“I mean it, Klara. I’m not going anywhere.”
She nods. “I believe you. I didn’t at first, but I do now.”
“Good.” I reach out and take her hair, pulling her to me. I kiss her slow, tasting her, and pull back. “And now we have one more chance.”
“Chance at what?”
I stand and pace across the room. “I spoke with my mother about our problem.”
“About Truth Hurts?”
“Yes, and—”
“I’m done with that,” she says, shaking her head. “Really, Shaun. I’m done with it.”
“Listen to me,” I say softly. “We’re going to double your offer to your father.”
She blinks then stares. “What?”
“We’re going to double it.”
“That’s…. That’s too much.”
“I know.” I grin at her and tilt my head. “But you’re going to be worth it. If you run Divas and make it take off the way we both know you can, this is going to be worth it. Between your investors and my money, we can make your father an offer he can’t refuse.”
“No,” she says, laughing. “No way, Shaun. He won’t go for it. This isn’t about money.”
“It will be. But there’s one thing. He has to leave LA.” I stare at her. I know my mother only wants Aldo away from the company… but I want him out of our lives completely. She’ll never be able to move on with her father breathing down her neck.
“Then he won’t do it.”
“Klara—”
“No, listen to me. He won’t leave LA and he won’t leave the company. He doesn’t care about the money, he only cares about his stupid pride. He’s willing to run our relationship into the ground over it. I’ve tried being nice, but he’s a drunk and a bastard. It’s over.”
I shake my head. “Go to him. Make the offer.”
“No,” she says.
“Please.” I walk over and kneel down in front of her. I take her hands and stare into her eyes. “If you do this and he turns it down, I swear to you, I’ll use all the money I have in my trust to build you a new company. But if we can get Divas… we can do something real. Just the way you planned.”
She bites her lip, staring at me. “Why are you doing this?” she asks.
“Because I love you.”
She leans back, surprise on her face. “You… what?”
“I love you, Klara. And I want you to have the world. Or at least this company.”
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “Okay,” she says.
“Okay?”
“But only because you said you love me. Otherwise, I’d be throwing you out of here.”
I laugh and kiss her. I hold her tight and smile to myself. I know this is hard for her, I know it feels impossible, but this is the last straw. It’s this or nothing.
And I get what I want, especially when it’s for the woman I love.21KlaraWe show up at my father’s house the next morning at eight. I knock for over a minute before he finally answers, his eyes red and bleary. He’s wearing a coffee-stained kimono and he groans as we push our way inside.
“You two,” he says. “Can’t you two leave me alone?”
“Morning, Dad,” I say.
“What, you’re being nice to me now? I thought I was just a drunk and an asshole.”
“You are,” I say. “But you’re about to be very, very rich.”
I walk into the kitchen and start making coffee. Shaun sits down at the table and glances down at the floor. “You’ve got blood stains on your floor,” he says.
“Yeah, I do,” Dad answers. “Got a problem with that?”
Shaun frowns at him then shakes his head. “Nope.”
Dad looks at me. “I’m sick of this, Klara. Really, just let it go. I’m not selling, not for any price. Just get over it and move on, please, and leave me alone.”
“Dad, I’m making coffee. When I’m done, you’ll drink a cup. And then I’ll show you my offer.”
“Klara—”
“Shut up, Aldo, and sit down. Hear your daughter out. Be a halfway decent human for once in your pathetic life.”
Dad looks at Shaun, stares at him for a long moment, but then sits down and doesn’t speak until the coffee is done. I place a cup down in front of him with cream and sugar, just the way he likes it. He takes a sip, closes his eyes, and drinks some more.
“Okay,” he says. “Make your offer. But I’m not selling, not for anything.”
“I’m offering double,” I say, sitting down.
He frowns. “Double… what?”
“Double the last offer. Double everything. Do you know how much that would be? It would come out to—”
“I know how much double would be,” he says, staring at me. “Are you joking?”
“It’s her investor money plus mine,” Shaun says. “I’m matching them. So double.”
He laughs. “That would make me rich.”
“One of the richest men in LA,” I say, nodding.
“Not even Divas is worth that kind of money.”
“I disagree,” I say and shrug. “But you might be right. It’s a gamble, that’s for sure.”