Page 29 of Earned Husband

“You’re being ridiculous,” he said, obviously disagreeing with my reservations about going into business with GlobalStar, but where I tended to err on the side of caution, he was relentlessly optimistic.

I usually appreciated that about him, but today, it was just irritating. “I’m not being ridiculous. It’s called being realistic, Isaac.”

He snorted. “GlobalStar is one of the most innovative companies on the planet. They have access to technology we can only dream about in the States right now and having them in our pocket means our expansion into other materials is essentially set in stone. I really don’t see a problem there.”

“You wouldn’t. You’re an engineer. What he’s offering is probably your idea of a wet dream.”

To be fair, Isaac also ran the research, mining, and environmental protection section of our business. Back when everything had exploded and the entire board had been wiped clean, most of the executive positions in the company had been filled by outsiders, and by the time Jane had gotten behind the wheel, those people were settled in their jobs.

What that meant for our younger brothers was that they had to work their way up the ranks just like anyone else. Jane and I had done the same, clawing our way up the ladder under our uncle’s tenure as CEO, but while Isaac didn’t have a corner office, he carried a ton of responsibility.

I knew that. I also knew that he probably understood in much more technical detail what the benefits of accepting Basel’s offer would be.

Jane and I, however, were the ones responsible for Thayer now. If we shit the bed, the company would go up in flames once and for all.

Plus, our father had managed to destroy a great many things before he’d landed in prison, and the original GlobalStar negotiations had been one of them. That was now our burden to carry and I couldn’t pretend it wasn’t weighing on me.

“This would be a huge deal for the company,” Isaac said as we reached the lobby, nodding our thanks to the doorman who’d pulled open the giant glass doors on our approach. “Wet dream or not, you know that we’d be head and shoulders above the rest if we do this. GlobalStar and Thayer together? That’s a match made in money-heaven.”

“I know.”

From a purely business perspective, this partnership had the potential to be exceptionally lucrative for both companies. On that front, everything pointed toward yes, the facilities, the research, and even the due diligence I’d been having my people do, but the fact that there was something else going on was bugging me.

Especially sinceIwas the target.

Thayer’s international prospects wouldn’t be sealed with only a business deal. If that was the only thing I had to worry about, then fine, but Deja was weighing heavily on my mind. I honestly wasn’t sure yet if she knew what was going on, and after everything Zach had gone through, I desperately didn’t want her to feel like she had no choice.

The short text I’d sent asking her to dinner had been the aftermath of an entire novel I’d initially typed out to send. Finally, I’d deleted that and opted for a significantly less humiliating, one sentence alternative, but the truth was that I’d never felt this unbalanced in my life.

Deja herself was incredible. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. But I was much less certain about her family—and her father in particular. Basel Saad wasn’t just wealthy or influential. He wielded real power, altering entire industries with hisdecisions, and somehow, I’d found myself standing directly in his path.

Despite Isaac’s enthusiasm, I just didn’t feel like that was a good place to be.

“Just relax and let him talk,” Isaac murmured as the hostess led us to a private dining room. “Have you talked to Dad about this at all?”

I scoffed. “No. It’s our baby now. If we bring him in on it, he’ll just start dictating to Jane from behind bars. I’m not doing that to her.”

“Fair enough.”

Basel and Khaled were already waiting when we arrived, both of them rising when we walked in. I accepted Basel’s hand first and gave it a firm shake. “Gentlemen, it’s good to see you again. This is my brother, Isaac. He’s an engineer at Thayer, so he’ll be able to give you much more detailed information on what it would take to turn any plan into reality.”

Isaac stepped forward and shook with each of them, immediately switching into social butterfly mode. As we sat down, he proved once again that if there was anything he excelled at besides engineering, it was talking.

By the time our drinks arrived, he’d managed to monopolize Basel’s attention, but I was grateful. Khaled seemed dialed into the conversation too, the distraction Isaac was providing giving me time to try to work out their motives here.

I’d made it quite clear last night that I wouldn’t be making any decisions about GlobalStar’s proposal without my sister’s involvement. Then Khaled had reached out indecently early this morning to set up this meeting.

Now we were here, but there was no sign of Jane.

On the other hand, Alex was coming too and she’d probably drive with him. At the end of the day, all I could do right now was wait. Wait and see what the Saads had up their sleeves today.

“So I switched majors from business to engineering,” Isaac was saying when I briefly tuned back in. “My professors thought I was insane, but I went ahead and skirted our family tradition anyway.”

Basel looked amused. “Business wasn’t to your liking?”

“Nah.” Isaac shrugged. “To be honest, my classes were boring my socks off and I’ve always just looked at things differently, you know? Even as a kid, I always just wanted to know how stuff worked.”

“You were twenty years old and you made such a big decision by yourself?” Basel asked, sounding impressed. “I suppose it is useful to have someone in your family who understands the technical side of things, but I still can’t imagine it was easy.”