‘I told you.’
‘Just to hurt my father?’
He dipped his head in silent recognition of that.
‘I can’t believe it.’
‘Nonetheless, those are the facts. And one more thing, Annie.’
She hadn’t thought he was capable of anything else, but then he surprised her. ‘Every single cent of my profits will go to a charity of my choosing, that supports children like I used to be. Every cent. Your father will see the company he loves so much flowing to the hands of impoverished street kids.’
Annie’s jaw parted. Well, that wasn’t something she had any problems with. After all, she’d still own a controlling stake, and the profits from that would be used to support her father.
‘As for the percentage,’ Theo continued, pulling the rug out from under her once more, ‘only a fool would agree to allow you to continue to hold the lion’s share. I will buy a fifty-five per cent stake, but,’ he held up a finger to silence her. ‘On the day we divorce, I shall return the whole thing to you. One hundred per cent.’
Annie’s brain hurt too much to fully understand what he was saying. She shook her head. ‘What?’
‘I am not interested in owning your company long-term. I will take it over, fix it up, make your father rich again, then walk away. But he will have to know two things,’ Theo said, his nostrils flaring with the force of his emotions. ‘It is because of me,’ he tilted his jaw. ‘And that you were mine, for as long as it suited me, and then I left you, on my own terms. If you can live with that, then you have a deal. Otherwise, I wish you well.’
Chapter Three
HE HADN’T BEENsurprised she’d told him to go to hell and stormed out of the penthouse. He’d been deliberately harsh in his offer, hoping she’d refuse. It was his standard operating procedure: only offer what he’d be happy to have accepted. Those were the only terms under which he operated. He’d intentionally presented the deal in such a way that made it almost impossible for a woman like Annie to acquiesce to.
Almost.
But then again, she’d loved her parents so much she’d given Theo up without a second thought. She’d lived her whole life in their shadow, had been theirs to control and dictate to. So it was little surprise that his doorbell rang a few hours later, and a fierce-looking Annie stood on the other side, her eyes sparking with sheer, unadulterated hatred and distaste, reminding him, for a moment, of her father, who’d regarded him with just such a look of scathing contempt, several years earlier.
Back then, Theo had still been just softened enough by Annie and her influence on him to have started to hope that the older man might one day look at Theo like a son. He’d still had a hope, somewhere deep inside, that he had a value beyond what he could bring to a company. He’d had a hope that he was worth loving.
How stupid he’d been.
Still a damaged child, hurt and seeking to be repaired, instead of just accepting that some people couldn’t be fixed, and that was okay.
‘Twice in one day, how fortunate,’ he drawled, stepping back in silent invitation, but Annie shook her head.
‘I don’t need to come in. This won’t take long.’ If her expression had been a mask of contempt, then her voice was utterly dripping with it.
He had to admire her. When she’d left this place a few hours earlier, she’d been obviously furious, but also, clearly reeling. Her petite, slender frame had been shaking like a kitten, her skin whiter than snow. Now she was all fire and flame, spitting fury at him. He much preferred that—he felt more comfortable staring down anger than he did looking at pain, and knowing himself to be the cause.
‘I’ll go along with your proposal, but I have a counter proposal to offer.’
His admiration increased, but he didn’t convey so much as a hint of that. ‘Perhaps you’re misunderstanding your bargaining position, Annie. I hold all the cards. You need something from me, and I need nothing from you.’
‘I understand my position just fine, and I also understand you now. You’re lying when you say you don’t need anything from me—you revealed your hand this afternoon.’
Something crept inside his gut, a feeling like surprise. No one had stood up to him for a very long time—and the fact that challenge was now coming from Annie was strangely appealing. Strangely attractive too, if he was honest. ‘Oh, did I?’
‘You want revenge. You want to hurt my father. Hell, I’m pretty sure you want to hurt me.’ She tilted her chin with courage, though, holding his gaze, even when her eyes were burning with rage and disgust. ‘And that’s fine. If that’s the means to the end I need here, I’ll go along with your sick plan. It will be worth it.’
In the back of his mind, he was aware of how empty his response was to her agreement. Usually, a victory elicited a raremoment of joy for Theo, a feeling that he was completing his purpose, that he was fulfilling the one thing he was good at. But Annie’s acceptance left him strangely hollowed out, almost as if he really had wanted her to walk away.
‘However, I need more.’
‘More—’ his skepticism sounded totally relaxed ‘—than the small fortune it will take to acquire your father’s business?’
‘I want a guarantee of a settlement in our divorce.’
His gaze narrowed. ‘I already told you, you’ll get the company.’