Chapter 6 - The True Partner
With the Croft drama fading into the background, I threw myself back into my company. We were in the middle of a major merger, and I needed to be sharp.
The lead counsel for the acquiring firm was a man named Liam Sterling. Ironically, he came from an even older, wealthier family than Julian, but you would never know it by looking at him. Liam drove an old Jeep, treated the janitorial staff with the same respect he gave the CEO, and possessed a razor-sharp intellect that matched my own.
We were working late one Thursday evening in the NovaCore boardroom. Empty takeout boxes littered the table between us.
“You missed a loophole in subsection 4C,” Liam pointed out, tapping a pen against the thick stack of contracts. He looked up, his dark eyes studying me. “You’re distracted tonight. Still dealing with the fallout from the... non-wedding?”
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Julian’s lawyers are trying to fight the embezzlement charges. It’s just noise, but it’s exhausting.”
Liam leaned back, crossing his arms. “You know, if you need a bulldog, I have a few hours of free time on the weekends. I despise men who steal from their partners. I despise men who look down on hardworking people even more.”
I looked at him, truly looked at him. There was no arrogance in his gaze. Just genuine respect and a quiet, steady strength.
“Why do you care, Liam?” I asked softly.
“Because I know exactly who your father is,” Liam smiled. “He restored my grandfather’s 1965 Mustang five years ago. He is an artist, and one of the most honorable men I’ve ever met. Anyone who puts a man like that in the back of a room doesn't deserve to sit at your table.”
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A warmth spread through my chest, entirely unlike the frantic, anxious energy I had always felt with Julian. This was what an actual partnership felt like.
“Okay, counselor,” I smiled. “You’re hired. Take Julian Croft apart.”
