Billionaire's Bride For Hire

CHAPTER 2

Roshni's POV

They walked into my father's office but I stayed back in the lobby to eavesdrop on their conversation. On their way there, no word was said so I wondered exactly what was going on.

I closed the distance to the door and just as I put my ears to it, I heard my father say, "Just a moment, gentlemen. May I?"

Footsteps approached and before I could walk away, the door opened again and my father stood there, one hand on the door frame. "Ah, Roshni. I was about to call you. Was hoping you could join us?"

I nodded and entered the room with him. The four men had not sat down. What were they waiting for?

"Gentlemen, this is Roshni, my daughter. She has been immensely helpful to the business. A part of it. And I'd want her to hear this. Roshni, this is Mr. Green, Mr. Richard, Sir. Belfry, and Wishden. Meet our investors."

The name investor brought a nervous feeling to me. I sat down even before my father told them to.

"We do not need to tell you why we are here, Mr. Austin," spoke Mr. Green.

"Just put it all out, Green," said Mr. Richard. "There is nothing to be cryptic about here."

"A couple of things seem cryptic so far," said Sir. Belfry, waving his right hand in a circular motion over his head. "Where to start from seems to be an issue."

My father cut in at this point. "Of course, I know why you all are here. And I reckon that my daughter here has already figured that out." Mr. Richard smiled at this, exposing a nice array of teeth. He did not seem like a good chap to me.

"We want to know how you intend to pay us, Austin."

"Seems quite particular to me."

"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Belfry.

"I thought you should be concerned about the company at large, instead of just the proceeds."

"Look around you, Austin. Can anything be salvaged from this place?"

I admit that Belfry's question made a sore in my stomach.

"It isn't completely dead," my father defended. "We still have books from some of our signed writers in the stores. Only that we have run out of production power. Maybe we should.."

"It seems you are not seeing the stark reality of the current situation, Mr. Austin. It is a dangerous one. You say there are still books from the writers? Hm, alright. But have you sold anything over a hundred copies in the past month?"

My father said nothing.

"The last time we had a board meeting, a reputable one than what we are having right now, you made a front to increase the money paid to your writers, the one you call advance?"

"Yea, that is it, Green," Mr. Richard replied.

"I would not call it a front, Green."

"Well it wasn't a suggestion to me because you were solidly behind it. And I have no idea who put that into your head. Your daughter here, perhaps?"

"She did not," my father said instantly. And it was true. However, he hadn't told me anything about it.

"Now, your defense was that the writers are gaining popularity and fame so the books would sell. Why not push them some more money to sponsor their tours? But we kicked against it. Three of us, except Wishden."

"I had my reasons," Wishden said.

"The only reason you had and still have, undoubtedly, is that Austin should be allowed to do as he wishes," said Mr. Richard.

"But business is never done on one man's idea alone," stated Mr. Belfry. "It is like abandoning a sturdy vessel for a sinking one."

"And you have sunk us all, Mr. Austin. By your sole idea. Where are those writers now? The advance payment cannot be returned. It is stated so in your contract clause. The company who published their books and gave them fame and popularity is now bankrupt but it is none of their business. Why, there are other companies out there."

"What about the books in his stores?" Wishden asked. "They can still be sold out."

I cleared my throat and the four men looked at me. "I think there is something we are missing here."

"Pray, tell us," urged Belfry.

"I think we are failing to look at what caused the company to fall," I said, and they were shaking their heads. "What?"

"Investors do not care about those blueprints. What we care about is our investments. How do we get it back? It's what we came here for."

After hearing this, I knew it had gotten to the point where my father might have to use his last resort. But what was it?

"Mr. Austin?"

"I heard you, Belfry. And the rest of you. And thank you for coming, I must say. This place gets too quiet and lonely for us sometimes."

It was a joke no one laughed at.

He went on with a promise. "I will pay your investments. But first, I have a plan to salvage my company from the dire straits it is in. And before you ask, it does not involve selling the hardcovers. Come back to see me in four weeks time."

"Four weeks?" said Mr. Belfry.

"You do know our investments runs into millions of dollars, right? And you need four weeks?" asked Mr. Richard.

"Yea. That is what I said."

The men exchanged curious glances. But it was Wishden who asked the biting question, "And how do you intend to do this?"

"You worry about getting your investments back, while I worry about saving my company."

"One month it is then," Mr. Belfry said. "And we come back to collect our money or we come back with the jailer."

That was all they had to say to us. All four of them left the room just as they had entered, silent and anxious. But my father had made them more anxious than before. Just as the door closed, I turned to my father and asked, "What do you plan on doing?"

He said, "Using my last resort."