Chapter 4

Bellamy’s chairman was already sweating when Seraphina arrived. She noticed it before she even sat down. It wasn’t actual sweat, nothing that embarrassing, but the nervous little movements of a bald man who had spent the last few weeks watching his company bleed money and had finally realized how desperate he was. He didn’t look anything like the man the media had portrayed him to be. In the papers, he was a full-bellied man with smile lines around his eyes, always photographed laughing beside politicians and shaking hands at charity events. In front of her, he looked thin and desperate, exactly like a man who needed her.

Seraphina placed her handbag beside her chair. “Mr. Bellamy.”

“Ms. Voss.” He stood to shake her hand, and his grip was damp. She resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her skirt afterward. If it were another day, she might have, but there was no point making him more uncomfortable than he already was. “Please, sit.”

She did, and the chairman lowered himself into the chair opposite her while two members of his board took their seats beside him.

“We’re very pleased you agreed to meet with us.”

“I didn’t agree to meet with you.”

He blinked, confusion crossing his wiry features. “You requested the meeting.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re here.”

“Yes.”

He looked even more confused, and Seraphina almost smiled.

“I’m here because I’m interested in Bellamy. But I’m not interested in wasting either of our time.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly at first, then stiffened again when he realized she wasn’t going to make things easy for him.

She opened the folder in front of her. “Your company is carrying too much debt. Your largest shareholder wants to sell, your creditors are getting impatient, and your board has spent the last six months arguing over whether to restructure or sell.”

One of the directors shifted in his chair.

Seraphina continued without acknowledging it. “You’ve also received two acquisition offers from Devereaux Holdings.”

The chairman cleared his throat. “Those offers were preliminary.”

“Of course they were.”

“We haven’t accepted anything.”

“I know.” She turned a page. “That’s why I’m here.”

The chairman exchanged a glance with the other directors, then looked back at her. “What exactly are you offering?”

“Three hundred and twenty million.”

For a moment, nobody said anything. One of the directors let out a nervous laugh.

“Three hundred and twenty?”

“Yes.”

“That is considerably above the company’s current valuation.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

Seraphina looked at him. “Because I want it.”

The director opened his mouth, then closed it again. The chairman leaned forward.

“Devereaux is also interested.”

“I know.”

“They’ve been negotiating with us for almost two years.”

“And yet you haven’t sold.”

“We haven’t reached an agreement.”

“Exactly.” Seraphina closed the folder. “You’ve spent two years trying to sell this company to someone who doesn’t want to pay what you think it’s worth. I’m offering you more.”

The chairman studied her carefully. “What’s the catch?”

“There isn’t one.”

“That sounds unlikely.”

“It isn’t my fault you’ve become accustomed to bad deals.”

One of the directors coughed, and Seraphina smiled politely.

The chairman looked down at the papers in front of him. “Three hundred and twenty million.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re prepared to close quickly?”

“Very.”

“How quickly?”

“Forty-eight hours.”

He looked at her for a moment. Seraphina almost found herself amused. Apparently, she had developed a fondness for the number.

“We’d need to review the terms.”

“You’ll have them before lunch.”

“And Devereaux?”

“What about them?”

“They’re expecting us to continue negotiations.”

Seraphina leaned back. “Then they’ll be disappointed.”

The chairman hesitated. “Ms. Voss, I don’t want to create unnecessary conflict between our companies.”

“Then don’t.” She stood and gathered her folder. “Sell to me. I’ll have the documents sent over this afternoon.”

The chairman stood as well. “You’re very confident this will go through.”

“I wouldn’t have come here otherwise.”

She extended her hand, and this time his palm was dry.

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“We haven’t done business yet.”

He gave her an awkward smile. “I suppose you’re right.”

Seraphina turned toward the door, but it opened before she reached it.

A familiar voice came from the corridor.

“Then I suppose I’m right on time.”

Her stomach dropped.

She didn’t turn immediately because she didn’t need to. She knew that voice.

Cassian.

Of course. Apparently, things couldn’t go her way for once.

Seraphina turned around and found Cassian standing in the doorway with two men behind him, one carrying a briefcase. His eyes found hers, and there was that pause again. It was almost impossible to notice, but she did. With him, she always noticed.

His gaze stayed on her for a second longer than it should have before he looked at the chairman.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Seraphina smiled. “Not at all.”

Cassian looked back at her. “Ms. Voss.”

“Mr. Devereaux.”

The chairman looked between them. “You know each other?”

“No,” they said at the same time.

Seraphina’s smile tightened, while the corner of Cassian’s mouth moved slightly.

“I mean, professionally,” the chairman added quickly.

“Of course,” Cassian replied.

He stepped into the room, and Seraphina moved aside to let him pass. As he walked by, his shoulder came close to hers, and she caught the familiar scent of his cologne.

Her fingers tightened around the folder.

Five years had passed, and apparently her body still remembered him better than her mind did.

She stepped away and watched him move toward the table.

“I believe we had a meeting scheduled,” he said.

The chairman looked uncomfortable. “We did.”

“And I believe we were discussing an acquisition.”

“We were.”

Cassian glanced at Seraphina. “Were?”

Seraphina smiled. “I’m afraid you’re a little late.”

His eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” She looked toward the chairman. “We were simply discussing numbers.”

Cassian’s gaze sharpened. “Whose numbers?”

“Mine.”

The chairman cleared his throat. “Ms. Voss has made an offer.”

Cassian looked at him. “How much?”

The chairman hesitated, so Seraphina answered for him.

“Three hundred and twenty million.”

Cassian looked back at her.

“You’re serious.”

“Very.”

“That’s above market value.”

“I’ve been told.”

“Why would you pay that much?”

Seraphina picked up her handbag. “Perhaps I simply want the company more than you do.”

His jaw tightened, and she had to resist the urge to smile.

He stepped closer. “You’ve been planning this.”

“I’ve been planning a lot of things.”

“Bellamy included?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Long enough.”

His eyes stayed on hers. She could feel the tension in the room, but neither of them moved.

Then Cassian spoke more quietly. “You seem to know a lot about my business.”

Seraphina’s heart skipped, but she kept her expression calm. “You’re the CEO of one of the largest companies in the country. Your business isn’t exactly a secret.”

“That isn’t what I meant.”

“I know.” She smiled. “You should be more careful with your questions, Mr. Devereaux. People might think you’re accusing me of something.”

“Are you?”

“Of what?”

“Knowing too much.”

She laughed softly. “I read the newspapers.”

“You don’t strike me as someone who reads newspapers.”

“And you don’t strike me as someone who worries about what I read.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.” She stepped past him. “Then we understand each other.”

She reached the door.

“Ms. Voss.”

She stopped and turned around.

Cassian was watching her.

“Forty-eight hours.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re remembering my deadline?”

“I remember things.”

Something about the way he said it made her uncomfortable, though she couldn’t explain why.

She smiled. “Then you know you have less than that now. Time is ticking, Mr. Devereaux.”

She walked out into the corridor and headed for the elevator. Once the doors closed behind her, she pressed the button for the lobby and watched her reflection appear in the mirrored doors.

She looked calm and controlled, not a hair out of place, exactly how she wanted to look.

Her heart was another matter.

Cassian was supposed to be easy. She had spent five years studying him. She knew how he negotiated, how he reacted when someone challenged him, what he wanted and what he hated. She knew how to get under his skin.

That was enough to destroy him.

It had to be.

The elevator doors opened, and Seraphina stepped into the lobby. Her phone rang, and she answered without checking the screen.

“Yes?”

“Did it work?”

She smiled. “Bellamy is ours.”

“Already?”

“Almost.”

“And Devereaux?”

Seraphina glanced through the glass doors toward the street. “I think I’ve made him angry.”

There was a pause.

“Is that good?”

“It usually is.”

She ended the call.

Outside, a black Devereaux Holdings car pulled away from the curb. Seraphina watched it disappear into traffic.

Cassian had wanted Bellamy. Now he wanted to know more about her.

She had expected the first.

The second could be a problem.

Or it could be useful.

Either way, she had less than forty-eight hours to find out.