Chapter 14: 13. Stubborn Kids
"If there's one word I'd love to use to describe you both it's kids!" Anthony said in an annoyed tone, from where he was seated across Harrison.
Harrison merely glared at the man. Anthony was, however, his best friend, and he knew better than cower away from his glare.
The lawyer squared his shoulders and went on, "Why must you both be so damned stubborn?"
"I'm not," Harrison denied immediately, almost as if on reflex.
Anthony regarded him levelly, almost in an assessing manner, and then let out on a scoff, "You're serious, aren't you?"
It was rhetoric question, and Harrison wasn't foolish enough to respond to one such a question.
"You're impossible," his friend spat out almost angrily. Harrison was ready to fire something back at him, but Anthony beat him to it, and added, "Both of you! Did you communicate at all during those two years of marriage?" Harrison opened his mouth anew to defend himself somehow, but his friend was not in the best mood it would seem. "I am guessing you didn't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here whining to me about the way she dismissed you like she never even met you."
Harrison scowled at that.
"Would it have killed you to show your jealousy?" He asked at long last, eyes narrowed.
"Well, no. But she had been so eager for a divorce," Harrison tried to justify his actions, "If not for a paramour, why not? Besides, you know I am not one to make scenes…"
"Oh, don't we all know that?" Anthony shook his head negatively as he cut in angrily. "I hope she makes you beg and crawl honestly."
"Huh?" Harrison was dumbfounded to say the least.
"You heard me."
"You know fairly well that I never had to do either for anything," Harrison said acidly.
"Oh, but you will, dear friend," Anthony shot back, a disturbing smirk on his face. "You will."
Harrison shook his head negatively, dismissing the very thought.
Soon enough, it was time to part ways, seeing as office hours were going to start in a few minutes.
Harrison might be a powerful businessman, but he prided himself on his punctuality.
His best friend was the same when it came to being on time.
Harrison was going to have a meeting with a few officials from David Corp to finalize the deal at 1 pm. He hated such formalities. And he also hated their desperate attempts to save face. It was a waste of time, but it was all a part of the process.
They offered to meet him at his building, but he said he'd rather be the one to go to them.
He never bargained in such a manner. It would have been preferable if they were the ones to come to him, from a business perspective.
But he could care less about appearances at that moment. All he wanted was a chance to see and have a talk with Mandy.
He went there with no one but his PA. He was more than enough to handle them all if need be.
He didn't believe they would make trouble for him. They knew the situation they were in. And he had offered them a fair deal after finding out that Mandy worked for the company.
He had wanted to make sure the acquisition would go smoothly, and had not cared about appearing as ruthless as usual.
His PA was babbling in the background about the audacity of making him, Harrison Michaelson, go to their offices. He didn't bother explaining to her that he had been the one to want that.
They arrived at the building and were welcomed in immediately.
Before long, seeing as Harrison dismissed their offer of having a coffee, they were shown to the conference room.
He and Linda sat, and it was only then that the officials of David Corp sat as well.
Someone knocked on the door, and the one woman Harrison had specifically come for, made an appearance.
"Excuse my tardiness, sir. Here are the documents," her melodic voice reached his ears, and he felt just about ready to stand and go to her… but he kept his composure.
"Thank you, Mandy," one of the men let out in a scathing tone, obviously displeased. "You may go now." He said in dismissal when he noticed her gaze on Harrison.
Harrison, in turn, glared at him and then said firmly, "She stays."
And thus, the last round of negotiations began, with an absent-minded Harrison and a flustered Mandy, and confused officials.
He didn't know what was on his ex-wife's mind, but he was thinking of the many ways he could resort to tormenting this insufferable woman in front of him in bed.
** ** ** ** ** ** **
What was Harrison thinking? How could he want her, a mere assistant among many, to stay for the negotiations? Despite the pleading looks she sent every each way, wishing she would be dismissed, they humored him.
Mandy was confused, and admittedly also flustered because of Harrison's gaze which often caressed her – or so it felt to her.
He had never looked at her the way he did right then. What was his deal?
She wasn't foolish enough to believe he felt any semblance of love towards her. He had rarely ever shown her any form of proper affection, though he had always been ravenous for her in bed… so why should he start to care now?
He was playing her, no doubt, or so she reasoned. And the very realization made her blood boil, and her face turn a deep shade of red in consequence.
It might be totally misleading of her to blush, for one would easily think there was something between the two of them, when everything was over and nothing remained…
Mandy had been known as Mrs. Michaelson once, but she had rarely accompanied him to the functions he was obliged to attend for one reason or another. Ergo, it didn't come as a surprise how everyone seemed suspicious of her.
A coffee break and two hours of meaningless, and seemingly useless, one-sided negotiations later, and Harrison spoke up for the first time in a firm tone, "I believe I made you a fair deal. There's nothing more I am willing to offer. Take it or leave it. I want your answer in ten."
"Ten days?" Mandy let out almost astonished, despite her best efforts to remain quiet and hopefully invisible.
"Ten minutes, dear," he corrected her with a small smirk.
She gasped in both shock and outrage.
He truly was a ruthless man who didn't bargain, neither inside nor outside the boardroom… at least that had not been a lie on his part.
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