“If you think getting rid of me is a good idea, just remember, this all happened on Gabriel’s watch,” Tom says, his voice thick with menace. “In a year, under me, we’ll be showing record sales.”
“I brought Remi here, for you,” Sayo says. “Go with her now. We’ll put together a buyout package. You’ll never have to want for anything the rest of your life.”
“Enough of this!” Cregor is on his feet, taking command of the meeting. “It’s time we vote.”
Each board member takes the stone they use to cast their vote out, a tradition that was carried over from my grandfather’s days. One side of the stone is black, the other white, each side has a pan scale balance etched into it.
Cregor looks to me. “Today, we were not intent on voting Gabriel out. As a matter of fact, we were going to vote on the many proposals he’s pitched over the years. But instead, we must vote on whether to keep Tom or Gabriel.”
A silence settles over the room as we take in the information. I went into the meeting expecting to be voted out of power, but it seems Cregor had other plans in mind. Now—I really might be voted out of power.
“If you vote white, we keep Gabriel. If you vote black, we keep Tom. You have ten minutes to make your decision.”
I turn my stone white side up as Tom sets his to black, and we wait. Lindel is the only other person with their stone turned up in front of her, white side up. The others hold their stones in their hands, not wanting to put it down until the last moment.
Barry needs to use the bathroom, but it’s a rule that no one can leave the boardroom during voting, so I pray he can hold it.
At nine minutes and thirty seconds, the stones begin to get placed on the table.
Cregor, Lindel, and I vote white. Barry, Tom, Essie, and Jim vote black.
I have lost my position as CEO of my grandfather’s company.
Tom smiles, rising from his chair and extends his hand out to me.
I don’t want my last moments on the board to be of me acting like a petulant child, so I raise my hand to meet his—to meet my brother’s.
“Wait!” Remi shouts, and all eyes turn towards her.
“I need to speak to Cregor!”
“Well, it will have to wait,” Tom snaps.
“It can’t wait! It’s a matter of urgency.”
“Well, take it outside then.”
“I can’t! Vote’s not over yet!”
Remi gets up, walks over to Cregor, and whispers something into his ear. A dour look crosses his face, and he nods. Remi begins typing furiously into her phone.
Tom scans the room and grins. “Well, now that Gabriel has been removed as CEO—”
“Actually, he’s still CEO until the end of the day. You should read your bylaws,” Remi says, not looking up from her phone.
Tom’s jaw clenches. He forces his smile wider.
“Enjoy your last day. I have things to do now.”
Cregor rises. “I would like to announce my retirement,” he says.
What the hell is going on?
The room looks at Cregor, stunned.
An anxious look crosses Tom’s handsome face. “Well, that’s great. We’ll get to announcing our newest board member—”
“It’s Analise,” I say, understanding exactly what Remi is trying to pull here.
Whenever one of the Big 5 leaves the board, the CEO is allowed to choose their successor. If any other board member leaves, it goes before a vote—another one of my grandfather’s odd bylaws.
An angry look crosses Sayo’s face. She was fully expecting to be the next new member of the board.
“Fine,” Tom says. “Analise will be joining the board.”
The door swings open, and Analise steps in.
“I’m here to cast my vote.”
“Actually, you can’t. We’ve already voted on the matter, and we can’t have eight votes.”
Remi takes a position at the head of the room to address the board.
“I’ve read your bylaws, and admittedly, they’re dated and worded oddly. You see, Cregor will serve on the board until the end of the day, but Analise started immediately after Gabriel named her. Maxwell Icor was insistent that every board member not only be present to vote for items voted on during the whole of the day, but be allowed to cast a vote. Since we don’t have another stone, Analise, could you please tell the room your vote.”
“I vote we keep Gabriel and ditch Tom,” she says without a second thought.
Now, there are four votes for me, and four votes for Tom. And I realize this last-minute play will only lead to my eventual oust, but it will at least be delayed by a day, and Analise will now have her position on the board. I’m fairly certain she’ll give them hell.
“This is all fine,” Tom says. “I call for an emergency meeting to take place tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll vote again, with seven. And we can assume no one will change their votes in the next twenty-four hours, and I’ll win again.”
“Not so fast,” Lindel says. “This retired life sounds like a good gig. I think I might be throwing in the towel too.”
Oh no! Not Lindel. Anyone but Lindel.
I know what she’s doing. She’s sacrificing her position for me, so I can get the last vote.
“Gee, if only there were some mousy woman qualified to be on the board. One with an ivy league education. A young program manager type. Someone who wears a muumuu to bed.”
There’s no other choice, and my hand is forced.
“I appoint Remi Stone to Icor Tech’s board. Now please, cast your stone.”
And so I manage to remain CEO of Icor Tech after a coup staged by the half-brother I never knew I had and my fiancé I never wanted to marry.
CHAPTER 34
Gabriel makes sure Barry doesn’t shit himself…
Tom leaves immediately after the vote, and I call security to tail him.
Sayo approaches. “Well, this should make for an interesting wedding,” she says.
“You’re still marrying Tom?” I ask.
“No, my father is insistent I marry Icor’s CEO.”
“Then you’re out of luck.”
“Don’t be so stupid.”
“Yeah, I’m trying to break that habit. Leave now, or else I’ll call security. Your stuff will be sent back home.”
Sayo shoots me a look of poison, but obeys, leaving me to my board.
“Congratulations, Barry. You’re now the Remaining 1. Now get to the bathroom before you shit yourself.”
He complies, avoiding my gaze, and Jim and Essie follow him out the door.
I look to those remaining, Remi, Analise, Cregor, and Lindel.
“Thanks, you guys. You really came through for me today,” I say, tears welling in my eyes.
“I’m not so sure you owe us a thanks as much as we owe you an apology,” Cregor says.
The weight of his words is not lost on me.
“I’m glad you made good use of those documents you found.” Lindel gives me a wink.
My brows raise in surprise. “That was you?”
“Yeah, I figured it out long ago. When your father died, I took it upon myself to clean up some of the messes he left behind. Paid off some women that were going to run to the tabloids. Saw to a bunch of accounts he had hidden, and that’s when I found it. Ledgers in his damn filing cabinet. It didn’t take me long to find out Tom was his son, and I took it upon myself to clean up the evidence.”
“But why?”
“Your father left the board in such upheaval, we couldn’t take that kind of scandal. I wanted you to get a fair shot on the board, so I held them back for as long as I could. I was in constant fear Tom was going to pull something, so I let some things slide that I shouldn’t have. I just didn’t want to rock the boat.”
“Well, thank you.” I can’t say it enough. There simply aren’t words to describe the torrent of emotions I feel seeing her go.
I turn to Ana. “You’re finally right where I need you to be. I’d lik
e you to take over for Tom as CFO.”
Analise grins ear to ear. “Oh, baby! Put me in charge of that money, honey!”
Next, I look to Remi. “How does COO sound to you?”
Remi reaches for Analise’s hand, beaming.
Oh great, they’re friends. Just what I need is the two of them on the board ganging up on me.
Lindel’s getting up from her chair, and I practically run to her, grabbing her up in my arms.
“I’m going to miss you more than Cregor,” I say, and the room erupts into laughter.
“Looks like you’ll be fine. You’ve promoted a couple ladies with questionable taste, but I think you’ll pull through.”
I’m crying now, tears streaming down my face.
“I’ve never imagined a board without you. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Well, you ain’t kicking me out of the Tower, are ya?”
“Nope.”
“Then step outta my way. I gotta cruise to book.” Lindel glances over her shoulder at Cregor. “You with me, Creg? Bahamas?”
“You make the plans, just make sure to pack for me and tell me where to show up.”
Cregor walks past me towards the door, turns back and says, “Gabriel, it was good working for you.”
They leave, Ana following behind, and I’m left alone with Remi.
I can tell she’s anxious, and before she can get a word out, I wrap her in my arms and cover her mouth with mine, while grabbing her ass.
After a full minute, I pull back and start to say, “I’m sorry, Remi. I was a fool, but I never intended to hurt you.”
“I know,” she says, a slight smile playing on her lips.
“Will you still have me?”
“Perhaps.”
Perhaps?
“Can you ever forgive me?”
She looks at me square in the eyes and says, “Yes, but there will be conditions.”
“Conditions? What conditions?”
“First, I get to tell Meghan everything, not that I haven’t after that shitty board meeting.”
“Condition met.”
“And, you’re not going to hide me. We either work together as professionals, or we work together as a couple. There’s no secret fuck buddy situation anymore. I’m not made for that. I had to find that out the hard way.”
“Well, then, instead of a press release being issued for my engagement to Sayo, I’ll have one issued regarding my courtship to a Miss Remi Stone, single mother to Kibbles the Cat. It will go over great.”
“I don’t need a press release. I just need you.”
She pulls me into a kiss, firmly, demanding, and as it turns out, I’m okay with her taking charge every once in a while.
❦
Remi Stone bags a billionaire…
Holy shit! I think I’ve just been subject to a real-life PLOT TWIST!
Just four hours ago, I was feeling sorry for myself in Meghan’s apartment, apologizing to some Chinese gangster lady, and now I’m wrapped in Gabriel Icor the 10’s arms, being kissed in his fancy boardroom—as the newest member of his board!
And, on top of all that, I have my friend Analise back to serve with me on board.
And! We got rid of Crusty Cregor. Yep, that was all me.
Unfortunately, he didn’t turn out to be so bad after all. Gosh, is this guilt I’m feeling. Damnit!
I have to admit, I didn’t see it playing out this way. When Sayo asked me to attend the meeting, it was under the assumption that Gabriel needed my help. I was fully prepared to redeem my name and help him get some necessary items passed. I had no idea Sayo was trying to push Gabriel towards resignation, using me as bait.
Boy was she in for a surprise. I bet she regrets having me tag along now.
I wish I could say it was all for love, but the truth is, only a billionaire can afford Kibbles’ kibble habits, so I must make some love life sacrifices to see to the care of those in my charge—yeah right!
This is 100% my dream come true.
CHAPTER 35
Gabriel has a brother from another mother…
I walk into my brother’s office. He’s sitting in a chair, drink in hand.
“You never did drink much,” I say.
“Well, if there was ever an occasion.”
I slump into a chair without being invited to sit.
“I had no idea,” I say, feeling rather guilty.
“Well, it took me a while to puzzle it together myself.”
“Tell me about it.”
“My mother was a maid. When he got her pregnant, he promised her the world. That is until your mother, Scarlet Primrose, showed up. Who can resist a movie star, right? Well, he sent my mom to France, where I was born. He’d come around, but I only knew him as dad, not the billionaire tech tycoon.”
“So, he basically kept two families?”
“Yeah. My mother got pregnant again, but she miscarried. He was so angry with her for getting pregnant, that after that he didn’t come around so much. I was devastated. He wouldn’t allow my mother to date, threatened to take everything from her. My mother became a shell of herself. I wish she would have just moved on, taken another husband regardless of what he said—but no. She was insistent that one day he’d return.”
“Did he?”
“After the miscarriage, I saw him once more on his terms, but he kept a distance. He was cold. When I finally figured out just who he was, I send him an email, demanding we meet. I was seventeen, sitting across from him, telling him what school I was going to attend, and what position I wanted upon graduation. He called me crazy and got up to leave. Then I threatened him. I threatened to tell my story. He said he had paid more than his share and owed me nothing. I told him I was going to go to the media. I’ve never seen the man so mad before. He threatened to cut me off. I told him to just imagine how that would look to everyone.”
“Jeez, what a fucking asshole.”
“Yeah, well, after that, he complied. I went to Yale, and he hired me on before graduation. The thing is—we got along great! We went golfing together, on trips together, picked up chicks together. Things he couldn’t do with you because of your mom. Eventually, he even started treating me like a son.”
“And he showed you the passages,” I cut in.
“Ah, ya figured that out? Good for you. Yeah, we used them to spy. He was a real fucking pervert too. He used to look in on Analise, and boy, what a fucking body. Keisha too. Hot damn!”
“You’re kidding me?”
“Nope. It’s how I knew you were after Remi. I saw how you decorated her room, all the flower petals. There’s only one reason why you’d do that. Bold move, being engaged and all. I ran up to your office afterward, to tell you I was taking our relationship on books, trying to get you to break it off.”
That gives rise to my anger. “What you did with her is complete shit. Tangling her in all this!”
“I never intended for her to get involved in the first place. When she first presented at the Innovation Meeting, I wanted her to see how enthusiastic I was about her proposal—because it was good, and I wanted her on my future team, once I got rid of you. So I conferenced you in. I never expected you to promote her to director. I liked her.”
“I guess she was just collateral damage to you.”
“No, brother, didn’t you listen to anything I said? I like Remi, more than any girl I’ve ever brought to any fancy dinner. I may make my way through women like our dad, but if there was ever a woman that would have made me stop—it’s her. I was planning on marrying Sayo, but Remi had my heart in her hands.”
It’s ironic that we both had our eyes on Remi Stone, seeing as how we could both have almost any woman in the world. And we were brothers.
“Anyway, back to good old dad. In the end, I think he counted me as his closest friend.”
“I’m glad you had that time with him,” I say.
“I wanted to take CEO when he died, and I almost made a bid for it—but he had misman
aged the fuck out of the company, and they were already gunning to out you.”
“So you set out to deepen the hole. Force me into failure.”
“God, it was so easy. Everyone wanted to hate you.”
“Did you ever wonder what it would be like if instead of enemies, we were friends?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, not for a moment.”
“Whose idea was it to bring Sayo and her family into this?”
“I approached Sayo’s father two years ago with a plan. They’ve actually been struggling for quite some time. A significant portion of their money is made from shady business practices, and eventually, they know there will be a crackdown. I had him buy up significant shares in various companies we were dealing with, not enough to raise red flags, but enough for us to be listened to. Then we had them hire teams to spice up their platforms—quietly. We promised a grand unveiling and support from each of our companies when they brought their new systems online. There would be a slump, followed by a huge boost. You already know about the buyouts planned.”
“Wow. That took balls.”
“Then Sayo’s father, Chenglei, approached me one day, telling me he was worried about his daughter’s sexual orientation. Why the fuck he gives a shit when he has five other kids, I don’t know, but he basically wanted her out of the country so he wouldn’t have to deal with it. He offered me her hand in marriage if I could get her on the board. That’s when the plan began to formulate. I had him offer you his daughter’s hand instead. This way, I could finish the fine details of my plan with your mind preoccupied. Then Remi came.”
“Ironically, it’s purely by chance I even met her. She came into the boardroom a day early, a complete mess thinking she’d overslept.”
“God, it’s part of her charm. I’ve had the companies I’ve been dealing with contact her to offer her a position. I wanted to see her land on her feet, and she would have been valuable to us during a merger.”
“Well, now what are you going to do?”
“I have money saved. You haven’t seen the last of me.”
Tom gets up from his desk, throwing his glass against the wall. It shatters. Tom’s last casualty at Icor Tech.
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