She’s too fond of Preston to see anything from my perspective. Apparently, he’s lovable—as long as you don’t have to clean up his messes, so I would never understand his charm. And I’m not the most likable person in the family, since I’ve always had to make the difficult decisions. Running a company the size of Sebastian Jewelry demands it.
My family’s assessment of me and Preston is biased. However, I’ve accepted it as something I can’t do anything about. The deal they engineered with Lucienne Peery, on the other hand… That’s a fucking betrayal, not something I ever thought I’d experience from my own damn flesh and blood.
Part of me wants to say, “Fuck it,” and walk away. Mom’s right. I already have more money than I can spend in ten lifetimes.
But Sebastian Jewelry is my baby.Mine. Given how Mom feels about Preston, if I refuse to marry Lucienne Peery, the family will simply give the company to him, with or without a connection to Lucienne. This whole contract thing is a pretext. Otherwise, the family would’ve told me everything before now.
Sebastian Jewelry doesn’t exist in a vacuum, but in a huge economic and social ecosystem. My position as its CEO isn’t about status. Ensuring that the company does well gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. The responsibility I feel isn’t limited to my family, but extends to our suppliers and employees and their families.
Preston will never understand it. He doesn’t care what happens to our people as long as his ego gets stroked.
I’m going to have to figure out a way to punish my family for their duplicity.
“If you don’t go through with it, we don’t know what else we can do. If we can’t honor the contract, we’re obligated to give her thirty percent of the shares in Sebastian Jewelry,” Mom adds in a small voice. “All you have to do is just suck it up and marry her, and the company will be yours. That’s the condition your grandparents set.”
I want to flip the damn coffee table over. That thirty percent means the family will lose control over the company to our damned rival. Fucking Preston. Fucking backstabbing family. Fucking Lucienne Peery.
“You need to go, Mother,” I manage, even though my breathing is too uneven to hide my rage.
“Sweetie—” She stretches her hand out.
I jerk away. “Now.Please. I can’t look at you right now.”
I need to find a way to undo this ridiculous contract. I’ll be damned if I’m forced into marrying anyone, much less Lucienne Peery.
Chapter 4
Sebastian
Two weeks pass, and Lucienne Peery doesn’t try to get in touch with me to discuss the indentured servitude contract. I drum my fingers on the desk in my office, trying to figure the angles. Is she waiting for our lawyer to tell her she’s getting the shares rather than a husband?
However, I had a chance to get a copy of the contract and read it over. My lawyer—the oneIultimately ended up hiring—sent me succinct summary of the deal as well.
Upon marriage, Lucienne Peery’s husband will receive ten percent of Sebastian Jewelry shares from her, plus five percent voting share of Peery Diamonds, in addition to a seat on Peery Diamonds’s BOD. This is contingent on the husband signing the legal document prepared by Lucienne’s legal team in Nesovia, giving her the full control over her finances. Refer to Exhibit A.
I already read the exhibit. It’s beyond ridiculous. Like I want or care about her money.
The husband can file for a divorce after five years of marriage. Lucienne can divorce him at any time.
Completely unfair, but my family’s idiot lawyer never questioned it. And it’s too late to undo it.
There will be no commingling of assets after marriage. Any assets acquired post-marriage are to be divided fifty/fifty upon divorce. Joint custody should there be any children.
There’s no way I’m bringing a child into this unholy mix.
If the Comtoises breach the deal, they’ll hand over thirty percent of voting shares of Sebastian Jewelry to Lucienne Peery. If Lucienne Peery breaches the deal, she’ll hand over thirty percent of the voting shares of Peery Diamonds to the Comtoises.
Just what was my family smoking? And why the hell didn’t their lawyer stop them?
The Sebastian Peery collaboration in Korea requires capital investment, split fifty/fifty between Sebastian Jewelry and Peery Diamonds, but the profit is split fifty-five/forty-five in Sebastian Jewelry’s favor. Lucienne Peery will be spearheading it.
The family not putting Preston in charge of the collaboration is the only sensible thing they’ve done in this deal. I make a mental note to look into this collaboration arrangement more closely. Knowing what I know about Lucienne, she’ll be dropping balls left and right—assuming there are any left to drop—and I’ll have to clean up the mess.
More texts from my brothers arrive.
–Huxley: Why don’t you try John Highsmith from Highsmith, Dickson and Associates? He’s good.
–Me: Already did.
