Page 18 of Takeover
"He's been making shit decision after shit decision for years now.I just didn't think he would bargain with me.But don't worry about it, Morgan.The most important thing is thatyoudon't have to marry someone random."
"Yeah, butyoudo."
"Don't worry about me.I have my ways.Besides, a few weeks working with me and my company, and he will be running for the hills.I have been told that I am quite the handful."
My sister narrowed her gaze on me."You've been told that by pricks.You are loyal, beautiful, wickedly smart, and funny.Anyone who doesn't see that doesn't deserve you.Hedoesn't deserve you."
"Relax, Morgan.This will be on paper only.I have it under control.”
“If you say so.I just don’t want you hurt again after what happened two years ago.”
I forced the bile down at the memory.“I do say so.I am never, ever going to fall for a man like that again."
Chapter7
Gwen
It didn't takefive minutes for Lance to call me after leaving my parents' house.
My apartment was on 57thStreet, technically Midtown East, even though my stepmother still insisted on telling everyone that I lived on the Upper East Side.I had opted to walk the fifteen blocks home to clear my head.
What the fuck was that?One moment I'd been standing there, with my drink in my hand, ready and willing to pitch a new venture capital firm, and the next, my father was telling me that he was marrying Morgan off to Atticus fucking Price.The Ice King of New York.
And then I pulled a Katniss Everdeen and volunteered as tribute.What the fuck was I thinking?
I narrowly avoided a puddle as I passed a gelato shop on the corner just as my phone rang."Hey, Lance."
"What the fuck, Gwen?"
Leave it to my bestie to get to the point."I fucking know."
"Your father has lost it.There is no way you can marry this guy.I think your best bet is finding another relationship to be in, posthaste."
I jumped back to avoid a drunk guy who was clamoring out of a restaurant and then only narrowly avoided the spray from a yellow cab splashing brown water onto the sidewalk as I crossed.
"You heard him.I don't think that's possible.Besides, if I were in another relationship, that would mean Morgan was back on the table.She can't do this.Not with a guy like that."
"And you can?I mean, what's wrong with the guy that he needs a setup anyway?"
"You know how it is better than most.New York social life.Families do business together for so long that it's completely normal for them to try and set each other up.”
“Uh, yeah.A century ago maybe," he scoffed.
"Given how all this has happened, it makes me really wonder about my father and my mother.They were complete opposites."
"It doesn't matter.And I think you don't give Morgan enough credit.She can give that man a run for his money.Your sister is mean.She's tougher than she looks.She finds a way to take a piece of me every time she sees me."
"Honestly, how the two people I love most in my life cannot get along is beyond me.The two of you are like oil and water.”
"Your sister hates me.The feeling is mutual.She's not my favorite person.But that's okay, because I love you.And let's get back to the more important thing; you are falling on your sword right now.And you can't do that.You can't marry him.He's cold.Clearly ruthless.And I wasn't going to say anything about it in front of him, but there are rumors.Some say Pendragon is unethical.There have been rumblings and murmurs about Pendragon Tech for years.And his father… Well, he most certainly is a shady fucker.His own board ousted him, but no one has been able to pin anything specific on him while he was CEO."
God, I was so screwed.Lance was right.But I needed options, not more problems."What am I supposed to do?If I wiggle out of this, everyone suffers.My sister, my team,everyone."
Lance was quiet for a beat."There has to be a way to avoid a marriage."
I could almost see him tugging at his hair.He was probably at home in Soho, pacing back and forth over the parquet floors, attempting to wear a path in them.
"Look, Lance, I'm going to stall as best I can.With any luck, we wouldn't even be able to do a proper New York society wedding for months.I may have a solution by then.And that will give me time to get Morgan somewhere far away.Grad school in London for example.And it buys me time to come up with a different deal.Right now, however, Atticus Price is the devil we know, and I have to play along with this plan.At least it's not Jacobson."
