POWER, PASSION AND PROFITS

Max POV....I'lltake the offer

The meeting was scheduled for 2pm today. I called my secretary and asked her to clear my schedule and keep it open for 2 hrs between 1:30 - 3pm.

I had been on this business merger for a long time —TROISeme was a company I needed to take over so badly. I had everything well planned out already. The company needed saving just like all the other companies I had bought. All that was standing between me and it was ‘Howard’. The last meeting we had was a very crucial one and knowing him and his business shrewdness, he would try to come up with a way to ensure that he still had a reign in the company.

Just then, the door to my office opened, and my friend walked in, putting an end to all my thoughts. “Hey, Maximilian,” he said in his usual teasing manner. He was the only person who called my name in that way. “Silly man” I said to him and smiled as I got up to give him a hug.

“How have you been?”, I asked. He smiled boyishly and teased “I thought you didn't care about me anymore, that's why I decided to come check on you today man” he said. “Ever since you've been on this TROISeme deal, you have been so scarce that getting you to even hangout with has been a Herculean task” he went on.

“Chill man, I'll be having a meeting on that by 2pm today to close out the deal” I said to him. “You know what? Why don't you join in on the meeting now that you are here and after that we can go have lunch as I'm starving”, I said to him,

Tom and I have been very good friends from college till date. He was the only one among our friends who understood me very well, and he had a good business sense like me too, though he wasn't as successful as I was in the business field, but he was equally not doing badly at all. He ran his own legal firm, —Pinnacle legal solutions, and was mostly into business law, so I made him my legal adviser. He is very good at his job as nothing ever escapes him.

“That will be great, my friend. I'm also starving too and could do with some food in my system”, he said in return, and we both laughed, and then my secretary called to inform me that Mr. Howard was around. “Let him in,” I said to her on the phone.

Mr. Howard walked in and we all exchanged pleasantries. “Please have your seat” I said to him.

“Thank you very much, Max,” he said. “I wouldn't want to waste so much of your time this afternoon as I have another meeting to be at, and I also know that you are a very busy man,” he said.

I nodded in agreement with him. I have never liked this man from the very day I set my eyes on him. He reeked of evil, and he was way too sly and cunning for my liking. However, he had what I wanted at the moment, and I was ready to match him on any ground as long as I closed this deal.

“So let's get right to it” he said, bringing me back to reality from my thoughts.

“I have agreed to go ahead with the deal. TROISeme needs some saving right now, as we both know, and I have looked into your profile and know that you are the right man to save it” he said. “However, I have a history with this company,” he went on. I knew that he was coming down to it and whatever amount or condition he was going to give, I was ready to match it.

“I wouldn't want it out of the family, so on that note, the only way I'll agree to sign any document on this merger is that you marry my daughter”, he said.

“I…wh…what?” I asked, almost choking on my words as I was both shocked and surprised at the same time. I knew he wouldn't let it go just like that. I was more than ready to match him with whatever outrageous amount he was going to come up with to discourage me from buying him out —but marriage?. I didn't see this one coming.

I began to wonder if I could go on with this at that point. I needed to own this company so badly. From the corners of my eyes I could see Tom staring at me with shock written all over him, as he knows me very well. I'm sure he was reading me and something was telling him that I was considering taking the offer.

“Mr. Howard, please excuse me,” I heard Tom say. “Max, can I have a word with you?” Tom said, almost dragging me into my private room in the office. “Have you gone mad? Don't tell me that you are seriously thinking of taking up that stupid and ridiculous offer” he went on.

“Remind me again what's so special about this company that you need to take this stupid offer for it” Tom was almost screaming now, the veins in his neck were standing out already. “Relax Tom”, I said," You won't understand it now, but I promise that you will in no distant time.

“You have always trusted my judgment in the past, and now it shouldn't be any different” I said.

My friend just shook his head and asked “so what happens to Emily, as I can see there's no talking you out of this” he said.

“I'll find a way to make her understand, but if she doesn't, and she wants to leave, then fine” I said. “After all, it's not as if she loves me, it's what I represent she's after, and that's the only reason she's with me” I said. Tom just shook his head as I dragged him back into the office.

“I'll take the offer, Mr. Howard”, I said to him. “Have your lawyer draft the terms of agreement, and send a copy to my lawyer”, I said to him as I stood up. We shook hands and he left. Tom just shook his head and said, “You seriously need to have your head examined, Maximilian”.

“Let's go have lunch, my friend”, I said to Tom, smiling.

This is just the beginning….