Chapter 11
The next day’s bidding process went more smoothly than I could’ve dreamed.
Neither Ethan nor Caleb showed up.
They’d sent their secretaries instead.
With no competition, Asher and I secured the project effortlessly.
As we left the conference room, I turned to him and laughed.
“Ivy sure knows how to pick her moments, doesn’t she?”
After the deal was done, I blocked Ethan and Caleb.
I had no intention of staying tangled up with either of them anymore.
But what I didn’t expect was for Ivy to invite me to dinner.
Curious, I accepted.
Ivy showed up dressed to impress, sitting across from me with a smug look on her face.
For the first time, she dropped her innocent act.
“Grace Ellington,” she said with a sly smile.
“Do you really think you mean anything to Ethan or Caleb?”
“All it takes is one little move from me, and they both come running back to me. They even abandoned the Southport project. You’ve lost to me–again.”
I couldn’t help it–I laughed.
A genuine, amused laugh.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
She blinked, thrown off. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
“Our company really needed that piece of land in Southport. And thanks to you, our biggest competition pulled out.”
“You’ve been such a help, really. Dinner’s on me.”
Without giving her a chance to respond, I called over the waiter, paid the bill, and left Ivy fuming in her
seat.
Asher and I threw ourselves into growing the branch office, making it bigger and more successful than
ever.
Even Ethan and Caleb had no choice but to work under us.
Just when I was thinking we could push the company even further, my brother called.
“I need you to come home,” he said.
“What for?” I groaned.
“Things are finally taking off here. Why now?”
“To help me fight for the inheritance. I’ll give you half the shares.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal!”
I wasted no time packing my things. Half the shares? I’d be crazy to say no.
On my way to the airport, I noticed a car tailing me.
At a red light, the car pulled up beside mine.
Asher rolled down his window and smirked. “Fighting for an inheritance sounds like way too much fun to leave me out of it.”
I didn’t say anything, but my smile grew wider.
The light turned green, and I hit the gas, leaving him in the dust.
