“Okay, okay. So you want to bring this company down for whatever reason. I’m sure you’re breaking some kind of law, but we’ll see about that. Either way, you’ll be sued like crazy and are probably going to spend years in court and spend millions on defense. Okay, fine. You said there was one more thing I should know?”
“Oh, right,” I said, grinning. “Evie, do you want to tell him or should I?”
“Our marriage is a sham!” she blurted out.
Paul stared at her then looked back at me. “What?”
I cracked up and Evelyn leaned back in her chair, releasing a deep breath. “Oh god, I’ve been wanting to yell that for so long,” she said. “It’s been, what, a couple months? Feels like forever.”
“Oh thanks,” I said. “Being married to me isn’t so bad.”
“Yes, it was,” she said.
“You two aren’t really married?” Paul asked.
“We are,” I said. “But we only married because I needed to start looking more responsible in the press. It was a publicity thing.”
“Jesus,” he said. “You’re really shooting yourself in the foot here. I feel like I should turn off my tape recorder.”
“Wait, there’s more,” I said, grinning huge.
“Seriously, Carter. Think about what you’re doing.”
“I’m in love with Evie’s daughter, Emily.”
He gaped at me. “Your stepdaughter?”
“I guess so,” I said. “Since the marriage was a sham, we never saw each other that way.”
“So you’re fake married to her mother, but really in love with this Emily girl?”
“That’s right. That’s for real.”
“This is some twisted stuff,” he said, shaking his head. “You know I’m not a gossip columnist, right? I can leave the relationship stuff out.”
“Don’t,” I said. “Give the story to someone that does that sort of thing if you have to.”
“Are you sure you want this out?”
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
“Okay then.” He shook his head and closed up the files, putting them into a neat pile. He stood up. “I’m going to head out and go through all this. Someone will be in touch with follow-up questions about the, uh, personal stuff. And I’ll be in touch about this stuff.”
“Sounds good, Paul. Thanks for coming out on short notice.”
“No problem.” We shook hands and he left. I watched him go and knew that my old life was dead, very dead and gone, and nothing would bring it back. Not anymore.
I went full nuclear. Not only did I resign, but I also went public with my relationship stuff.
“How do you feel?” Evelyn asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Fine, I think.”
“There’s a lot of fallout coming your way.”
“I know that.”
“Let me go get her so you two can talk.”
“Thanks.”
Evelyn stood up and left my office. Emily was out in the lobby, waiting to be let in. I called her right after I resigned from the board and she came straight over, wanting to talk to me about it, but I had to meet with Paul first.
Now it was finished. Everything was out in the open and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. From the beginning, I thought all that I wanted was my company back under my control and to defeat Bruce.
Instead, I found something so much more important, something I didn’t even know that I needed.
She came into the office, looking nervous.
Emily was what I needed. As soon as I saw her, I knew the truth. I needed more out of my life than just an office and money and power. I needed a person, a partner, a woman, someone that drove me crazy and made me want to be better. She made me want to do the right thing, both for her and for the world.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Instead of answering, I walked around my desk, took her hips, and kissed her.
She kissed me back, her hands lingering on my face. Slowly we broke apart and I smiled at her. “I’m perfect.”
“Mom told me.”
“The world is going to know now.”
“I don’t care about that. What about your company?”
“Not mine anymore.”
“But you built it. You founded it.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Carter. It matters.”
“No,” I said to her. “It doesn’t. All that matters to me is the future, and Emily, you’re my future. Do you understand? You’re my future. I couldn’t have everything, not in this situation. It was my fault that I let it get to this point, and I couldn’t let you and your mother suffer for my past mistakes. I did what I had to do to make it right.”
“Carter,” she said softly. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure. There’s going to be a huge media frenzy soon, but I promise I’ll keep you safe. We’ll hole up in my mansion, ride it out together.”
She laughed. “Who says I want to be locked in that stupid house with you?”
I grinned at her, kissing her again softly. “Too bad. You’re mine now, and you always will be.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, laughing.