Rock Star Billionaire

"Oh, but I can," I said calmly. "And I have."

"Father signed contracts and took out loans with Bank of Manhattan," Lincoln said as he frantically tried to regain his composure. "You cannot simply withdraw money and shift it from one bank to another."

"This is where you are sadly mistaken," I said, narrowing my eyes. "There is a clause in the agreement that clearly outlines the legality of such a move when the loan officer has engaged in unethical behavior, which I believe you have. Besides, it's already a done deal."

"Mother!" Lincoln protested. "Tell him this is unacceptable!"

"I'll do no such thing," my mother said calmly. "You lied to your brother, and you tried to destroy a business that your father spent his life building. And while you're my son—and I will always love you—I'm deeply ashamed of your behavior, Lincoln."

My brother turned a deep shade of red as my mother scolded him in front of everyone. I watched, not saying another word. I could see Sloan's demeanor changing as she considered her options. She turned to me and began trying to plug the hole she'd drilled. I listened and then simply said, "Sloan, you're fired."

"You can't fire me!" she shouted.

"I can, and I just did," I said. "You've violated the ethics clause in your contract, and if you're smart, you'll reread it so you understand the non-compete clause you also signed."

"I told you this was a stupid idea," Lincoln said bitterly as he looked straight at Sloan. "You and your big plans were absolutely idiotic."

"My idea? My idea?" she shouted at him. "How on earth was this my idea? You were the one who wanted to rip apart the company and sell it off bit by bit to get back at your father!"

"Don't throw that in my face," Lincoln growled. "You were the one who said you had a foolproof plan for making a profit off of the sale of each department. Your fancy MBA isn't worth the paper it's written on. Your father was right. You're a terrible businesswoman, and you couldn't negotiate your way out of a paper bag."

"Lincoln, that's enough," Jessie said sternly. She hadn't said much all evening, but this turn of events seemed to be the breaking point for her. "I've had enough of your whining and complaining about how badly you've been treated. You're not going to tear apart anyone else. I don't care what she's done. You're equally responsible for this mess, so own up to it."

"What?" he said looking down at his wife who wore a stony expression. "How dare you talk to me like that!"

"Oh, do shut up," Jessie said as she deliberately folded her napkin and carefully placed it on the table in front of her. "I know you two have been having an affair, and I know there have been plenty of others before her. I put up with it because I thought boys will be boys, and you always came home to me and the kids. But I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of you."

With that, Jessie stood and bowed at my mother murmuring her thanks for a lovely evening. She walked out of the dining room. My mother shot me a concerned look, and I nodded as she got up and followed Jessie into the foyer. Lincoln rushed out behind her, casting a hateful look in my direction before leaving the room.

Sloan stood staring at me, shaking her head as she tried unsuccessfully to come up with something to say. She finally gave up, throwing her hands in the air. She said, "You're hateful, Jackson Yates."

I simply nodded and watched her leave the room. The three of us who were left at the table sat in silence until Norma piped up and said, "Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! That was one hell of a showdown, Jack!"

Leah and I burst into laughter, and Norma soon joined us. We recounted the looks on the two traitor's faces as I'd unveiled their plan. My mother soon returned to the room and said that Jessie was going to take the children to visit her parents while she and Lincoln tried to work things out.

"That was not very nice of you, Jackson," my mother gently scolded. "But I understand what happens when you feel like your back is against the wall. And it was good of you to promote Leah after all the hard work she's done to make sure the business keeps running smoothly."

"She deserves it," I said, smiling at Leah who blushed a little and looked away. "And so much more."

"Well, kids, now that the show is over, I got to get myself home to bed," Norma said as she stood up and walked toward the front door. "It was quite a spectacle, Jack. I'm glad you're in control of things again."

"Thank you for all your help, Norma," I smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Shucks, darlin'," she grinned as she waved her hand at me. "It was nothing!"

My mother walked Norma to the door, leaving Leah and me alone in the dining room. I walked around the table and sat

down next to her.

"Thank you for the promotion," Leah said as she raised her bright blue eyes and looked into mine. "I'll do my best to measure up to your expectations."

"You deserve it," I said as I reached out to take her hand. She pulled back as she looked away, leaving me more than a little confused.

"Jack …" she began, "I think it's really obvious that I'm extremely attracted to you, but I think that if we're going to work together, it's better if I don't act on that attraction. It might be seen as unprofessional, and I'm not sure the guys in the warehouse would respect me if they knew I slept my way to the top."

"What are you talking about?" I said, genuinely shocked to hear her talking like this.

"I mean, it's nice that you find me attractive and everything, but…" she bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.