Chapter 76
Sell it
Carter’s POV
“What are you doing here?” I demanded and Meghan lowered her eyes.
“I….. I… saw Mr Stanford on my way out,” she said timidly. My fists clenched by my side. “I… I know what he must have come here to do and I promise you that I can talk to him.”
“Get out of my office!” My voice was a lot calmer than I needed it to be. I was about to explode and if she didn’t leave now that I was asking nicely, she was going to regret it.
“I only came to tell you that I would making a public confession on my live stream concerning what happened. I know that once I talk to them, they will hate me and feel sorry for you and they will start patronizing you more and even…”
“I don’t need your stupid help!” I snapped. “Don’t stand there acting like you are doing me a favour by telling the truth. It is what any sane person would do. You have ruined my life enough and now, I want you to get the fuck out of my office!”
She staggered back, blinking rapidly. She probably expected to get on my knees and prostate. After ruining my life, she thought I would grovel and accept whatever she threw at me? My pride would never allow that. I would do this on my own. I didn’t need her. Never have. Never will.
“Carter 1…”
Chapter 76
“Get out!‘ I snapped, angrily sweeping the bottle of alcohol off my desk. That was enough to get her out. “Fucckkkkk!!!”
I paced my office back and forth. Why was this happening to me? My life. was crumbling so fast before my eyes and I didn’t know what to do.
I ended up leaving the office because I couldn’t take it anymore. I headed to the bar to drink away my sorrows. So much was happening to me at the same time, if felt like I was loosing my mind..
It was too early to be at a bar but who cares anyways? Everyone just wants to use me for their own benefits. It doesn’t matter what I want or how I feel.
“Carter?” I heard my name from behind. The voice was awfully familiar but I couldn’t quite place it so I turned around.
My jaw immediately dropped on seeing the person before me.
“Fuck, I must have been drinking too much,” I blurted and she chuckled. She hurried forward and wrapped me in a hug. It wasn’t a dream. This was fucking real.
She was really here.
“Arie?” I breathed and she pulled away with a smile. “How are you here?”
“Abracadabra, honey,” she winked. “Come buy me a drink.”
She walked past me to the place I was seated while I stood there, rooted. on the spot as I stared in disbelief. Wasn’t she supposed to be in the barracks?
“Carter?” She called impatiently and I forced myself to move. She went ahead to place her order while I continued staring. “If you continue
Dispter 76.
looking at me like that, people might actually think that you have seen a ghost.”
“When did you get back?” I asked.
“A few days ago. Orthon didn’t tell you?” She asked.
Right! So she was with Orthon all the while and he said nothing. Does Veronica even know about this?
“Orthon and I… aren’t exactly on speaking terms,” I informed her. Her eyes widened. “I don’t want to talk about it please,” I cut in quickly before she could ask me what transpired between us. That was the last thing I wanted to talk about now.
“Ohhh… okay. But I hope you two sort out whatever issues you’re having. You’re family and family don’t stay mad at each other for long,” she said. and I almost rolled my eyes.
I was going to stay mad at him for as long as I wanted, same goes for my mother. I don’t give a shit what others expect. It was because of those expectations I got here in the first place.
“So what’s new?” I asked and she took a long sip of her drink.
“A lot actually. I have a son now. Little rascal’s six months old,” she shrugged and my eyes widened. I never imagined Arie being with any man. The woman was crazy and intimidating on all sides.
“Six months? I see you finally caught one in the end, despite the prayers Orthon and I offered for the poor man,” I taunted and she chuckled.
“That is the problem. You boys should have been praying for me. Maybe then, I wouldn’t have fallen into the webs of the asshole,” she said and my eyes widened.
Chapter 74
“What happened?”
“Bastard had a family and put a gun to my neck to take out the baby. Guess who got taken out first on the battlefield?” She snorted. My entire body stiffened i okn shock. That went dark very quickly.
“So he’s dead…” I drawled.
“Permanently,” she winked and I couldn’t bring myself to stomach the fact. that she could throw those words around casually like it wasn’t a
traumatizing experience for her. “Your turn, what are you doing this carly. in a bar?”
“Well, my company is crashing because I had a fallout with a billionaire. and some crazy ass bitch accused me of manhandling her. The internet. went crazy and now, I’m about to lose my fucking company,” I told her.
“Then sell it,” she shrugged and I looked at her to decipher if she was joking or not. We were talking about a multimillion dollar family. company and she just casually told me to sell it like it was nothing?
I stared at Arie, waiting for her to laugh and tell me she was joking, but she didn’t. She just sipped her drink, her eyes studying me like she was waiting for my reaction.
“Sell it?” I echoed, my voice laced with disbelief. “That’s your grand advice?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “You said it yourself, the company is crashing. Why hold on to something that’s already slipping through your fingers?”
I let out a bitter chuckle. “Because it’s my family’s legacy.”
“Is it?” she asked, raising a brow. “Or is it just another burden they dumped on you, expecting you to keep it afloat while they went off living.
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their lives?”
Her words hit a little too close to home. I gritted my teeth and downed the rest of my drink, the burn doing little to chase away the weight pressing down on my chest.
Arie sighed. leaning forward. “Look, Carter. I’m not saying sell it to just anyone. But maybe… just maybe, it’s time to let go of the dead weight and start something of your own.”
Start something of my own.
The thought had never seriously crossed my mind before. I had spent years trying to prove myself within the confines of Grayson Industries, bending over backward to make it successful. But for what? A company that was now on the verge of collapse because of one scandal?
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “Even if I wanted to sell, who the hell would buy a company with this. much bad press?”
Arie smirked. “You’d be surprised. Scandal sells. And there are plenty of sharks out there willing to take a risk if the price is right.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “You make it sound so damn easy.”
She reached out, tapping the side of my glass. “Nothing is ever easy, Carter. But you’ve got two choices, keep drowning in this mess or swim the hell out of it.”
I leaned back in my chair, her words swirling in my mind. She wasn’t wrong. Holding onto the company out of pride and family duty had brought me nothing but stress, betrayal, and now, financial ruin.
Maybe it was time to walk away.
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Maybe it was time to start over.
I exhaled deeply. “If I sell, I do it on my terms.”
I expected her to cheer me on or something but then she smacked me in the head.
“You stupid child! You really think you can sell a company that isn’t yours?” She snorted and I found all my hopes of a solution crashing back
down.
Here I thought she was helping me. I’d forgotten that Arie can never change.
“You are so mean.” I muttered.
“Buy me another drink and I’ll fuck you for free,” she said out of the blue and I gasped.
“What? It’s not like we haven’t had sex before. You know what? Now I
think of it, maybe we should go back to being friends with benefits. Are you in?”
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