He’s reluctant to remove his sticky fingers from it. He wants one of his yes men running it, so he can retain control. Presumably, Harry’s not strong enough or brave enough to stand up to him.
I can understand that. It’s different for us, because we don’t have to answer to him, but thinking about why Maddie kept things to herself has made me understand how Tom is a dictator rather than just a strict leader. I can’t blame his staff for being afraid to go against him if their livelihoods are at stake.
It’s a different story for me, though. I have no such issues.
Dad leans back and glances at me, and I know he’s telling me to take the lead. He told me yesterday, when Marcus and I went to see him, that it’s important I impress upon Tom that I’m his equal. And he gave me full rein to vent my thoughts once I told him why Tom sent Maddie with me.
“Well,” I say to Tom, “for a start, you didn’t even mention Maddie’s soil restoration project at our initial meeting. Verdanthas always been your focus, and it doesn’t have a fraction of the potential that Maddie’s project does. So I’m not sure I believe you when you say you have faith in her work.”
He glares at me with his icy blue eyes that I’m sure have turned lesser men into frozen statues. But I meet his gaze evenly.
“Secondly,” I continue, “I know you asked Maddie to go to Blackridge with me because you hoped she’d help convince me to agree to the partnership. And when you found out it had worked, that’s why you tightened the screws. You used her. And you’re lucky I didn’t end these talks immediately because of that.”
His expression is stony, but he doesn’t reply. I glance at Harry, who’s looking at his father, a frown on his brow. He didn’t know that?
“Thirdly,” I continue, “I feel as if you’ve missed the point. We’re agreeing to a partnership because we’re excited about the science, not the idea of working with the Rutherford Group per se. We want to run a shared initiative, and we truly believe the integration of our systems on this project could be groundbreaking. We’re not a small company who’s opening their doors to beg the big dog to take over. Our tech has proven revolutionary, and Maddie recognizes this. She wants to get her hands on it because she understands its potential, not because she wants to take it over.”
I glance at Harry. He’s leaning on the arm of his chair, and his fingers are covering his mouth, but I can see his lips curving up behind his fingers.
“I trust Maddie,” I say quietly. “She’s the one I want. That’s non-negotiable, and if you don’t agree, we can end the meeting now.”
Tom looks down for a moment and thinks. I glance at Dad, who meets my gaze and lifts a brow, but doesn’t say anything.
I look back at Tom. He clears his throat, then says, “Could I get a cup of tea?”
I cover my surprise and say, “Of course.” I get to my feet, go over to the table, and make him a cup, then bring it over to him before taking my seat again.
He takes a few sips. I check my phone, keen to show him I’m not sitting there nervously waiting for his verdict. Ultimately, we have nothing to lose—it would be a shame not to go ahead with the project, but we’re not going to sell out our company to get it.
“All right,” Tom says eventually. “Maddie runs the division. So let’s talk about whatweget.”
*
Maddie
It feels like forever, but it must only be about ten minutes later that I watch Caesar get up, go over to the glass door, open it, and call out for everyone to return. As he returns to his seat, we all file in and sit back at the table. A hush spreads quickly through the room, everyone clearly keen to hear the outcome of the conversation.
My heart bangs, and I have to force myself to concentrate on my breathing. I glance at Caesar, and he meets my gaze, but as usual, his expression is carefully guarded as he waits for his father to speak.
“Thanks, everyone,” Edward says. “We’ve come to an agreement. Ashford AgriTech wants this to be a true partnership, not a takeover, but also not a sub-contract. Therefore, this will be a shared research initiative in all senses of the word. You’ll have a partner in the project. Not a foothold in the company. Ashford AgriTech will retain full governance and control of all existing proprietary systems. But we have agreedto share both profits and IP from the new division. Providing it’s run by Madeleine.”
He’s not just saying he wants me to run the project. He’s saying the partnership won’t go ahead unless I do. He’s protected his company, validated my presence, and removed Gramps’s control from the project in one smooth move.
My gaze snaps to Caesar’s, and I inhale sharply. He notices and, to my shock, he winks at me.
Heat rushes through me, and my face burns as if I’ve been sitting in the sun for hours.
Brielle notices and laughs, and that makes everyone else look, and laughter ripples around the table as they all spot my blush. Marcus grins, and Edward chuckles.
Mortified, I lean forward and rest my forehead on the table, which only makes the laughter louder.
Opposite me, a chair scrapes on the floorboards, and I sit back to see Caesar getting to his feet. He throws me an amused look before saying, “If you’ll excuse me, I think maybe I should talk privately to Maddie.”
He walks around the table, stopping by Gramps and my father at the other end, and extends a hand to my dad. “It was nice to meet you, sir,” he says, “and I’m glad we were able to come to an agreement.”
Dad glances at me. It’s rare that he stands up for me against Gramps, but for once there’s pride in his eyes. “Thanks,” he says to Caesar. “Me too.”
He turns to Tom and offers his hand. “I look forward to working with you,” he says, and his voice carries both sincerity and authority.
