Page 95 of The Spare
“Marie Therese?” Waves of nausea rolled through me when I turned to him, and his expression was all the confession I needed. My voice shook, and tears welled in my eyes as I tried to control the deep, gut-wrenching betrayal. “Why is a dead French princess on our board?”
“Sloan.” He approached me slowly, like he was walking toward a viper. He may as well have been with all the anger and hurt threatening to boil over. “Let me explain.”
“Explain why you have a proxy seat on the board?” The searing pain from his lie fueled my anger as it sped past logic. “Why else? A board seat means control with my grandfather out of the way.”
He recoiled like he’d been slapped. His body was tense, jaw tight, eyes in a fury. “Sloan, that’s not—"
“It has to be the reason. It's the only real competition."
I’d been so enveloped in figuring out how to get the votes Henry needed, I didn’t think about what the alternative was. In the event Henry got a vote of no confidence, the board would nominate someone else. That someone else needed a stake in the company and favor with the board.
“God, listen to yourself, Sloan.” He raised his voice, hiding the pain from my accusations. “You have spent your whole life wishing for something you don’t even fucking want. What makes you think I want it?”
The realization that Marcus was lying to me whipped me into a frenzy. The lie was a means to an end, but I hadn’t taken a second to understand what that end was. I chose the worst option and ran with it, knowing the accusation alone would hurt him. Judging by the look on his face, it worked.
I couldn’t think straight. The room felt like it was spinning, the only thing that grounded me was my anger. My enraged brain kept reminding me that Marcus was always calculated. He didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t slip up.
Every move was purposeful.
We’d learn our inheritance tomorrow, but I already knew I’d have the second largest stake in the company. His stake in the company, through the Ellory board seat, meant he could be nominated to take over as CEO.
My vote would be useful. And he knew that.
He’s always been hiding something.
I could feel it every night we went to bed. He was always holding something back.
“Was I a part of the plan?” My voice broke, and a sob slipped through.
I’d never seen that face before. The one of complete and utter devastation. The question leveled him.
Silence passed for a moment.
He closed the space between us and cupped my face in his hands. I let him. I wanted it to go away, the anguish and betrayal. I wanted him to make it all go away. “Of course not, Sloan—”
“Then why?” Another sob slipped loose. I pulled his hands off me, but I didn’t step away. The memories of all those nights we stayed up talking and making love replayed like a spiteful movie. “Why have you been lying to me?”
There was a war of indecision in his eyes. “Ellory is my company. The acquisition was purposeful. Your grandfather asked me to do it a year ago. It meant an additional seat on the board, one that would vote in favor of Henry’s succession.”
My hand flattened against on his chest and lay there a second, unsure. I pushed him away.
“Why?” My voice regained its steadiness, and my heart hammered in its place.
“Someone he could trust to vote in Henry’s favor, if it came down to it when he retired.” He took a step closer to me. “I wanted to tell you.”
“Why didn’t you?” I snapped, even though I knew he was probably asked to keep it a secret. “And a promise to my grandfather is a flimsy reason.”
He was silent.
It didn’t make sense. If it was that simple, then he could have told me. Hewouldhave told me. He didn’t intend to contest Henry’s succession; he meant to strengthen it. Then what was it that kept him from telling me? Keeping it a secret from Henry made sense, but me?
I paused.
I had a stake in the company.
I had a board seat and was more than qualified.
“Who were they planning to nominate?” Venom coated my tone. “The board. If not you, then who?”
