Marry Me Instead

9

Chapter 9 — Lines Drawn

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.

Richard Sinclair stepped onto the executive floor, accompanied by two assistants and the Sinclair Group’s legal counsel. His pace never faltered. Employees instinctively moved aside as he passed. Nathan met him halfway.

“Chairman Sinclair.”

“I wasn’t informed that visitors required appointments.”

Nathan maintained his professional smile.

“Ordinarily, they do.”

Richard stopped.

“I am here to see Mr. Hawthorne.”

“I’m afraid Mr. Hawthorne is in a meeting.”

“This concerns my daughter.”

Nathan’s expression remained polite.

“So I’ve been told.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“And?”

“I’ve also been instructed not to interrupt the meeting unless Mr. Hawthorne authorizes it.” One of Richard’s assistants stepped forward.

“Chairman Sinclair—”

Richard lifted a hand. The assistant immediately fell silent. Richard looked at Nathan for another moment before speaking.

“Inform Mr. Hawthorne that Richard Sinclair is here.”

Nathan inclined his head.

“I’ll let him know.”

He disappeared behind the office doors. A few moments later, he returned.

“Mr. Hawthorne will see you now.”

Richard walked forward without another word. The assistants remained outside. Only the legal counsel followed him into the office. The doors closed behind them.

Evelyn turned as the sound reached her. Her father’s gaze swept across the room. It paused on the unopened coffee beside her. Then on the contract resting on the table.

Finally…It settled on Sebastian.

“Mr. Hawthorne.”

“Chairman Sinclair.”

Neither man offered a handshake. Richard remained standing.

“I wasn’t aware Hawthorne Capital had expanded into family counseling.”

Sebastian closed the folder in front of him.

“We haven’t.”

“Then I fail to understand why my daughter is spending her morning in your office.”

Before Sebastian could answer…

“I accepted the invitation.”

Evelyn’s voice cut cleanly through the room. Richard finally looked at her.

“You’ll come home.”

It wasn’t a request.

“No.”

The single word hung between them. Richard stared at his daughter.

“You’ve caused enough unnecessary attention.”

“I attended a business meeting.”

“You attended the office of your former fiancé’s brother less than twenty-four hours after your wedding.”

“Yesterday stopped being my wedding the moment Ethan refused to marry me.”

Richard’s jaw tightened.

“This conversation isn’t about Ethan.”

“No.”

Evelyn met his gaze evenly.

“It never really is.”

A brief silence followed.

Richard turned back toward Sebastian.

“I assume you’re aware that every financial news outlet in the country is speculating about this meeting.”

“I am.”

“And yet you invited her anyway.”

“I did.”

Richard gave a humorless smile.

“I expected better judgment.”

Sebastian’s expression didn’t change.

“I invited Miss Sinclair because she’s the Executive Director of Sinclair Group.”

“Not because she’s your daughter.”

“Nor because she’s Ethan’s former fiancée.”

Richard studied him.

“You expect me to believe this meeting was strictly professional?”

“I don’t expect you to believe anything.”

Sebastian’s voice remained calm.

“I only concern myself with what can be proven.”

Those words caught Evelyn’s attention. Not what people believed. What could be proven. Richard let out a quiet laugh.

“A businessman to the core.”

“I’ve found emotions make unreliable investments.”

Evelyn glanced toward Sebastian. There it was again. Whenever the conversation edged toward anything personal…He redirected it back to business. Back to facts. Back to numbers. As though logic were armor no one could pierce. Richard took another step forward.

“Let’s stop pretending.”

“What exactly do you want from my daughter?”

The office fell silent. Sebastian didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he folded his hands on the table.

“My intentions are my concern.”

Richard’s eyes hardened.

“My daughter is my concern.”

Before either man could continue….Evelyn stood. The sound of her chair sliding across the floor drew both pairs of eyes toward her.

“I believe we’re discussing me.”

Her voice was calm.

“But neither of you has asked whether I intend to continue this meeting.”

She looked first at her father. Then at Sebastian.

“If this conversation is going to continue…”

“It will include me.”

Neither man interrupted. Evelyn pulled out the chair beside her.

“Please sit, Father.”

“If we’re negotiating…We’ll negotiate properly.”

Richard regarded the empty chair for a long moment. Then, without a word, he sat. His legal counsel remained standing behind him. Sebastian glanced toward Nathan.

“Nathan.”

Nathan understood immediately.

“I’ll have another coffee brought in.”

“And one for Chairman Sinclair.”

Richard spoke before Nathan could leave.

“Black.”

Nathan inclined his head and quietly stepped outside. The office returned to silence. Evelyn looked from one man to the other.

“Now that everyone’s seated, perhaps we can stop speaking around the issue.”

Richard folded his hands over the head of his cane.

“I’ll make this simple.”

He looked directly at Sebastian.

“Stay away from my daughter.”

Sebastian met his gaze evenly.

“I’m afraid that request is too vague.”

Richard’s expression darkened.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“I know what you said.”

Sebastian replied without raising his voice.

“But not what authority you’re relying on.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m her father.”

“You are.”

“And Miss Sinclair is twenty-six years old.”

“She accepted my invitation of her own free will.”

Richard turned sharply to Evelyn.

“You didn’t think to consult your family before meeting him?”

Evelyn didn’t hesitate.

“My family hasn’t consulted me in quite some time.”

The words landed with quiet precision. Richard’s jaw tightened.

“Everything I’ve done has been for this family’s future.”

“No.”

Evelyn’s tone remained composed.

“You’ve done what you believed was best for the Sinclair Group.”

“Those aren’t always the same thing.”

Richard opened his mouth to respond, but Sebastian spoke first.

“Hawthorne Capital recently acquired minority stakes in Eastbridge Logistics, Marlow Technologies, and Crescent Shipping.”

Evelyn looked at him. Richard’s expression remained unreadable.

Sebastian continued.

“Those three companies account for nearly forty percent of Sinclair Group’s supply chain.”

Richard gave a slow smile.

“So.”

“The rumors were true.”

“They were public filings.”

Sebastian corrected.

“Nothing was hidden.”

Richard leaned back in his chair.

“You’ve positioned yourself well.”

“I invest where I see opportunity.”

“And if Sinclair Group becomes that opportunity?”

“I’ll make a business decision.”

Richard chuckled softly.

“There it is.”

“No threats.”

“No insults.”

“Just numbers.”

He looked toward Evelyn.

“Do you see now?”

“He speaks about companies the way other people speak about the weather.”

Evelyn remained thoughtful. She had noticed it before. Every answer Sebastian gave was built on facts. Figures. Evidence. He never speculated. Never assumed. Never revealed more than necessary. It made him incredibly difficult to read. It also made him strangely lonely.

Richard stood.

“I didn’t come here to discuss investments.”

He reached into his briefcase and removed a cream-colored envelope. He placed it on the table in front of Evelyn. She recognized the Sinclair family crest immediately.

“What is this?”

“An invitation.”

She opened it.

Her eyes scanned the elegant lettering.

The Engagement Banquet of Evelyn Sinclair and Arthur Morrison

Date: Six days from now.

Venue: The Grand Regency Hotel.

Her fingers tightened around the card.

“You already announced it.”

“It was announced this morning.”

“I never agreed.”

“You will.”

Richard’s voice carried absolute certainty.

“The Morrison family has accepted.”

“The board has approved the partnership.”

“The media has been informed.”

He looked directly at her.

“All that’s left…”

“…is for you to attend.”

The office fell silent. Evelyn slowly closed the invitation. Then she looked at her father.

“When were you planning to tell me?”

“I just did.”

“No.”

Her voice was quiet.

“When did you decide my future?”

Richard didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The answer was obvious. Long before she’d been invited into the conversation. Evelyn placed the invitation back on the table. Neatly. Carefully.

“As Executive Director of Sinclair Group…”

She met her father’s eyes.

“…I’d like to remind you that forced marriages aren’t recognized as sound corporate strategy.”

Richard’s expression remained unchanged.

“This isn’t about marriage.”

“It’s about survival.”

Evelyn gave a faint, disappointed smile.

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

Richard picked up his briefcase.

“I’ve said what I came to say.”

He turned toward the door.

Just before leaving, he paused. Without looking back, he addressed Sebastian.

“If you interfere…”

“The Sinclair Group will consider Hawthorne Capital a hostile party.”

Sebastian’s reply came without hesitation.

“I was under the impression we already were.”

A flicker crossed Richard’s face. It disappeared as quickly as it came. He walked out. The door clicked shut behind him. Nathan entered a moment later, coffee tray still in hand. He looked at the untouched invitation on the table. Then at Evelyn.

“Miss Sinclair…”

“Is everything alright?”

Evelyn let out a slow breath.

“No.”

She picked up the invitation once more.

“But at least…”

She looked toward Sebastian.

“…now we know exactly what we’re up against.”