The Billionaire's Board

by Lark Anderson

  “Really?” I reply sarcastically. “A press release is set to go out in two days. We’ll be on the cover of magazines across North America, China, and Europe. Now’s not the time to come marching into my board room.”

  Sayo says nothing. Instead, she stares at me, making me feel as though I’m being judged, no. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get through the next few months and make it to our wedding, let alone having to spend years like this with her.

  Sayo turns to leave the room, though every two steps she glances over her shoulder to make sure Kibbles isn’t stalking her.

  When Sayo shuts the door behind her, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

  She’s an ambitious woman. Demanding to be fully engaged in the family business. Whenever we spend any time together, it always goes to numbers and my poor management.

  There’s nothing wrong with Sayo, but she displays so little emotion, it leaves me ill at ease around her. She’s quiet but brazen with her stares. Heck, Kibbles might be just the thing I need to keep her from staring at me with those judgmental eyes.

  I have to remind myself, she doesn’t want to be here just as much as I don’t want her here.

  But there’s nothing either of us can do about it.

  ❦

  Gabriel discovers a secret…

  You’ve Received 83 New Messages

  Not bad. I’ve been averaging 75 an hour, so receiving 83 over two means I get a little reprieve.

  I open my Messenger to see the damage. Six from my mother, four from HR, seven from lawyers, two from Analise, three from board members, and an epic ton from entertainment reporters.

  Zero from Tom.

  Tom Wellington, the snake in the grass. The unaccounted for factor I had underestimated. So much more than just a board member who votes against me.

  How had I never seen it before? It was staring me in the face all along. And now, I’ve lost the one woman I could actually see myself growing old with.

  I know how crazy that sounds. That it’s crazy I’m imagining myself growing old with someone I’ve only known for two weeks, but when you meet the one, I guess you just know.

  Remi Stone is the whole package, and one day she’s going to make some lucky fool the happiest man alive. I know it. That is if I didn’t break her too badly.

  By now, she should have received my parting gift. The one Analise helped me put together.

  I wanted to give her so much more, but Analise insisted that I keep it professional. Be generous, but not over the top. Basically, don’t make her feel like a damn hooker.

  My phone buzzes—it’s the board. An email was sent reminding me of tomorrow’s meeting, as though I could forget.

  Cregor: The board meeting will be held tomorrow at noon. Your presence is expected to discuss urgent matters we will be voting on.

  Urgent matters we will be voting on? Fuck me! They’re planning a coup!

  I’m angry for a lot of good reasons. For four years, I’ve barely been able to get a word in edgewise during company meetings. They’ve undermined my position and allowed Icor Tech to continue using prehistoric platforms that are both costly and inefficient. And now, they want to oust me.

  Fuck them! I’m surrendering myself to a loveless marriage so they can keep their lofty positions and their pride. The last thing I need is them telling me how ‘I’ve let the company down.’ If they want to offer me a buyout tomorrow, I’ll be happy to show them what’s going to happen when I leave, and when I’m no longer set to marry Ms. Sayo Nguyen, Grand Lesbian of China, maybe I’ll get to explore my option with Remi.

  Except you can’t do that. They need you, and it’s going to slap them in the face real soon. There is no escaping your marriage. Not for you. Not for Sayo.

  I toss back a drink—cheers to my new life. Then I bring up a new video of Remi posted by Might Be Meghan, and I swear, I fall in love all over again.

  CHAPTER 32

  Remi is in demand…

  “Oh my God! I can’t keep up with all these messages!” Meghan says while scrolling through her phone. “I don’t even know how to filter through them all.”

  “I’m a little swamped too. I’m getting 50 messages an hour, at least a quarter of them appear to be legit.”

  “You are the most wanted woman alive!”

  “Yeah, I just wish it were for my body.”

  Meghan sits down on the couch next to me, entirely too close, but it’s her couch. What can I say?

  “So, what do you think you’re going to do?” she asks.

  “I don’t know. I had been planning to stick around New York City—but why? I can go anywhere it seems.”

  “You just want to get away from him, don’t you?”

  It’s true. Staying here, I would be forced to relive the whirlwind romance I shared with Gabriel Icor, if that’s what you would call it. I guess it was more of a one night stand.

  A knock sounds on the door and Meghan jumps to get it. A moment later, she’s calling to me.

  My heart stops.

  What if it’s him? That would be foolish, though. Gabriel Icor’s thoughts are not on little old me.

  “Remi, hurry your ass up!”

  I finally rise from the couch and shuffle to the door, not caring that I look bedraggled.

  When I get there, I see one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen before staring at me, two giant men flanking her.

  Her black hair hangs like a silk, black curtain. Her lips are ruby red, contrasting her milk-white skin. She’s clearly Asian, as are the men accompanying her.

  Are they bodyguards?

  She’s wearing an expensive-looking white dress with a black flower pattern, the hem sitting midway up her thigh with bright-red ankle booties. Her whole body seems to sparkle from the various jewels strewn across her.

  Is she a headhunter for some tech company?

  The woman’s mouth forms a sneer, clearly finding me distasteful, which is rather insulting considering the shit I’ve been through.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you think about me,” I say.

  Her eyes widen, she brings a hand to her mouth as if she’s deep in thought.

  “I do not know what he sees in you,” she says.

  “He sees what in who?” I ask.

  “God, you can’t be the genius he raves about.”

  “Listen, lady. You knocked on MY door!”

  “Actually, the door belongs to me,” Meghan interjects.

  I glare at her, and she slinks back, giving me and the woman some privacy.

  “I need you to come with me. It’s very important,” the woman says.

  I place my hands on my hips. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Damnit! I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this,” she says. “Boys.”

  One of the men bends down, sliding a large chest from the side of the door and undoing the latch.

  “What’s in there?” I ask, more than a little anxious.

  “Nothing, but you will be if you don’t come with me.”

  My jaw drops as the second man steps towards me, arms outstretched. My body goes numb, unable to move. I try to scream, but I can’t find my voice.

  A burst of laughter explodes from the woman. Both men crack wide grins.

  “Down boys. You’ve had your fun.”

  I blink, confused. The men are withdrawing, giggling softly.

  “What…what the fuck is going on?” I shout.

  “Oh, I was just having a little fun.”

  “Well, that’s pretty fucking sick threatening to kidnap someone, ya know.”

  She shrugs, taking a casual stance.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Sayo Nguyen. In just two months, I will be marrying Gabriel Icor.”

  My hand covers my mouth as a knot forms in my gut. “I’m so sorry. I’m so terribly sorry. I never meant any harm. I had no idea!”

  She’s grinning, not at all how a woman looking at the bitch that fucked her man should
look.

  “I’m not even working there anymore. I quit when I found out.”

  “I know. If you had been smart, you’d have looked for a way to sue the company. After all, you were grossly mistreated.”

  “Look, lady—I’m a genius.”

  “So Gabriel says.”

  “I don’t need to sue Icor Tech to make ends meet.”

  “I’m sure you don’t.”

  “Then don’t worry about my life choices,” I snap. “Are we done? Now that you’ve seen your romantic rival, are we done?”

  “I’ve had the misfortune of encountering your cat,” she says.

  “Kibbles?”

  “Whatever you call that thing. It’s vile.”

  “I guess that’s something we can agree on. Now, do you mind telling me why you’re here? Is it to rub it in my face that you’re with Gabe? To size me up? To lecture me on pet health?”

  “As I said earlier, I need you to come with me.”

  “Oh, hell no!”

  “Well, you did sleep with my fiancé.” Sayo is frowning now, her shoulders slumping. “It’s the least you could do for me.”

  Is she really using the worst night of my life against me? Well, technically, it was the best—but it was followed a couple days later by the worst day of my life, so the point’s still valid.

  “Do me the pleasure of joining me for lunch. Well, I’m not really sure if pleasure is the word I would choose. Chances are, I’m going to want to stab my eyeballs out after just a brief conversation with you.”

  I’ve had enough. “God, you’re terrible. What could Gabriel possibly see in you? He must be blind.”

  “Follow me. We’re going to brunch. Don’t make me throw you in that box.”

  If she’s made the effort to track me down, I should probably hear what she has to say. If only to spite Gabriel.

  “Wait! Can I at least get dressed first?” I ask, looking down at my shirt that I now realize is stained with mustard and my poor life decisions.

  Sayo looks at me, amused, but then something catches her eye, and her face contorts from arrogance to sheer horror.

  I follow the direction of her gaze and see what has her so riled.

  “Oh, say hello to Number 11.”

  “11?”

  “Yeah, he’s actually pretty well-traveled. I saw him in the lobby just three days ago. How he made it to the sixth floor is beyond me, but I think we can both agree it’s rather impressive.”

  “What on Earth could Gabriel possibly ever see in you?”

  CHAPTER 33

  Gabriel is ousted from the board…

  I walk into an already full boardroom, six sets of eyes staring at me and waiting to get started.

  Tom’s wearing a megawatt grin, and I can tell that in his mind, he’s already won. That may be the case, but I’m not going down without a fight.

  “I guess we should begin,” I say, taking the place left for me at the head of the table.

  “Actually,” Tom says, spinning his chair to face mine. “We’re still waiting for someone to arrive.”

  “This is a board meeting,” Cregor snaps. “The directors won’t—”

  “Oh, trust me, Creg. You’re gonna wanna hear what they have to say.”

  I know Lindel won’t vote me off the board, and I’m fairly certain Barry won’t either, but Cregor has never been a proponent of mine. He absolutely hated my father, from what I heard, and when my father passed, he let it be known he’d rather not have me on the board at all.

  Jim and Essie are looking down towards their laps. This isn’t a good sign, and I begin to wonder just how much my board has been plotting against me. I’m literally in a room full of sharks, circling, trying to catch the scent of blood.

  The door opens, and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach.

  In walks Sayo, who Tom is much too happy to see, but trailing her is what surprises me.

  Remi Stone walks in, chin up, wearing a tee-shirt and jeans.

  What is she doing here?

  “How nice of you to make it, Sayo,” Tom says smugly, “and it’s good to see you again, Remi.”

  Tom shoots Remi a wink that makes me want to stab him in the eye with my pen. After what Tom put Remi through, he should feel ashamed. Instead, he’s arranged some crazy fucking shenanigans to make some power play to oust me from the board.

  At least now, I know why.

  “Get them out of here!” Cregor shouts. “This is a board meeting.”

  “Yes, but you’ll see that their inclusion is necessary.”

  Cregor looks ready to shout again, but Lindel places a hand on his arm, and he is silenced. She has that effect on people.

  “Whatever it is you have planned, Tom, you can do it without them. I have nothing to hide, and I wouldn’t want an ex-employee or my fiancé going through undue stress.”

  Sayo smiles brightly, taking a seat next to Remi in a chair against the wall. “I assure you, we are fine,” she says.

  Seeing that smile and knowing that Tom was expecting her lets me know the situation is far worse than I had thought.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I say.

  Cregor rises to take the floor, no doubt intent on going through a laundry list of things I’ve neglected as CEO of the company.

  He opens his mouth to speak, but Tom cuts him off, saying. “Cregor, I know you think this is your meeting, but take a seat.”

  A stunned look crosses Cregor’s face, and when no one moves to question Tom, I know for sure he has the board in the bag.

  I rise.

  “There’s no need for a dog and pony show, Tom. I know you want me off the board. Everyone else knows you want me off the board. But, does everyone know just why you want me off?”

  I look around at the sitting members, their eyes shift to Tom.

  “Well, I was going to tell them, but I guess I’ll let you.”

  I take a few steps, circling Tom, then stop to look at the board members. “You see, there’s a very specific reason why Tom has put so much effort into turning you all against me.”

  I turn, making sure to draw out the suspense.

  “There’s a bylaw written into company policy stating that two blood relatives cannot serve on the board at any one time. The wording is unique. It means a husband and a wife can serve together, but not brother and sister, or rather—brother and brother.”

  The board members now look confused, whispering to each other.

  “I’d like you all to take a look at these documents.” I pass around copies to each of the board members.

  “Large payouts my father made using a fake name over time. It appears he sponsored your private schools and ivy league education. Yours and your mother’s living expenses as well.”

  The board members flip through the documents, surprised looks on their faces.

  “Was it your idea he appoint you to the board? Bringing it from six to seven? Or his? My guess, it was probably his. He wanted to keep you a secret, so he could go one living his ‘picture perfect’ life. The only way he could ensure you wouldn’t go public with the information and embarrass him, was if you were on the board because no two blood relatives can serve together. You’d lose your job.”

  “I earned my position on this board! I had to take what was owed to me!” Tom’s red with rage now that everyone knows his secret.

  Sayo clears her throat and takes a position alongside us.

  “Enough of this confrontation. I’ll tell you flat out what’s going on. Tom and Gabriel are blood relatives, and cannot serve on the board at the same time despite doing so for four years, and Tom also serving with his father. Since this is being brought to the board’s attention today, this is what we will be voting on.”

  “You do not give us orders—” Cregor starts, but Sayo cuts him off.

  “I will give whatever order I want because if you don’t listen to me, you will not be getting any of my father’s money to help bail you out.”

  The room
is silent now, Sayo commanding the floor.

  “For the last several years, Icor Tech has grossly mismanaged their money. You’re in need of some help.”

  “Well, if the CFO had been doing his job, then maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation,” I say. “But no, from the sound of it, Tom knew exactly what he was doing. You knew too.”

  “You must be mistaken,” Sayo says, now walking around the table as she speaks.

  “I’m surprised, Sayo. I thought it was only your father with these ambitions. Turns out, you’re a bit of a player yourself.”

  Sayo smiles at me, a smile showing she thinks I’m already defeated.

  “Well, since we’re airing all the dirty laundry, after I found out that Tom was my brother, I dug a little deeper. Tried to figure out what else is going on, and wouldn’t you know, the same platforms Tom had insisted we stick with, are having their shares bought up by Sayo’s father.”

  Sayo’s neck snaps in my direction, clearly caught off guard.

  “Yeah, I suppose you thought that during the meeting, you’d tell them I was being negligent, you’d parade Remi around, telling everyone I was trying to manipulate votes and fucking employees—when it had been Tom all along.”

  The board’s staring, slack-jawed, looking to each other confused.

  “It doesn’t matter what Tom has done,” Sayo says, scanning the room. “My father’s the only one who can help you out now. You’re a sinking vessel. Once you vote Gabriel out, Tom will become CEO, as he is of Icor blood. Then, we can go about rebuilding.”

  “Actually, there’s still hope. I made some calls to Telwire and some of the other companies we’ve been doing business with, and I found out some interesting things. First, your father owns shares, but he’s not a majority owner. He can’t force decisions. And second, Tom has initiated a few handshake deals. You see, after the wedding, which I realize now is supposed to be between Sayo and Tom instead of Sayo and myself, a buyout is in the works. We are set to purchase Telwire, but that’s not all. They’ve been working on a new system, a better system and, even if Tom’s gone, the deal’s still on the table.”