Claiming His Secret Heir

Wouldn’t she need to maintain some kind of dialogue with her family because of them?

“I’m hoping the police find him soon.” There had been no news today outside of the report from the security guard about the inquiry at the Los Altos Hills house. “He’ll have to put in an appearance at the Transparent investors meeting this week, won’t he?”

She felt Damon’s shoulders tense. His hand stilled on her back.

“If he’s going to follow through on his plans to oust me from the CEO position, yes.” The muscle under one eye ticked, and he seemed to weigh the merit of saying anything more. Finally, he let out a gusty breath. “I realize you have a stake in this business, Caroline, but considering all you’ve been through, I’m hoping you don’t feel the need to be a part of a contentious board meeting.”

“You’re right I have a stake in Transparent. And I will have a lot of guilt and responsibility to bear if my father succeeds in railroading you out of the business before the launch.” She’d convinced her dad to invest heavily in the company because she believed in Damon. Now, her husband could be pressured into vacating his seat if Stephan convinced other investors that they would make money with a more seasoned CEO at the helm.

A bloodless, professional executive who took a huge salary to mine the business’s assets for the sake of a fatter bottom line.

“I won’t let that happen.” Damon gripped both ends of the blanket around her shoulders. “Thanks to the notes you shared with me last night—all your research into the business—I know what Stephan knows. That gives me an edge.”

Her head throbbed again as she remembered happier days with her father. He’d been so proud when she’d been accepted into a prestigious business program for her master’s. She had always thought of him as her biggest champion. What happened to that man?

But her business know-how—the degree and experience her father had helped give her—provided her with unique insight into the situation now. “You won’t have enough of an advantage to regain control. His share is significant, Damon. Even if he can’t convince other investors to remove you, he’s not going away. He added a right of first refusal clause into your initial contract with him so he could invest more in Transparent.”

Stephan Degraff had put himself on a track to rule the company with that restrictive clause.

Yet Damon tipped his chin up, a gleam in those deep blue eyes.

“The McNeills can afford to buy him out.”

The realization of his calculated move shouldn’t have surprised her. Maybe if she wasn’t recovering from amnesia and childbirth, she would have seen it sooner.

“Of course.” Understanding dawned more fully. “So you’re not in New York City to join the family fold. You came here purely for business reasons.”

“And safety purposes. I wanted to get you and Lucas out of Los Altos Hills.” He smoothed his fingers over the embroidery on the edge of the quilt, and no matter how frustrated she felt that he’d kept this secret from her, she still wished his hands were on her instead of the blanket.

The picnic and sledding had eroded her defenses. She wanted the comfort of his arms, his kisses that made her forget everything but him.

“So you’re not interested in being a part of McNeill Resorts? Inheriting the McNeill legacy?” She took some small comfort that at least he hadn’t married her to fulfill the requirements of Malcolm McNeill’s will the way she’d once feared.

“Transparent is the only legacy our son needs. And it’s one I built with you at my side.” The heat in his eyes, the fierceness of the words, convinced her.

He might have hidden his deeper motive for traveling to New York, but perhaps he’d only wanted to shield her from more of her father’s schemes. She absolutely believed Damon was the kind of man who would want to build a corporate empire all his own—something apart from his wealthy father and grandfather. She understood that desire a little too well. With the benefit of hindsight, she sure wished she’d put more separation between her work and her dad’s company.

But right now, she didn’t want to look backward.

“Then you really want us to be a team again.” She plucked Damon’s hand from where he played with the quilt binding, holding it between hers. “We would need to be stronger than we were before all this happened.” She was a different woman now. A mother.

And things were far more complicated.

He watched her with an almost predatory stillness.

“I thought I made that clear the night I put your rings back where they belong.” He used his free hand to lift her left one to his mouth.