Page 18 of Twisted Knight

My pulse thunders. My head dizzies. “This isn’t happening,” I say more to myself than to anyone.

“But it is.” Holden waves a dismissive hand that has me gritting my teeth and fisting my hands. “The board voted,” he states matter-of-factly, as if my whole world—my goals, my dream—hasn’t just been yanked out from beneath my feet. “A letter of intent has been signed. Due diligence is up next. Then we’ll finalize.”

Letter of intent has been signed. Ink drying.

My chest constricts.

“It’s not my fault you’re the face and not the name. If you were, then you might have had a chance to have your staunch displeasure recorded in the minutes,” Holden taunts. My jaw is clenched so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if my teeth cracked. “Any complaints should be taken up with current management.”

“Meaning you.”

“Yes.” Sound. Resolute. Unflinching. “Shortly it will be.”

“And what do you plan on doing as the majority owner?” I demand.

His shrug is anything but apologetic. “Whatever I deem appropriate to stop this company from dying.”

My head spins at the blindside. It takes everything I have not to march over to the table and tear up the documents there. But I don’t, can’t, because I’m frozen in place with disbelief.

My dream.

To own the company. To take the helm and remake it into the giant it once was. All stripped away without me ever getting the chance.

It’s not like Dad or Rhett would have considered me capable, but I still would have fought like hell to prove otherwise. I would have let Rhett screw up enough, put the company in dire enough straits that my dad and the board members would have no choice but to let me swoop in to save the day.

The last thing I anticipated was for Rhett to look at outside investors and capital. To invite the one thing our father said he’d never allow—outside ownership. The one thing Gran would have fought vehemently against.

Fury replaces the disbelief as I turn to my brother with a voice cold enough to cause frostbite. “You’re a spineless coward.”

His shrug of indifference enrages me. “I’m trying to save the company. I’d think you’d be happy about that.”

The company you were running into the ground.

“We’ve weighed so many options, Row,” Chad interrupts, clearly sensing a no-holds-barred fight is about to happen. No doubt he wants to prevent it so we don’t put a bad foot forward with our new “partner.” “Bringing an outsider in who has a diverse portfolio, a proven track record, and strong capital is our best option.”

Everyone shifts uncomfortably in their chairs.

Everyone being the colleagues I look in the eyes on the daily or talk with on the phone regularly. Everyone meaning people who I thought had my back, who would at least have given me a hint at what’s been going on.

I scan their faces and the ones who have the guts to meet my eyes do so with pained expressions. But is the pain from screwing me over or because they don’t want this deal to happen?

“The board backs this?” I ask.

Rhett nods. “Pretty sure Holden made it clear that they do.”

“I want to hear it from your mouth.”

He nods. “They do.”

Fucking asshole.

“Why wasn’t I informed?”

“Because you’re not on the board.”

The emotions raging through me leave me raw. My hands tremble and my head pounds. “You sold us out,” I whisper.

“I did what I had to do,” Rhett says, his voice low and even.