Chapter 3
Bud said, "With your support, once we snatch up a few more shares, we'll hold an absolute advantage.
"Give it a year at most, and we'll force Miles out of the board for good. He'll be flat broke when we're done with him.
"Honestly, Miles probably doesn't even realize we are using his money to buy those shares.
"Once that's done, the company will be ours."
Maybe his daydream was just too sweet to let go. Bud was still lost in it, oblivious to how dark the night had gotten.
Misty couldn't help but get swept away by his dream too, her laughter soft and enchanting, eyes sparkling with mischief.
They couldn't resist each other any longer, sharing another passionate kiss.
I was sitting in my study, quietly unlocking a safe.
Inside were stock certificates and several contracts.
As I glanced over those papers, a cold smirk crept onto my face.
I thought, 'They can't even hold back for a second.
'The company just went public, and they're already scrambling for a slice of the pie.
'Did you really think your sneaky little moves would slip past me?
'Misty, I let my guard down before because I loved you.
'But now, every single cent you touch is just another shovelful on your own grave.
'Since you want these stock certificates so badly, then I'll let you have them.'
The ringtone jolted me out of my thoughts.
I thought, 'Good, one of mine.'
The caller reported, "Mr. Dennis, we've set up the offshore company just like you wanted. We used a middleman, so nobody will ever link it back to us.
"Everyone you asked for has been contacted and locked in. We're all set."
This was perfect. When I finally walked away, all Bud and Misty had would be a hollow shell of a company.
They would be left with no money and no staff. I wondered how they would handle things then.
That was when the real show would finally begin.
"One more thing, Mr. Dennis. Bud's been quietly buying up shares at inflated prices. What do you want us to do?" the caller asked.
I nodded, a smug smile tugging at my lips. This was what I wanted to see.
"Good. Sell him every share I own, and make sure he pays twenty percent above market," I instructed.
It was late into the night, but I didn't feel even the slightest bit tired.
The only light in the study came from the small, glowing ember of my cigarette.
All those years that I had spent with Misty turned out to be a bitter joke.
I could still hear Misty's sweet voice in my mind, gentle and full of longing. "Miles, I'm finally marrying you. Promise me we'll never be apart, okay?
"Miles, is the company really about to go public? I knew you were amazing. You've worked so hard for us.
"Honey, guess what? I'm pregnant. Do you want a boy or a girl?"
Unfortunately, thinking back on all those moments, I couldn't even tell which words were true anymore.
It didn't really matter. I could roughly guess the truth.
Not surprisingly, Misty didn't bother coming home last night.
She shot me a text. [Honey, it's super late, and the baby won't settle down. I'm crashing at Nancy's place tonight. Love you!]
The boardroom was packed with all the shareholders.
Today was the company's board meeting.
I glanced around and found this situation ironic.
I dragged these people through years of blood, sweat, and tears, just to get our company listed.
Now, Bud was sneaking around buying up shares for sky-high prices, but not a single one of them bothered to give me a heads-up.
They were truly heartless.
They were tripping over themselves for just the tiniest whiff of profit.
Since they were so eager for those petty gains, I decided to blow the whole thing up.
I shook my head, pushing those irrelevant thoughts aside.
I called the meeting to order.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the board, now that we've successfully gone public, I'm moving forward with the overseas market project, just as we discussed," I announced.
My words barely even registered.
Everything was already set in stone.
Today was just for show.
I looked around at everyone in the room.
But what I said next left everyone completely stunned.
"I'll be heading up the overseas expansion myself," I announced.