Boxed Set: Seduced For Revenge (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (2 page)

Robert turned red and shuffled in his seat. Victoria took a sip of water and looked at the CEO out of the corner of her eye. She was seething inside at the fact Harmon Grey had retired secretly, but she planted a smile on her face and pretended to be interested in what was being said.

Occasionally he would meet her eyes and she would flinch inwardly. She told herself that no matter what, her plan to take down Harmon Grey would not be defeated. If she could
n’
t take down the father, sh
e’
d just have to take out the son.

She recalled her fathe
r’
s last days, how depressed he had been. She was only twelve years old when h
e’
d lost his company. A company he created by sacrificing many luxuries for him and his family. He worked long hours to build it from scratch and when everything was going well, Harmon Grey took it away.

That fateful day was forever etched in her memory. School had let out early and the bus let her off at her block. There were police vehicles and an ambulance parked in front of the apartment. As she approached she saw a small crowd gathered. They were people she recognized from the apartment building she lived in.

Someone from the crowd pointed to the roof where a man looked as if he was about to jump. At first, the glare from the sun blinded her, but as her eyes focused she realized the man was her father. Before she could do or say anything he was falling. In shock she watched as he hit the bare pavement and people rushed forward.

She must have lost all consciousness because next thing she remembered was a nurse hovering over her. When she regained her senses she thought sh
e’
d dreamed the whole thing but reality would present itself in the form of the police explaining to her that her father had an accident.

Her mother had gone into shock and had to be hospitalized. Victoria had to grow up fast, taking responsibility for her mother whose health started deteriorating almost immediately. As she sat there in the board meeting she could still hear the splatter of her father hitting the pavement.

“
The board will meet in a few days to discuss the employee stock options
,”
his voice brought her back to the present
.“
Now, not only board members, but all staff will have the option to become shareholders in Fischer Industries as we aim to go global
.
”　

After explaining what would happen when the stocks became available, he adjourned the meeting. She was glad to get out of the room and to go someplace where she could rethink her strategy, but even that plan was foiled.

“
Victoria
,”
the CEO called
,“
I can call you that, ca
n’
t I
?
”

“
Sure. What can I do for you sir
?”
she tried to steady her voice, not too pleased that he held her back.

In just a few minutes, she was alone in the room with him because the other executives had left.

“
I
t’
s Koltan
,”
he said
.“
You mentioned my father. Did you know him
?
”

“
No. Well, I know of him
,”
she replied
.“
Look, I want to apologize for this morning
.
”

He looked puzzled at first and then he smiled. She was almost affected by the way his eyes creased when he smiled or how his pink lips moved over his white, even teeth. However, she looked away, resolving herself to keep her mind on her goal.

“
I do
n’
t smok
e…
not anymore anyway
,”
he told her, still smiling.

“
But yo
u…,”
she was confused.

“
I do it every day, put a cigarette in my mouth. It relaxes me, but have
n’
t lit one in two months. I think i
t’
s a way of testing my resistance
.
”

“
Ooops, so sorry. I thought you were about to smoke in the elevator
.
”

“
Do
n’
t worry about it. I just wanted to welcome you personally as you will be working closely with me
,”
he held out his hand and she hesitated before taking it. His hand was warm and he held hers a little longer than she would have liked.

No Victoria, you wo
n’
t be affected by Kotlan Grey, she told herself as she mentally prepared to rip his father to shreds.

Koltan loosened his blue tie and pulled it from around his neck, unbuttoning the two upper most buttons of his white shirt. H
e’
d only agreed to come into the company to please his mother, but h
e’
d never expected that he would be running the whole shebang.

At thirty-two, he was one of the youngest CEOs in the country and perhaps wealthiest in the state. Not only was he a good student of his mentor, but somewhat of a savvy businessman in his own right.

Harmon, his father, was a ruthless businessman and he had no intention of following in his footsteps as far as running the company. He had to admit that he liked making things work, and for the past few years working under his father, he never got a chance to do his own thing. Now that the old man had retired, maybe he could implement the changes he thought would make the company better.

One such change would be to offer stocks to the employees, thus making it an employee trading company. That would mean no major decisions would be made without all the employee
s’
input. When h
e’
d first brought up the idea with his father, the man had asked him if he was crazy. He must have known that with him as the CEO, he would make it possible.

As he contemplated his position and ways to make the company run smoother, he remembered his newest executive. A smile played on his lips as he remembered how she had plucked the cigarette from his lips and stomped on it. That was a few days ago.

“
Sh
e’
s crazy, but beautiful
,”
he chuckled to himself.

He walked over to the coffee and poured two cups, knowing very well that he had to have some excuse to see her. She was right across the hall from him, this was of course deliberate on his part. The minute she had challenged him in the elevator she had intrigued him.

H
e’
d never dated someone from the office before, but there was always a first for everything. He knew she was
n’
t going to be easy, but he had to take a chance. It was
n’
t everyday he got to meet a beautiful, intelligent woman who was
n’
t afraid to stand up for what she believed. With his heart beating wildly in his chest, he made his way across the hall.

* * * *

Anger was the emotion that kept Victoria going for the next few days. How could Harmon Grey retire without letting anyone know? What was he afraid of? Her plan to ruin the man who stole her fathe
r’
s life work would not be thwarted. She had to find a way to bring the man to his knees.

“
Take a break with me
?”
his voice interrupted her concentration, handing her a cup of coffee.

She was in her new office on the 32nd floor, going through a database for the pharmaceutical division. There were five companies under the Fischer Industries umbrella including a food packaging company, a cosmetic division, an electronics company, and the pharmaceutical division.

Hesitantly, she took the cup, not certain what to make of him coming into her office like this. The way he was looking at her made her a little uneasy. Is he interested in me? She asked herself. He took a seat directly in front of her desk, so there was no avoiding his eyes as they looked her over.

“
Thank you
,”
she replied. Then she found herself asking
,“
Why did your father retire so suddenly
?
”

Koltan brows shot up at her question
.“
Oh, it was
n’
t sudden at all. H
e’
s been wanting to for years, but I was being stubborn about coming on board
,”
he replied as he sipped his coffee.

“
But he did
n’
t announce it. Was there a reason behind that
?
”

“
Victoria, you mentioned my father on your first day and now yo
u’
re asking about him again
?”
he asked
.“
Is there something you are
n’
t telling me
?
”

“
No, I just wondered why his retirement was s
o…
quiet
,”
she replied, but he did
n’
t seem convinced
.“
I had hoped that I would be working with the man. I was told I could learn a lot from him
.
”

He nodded thoughtfully
,“
I see. Between you and me, h
e’
s not in the best of health these days and was advised by his physician to take early retirement
.
”

Somehow, she had to find a way to get to Harmon. She wanted to meet him to size up the enemy. Making Koltan squirm was just the bonus for her plans. The real culprit must pay for his crimes and that was Harmon. She would find a way to get to hi
m…
she must, or all her hard work would be in vain.

“
Next time
I’
ll take you out for coffee and perhaps lunch
,”
he was saying.

“
Huh
?”
she had been lost in thought.

“
I said, we should do this properly next time and perhaps make it lunch
,”
he stated.

“
Oh, is that a good idea, to fraternize with the new hireling
?
”

“
I think i
t’
s a very good idea
,”
his smile almost made her soften, but she turned her face away and reminded herself what she was there to accomplish.

“
Okay
,”
she replied. Yo
u’
re making this way too easy Koltan, popped into her thoughts, as it dawned on her exactly how to get to him and maybe to his father.

“I’
ll let you get back to work now
,”
he said as he rose from the chair.

He left her feeling better about her plans. He was definitely interested in her and that was how she was going to proceed. She just needed to make sure he was impressed with her. Her one flaw was that she had no idea how to keep his interest.

She was engrossed in something on her computer monitor when he returned
,“I’
m sorry, this wo
n’
t do
.
”

“
What do you mean
?”
she asked, eyeing her search result
,‘
How to seduce a man in seven day
s’
.

“
Have dinner with me
,”
he replied stepping closer to the desk.

She quickly closed the tab, trying to find a way to say yes without seeming too easy. She had to make it look like he was the one chasing after her.

“
I do
n’
t think tha
t’
s a good idea
,”
she replied.

“
I wo
n’
t take no for an answer
.”
He came around the desk and perched his derriere in the edge, looking down intently at her
,“I’
m not leaving until you say yes
.
”

“I’
ve only been here a few days, what will the other managers think if we start dating
?
”

“
Hmm, that Koltan has found himself a beautiful woman
,”
he lifted his brows
.“
So, what will it be
?
”

“
Okay
,”
she replied
.“I’
m only saying yes to get rid of you, I have work to do. And, i
t’
s only this once
.
”

“
Once is all I need.
I’
ll pick you up at seven tonight
,”
he was gone before she could give him her address. Then it hit her that he probably already knew her address from her file.

“
That went well
,”
she murmured
.“
Now all I need to make you fall, my dear Koltan. You seem like a nice guy, but the only way to get to your daddy is through you
.
”

She dismissed him from her mind for the rest of the workday in order to study her reports. If she was to succeed, she had to make sure her work was exemplary. She could not afford any mistakes, especially if she was to date Koltan.

At exactly five that Friday afternoon, she shut down her computer, picked up her leather bag and stuffed a few files inside. A few minutes later, she was leaving the parking lot and heading home.

* * * *

He changed his shirt three times before settling on the light purple one with an amethyst tie and dark grey suit. Never has Koltan been so nervous going on a dat
e…
well, except for his first date with a girl he liked in kindergarten. She was the daughter of his fathe
r’
s friend and she was a tomboy, but he liked her. For some reason he could not remember her name, only that her father had called her Spunky. However, he remembered how nervous he was when he heard she was coming over to have a play date. Tonight seemed no different. He liked her from the moment she stepped into the elevator.

Before leaving, he stopped to check on his father who was already asleep. He seemed to be getting frailer and frailer, and Koltan wondered if maybe there was something the old man was keeping from them. At the rate at which his health was failing, there seemed to be something else in addition to heart disease.

He made a mental note to have a talk with his fathe
r’
s physician the following day and left feeling a bit guilty that he was on cloud nine when his father was so sick.

* * * *

It was
n’
t until she was inside her apartment that Victoria realized sh
e’
d given in too easily. She needed Koltan to yearn for her before she gave in so that the suffering would be all the more intense. At least, tha
t’
s what the article about seduction had said.

She took a long hot bath, scrubbing her skin until pink, then she slathered on scented oil and body splash, wrapping herself in her plush bathrobe. Sh
e’
d washed her hair and blow dried it, brushing it until it shimmered in the white light of the room.

With a cup of tea, she curled up in her robe on the sofa, waiting for her date. At exactly seven, the buzzer went off and she slowly got up and walked to the door. He was standing there dressed in a perfectly fitted grey suit, his six feet plus frame filling up the doorway.

“
Yo
u’
re not ready
,”
he raised one eyebrow.

“I’
m sorry, my head is pounding like crazy
,”
she said, in a rather weak voice
.“
I do
n’
t think I can make it
.
”

The robe had slipped off one shoulder, revealing her creamy skin. She caught his eyes as they affixed to the area above her breasts where the robe opened. She pretended not to notice and reached her hand up to massage her head.