You see, our family money, the one that gives us station, power, and relevance throughout London, comes from the Seymour side of the family tree. From Nan.

Mum married Father, who came from what was an upper-crust family to be sure, but it was nothing like her own family. He suddenly became the big-shot power of the family, putting Mum in her place and taking control of everything. I never questioned it as a boy. It was just how marital dynamics worked to my mind because of their parental example. Mum lunched and did charity business, and Father ran the business side of things.

But it was never his business to run. It was Nan’s. And before that, her own father’s. He was the one who got the contract during World War II that changed everything for our family, turning riches into utterly massive wealth.

“I’m of sound mind and fit body, so I’m doing it my own self. With Mr. Hamish’s help, of course. Oh, and I’m hiring a private manager to assist me because I’m much too busy with my roses for all that daily nonsense about facts and figures. I mean, who cares about the stock market closings?”

Lots of people, Nan. But it’s a small percentage of the family portfolio, so we can basically play the stock market like most people play quarter slot machines.

“But Mary, and by extension, Edwin, will no longer get their greedy little paws on my Papa’s money. Well, I’m not a monster. Perhaps I’ll give them an allowance. Hold it over their heads the way Edwin did everything he gave my Coltie.” She looks rather gleeful at the prospect.

I stand up, needing her attention, needing to stop this hope from blooming inside me if I’m misunderstanding. “Nan? For fuck’s sake, spit it out already. What have you done? The council . . .”

She waves at me, her hand dropping at the wrist like ‘oh, them.’ As if the town council is nothing but fodder. “Edwin has friends in high places, rest assured of that. And it seems he leveraged that to make sure you wouldn’t get the approvals you need. What he forgot is that I’ve got friends in even higher places, and hell, half of his friends prefer me over that old blowhard, anyway. So they were quite happy to make me happy, which left Edwin’s threats as useless as he is.”

Allan jumps in at that. “Are you saying that Colton owns this property dead to rights, and you’ve worked it so that the restrictions he’s said will hamstring us are no longer an issue?”

Nan rolls her eyes, and I wonder how much time she’s been spending with Lizzie. On a sigh, she says, “That’s what I said at the beginning. Build your little company headquarters here and bring my Coltie home to me, and his Elle, too, and we’re all happy.” She looks to Mr. Hamish, speaking quieter but not nearly quiet enough. “I said that. Is the man daft? I’m worried about Coltie working for a man who can’t understand basic business.”

If she wasn’t giving me, and Allan, the golden goose on a silver platter, I’d be worried he’d take offense. As it sits, his face is damn near beaming, seemingly happy to let Nan insult him and call his life’s work a ‘little company’ if it makes good business sense.

Allan turns back to the table, clasping his hands in front of him. “Ladies and gentleman, I think we’ve heard two rather interesting proposals on where to take Fox Industries in the next phase. Shall we vote?”

We don’t even need to. The direction is readily apparent, and if anyone was considering raising their hand for the Tennessee option, Nan's dagger-filled glare surely had them second-guessing their vote.

“That’s majority,” Allan decrees.

Actually, that’s not true. It wasn’t a majority vote. It was unanimous, even Daniel raising his hand for Fox to build HQ2 in London, though I know it had to kill him . . . to lose the HQ2 race and because he knows that Elle will go to London with me.

“We’ll adjourn for now, though I’d like to speak with Colton and Daniel. And you as well, Nan, if you can wait one moment? I’d like to hammer out the details of this deal while we’re all here. Mr. Hamish, let me call for our corporate lawyer too.”

“Gary England, Allan. He’s been instrumental in this proposal and is very familiar with the ins and outs of the trust and British law at this point.”

Allan nods to Janet, who’s been standing off to the side, watching the whole circus in case of technical difficulties. “Can you fetch Gary for me, please?” She nods and virtually runs from the room. I have no doubt that she’s already spreading the gossip along the vine as she goes. By the time we leave this room, the whole company will know . . .

. . . that my family is richer than God himself, according to Nan.

. . . that my father is an arse who tried to stop me from succeeding.

. . . that Nan rushed in to save me and might be utterly mad.

. . . that I’m expected to move to London, run HQ2, and have grandbabies with Elle.

. . . that I couldn’t be happier about any of it.

And I don’t care who knows it. Share it all, Janet! Save me the trouble, please.

I do take the quick moment while Allan and Janet speak to turn to Daniel, though. “You voted for my proposal? Why?”

Daniel tilts his head. “I’m competitive by nature. And like your Nan, I’ll fight for what I think is right. It wasn’t about besting you, or not entirely about it, at least. I truly thought Tennessee was right for Fox, for all the reasons I explained in my own presentation.”

His pause is painful, making me lean forward in anticipation. “But . . . ?”

“Until I heard your full proposal. HQ2 belongs in London, and you belong at its head as Regional President.” He offers me his hand, and I shake gratefully. There’s still a bit too much squeezing, jockeying for dominance, but it’s in good-natured fun. Mostly.

He uses his leverage on my hand to pull me forward, growling in my ear. “I voted for London, but I’m still not sure about you for my daughter just yet. She’s all I have, and if you hurt her, I will kill you.”

I lean back, putting precious inches between us so that if I need to, I can at least get a punch in. He’s glaring at me hard, but there’s the slightest light in his eyes. A light that looks shockingly similar to his daughter when she knows she’s won and can’t help but gloat about it, at least a little bit.

But he’s lost the HQ2 race, so what has he won? Perhaps some happiness for his daughter, and he knows it.

I wink. “I dare you to try.”

His lips quirk, fighting the smile he wants to flash as he tries to maintain his badass persona. I give him the absolute truth so that he can smile freely. “I will never hurt her. I love her. And if I do, I’ll gladly stand still so you can kill me slowly and painfully.”

He does smile at that. “Deal.”

Chapter 34

Elle

“Again, I’d like to offer my utmost apologies and beg forgiveness from the Royal family,” Colton says from the television in his penthouse apartment. “There are no excuses for my behavior, and I’d like to reiterate that Miss Stryker is entirely blameless in the entire incident.”

“Is it true that you’re moving home to London, Colton? Bringing not only your sweetie but an American company with you?” The Good Morning, Britain host is digging for dirt, hoping for first run at some juicy gossip.