacey's mouth fell open as she stared at the intruder. Shivers crawled down her back from his touch earlier. She hadn’t expected the sleazy man to be her second boss. What a twist of a fate. She’d finally met the black sheep of her employer's family.
In the past six years that she worked at McGuire Design Corporation and she’d heard of the son's bad reputation. The rumors floated around, indicating the son was a traitor and was banned from entering the conglomerate. More repulsive buzzing tattletales indicated that with one glimpse at the second boss, any single woman would become pregnant.
She hadn't believed the latter farfetched gossips. Until now. Glancing at the sleazy guy again, she noticed that his gaze resembled a fox preying on a sheep. The thick gel on his blond, spiky hair indicated a bad boy, but his expensive shirt and pants showed that he was a rich man. He even had the nerve to smile at her during his apology.
Does he take me for an easy target to fool around with? Darn, I can't breathe at all.
Stacey had a strong sense of smell so she caught the strong offensive cologne on his body. She disliked men like her father, who impressed women with their body and then abandoned them the moment they got what they wanted. This second boss was probably the same based on those rumors, though she knew she should be professional in her current position and not let her name be tarnished.
She lowered her head and reached out her hand toward Tanner. "I apologize for my rash behavior. Please don't be offended."
"Apology accepted." Tanner grinned and shook her hand. Looking at Stacey up and down, he smirked. “Since you dressed in plain clothes, you'll look prettier when you keep your tongue in check.”
Did he just compliment me? Or was that an insult? Hmph! He’s such a smooth talker.
Following everyone closely behind, Stacey sneaked peeks at Tanner again without him noticing. The young master wore a black pants and blue jacket over a white shirt. The first three buttons were undone, showing his collar bones and chest. With his blond bangs dangling on his forehead, Tanner resembled more of a gangster or a gigolo. Swiping her head to the side at the last second, she avoided looking him in the eye.
Why does he keep looking at me with a suspicious glance? I should be cautious of him and stay far away from him. Getting into a fight with him would land me in hot water.
Entering her employer's room, Stacey saw her boss sitting on the hospital bed. In front of him were six leftover dishes of food. The cloudy sky outside indicated the approaching evening. On the right side of the bed, the brown cot was littered with seven binders. Stacey waited until the three men selected their own seats before pressing the button on the bed to alert the nurses.
Tanner stacked the large folders up like a wall between him and his father before he sat on the cot. Ethan sat on a chair in front of Joseph’s bed while his back leaned against the window. As for Hudson, he strolled to stand right beside the
end of the bed that was right near the bathroom door.
Stacey passed Hudson and Ethan and placed her bag on the empty chair. She set her laptop on the table, turned the power on, and logged into her account. The moment a nurse came to take out the dishes onto her trolley, Stacey noticed her laptop had loaded the desktop screen. Stacey pulled out two binders from her sack and placed them next to each other on the food stand.
“Mr. McGuire, these documents need your signatures.” Stacey opened each binder. “The first contract indicates splitting the royalties of the business transaction between McGuire Design Incorporation and William's Shopping Mall. This contract also added a new clause from the other company to share the news of the production within each conglomerate. The second binder indicates the signing with Blackwood Marketing Corporation to advertise new clothes for the winter and other seasons. Please read through each file and let me know what else you want to change or add on each contract.”
Joseph reread every single word on each page and signed the first contract. “Did you hear any news from the William's Shopping Mall? Are they still going to promote our outfits?"
"Yes! I do," Stacey answered, smiling at Tanner's father. "I convinced the client last night to let your son go on your behalf. William's Shopping Mall’s CEO requested a family man to join the meeting." Looking at Tanner, she rubbed her temple and heaved a sigh. "I'm not sure about your son's marriage status. So, please tell me when I should send our response to them."
Stacey faced the wall to avoid Tanner's stare. She fumbled with the hem of her black dress and focused her attention on her boss. Even though her employer was injured, he still sat firm and straight like a hero, unlike his son, who just leaned his body on the cot.
Stacey sat down on the chair and opened the browser to buy plane tickets. She searched through the website to check for available seats to Las Vegas in the next few days. As she searched, her employer's voice distracted her.
“Yes?” Stacey glanced at her boss. “What did you just say? Sorry. I was browsing the internet to look for plane tickets for the trip. I didn’t hear you earlier. Can you repeat your question?”
Joseph frowned. “Why do you even need to book seats on an airplane? My son and you could ride the company helicopter. No need to go through all that hassle. Instead, you should use this time to search for a hotel.”
“Okay!” Stacey nodded. “I’ll go ahead and look for any available hotel rooms near the meeting.”
Opening another tab, she checked for any available rooms during the busy winter holidays, hoping that she could find two rooms on the same floor. After twenty minutes, she found a hotel with several available rooms that was twenty minutes away from the meeting place.
“Finally!" Stacey exclaimed. "I'll go ahead and book these two rooms at the Bellagio Hotel. We’re good now, boss. Have you gotten an answer for my previous question?”
Joseph nodded. “I do. Give me a second to verify with my son first.” Turning, he coughed to get Tanner’s attention. “So, have you been married in the past eight years?”
“No! Never been!” Tanner shifted on the cot to avoid his father’s gaze. “I’ll be single for the rest of my life so I can flirt with all girls I want without any interruption. I guess you should ask someone else to go to the meeting instead.”
“I wanted to ask your cousin, Augustus Blackwood. However, he’s out of the country for a business trip and won’t be back until the middle of January.” Shaking his head, Joseph turned to Stacey. “Tell William’s Shopping Mall that my son already had a fiancée. I hope this answer would be acceptable for the other company.”
Stacey whirled to face her boss and bowed her head. "The response would be perfect. Don't worry. I’ll email them right now with that feedback and tell them that your son will marry this spring.”
Tanner was startled by both proclamations. He scrambled to his feet and snarled at Stacey. “What the hell was that? Don't even bother sending that bullshit to the client!" Turning to his father, he glowered in disappointment. "You can't be serious! Do you know you're ruining my reputation, old man?”
Avoiding Tanner’s anger expression, Stacey opened her email, typed a quick paragraph to the secretary of William’s company's CEO, and didn’t confirm with anyone before sending the message. In a flash, Tanner strode over and snatched the laptop from her.
Glaring at the screen, Tanner snapped in a fierce tone, “Are you deaf? I haven’t given you permission to send anything yet. Why didn’t you wait for my approval first?”
“Master McGuire already gave consent for me to send them this response,” Stacey snapped and snatched her laptop back. “I only take orders from the employer who pays me. So, you don’t have the right to boss me around. Do you understand?”
Tanner growled and gritted his teeth. “You…”
“Son, I’m just trying to fix your reputation,” Joseph interrupted. “I guess you should be thankful instead. Even if you have no fiancée now, I’ll talk with your mother about looking for a bride for you soon.”
Tanner was flabbergasted. He ambled toward his father, determined to change his mind. Stacey interjected her own opinion and interrupted Tanner before he could get a chance to open his mouth.
“I heard from the secretary of the William Shopping Mall that the CEO wants to use the business meeting to promote a romance book his mother wrote. That’s why he recommended a family man to discuss the details. Are you sure your son knows anything about living a happy life with a significant other?”
Joseph rubbed his chin and turned to his butler. “Hudson, I want you to take my son to the library and look through books based on marriage. Make sure he learns something.”
“I said…” Tanner started.
But he didn’t get far with his questions before the older secretary interrupted him. Ethan strode forward and bowed at Joseph. “Are you sure we can lie through this? How about coming up with another suggestion? No need to be so brash.”
“I made up my mind. Since my wife wants grandchildren soon, this solution works,” Joseph replied. His cold gaze landed on his son. “You better made sure to keep your mouth shut and make sure not to spill the beans during the meeting.”
Tanner glared at his father. “You can’t just make me do this. I don’t agree with your crazy strategy at all. I want to back out now.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll let you know now that you can’t change my decision after I have already come this far. Too late to quit now.” Joseph retorted in a fierce rage. Turning to Stacey, he ordered in an adamant tone, “I want you to write a contract of responsibilities for this business meeting. Get this done soon so I can have my son sign the form before letting Mr. Howard accompany him to Las Vegas. If anything goes wrong with this business deal later, then I can sue my son for violating the contract."
Stacey opened her word document. “All right! I’ll create the contract and bring the form for you to sign tomorrow morning.”
Tanner finally lost his composure and exploded. “Have you gone nuts from that car crash? What makes you think that I’ll go through with this stupid scheme of yours?”
“Why can’t I?” Joseph shouted as he struggled to get out of bed. Hudson and Ethan held him down. “You used my wealth all this time, even though you betrayed me eight years ago. I should have disinherited you back then and froze your credit cards. Don’t blame me cruelly when I disown you for good.”
Tanner stopped moving, clenched his hands, and mumbled, “Father, are you really going to go that far?”
“Just take your time to go prepare for the business meeting,” Joseph huffed as he leaned back on the pillow. “After the trip back from Las Vegas, your mother and I will send you on blind dates. Hudson, you should take my son and go do what I requested. Don't bother coming back here since my wife will come to check on me in a few hours. Now, I want to continue talking about the company with my secretaries.”
Tanner glowered one last time at his father silently. Shooting a deadly stare
toward Stacey, Tanner swore, hustled toward the door, and strode out of sight without a second glance. Hudson bowed to his boss and followed his young master into the hallway.
Stacey frowned at Tanner's strong reaction. Since she’d planned to avoid the young master at all cost, she hadn't expected to provoke the young master. How would she face him next time? Stacey hadn't resolved her discomfort around him yet, and she already got on his bad side.
The three of them waited until the voices of Tanner and Hudson faded into the distance. Stacey strolled forward to close the door to stop any interruptions from outside. She nodded her head to signal to Master McGuire that their surroundings were safe so they could begin their important discussion.
"Have you gotten any confession from that criminal?" Joseph sighed as he laid back down on the bed. "I read through all the accounting books Ms. Nelson brought last night. I still couldn't figure out why you need me to search through these documents. Does this somehow relate to the embezzlement?"
Ethan opened his bag and pulled out his sketchpad. "Of course. I figured we have a tough road ahead of us. Thanks to the feedback from your employees and the copies of the accounting data from Ms. Nelson, I discovered another thief still lingering in your company."
"What was that?" Joseph jumped at the unexpected news. Agitated, he tried to scramble to his feet. "I thought you already captured the criminal. Are you telling me that I might still have a few more enemies in my conglomerate?"
Stacey approached her boss and tried to calm him down. "Do you remember your doctor recommended that you control your anger? I know that the embezzlement news must be distressing, but the physician says you must not have any more stress. You don’t want to have a heart attack.
"Ms. Nelson is correct. I hope we can discuss this peacefully without alerting the nurses," Ethan reassured Master McGuire before giving him the research notes. "The amount of money from the past ten years doesn't add up, so I confirmed my suspicions that we might have a second thief. They weren’t even an accomplice of the accountant you reported to our company a month ago."
