Chapter 5 - The Rival’s Offer
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By 3:00 PM, I had officially taken over Evan’s office.
The scent of his expensive cologne still lingered in the air, but I had already ordered maintenance to remove his custom leather sofa and replace the modern art with my own architectural blueprints.
I was reviewing the quarter-three financials when my private line rang.
“Claire Whitcomb’s office,” I answered, ignoring the thrill that came with saying those words.
“Well, well. The dutiful housewife has finally grown claws.”
The voice was deep, smooth, and laced with a dangerous kind of amusement.
I froze. I hadn’t heard that voice in seven years.
“Julian.”
Julian Thorne chuckled softly on the other end of the line. He was the head of Thorne Enterprises, the Whitcomb family’s most vicious competitor. He was also the man I had almost married before Evan swept in with his carefully curated charm and promises of a stable, quiet life.
“I heard about the Christmas Eve massacre,” Julian said casually, as if discussing the weather. “A slap across the face in front of the entire family. Evan always was a coward, but I didn’t think he was that stupid.”
“If you’re calling to gloat, Julian, I have a company to run.”
“I’m calling to offer a partnership, Claire. Arthur is using you to stabilize his stock prices. But the moment the divorce is finalized, he’ll throw you to the wolves to protect the family name. You know how the old man operates.”
My grip on the phone tightened. Julian wasn’t entirely wrong. Arthur was an ally of convenience.
“What do you want, Julian?”
“I want the Connecticut project. And I know you hold the IP rights to the master plans. Bring those plans to Thorne Enterprises. I will double whatever equity Arthur promised you, and I will personally ensure Evan never works in commercial real estate again.”
I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Boston skyline.
Partnering with Julian Thorne would be corporate treason. It would destroy Whitcomb Development and make Arthur my sworn enemy. But it would also guarantee my absolute independence from the family that had taken six years of my life.
“I can’t do that, Julian. I signed a temporary release agreement this morning.”
“Temporary,” Julian noted, catching the loophole immediately. “Meaning you still hold the ultimate leverage.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
May you like
“Do that, Claire. But don’t take too long. A woman like you shouldn’t be wearing another family’s crown. You should be building your own.”
The line went dead, leaving me in the quiet office, staring at the blueprints of a war I was finally ready to fight.
