Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love) Agnes Canestri (best books to read in your 20s .txt) đ
- Author: Agnes Canestri
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How could she approve Murphyâs crazy idea and sail to the Caribbean as if nothing happened?
My shoulders lock up as I shift forward on the richly decorated seventeenth-century chair Mother recently bought for my office. Itâs frigginâ uncomfortable and clashes with the minimalist style I love, but Mother said it conveys the right vibes for visitors.
As if the Montgregors need to impress anyone. Our reputationâthe one Father laid the foundations ofâalready took care of that.
âI understand.â Murphy nods, but his face says he really doesnât. Or if he does, he certainly doesnât agree. Which becomes utterly clear as he continues. âThe fact that you consider these aspects âinsignificantâ is exactly the reason Mother decided to involve me in this whole process.â
I put my palm on the cool surface of my desk, and my skin immediately leaves a wet smudge.
Okay, Nathan breathe.
If I just keep calm, maybe I can set the universe back on track. A reality where the goal Iâve been working toward these past eight years isnât shattered through my brotherâs clueless intervention.
I inhale slowly. âOkay. So Mother put my well-deserved promotion on hold. Fine. This I can accept. The rest? No way. Murphy, I know you mean well, brother. At least I hope you doâŠbut youâre not qualified to judge whether or not I should become CEO. You donât even work for the company! It doesnât make sense.â
Murphy purses his lips, implying, Why not, without actually saying it. âMother is unsure whether or not youâve got what it takes. If she should choose Larry over you. But she couldnât come up with a suitable test for you. Thatâs where I come in. Bringing out peopleâs hidden strengths or weaknesses is my specialty, remember?â
I know Mother has always had a soft spot for Murphy and his excitingly creative genialityâher words, not mine. But to let him decide whether or not Iâm fit to take over the very company Iâm single-handedly propelling toward never-known success?
Seriously?
âWhy would Mother even second-guess my skills? I might be younger than Larry, but my acquisition ratio beats his anytime. The numbers I bring in each month speak for themselves, donât they?â
My voice has a hint of resentment at first, but as I go on, I start to feel more confident. Indeed, AMEA has never closed a year as successful as this last one, and itâs all because of the deals Iâve managed to secure. Mother is aware of this. Perhaps sheâs just ensuring that Murphy doesnât feel left out when Iâm promoted? Even if, it was Murphyâs choice to study psychology. He could very well have put his brain behind our true legacy instead of curing dysfunctional personalities.
Murphy scratches his chin, a gesture he only does when heâs trying to buy time. I might not be a therapist, but I know my brother. He wants to tell me something he knows I wonât like.
A vague sense of nausea washes over me.
How does Murphyâs Law go? Anything that can go wrong will go wrongâŠ?
My gut suddenly tells me to buckle up, because the next thing out of my brotherâs mouth is going to hammer these words into my mind with force. And he is a namesake to this very law. It must be lifeâs wicked sense of humor.
Murphy clears his throat. âYeah, your numbers are excellent. Nobody can argue with that. But Mother and I feel that you have a few crucial blind spotsâŠâ
âWhat?â I jerk back, slamming my hands on the desk, shaking the pencil holder out of its place. âI have no effinâ blind spots. Iâm driven, focused, and future-oriented. Iâm the better choice. The best one, really. I have all the skills needed to lead our company.â
Murphy gapes at me then gives out a bemused snort. âOh, gosh, Nate. I sometimes forget how funny you are.â
The truth is, Iâm not funny. At least nobody has called me that in my thirty-three years of life.
Brilliant, yes.
Cutthroat, once or twice.
Cold? Pretty frequently.
But my sense of humor has never been praised much. Maybe I prefer to take life seriously, but itâs the only way to be successful. âI didnât mean it as a joke,â I say dryly.
Murphyâs wipes his eye with his palm and his expression becomes serious. âI know. Thatâs what so droll about it.â
I narrow my eyes. âWhat do you mean?â
Murphy leans forward. âI mean, this cocky ignorance about what you lack is the reason Mother agreed to have me assess your worthiness. Whatâs more, sheâs given me free rein about selecting the task that will decide your promotion.â
âShe gave you free rein?â My jaw goes slack.
âIndeed. Mother knows that, even if Iâve chosen an alternate career path, Iâm just as worried about having the right person lead our company as she is.â Murphy nods with emphasis, and not even a single strand of his bangs moves.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, I canât stop myself from wondering exactly how much gel he mustâve combed into his hair to achieve this effect.
If only you were as concerned with AMEAâs success as you are with your hairstyle, you would have stayed to carry on Fatherâs legacyâŠ
I swallow back the comment before it reaches my lips, realizing that if Mother is allowing my brother to test me as he pleases, Iâm not likely to change her mind.
I blink at the pile of documents that I pushed to the corner of my desk when Murphy entered my office. My skin prickles with irritation. Some of these files have been on hold for over a week now, awaiting my approval. I donât have time to perform random exercises just to please Murphy.
But I also know that once Mother decides on something, she never backs off. Call it pride or simple stubbornness, but she sticks to her word, even if
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