An Engagement Of PARALLELS

8- MAVERICK

It had been a week.

A week of Reyna telling me she would think about my marriage proposal. A week of me hoping against odds that she will say yes.

But now we are at the end of that week and no such message had arrived from her end.

I tilt my head at her to gesture at my office and leave.

She follows suit seconds later and regard me silently.

I walk towards her pausing right in front of her. Pressing a hand onto the wall beside her head, I lean in. "What is it gonna be Dahan?"

She gulps.

I am vaguely aware of what my presence does to her because its what she do to me as well. When she doesn't answer, I push off the wall and back away.

"I can't do it." Her eyes locked on mine as I turn around. I soak up the sight of her. She is absolutely beautiful.

I sigh and give a dismissive nod.

As soon as she leaves, I send in for Charlotte to arrange a meeting with the investors.

I hate it that I have to kiss asses to make sure I don't prove to be an absolute shit of a CEO but if that what it takes, then I'll do it.

An hour and a half over, we are in the meeting room. Reyna is sitting beside me but she keeps her gaze as far away from me as possible.

Dad is sitting on my other side, his expressions tightened. At least he isn't yelling.

Brad, from Birla industries, finally speaks. "Our proposal still stand Mr Astor. Forty percent is a pretty generous offer considering your company's value right now."

Every mouth belonging to the Astors turns in a tight twist.

I rub the rim of my reading glasses. "You're blatantly robbing us." If he knew me, he would know I'm every bit a shark myself.

"I too have a deal for you. Its much better and stands according to the terms you have stated, with only a slight modification in shares and some more." Sutton says. She too belongs to one of the investing partners of the Astors, threatening to leave.

"And what do you propose Sutton." I ask, my voice calm.

She immediately plasters the fakest smile. "Twenty percent, which is exactly half of Brad's offer and Christopher's winter home."

I feel punched by her, at the same time my dad slams a fist on the brown mahogany table. "Ridiculous! That is our family's home." He eyes me and I feel so small in that moment.

"Well Mr Astor, senior, sir...you gotta pay in this business to stay in business. And since money seems the issue, we proposed you do it through your infamous Alaskan abode."

Dad stares at the table for a long moment, then to my horror and everyone else's, he nods. A slow painful shake of head.

Before I can call off this meeting and show Sutton her place, Reyna reaches across the table and holds my father's hand.

When he looks at her, she shakes her head in disagreement. Then she turns at me and I can hear the dread she is attempting to cover up in his voice when she whispers to me, "I'll marry you."

In that moment my heartbeat picks up to dangerous pace. I might pull her from her seat and kiss her; hard- to declare that I do not , afterall, need to go through these dramatics to save my company. But I do none of that. Instead I stare into her black eyes to make sure I am not dreaming.

Finally when I convince myself of that, i get up from my seat. "I believe the meeting is over. We do not want any investment and are not willing to give more than intended share but I do appreciate your arrival on such short notice. Thank you."