Semua Bab Billionaire Daddy's Little Artist: Bab 11 - Bab 20

*William*“She said yes.”I had let out a breath of relief when Grace left my office, which gave me time for my thoughts about Lily to go wild. For now, Lily was staying. That was the good news. But whether her answer came from financial desperation, fascination with the art project, or because she really felt about me the same as I felt about her, that would be something I’d need to figure out later. Right now, I’d have to work on securing the acquisition deal or there wouldn’t be any buildings for Lily to paint. I took a deep breath and went through the files. Halfway through, I sighed. When one thing goes wrong, a million other tiny things usually fall through the cracks. This was the way of business. My plans rested on acquiring the new technology companies in Toronto; however, the deals weren’t going as smoothly as I’d- hoped. Typically, when a deal went sour to the point of dying, one knew they were close to securing it. Holding out was the name of the game, and I was g

*William*I normally enjoyed flying on my jet, but heading in the opposite direction of Lily made me edgy, though I tried to put it down to the time change and a lack of sleep. Who was I kidding? She was on my mind the entire flight. Until now, nothing had happened between us. I thought I could still keep things amicable and businesslike if needed. The idea of starting something with her terrified me because I knew it would be all or nothing—that and the fact that I risked losing Eva in the process. I was also madly thrilled by Lily. She was intelligent, kind, funny and brilliantly talented. I hated the cliché of the older man and younger woman. I wasn’t that man, and Lily wasn’t a young twenty-something looking for a rich, older man. But I hadn’t felt this way about anyone in so long–maybe ever. I had to be very careful.There were so many questions I wanted to ask her about her past and her dreams. Mine included taking her in my arms for a long slow kiss and then—“Her

*William*First thing Monday morning, I had Grace schedule an impromptu board meeting. Our shareholders mostly lived in the city, with the exception of my sister, Isabel Shaw, and Charles Bryant, my father’s right-hand man. Charles had been my mentor when my father died and worked by my side until his recent retirement. Isabel had a house in Connecticut, and Charles lived in Florida mostly. I knew no one would be happy with the sudden summons, especially those two. However, what I had planned couldn’t wait.I passed by Jim in the hall. “Hey, how was Tinseltown?”I groaned. “The same as it always is.”Jim laughed. “Did you set Henkles straight?”“I think he knows where we stand now.” I grinned. “Meeting in five?”“I’ll be there. Is Isabel coming?” he asked. “I haven’t heard otherwise.”I headed to the boardroom. After everyone settled in, I thanked them all for coming. I made eye contact with each of the twelve members. Some I greeted with a brief hug, but others got a

*William*“My history with Grace is complicated. My wife, Victoria, had hired Grace’s mother, Yi-Jun, as her personal tailor. Victoria found her working as a seamstress for a famed alterations shop on the upper east side,” I began, watching Lily’s face as I spoke.“Yi-Jun’s work was exceptional, and all Victoria’s friends soon used her too. She made enough money to quit her job and work exclusively for Victoria, who hired her for charity functions and ballroom galas. “Yi-Jun had two daughters; the oldest, Grace, was lovely. Victoria encouraged Yi-Jun to get Grace into modeling. Again with Victoria’s help, as well as Grace’s height and exotic looks, Grace had no trouble acquiring an agent and scoring gigs. “The only problem was that no one had asked Grace what she wanted to do.” Lily nodded in understanding, and I continued.“By Grace’s twentieth birthday, she had amassed a hefty portfolio of magazine ads and was just starting to break into runway shows. Victoria’s latest ch

*William*I sipped my cappuccino and shot David a sidelong glance. “Come on, David. You know Victoria won’t be happy with Lily’s art when she finds out she’s with me.” David shrugged and looked at Lily. “That might be true. Victoria helped me get my start as an art curator. So, I really owe my career to her.” ‘And to me,’ I wanted to say, but I left it alone. If he wanted to shower my ex with unadulterated and unwarranted praise, I couldn’t stop him. I wanted him to like Lily even more and knew he would if he saw her work in person. Then I watched Lily win him over all on her own. “How did you and Victoria meet?” she asked. “We met at Brown,” he said. “I knew her before this lug met her. We all ran in the same Manhattan dinner circles, and my wife, Joy, and Victoria had Eva and my daughter, Samantha, at the same time. Don’t look so surprised, dear. Yes, I was married once before I could face my father’s wrath. My father owned a major telecommunications company before it w