Is someone else accumulating stock?
I stared at the names of the corporations listed as shareholders. One name, the owner of five percent caught my attention—Aphrodite Corporation.
Setting the coffee mug down, I shook my head and began searching, wondering if Jeremy knew the person behind that corporation.
How can he not?
If he does, why would he tell me?
My message was short.
Why tell me about Aphrodite?
I hit send.
The return message came quicker than I anticipated.
She wanted you to know.
Fuck.
I looked up the other two entities: GreenSphere Opportunities and Wolfe Acquisition Limited. They were both Special Purpose Acquisition Companies. SPACs are relatively new. Their purpose was to raise money in anticipation of buying private companies, basically taking them public without the traditional public offering.
Why are large SPACs interested in Wade Pharmaceutical?
It made less sense than my interest. There was only one possibility. Someone had leaked the information about Wade’s possibility of an Alzheimer drug.
My next call was to Aphrodite.
The call only rang twice.
“Donavan, it’s a holiday.” Lena’s tone was sweet like hard Christmas candy—sweet yet capable of destroying from the inside out.
“I received Jeremy’s email.”
“And imagine that, his email accomplished what took me numerous calls only a week ago to do.”
Lena was Aphrodite—the ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty. We’d laughed when she originally set up the LLC.
“Sell me your five percent,” I said.
“Oh, I thought it would be fun to be back in business together.” Lena laughed. “I began to think about our conversation last week. You know, I also want to see the Butlers go down. And I simply detest being on the outside looking in.”
“What do you know about GreenSphere and Wolfe?”
“I know that right after I acquired the shares, GreenSphere offered me an investment opportunity. Whoever they are, they want in something fierce. Their offer was almost too good to pass up.”
Why haven’t they contacted me?
“And you don’t know who they are?” I asked.
“You want a lot of answers for a man who still hasn’t told his best friend the real reason for his interest in Wade Pharmaceutical.”
“You saw the press release.” The press release announcing Julia’s and my engagement.
Lena hummed. “Not the way I’d expect to hear that my partner in crime is engaged. Did you forget about the engagement the last time we spoke?”
Leaning back against the soft chair, I ran my free hand over my face. “You wouldn’t get it.”