Maid for the Billionaire(57)

What do I have to lose? she thought. She said, "If you bought Corisi Ltd and sold it back to me, the company would be outside the control of the stipulations of the will."

He shook his head as if he‘d heard her wrong. "Buy it? Buy a thirty million dollar company for you?"

If there was even the slightest glimmer of hope that he would help her, she couldn‘t leave yet. ―It would just be on paper. It wouldn't end up costing you anything.‖

"Just my stock standing as my board and investors begin to doubt my sanity."

He hadn‘t said no — yet.

"I thought about that, too. No one would be surprised if..."

"If?"

She spoke quickly, getting her plan out before she had a chance to reconsider the wisdom of it. "If you and I were engaged. This would all make sense. When families merge, their companies do, too. It's natural. Then, when we call off the engagement, you sign the company back to me for the same price and you've lost nothing.‖

His expression was unreadable. "You've thought of everything except for why I would do it."

"That patent. Stephan, it shows real promise. It could make you millions."

For a moment, he looked like he was tempted, but then he said, "Even if I wanted to help you, no one would ever believe it. No one would believe we're engaged."

"They would if you said we'd been secretly dating."

"No."

"Engagements happen all the time. Tell people I'm pregnant. I don't care."

He raised his voice, "My family would lose their minds if they thought we'd been secretly dating — never mind engaged because you're pregnant. No."

Did he have to sound disgusted?

A knock on the door. Maddy poked her head in. "Stephan, my car is here so I'm leaving."

Stephan checked his watch and swore. "Maddy, do me a favor and double check that mine is coming. It was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. I'm on a tight timetable."

Maddy looked back and forth between Stephan and Nicole. "Will do." She closed the door as if reluctant to do so.

Lost in his thoughts for a moment, Stephan stared after his departing secretary.

"Stephan," Nicole said.

"Hmm?"

"Let go of my arm."

He dropped it. "I don't hate you, Nicole. If you were asking me for a reference or...hell, even a loan, I might be able to help you, but this is too much."

"I understand," she said, composing herself and stepping back from him.

His phone vibrated in his breast pocket. He checked it quickly then said, "That's my car downstairs. I wish I could help you, but I can't. You're going to have to live with your father's will."

***

The End