Page 8 of Takeover
My father pushed to his feet and straightened his tie.Why the hell was he trying to impress Atticus Price?
You know why.
We needed investors, but Pendragon Tech?They were notorious for their acquisitions.Carve up and sell off.Fire everybody.
My stomach roiled.I had to find another investor.His company could fix everything for my father, but what would that mean to my employees?My people?
Maybe I was over reacting.Maybe there was another reason he was here.But one glance at my father told me otherwise."You can't be serious,” I said flatly.
My father ignored me, going to meet Atticus.But Atticus’s gaze was on me, and the same crackling sizzle I'd felt the other night came back like a blast of wind.
You know better.
I knew better.
Men like him are dangerous.
Men like himweredangerous.
But still, there I was, like a moth being pulled to the flame.
Well, this moth would rather cut off her own wings than fly into that fire.But there he was in all his beautiful glory while the sizzling prickle danced down my spine.How could someone so strikingly handsome have the absolute warmth of an arctic penguin?Rigid as stone and zero heartbeat.
Yeah, well, at least he doesn't sparkle like a damn vampireanymore.
My lips twitched, and I bit the inside of my cheek.Unfortunately, he seemed to notice that, and he cocked his head slightly, the corner of his lips lifting as he watched me."Ms.Becker.We meet again, Gwenyth."
"It’s actuallyChristin-Becker."
My father stiffened, and I internally danced my little dance of victory.Dad couldn't stand it that Morgan and I had hyphenated surnames, but our mother had insisted.But still, I watched, stricken, as the two of them shook hands.What was he doing here?Wasn't it enough that he’d barged into my dreams?Wasn't it enough that I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him?
You never should have touched him.
No, I shouldn't have.But there he'd been, dusted in glitter.It wasn't intentional, honestly.
And of course, my father, being my father, started off trying to unsettle him.Which I appreciated because he was sure as shit unsettling me."Let's hope you have something interesting to say, Price."
My gaze swiveled between the two of them, and then the sickening realization hit.My father was selling research and development to him."Dad, you can't be serious."
"That's enough, Gwen."
"Dad—"
He cut me off."Leave us.We haveactualwork to do."
I prayed for a sign that my father was joking, that maybe he was just humoring Atticus, but he wasn't.
"Dad?"I tried to find a hint of the father I had known once.The one who had been kind and listened.That man had vanished the moment my mother got sick.
"I run this company, Gwen, and have done so for far longer than you've been alive.I make the decisions."
Atticus's assessing gaze met mine.There was something there.It looked like fury.But why would he be angry at me?I hadn't even done anything yet.
And just what do you plan on doing with him?
Not the point.
"Dad, R&D ismydepartment.Before we were your R&D, it was my startup.You can't just expect me to stand by idly while you sell us off."
