Enthrall

Episode 7

The Proposal

Liam

The burn in my muscles felt good as I finished my last set of deadlifts. The gym was nearly empty at 6 AM, which was exactly how I preferred it. No small talk, no distractions, just the weight and the work. I'd been coming to this same gym in South London for five years, and the routine had become sacred to me.

After a quick shower, I checked my watch. 7:15 PM. George hated when we were late for our weekly dinners, and I had no intention of giving the old man a reason to lecture me about punctuality again.

As I drove through London traffic toward our usual restaurant, I found myself thinking about George's recent trip to Manchester. He'd been unusually secretive about this Enthrall acquisition, and that wasn't like him. George Evans didn't do anything halfway, and he certainly didn't get excited about small fashion startups without good reason.

The restaurant was buzzing with the usual Monday evening crowd when I arrived. I spotted George immediately at our regular corner table, already deep in conversation with David and Marcus. My brothers. Not by blood, but by something stronger than genetics could ever provide.

"Good evening, George. Dave. Marcus," I said, taking the last remaining seat. The familiarity of it hit me as it always did – four men who'd found each other in the worst circumstances and built something unbreakable.

George looked up with that paternal smile that still caught me off guard sometimes. Even after sixteen years, part of me couldn't quite believe that the man we'd tried to rob at sixteen had become the closest thing to a father any of us had ever known.

"Liam, perfect timing. I was just telling the boys about Manchester."

I signaled the waitress for my usual – whiskey, neat – before settling back in my chair. "How did it go? Everything according to plan?"

George's eyes lit up in a way I'd rarely seen, even when he'd closed deals worth hundreds of millions. "As a matter of fact, it went extremely well. Better than I'd hoped, actually. Which brings me to why I wanted us all here tonight."

David raised an eyebrow. "That sounds ominous."

"Not ominous at all. Exciting, actually. We're all expected back in Manchester next Monday. Everything will be ready by then, and we'll be working there until the launch."

I nearly choked on my whiskey. "I'm sorry, did you say *we*?"

"Yes, I did, Liam. We, as in me and the three of you. The president is... well, she's brilliant, but she's requested experienced leadership for the launch phase. You'll be acting CEO until she's ready to take over fully. Dave will be CFO, and Marcus will be COO. Unless, of course, any of you decide you'd like to stay permanently."

The casual way he delivered this bombshell made my blood pressure spike. This was so typical of George – arranging our lives like chess pieces and presenting it as a done deal.

"What if I don't want to? Didn't you think to ask if I had anything going on? I'm a busy man, you know." The words came out sharper than I'd intended, but George had a way of bringing out my stubborn streak.

Marcus snorted into his wine. "Oh please, Liam. Your biggest commitment right now is deciding which startup to throw money at next."

David was outright laughing at my indignation. "Besides, we own five percent shares each, and from what George has told us, this company is showing incredible potential. Surely you can find someone to manage your London affairs while you help us launch in Manchester."

I was about to deliver a cutting response when David slid a folder across the table. The numbers I saw when I opened it made me forget whatever smartass comment I'd been preparing.

"Three billion in profits projected over three years?" I looked up at the three men staring at me expectantly. "That's... substantial."

George's smile was positively smug. "And that's conservative projections for medium-scale growth. The president and I have discussed expansion plans that could easily double those numbers."

I studied the financial projections more carefully. The numbers were impressive, but it was the growth trajectory that really caught my attention. Whoever was running this company understood market dynamics in a way that was rare, especially for someone young enough to be called inexperienced.

"Who is this president, exactly? What's her background?"

"That's... complicated," George said carefully. "She's young, brilliant, and built this company from nothing. But she values her privacy. In fact, maintaining anonymity is a condition of our partnership."

"Mysterious," Marcus mused. "I like her already."

By the time our main courses arrived, I found myself genuinely intrigued despite my initial resistance. The business model was solid, the market positioning was clever, and the profit potential was undeniable. More than that, though, I was curious about this anonymous president who'd managed to impress George Evans.

"Fine," I said finally. "I'm in. But I want to see everything – financial records, operational procedures, supply chain logistics. If I'm going to run this company, even temporarily, I need to understand it completely."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," George replied. "There is one more thing, though. We're bringing on some additional staff for the launch. Including an intern who'll be working directly with you."

"An intern?" I frowned. "George, you know I don't have time to babysit some business school graduate."

"It's a favor to a family friend. The girl just needs some real-world experience. Consider it part of the package."

Something in his tone suggested there was more to this story, but I let it slide. How much trouble could one intern be?