Her Billionaire Boss by Gena Snow
Chapter 14
Nick
My uncle Jack is only two years younger than my dad, but looks a lot older. I guess it has something to do with his excessive work all throughout his life. Uncle Jack has three children, a son and two daughters. His eldest daughter is a doctor and the second one is a homemaker married to Uncle’s business partner. Robert is his only son and the child who is supposed to take over the family business from him. Since Rob isn’t doing what he’s expected to, my uncle has no choice but to delay his retirement. At least, that is what he tells my dad.
Harper and I enter the conference room at the resort’s office building, which has a fantastic ocean view. Damn. I wouldn’t mind sitting here all day long, even though most of the time I would be staring at my computer screen, like what Jack is doing now.
“Hi Nick,” Jack nods with a smile when he sees us.
I introduce my uncle and Harper to each other before sitting down on a chair next to Harper. Rob isn’t around, which is good because it would be awkward seeing him now.
“How was your stay last night?” Jack asks warmly.
“It was great. I’m sorry I didn’t inform you before coming. I just want to get a feel about how the resort’s operations are before I discuss the deal with you.”
“Good. I like that. Always prepared,” he comments. “So what do you think of it? Do you think it’s worth ten million?”
I hesitate. Honestly, I don’t think so, but I need to be subtle about it because he’s my uncle. I clear my throat. “It’s nearly perfect. The rooms are clean and the services are great. I even visited the massage center and I was impressed. But it puzzles me that the business has gone down.”
Jack pauses, although he’s still smiling, I know he’s considering his answer. I already know what to expect but I still want to hear it. “I’ve gotten old, Nick, and sloppy. I’m not as aggressive as I should be in marketing and retaining customers.”
“But you’ve got managers, haven’t you?”
“Yes, but I make the final decision.” His smile fades somewhat, showing his annoyance.
“I see,” I nod. I’ve expected the meeting would be awkward. In my uncle’s eyes, I’ll be forever the callow young man, or worse, my dad’s once-illegitimate son. The thought takes away my confidence for a moment, but I push it aside. Focus, Nick. I command myself. This is not a family gathering but a business meeting.
“Here are the financial statements that I haven’t sent you,” Jack says as he pushes a stack of folders on the desk toward me.
I thank him, and start to peruse the tax returns and balance sheets, although I’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect.
“Let me know if you have questions.” My uncle returns to his computer screen after that.
From what I’ve seen, the decline in Seaside’s business is steady and gradual, suggesting that Jack isn’t lying to me. If the changes were sudden and dramatic, then it might indicate some more significant problems.
I close the folders about an hour later, and say to my uncle. “It looks pretty good, Uncle.”
“Are you going to make an offer?”
I nod. “Yes, but I think ten million is too high.”
Jack is prepared for my comment. “We can negotiate, Nick. We’re a family. How much do you think it’s worth?”
I pause for a moment and say, “No more than five million.”
Jack’s expression is hard to read. “That’s outrageous,” he says a second later.
I shrug. “You told me we could negotiate.”
“Nick. I have no trouble selling the resort, but I would like it to remain Alton property. That’s why I’m here today even though I’ve already gotten a few offers.”
I have no idea whether it’s true but I ask, “Are they good offers?”
Jack smirks. “Not as good as I expected, but higher than your price.”
Again, he could be lying to me. I nod. “I need some time to think about it, Jack. I might discuss it with my dad as well.”
“Sure,” he says. “But I can’t wait long. I need an answer within a day.”
My mouth opens. “That soon?”
He shrugs. “You’ve gotten two weeks.”
Damn. I didn’t realize the place is so appealing. Have I misjudged it, or is my uncle trying to trick me? Why is he in such a hurry? It isn’t unusual for a business to take months to sell, especially a company this size.
I’m suspicious again. He must be hiding something from me.
Harper is silent when we walk out of the building.
“Are you okay?” she asks once we’re on our way to the suite.
“Yeah,” I say, pulling her to me for a kiss.
We need to check out at ten but still get an hour.
“You want to go for a walk in the resort’s garden? We’ve got some time to kill,” I ask.
“Sure,” she says and follows me. “We can talk about what to do about the resort. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t fucking know,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “The old man isn’t giving me enough time.”
“Do you think he’s really gotten offers?” she asks me.
“I’m not sure,” I say.
“Do you honestly think it’s only worth five million?”
“Yes.”
“Then you shouldn’t change your mind,” she says. “Let someone else be the sucker.”
She’s got a point. It’s exactly what I should do. Make my offer and walk away if Jack doesn’t like it. But somehow, I don’t want to let it go.
Seeing my hesitation, Harper stops walking and gazes at me. “Oh, you really like the place. You want to have it, badly.”
Damn. Smart girl. I nod. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” I say, falling onto a bench among the rosemary bushes. “I never thought I cared for the resort that much. But I guess it’s associated with good childhood memories. It’s my uncle’s property, but it’s also Alton family’s.”
When she doesn’t speak, I add, “I must sound crazy to you.”
“Not at all!” she says. “I can’t relate to that, but I get it.”
After a silence, during which I prop my elbows on my lap and rest my face in my hands, Harper says, “Then you shouldn’t waste time. Negotiate with your uncle.”
“But what if he fucking tricks me?” I say. “I don’t fully trust him. Intuition tells me something is wrong. Why can’t he give me more time?”
“You’re right,” she mumbles. And then she slaps my thigh. “I forgot about it completely!”
“What is it?”
“Remember the guy at the club last night?”
I narrow my eyes. “The skinny guy in a black shirt who hit on you?”
“Yes,” she nods as she fumbles in her purse. “His name is George Hanson, and he’s in the hotel business.”
She hands me a business card, and I look. “Vortex. It’s a company in Georgia,” I say. “What the hell is he doing here?”
“I’m not sure,” Harper says. “I never found out because you interrupted us. Anyway, what I want to tell you is, Robert didn’t know I spoke to George, and he told me George was trying to sell them air-conditioners.”
“That’s weird,” I mutter. “Maybe Vortex is interested in buying Seaside and Rob doesn’t want us to know how much they’re offering.”
“George said he was interested before but not anymore.”
“You know what?” I say, standing up. “Let’s go back to our room and do some research.”
It doesn’t take us long to find the answer. “Vortex plans to build a hotel in California.” This news is two months old. Why didn’t I know about it? Right, I was busy with the Valley Mall deal and wasn’t paying much attention to the news.
I read a few more articles related to it and get the whole story. Six months ago, Vortex offered to buy Seaside but the offer must’ve been low and gotten rejected. So they purchased a lot nearby to build another resort. The land purchasing deal will be closed in two days. That’s why Jack wants me to make my offer soon.
“The new resort will undoubtedly affect Seaside’s business even more,” Harper says to me. “You’re better off to leave it alone.”
I nod without a word. My mind is still busy processing what my uncle is trying to do. I was right. He wanted to trick me. How could he have concealed such important information from my dad and me? It’s immoral if not illegal. What kind of man would rip of their own family? Shit. I’ve respected him all my life. Obviously, my respect hasn’t been reciprocated. The realization enrages me and chills me to the bone.
The new resort would probably take years to build. Of course, if I confronted my uncle in the future, he would simply tell me he wasn’t aware of the fact. And if it weren’t for Harper’s dumb luck of running into George at the club, we wouldn’t have guessed it, not to mention doubting my uncle.
I pull Harper to me and kiss her. “I should tell my uncle about my decision now.”
