Chapter 724
It was downright laughable that Latham was now reduced to begging his estranged daughter for salvation.
If he had known this day would come, would he have treated her with such cruelty?
Had he not exiled her into the dead of night and shipped her off to the countryside, Claire might have retained a shred of affection for him.
Now? That bridge was burned to ash.
“I didn’t, I don’t, and you shouldn’t assume that,” Claire denied swiftly, leaving no room for argument.
“I told him right out of the gate that I wouldn’t lift a finger. He just kept harassing me until I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“But you have to believe me, I didn’t cave under the pressure.”
“It just dawned on me that no one locally wants to touch this mess. You’re out-of- state capital-others might doubt your influence here, but you have the cash.”
Armed with deep pockets and aggressive networking, a buyout could legitimately breathe life back into the dead project.
Moreover, neither the James family nor the Byron family were in a position to demand an exorbitant payout.
They would have to absorb at least a third of the collateral damage.
They were practically forced to hand over the rights at a massive loss.
That was the exact moment Claire saw the hidden goldmine.
With both families bleeding capital in a chokehold, finding a savior to break the deadlock was nearly impossible.
“Well, thanks for looking out for my portfolio. If this actually closes and turns a profit, I’ll write you a massive bonus check,” Dane teased softly.
A wave of relief washed over Claire. This meant she hadn’t tossed a grenade into his lap, right?
“Don’t factor me into your margins, and I definitely don’t need a cut.”
She had her own nest egg; corporate dividends hardly thrilled her.
Dane was well aware of her independence.
“Let’s drop the business talk. The boardroom has no room for sentiment anyway.”
“Did your Acceptance Letter arrive? When are we celebrating The Ivy Gala?”
A bright laugh escaped Claire. “Funny you should ask. It literally just showed up today.”
“Pandora wants to throw two separate parties. The original plan was to host one at the country house first, but my schedule has been insane.”
“We’re kicking things off at Hearth & Kettle this weekend.”
Afterward, they’d head back out to the country to throw a massive feast for the locals.
It was Pandora’s way of sharing the triumph.
“You haven’t told your grandfather
yet,
going
you? They’re definitely
want an invitation Danet
reminded her smoothly.
her smoothly.
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With only a couple of days left, she needed to lock down the guest list before Padgett felt slighted.
“I assumed they wanted to keep things strictly under the radar and wouldn’t attend.”
After all, with Melissa and Agassi
still missing a highly publicized net
reunion could trigger an avalanche of unwanted danger.
“Get their take on it first, and run it by Pandora.”
Pandora had kept Claire’s ties to the Churchill family buried for years solely to protect her.
That was exactly why Cindy had remained completely oblivious to her powerful maternal relatives.
But the dynamic had shifted completely; Claire had officially reconnected with the Churchills.
It was only a matter of time before the elite circles dug up her true lineage.
Some secrets had gathered dust for far too long; it was time to stir the waters.
Otherwise, Claire might spend the rest of her life chasing ghosts, never discovering what truly happened to her parents.
The realization hit Claire like a bolt of lightning. “You’re absolutely right. I’m going to talk this over with Pandora.”
If the older woman gave her blessing, she’d roll out the red carpet in Apex.
If she objected, Claire would simply wrap things up here and book a flight to Cabinda.
She could have an intimate celebratory dinner with her grandfather’s family then. “You definitely should.”
Not wanting to eat up any more of her time, Dane concluded, “I have a board meeting to run. I’ll see you this
and I’ll make sure Padgett with me.”
FindNovel.net
“Can’t wait.” Claire ended the call.
She decided she needed to have this conversation with Pandora face-to-face.
That very evening, she drove straight back to the country house.
She wanted to personally escort her grandmother into Apex.
Waking up in the dead of night to find her granddaughter standing there, Pandora was utterly bewildered.