Chapter 16
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Chapter 16
On the way home, Scarlet couldn’t stop thinking about the cold look in William’s eyes. She debated whether she should apologize. Her words had been harsh, but then she remembered how much he had hurt her over the years without a single apology.
She decided to do it anyway. She only had a month left and didn’t want their final memories to be defined by a cold war in any relationship, the person who cared more would always be the one who had to give in.
Her internal struggle turned out to be for nothing. By 8:00 pm, William still wasn’t home, Ruth had been cooking smaller portions lately, but Scarlet was still sitting in front of a six-course meal for one.
Ruth was acting especially helpful tonight. She had seen a spark between the couple recently and thought they were finally making progress.
Then, Lester had called and told Ruth that Scarlet caught a cold. William had left early in the morning to send her a coat.
Although Ruth couldn’t figure out their relationship, she understood that couples would fight and make up all the time.
She didn’t know about the fight at the hospital, so she took the initiative to ask, “Why don’t I call Mr. Cooper and ask if he’s coming back?”
Scarlet didn’t stop her. “Go ahead.”
Ruth called him eagerly, but she returned looking disappointed. “Mr. Hemworth said that Mr. Cooper is busy. He won’t be
back for dinner.”
Scarlet wasn’t surprised. She kept her head down and continued eating, “Whatever.”
The calico cat had managed to escape its room again and jumped onto her lap, purring for attention.
Scarlet couldn’t bring herself to push it away. Since William wasn’t home, she let the cat roam for a bit. She petted it while picking through her food. She didn’t like half the dishes on the table.
Sterling Restaurant was a restaurant designed like a garden. Every path in the courtyard offered a new view with stone bridges and flowing water. It was late fall, and even the dense gardens looked a bit bare.
A server, dressed in an elegant silk gown, stood by the table, preparing tea with graceful movements.
William pushed the door open, and a gust of cold air followed him in. The server shivered slightly. Another woman took his coat, and he sat down. The server placed a cup of hot tea in front of him.
“You wanted to see me?” Willian asked.
Arthur took a slow sip of his tea. “Can I not ask my son to dinner without a reason?”
William had been irritable all day and had no patience left even for his father. “Just get to the point. I am in a bad mood.” “Then deal with it,” Arthur replied calmly. “Plenty of people are in a bad mood, but the world doesn’t revolve around you.
William scoffed. “Spoken like a true father.”
Arthur didn’t waste time with small talk. “What have you decided about merging Bova Capital and Pearson Securities?” Heritage Bank was the foundation of Cooper Group. It held trillions in assets and focused on traditional banking activities, such as loans and payments.
Pearson Securities was their investment firm. It had the prestige of the family name and the backing of the bank, which meant it had an endless supply of cash. But even with all that support, its growth couldn’t compare to what William had built
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Chapter 16
independently with Bova Capital.
Since William’s return, Arthur had the idea to merge Bova Capital and Pearson Securities.
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William leaned back and picked up his cup. “Pearson Securities is a total disaster. You want my successful firm to marry into a mess like that? You must be mad.”
Arthur was speechless to hear his comparison.
“Pearson Securities has the backing of the legacy firm. Merging with Bova is hardly an insult to you.”
William raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m short on cash?”
He looked incredibly arrogant. Arthur was about to speak when William cut him off with a click of his tongue.
“Never mind. You’re indeed a very rich man. I’ll give you that.”
Arthur sat there in silence. His son was an adult, but he wondered if hitting him would really be against the law.
Pearson Securities was a mess and not good enough for William. But it was still a firm with history and Arthur’s own creation.
“Merging the two companies isn’t out of the question,” William said, taking a slow sip of his tea. “But tell your useless little firm that it has to take my name.”
He wanted the resources from Heritage Bank, but Pearson Securities had to be rebranded under Bova Capital’s name.
Arthur had planned for Bova to be absorbed into Cooper Group. He hadn’t expected William to be this greedy, trying to take everything for nothing.
A standard business merger had turned into a total takeover. Arthur had spent his whole life in business and had never been played like this. His blood began to boil.
“You certainly have it all figured out,” Arthur said.
William smiled faintly. “Didn’t you personally teach me how to do the math when I was a kid?”
Arthur had no choice. This was his son. He waved his hand in frustration. “Fine. Have it your way.”
People outside whispered about the power struggles within the family, but Arthur already had a plan in place. His eldest son, Julian, had been trained to take over the family legacy since childhood.
Once the business talk was done, Arthur asked for the food to be served. The kitchen had everything ready, and the dishes arrived one by one. Arthur was a man of few words, and William was in a terrible mood. They ate in silence for a while until Arthur spoke up.
“Have you and Scarlet talked about the divorce yet?” Arthur asked.
William took a piece of fish, tasted it, and frowned. “This fish is undercooked. It tastes fishy.”
Arthur hadn’t even tried it yet, but he raised his hand. A server immediately took the fish away and brought William a clean set of cutlery.
William didn’t take another bite. He loosened his tie and took a sip of his tea.
“I have been too busy lately,” William said. “I haven’t had time to deal with it.”
He had just moved his company back to the country, so he truly was busy.
“Once you finish this busy streak, find some time to sit down with her,” Arthur said. “Whatever her conditions are, as long as they’re not crazy, just agree to them. She has been through enough these past few years. Compensate her fairly and end things on good terms.”
William didn’t answer and slowly finished his cup of tea. “What about Grandma?”
Chapter 16
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“The requirement was three years, and the time is up,” Arthur replied. “She’s healthy now, so she won’t be against it. She is a reasonable woman, so she isn’t going to keep you two tied together forever.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” William said with a cold laugh. “She knows how to cause a scene better than anyone.”
When they left the restaurant, William got into the car. Lester waited for a moment. When William said nothing, Lester finally asked, “Where to tonight, Mr. Cooper?”
William had closed his eyes, but he opened them and looked at Lester in the rearview mirror. “Where do you think?”
Lester had no idea. He remembered that William had been surprisingly thoughtful that morning by bringing Scarlet a coat, but he had left the hospital looking angry. He assumed the couple had fought again.
“Back to The Meridian?” Lester guessed.
“Wrong,” William said.
Lester was speechless. It was impossible to know what William was thinking.
William closed his eyes again. “Just take me home.”
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