Chapter 6 - Chad’s Offer
Chad found Ethan near the bar.
Alone.
Or so he thought.
Marcus had stepped away to take a call.
Brooke was speaking urgently to her father.
Chad pulled a chair beside Ethan.
“Can we talk?”
“We are.”
Chad smiled tightly.
“I hear there’s some confusion about Sterling’s capital structure.”
“No confusion.”
“Brooke says you hold paper.”
“I hold control.”
Chad’s smile thinned.
“No.”
Chad leaned closer.
“For who?”
“For everybody.”
Ethan waited.
Chad lowered his voice.
“Sell me the notes.”
“No.”
“Name a premium.”
“No.”
“Ten percent.”
“No.”
“Twenty.”
“No.”
Chad laughed.
Chad’s eyes cooled.
“You think because you had a good run before the accident you can walk in here and play kingmaker?”
Ethan looked at him.
“Did Brooke tell you I can’t walk?”
Chad stopped.
Then smirked.
“Everyone knows.”
Chad stared.
Ethan let the silence work.
Then Chad changed tactics.
“Fine. You want the company? Take it.”
“Interesting.”
“Brooke’s father is dead weight. Half the board is asleep. I can help you clean house.”
Ethan said nothing.
Chad continued.
“Keep Brooke. She’s useful socially.”
From twenty feet away, Brooke could not hear.
That was probably lucky for Chad.
“And what do you want?” Ethan asked.
“CEO seat.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“You want me to remove Martin and install you.”
“I can grow it.”
“You’ve never run a company.”
“I’ve raised capital.”
Chad’s jaw tightened.
Then he leaned closer.
“I know things about Martin.”
Ethan’s expression stayed flat.
“What things?”
There it was.
Ethan had expected arrogance.
Not leverage.
“What do you have?”
Chad smiled.
Behind him, Isabella appeared at the service door.
Chad turned.
Isabella looked nervous.
“I think this belongs to you.”
May you like
Ethan recognized it.
It had been clipped inside Marcus’s missing document pouch.
