“And this couldn’t wait?”
“I’ll go into as much or as little detail as you want, but the important part is that your family’s shares are in jeopardy if the complaint against your grandfather’s will goes forward. There’s evidence, or the law firm is claiming that they have evidence, that the will was doctored after your grandfather’s death.”
Julia pulled the sheet higher. “No. That’s not right. My parents wouldn’t—”
I knelt onto the bed beside her. “Nothing is proven. My legal team hasn’t been able to learn more than what they could find in filings. If your shares became mine, I could possibly stop the court from seizing them through the investigation.”
“Is that what’s in the prenup?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s what Oscar Fields and a slew of other legal minds told me to put in the prenup.”
“What is in it?”
I reached for her hand. “Julia, when I found you, I had no idea who you were. Our first night in the cabin was the most open and honest I’d been in” —I took a breath— “possibly my entire life. I’ve told you that I’ve done bad things. But that all changed in one night and I can’t un-change that even if I wanted to. Once I got back to the office and I saw your name on my schedule, I kicked into the mode I’d done for the last twenty-plus years, sizing, evaluating, looking for weakness, and seizing opportunity. I saw you as a chance to rekindle a fight, one I had left unfinished. I realized who you were and soon saw an opening to fuck with the Butlers.”
“You used me?”
“No, Julia. I love you. I can’t say that enough or loud enough. Your family’s shares are in jeopardy. That isn’t some kind of hyperbole. It’s a fact. I was offered a great deal of money and an opportunity for investment to sell my shares and yours. Wade would eventually cease to exist. I’m laying it on the line.”
Julia pushed against me, pulling the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around her sexy frame as she stood. “You lied.”
“Fuck no.” I inhaled. “Let me show you the agreement.”
She shook her head. “I was so stupid.”
“Julia, the agreement forbids me from selling your stocks.”
“What?” She turned my way. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s a loophole, one my lawyers believe will save your family’s stocks. The company that made me the offer has already made that same offer to the Butlers and your parents among other investors. Your parents couldn’t take the deal because of the decree you handed your mother. They would need your approval.”
“If I’d gone through with that wedding…”
“We can’t look back. This is forward. The prenuptial agreement states that the stocks of Wade Pharmaceutical remain in your name upon our marriage until which timeyoudecide to sell.”
“You think I should sell?”
“It also says,” I said, “that you are entitled to all that is mine. As of our vows today, everything I have is also yours.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want your money.”
“This isn’t about that.”
“Then what is it about?” she asked.
“Wade.”
“How can we protect the stock?”
“That’s up to you and you alone. One possible out is if you decide to sell them to me.”
“Sell them? If I have half of what’s yours…”
“It’s a one-way street, Julia. The stocks will be yours and yours alone. I don’t care what thoughts went through my head as I accumulated the wayward stock shares of Wade. My whole life has changed because of you. I’ll do whatever I can to help Wade succeed. If your family loses everything else, I don’t care. We can help them if you want, or they can flounder. If you sell me the shares of Wade stock, then they will fall underourportfolio thus, my legal team believes, making them immune from the court, and they will also be…”
“Half-mine.”
I nodded, walking closer to her and reaching for her shoulders. “It was the best solution we could find.”