Chapter 5

The next forty-eight hours were pure hell for Claire.

As for me, I had a front row seat to all the drama.

She holed up in her study, going two whole days and nights without a wink of sleep.

The phone rang nonstop, keys clattered, and Claire's furious outbursts echoed through the house.

I could picture her totally frazzled, running on fumes.

The company's stock price was plummeting, like a runaway rollercoaster with no brakes.

The board was piling on the pressure, and a couple of senior shareholders straight-up called her incompetent over the phone.

The higher she soared before, the harder she crashed now.

I sprawled out on the living room couch, watching the financial news and my own company's stock chart while I texted Emma.

I sent: [What are you up to?]

Emma replied immediately with an adorable emoji: [Thinking about you.]

I couldn't hide the grin tugging at my lips.

I sent: [You free tomorrow? I want to take you somewhere special.]

She replied: [Yes! Where are we going?]

I replied: [It's a secret.]

Those moments chatting with her were the only thing keeping me sane these past two days.

Over at Claire's place, things were going from bad to worse.

Peeking through the crack in the study door, I saw her rubbing her temples, looking completely wiped out. The ashtray in front of her was piled high with cigarette butts.

Wait, she smoked?

But honestly, with all that stress piling up, she needed some way to blow off steam.

On the morning of the third day, I had finished my workout when Claire walked out of her study, looking like a ghost of herself.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her face pale as a sheet, and her hair, usually flawless, was now a tangled mess.

She looked like someone had drained the life right out of her.

When she saw me, her gaze was hollow.

"It's over," she muttered, barely audible. "Everything's over."

I raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's wrong, Ms. Sullivan? Is it all too much for you now?"

She didn't snap back like she usually did. Instead, she managed a bitter smile, one that looked even sadder than crying.

Claire said, "Our opponents are way too strong, and their backing is unfathomable. Every move we make just sinks without a trace, like tossing stones into the ocean. It's like they've cast an invisible net over us, locking us in tight.

Claire slumped onto the couch, her voice full of despair. "I was too full of myself. I thought it would all be simple. The board's already decided; if the stock doesn't recover today, they're going to replace me."

"Oh," I just shrugged it off, heading into the kitchen to grab some water.

My reaction seemed to set her off.

She jerked her head up, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

Claire said, "Is that all you can say? Ethan. The company's about to go under. Don't you care at all? Even if you're useless, this is everything your dad worked for his whole life."

Her voice went shrill with anger.

I took a sip of water, then strolled over and towered above her, looking down.

I said, "Ms. Sullivan, let's be clear. First, the company's not going under. Second, why do you think my concern would make any difference?"

"You..." Claire was so pissed that she was speechless.

"Enough already," I said, waving her off, a bit impatient. "You want a solution? I'll give you one."

Claire froze, staring at me like I was completely nuts.

I ignored her and pulled out my phone, dialing Mike.

This time, I didn't put it on speaker.

"Mike, it's me," I said.

"Mr. Carter. You finally called. Ms. Sullivan's barely hanging on," Mike blurted out.

"I know," I said, stepping out onto the balcony and lowering my voice. "The people behind Grandview Corporation are the Johnson family from Betrico, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Carter. Tyler, the youngest son of the Johnson family, has been chasing after Ms. Sullivan. After getting turned down a few times, he got pissed and started this hostile takeover," Mike explained.

"Figures, just another cheap trick," I scoffed. "Alright, I get it. Now, go reach out to Sammy at Titan Capital. Tell him I said so; he's to step in and buy out Grandview Corporation for me.

"I don't care how he does it, but in three days, I want the name Grandview wiped off the business map for good."

Mike let out a low whistle on the other end.

Titan Capital was one of the top investment giants in the country, and Sammy, its founder, was like a ghost, legendary but rarely seen in person.

Getting him to personally step in and buy out a powerhouse like Grandview? That was the kind of pull only the real heavy hitters had.

"Yes, Mr. Carter. I'll get on it right away," Mike replied.

"Hold on," I said. "As usual, don't let Claire know who did this. Just tell her it was the mysterious shareholder who stepped in."

"Understood," Mike answered.

After hanging up, I headed back to the living room.

Claire was still eyeing me suspiciously.

"Who were you just talking to?" Claire asked.

"Just a friend," I said, making it up on the spot. "I told him what's going on with the company, and he said he'd lend a hand."

Claire's gaze was dripping with sarcasm.

"You? Your friends?" She burst out laughing, like I had cracked the dumbest joke ever. "Ethan, are you even awake right now? Your party crew is only good for drinking and blowing cash; what else can they do?

"You think this is just playtime? You really believe one phone call's gonna magically fix all this?"

"Believe it or not," I said, couldn't be bothered to explain. "Just go take a shower and get some sleep. When you wake up, everything will be taken care of."

Claire locked her eyes on me, like she was trying to catch any slip or crack in my cool.

But I stayed so chill, it actually freaked her out a little.

In the end, she headed to the bedroom, still suspicious, but with a tiny bit of hope; she probably didn't even notice herself.

I threw on some fresh clothes, whistling as I walked out the door.

I had plans with Emma.

Not even the end of the world could get in the way of my date.

I hopped into my understated sports car and went to pick up Emma.

She was rocking a pale yellow dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders. When she spotted me, her whole face lit up with a smile, like a burst of sunshine that instantly blew away the shadow Claire had cast over my mood.

"So, where are we going?" Emma asked, sliding into the passenger seat, her curiosity bubbling over.

"Somewhere you can forget all your worries," I replied.

I headed west, out to the city's edge, where endless lavender fields spread out before us.

This was my own eco-farm, not open to outsiders.

Rows and rows of purple flowers danced in the wind, and the air was filled with the fresh, calming smell of lavender.

Emma hopped out of the car, her jaw dropping as she took in the view.

"Wow, it's so beautiful," she said, eyes wide with wonder.

She was like a carefree butterfly, gathering up her skirt and running straight into the field of lavender.

I leaned against the car, watching her run and laugh among the flowers, sunlight bathing her in a golden glow.

In that moment, my whole world was just her and this endless ocean of lavender.

Maybe this was what happiness really looked like.

After running around until she was out of breath, Emma came back to me, her cheeks flushed and tiny beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

"How did you know about a place like this?" Emma asked.

"I figured you'd like it," I said, lifting my hand to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead with my fingertip.

When my fingertips touched her warm skin, we both felt a jolt run through us.

The air between us instantly grew thick with tension, a hint of something electric sparking in the space.

Her cheeks flushed even deeper, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings as she couldn't meet my eyes.

Watching her blush and look away, I felt my throat tighten, swallowing hard without even realizing it.

An urge was roaring in my chest, demanding to be let loose.

I bent down, slowly moving closer to her, the space between us shrinking with every heartbeat.

Emma closed her eyes nervously, her body trembling ever so slightly.

Right as my lips were about to touch hers, my phone rang.

It was Claire.

I frowned, then hit decline without a second thought.

But she called right back.

Emma heard the ringtone, too. She opened her eyes, and the soft, romantic glow vanished, replaced by a clear, steady look.

"Go ahead and answer it," she said.

I sighed. Damn it, Claire; she had to call right at the worst possible moment.

I swiped to answer, my tone impatient and sharp.

"What now?" I said.

But instead of her usual sharp tone, Claire's voice came through, shaky and on the verge of tears, her words all jumbled up.

Claire said, "It's up, Ethan. The stock's up. It just hit the ceiling."