Resisting the Billionaire by C. C. Snow Read Free Book Online Page A

expression was
downright icy. I shivered, wondering what brought on his sudden moodiness.
    “I’m sorry, Richards, but business is business. I don’t have
any interest in paying an inflated price for stocks in a company that won’t
really add to Weston’s overall portfolio. You’ll have to find somebody else to
be your white knight.”
    “There’s nobody else.” The older man looked gutted. “There
are hundreds of jobs at stake,” Leon made a last appeal.
    “Frankly, that’s not my problem.”
    The heartlessness of the statement made me flinch. Jake’s
coldness was unnerving. I had a hard time reconciling this man with the one who
spoke so warmly to his mom just this morning and who teased me during lunch.
    Jake unfolded his tall frame and stood.
    Following his cue, the Richardses did
as well. The elder’s face was gray with defeat. “Thank you for your time.” He
shook hands with Jake, and gave me a curt nod.
    Dale Richards reluctantly offered his hand to Jake. His face
was flushed with anger. When he turned to me, he forced a smile and said, “It
was a pleasure meeting you, Cora.”
    My smile was sickly. I felt a surge of pity for him and
squeezed his hand in sympathy. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I hope things turn
around.”
    Dale’s lips twisted wryly and father and son left the
conference room. Dale’s hand was on his father’s shoulder in silent support.
    I gazed longingly at their backs, envying their strong familial
bond. In spite of their financial woes, I knew father and son would be there
for each other.
    After they walked out of sight, I busied myself logging off
the tablet I used for taking notes. The meeting left a sour taste in my mouth.
    Jake must have seen some of the distaste on my face because
he asked, “Something on your mind, Cora?”
    I thought about holding my tongue, but I couldn’t contain
myself. Innocent people were going to suffer because of a megalomaniac’s greed.
“Why won’t you consider rescuing the firm? It’s obvious Mr. Richards is at the
end of his rope and he cares about his employees.”
    “There are no strategic advantages for Weston Enterprises to
save Datapoynt .”
    “But there are probably no disadvantages either,” I argued.
    “It doesn’t make business sense. With the cost of the
buyout, Weston Enterprises wouldn’t turn a profit for years on the deal.”
    “Not everything has to be about the bottom line. If Mr. Richards was telling the truth, hundreds of families would
suffer because of some power game played at the top of the food chain. He and
his son seem to be good people.”
    Irritation and some unnamed emotion flared in his eyes. “Are
you sure you’re not unduly influenced by Dale Richards’s pretty face?”
    My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I was speechless at the
unfair and unwarranted accusation.
    “Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment in business.”
    His sanctimonious tone made me grit my teeth. I was never
one for violence, but my palm itched to connect smartly with his cheek. “Better
than to have no emotions at all,” I uttered under my breath.
    From the flash in his eyes, Jake heard me, but I didn’t
care.
    In one day, my opinion of him had swung from he’s-such-a-sweet-son
to he’s-not-so-bad-if-he-respects-my-opinion to he’s-an-utter-and-complete-asshole.
His Exaltedness was back.
    I stuck my chin in the air, refusing to be cowed by his
disapproval. “You asked me not to hold back my opinion when you hired me. In
this instance, I think you’re making a mistake. Saving Datapoynt might not add to Weston Enterprises’ profits at first, but in the long run, you’ll
earn the loyalty of Richardses and they’d work even
harder for you.”
    He made a derisive sound. “That’s a naïve outlook. The Richardses could also sit back and coast on Weston’s
resources once they are under our umbrella. Then I’d have to reallocate
resources to reorganize the company.”
    “Maybe you need to have some