Mr. Forrester: An Alpha Billionaire Romance by Lauren Landish Page A
Authors: Lauren Landish
Ads: Link
normally meant WASP blue bloods who went to one of the Seven Sisters or whose fathers had eight figure bank accounts. Well, I don't give a shit what you think anymore. I love Erica, you understand? I love her, and I’m going to be a father to our child, and I’m going to raise my baby with more love and affection than you ever showed me."
"Then you will lose your hotels," his father interjected. "When your sister's shares are combined with ours, you won't hold a majority stake any longer."
"I don't give a damn," Dwayne spat. "Don't you understand that? I'm not you, Father. I never have been. If you want to take away control of the hotels, fine. Buy me out, you have the leverage. I'll take the money and make my own empire, with Erica and our baby as part of it. I'm not going to live without love in my life any longer."
"Fine," Dwayne's father replied, turning towards the other two people seated at the table, who had remained silent so far. "Curtis, I can be assured of your votes on the matter?"
"Of course, Peter," the man said, standing and looking at Dwayne with an arrogant stare. "I'll be happy to ensure that...."
"The shares are not in Curtis' name, Father," the woman replied. She also stood, and in her height and her eyes, Erica could see the resemblance between Dwayne and his sister. She was a bit too lean in the face to be called beautiful, but she had a regal air to her that Erica was sure was the product of years of training. "They're in mine. And I've had a change of position. It’s my opinion that the Caribbean hotels should remain right where they are, under Dwayne's control."
"You can't," Candace Forrester began, before her daughter turned her commanding eyes on her. For the first time ever, Dwayne saw Candace Forrester wilt under someone else's gaze. He was impressed by the steel in his older sister's eyes, and the strength she was showing.
"Oh yes I can, Mother. Your lessons taught me that."
Peter and Candace Forrester looked from son to daughter for a moment, before storming out of the conference room, saying nothing. Curtis looked at his wife curiously before retreating into the hallway, pausing for just a second as he was torn between being with his wife and following his father-in-law.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," Dwayne said quietly, once there were just the three of them in the conference room. "But why?”
Elizabeth looked out the window of the conference room, where her husband still stood, unsure what to do.
"Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, Dwayne," she said, regret in her voice and eyes. "If you're going to fall in love, then do it. And go make your own damn mistakes. Don't repeat mine."
Dwayne followed his sister's eyes out to where she was staring at Curtis. "Has he hurt you, Lizzie?"
She shook her head sorrowfully. "No, he’d never do that. But there's no love there. There never has been, he was picked by our parents. Curtis loves the Forrester empire and what Father can give him more than he loves me." Elizabeth gathered herself, before turning her face to Erica. "Hello, I'm Elizabeth Forrester Harding, Dwayne's big sister."
"Erica Williams, Dwayne's.... well, I'm not sure yet, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. Thank you."
"You too. Have Dwayne give you my phone number. I want to stay in touch with the mother of my nephew or niece, regardless of what happens. And if he gives you any trouble, just let me know. He'll find he's still not too big for his sister to smack some sense into."
Erica laughed, and Elizabeth left the conference room. It was just Dwayne and her, and she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?" Dwayne answered, returning her embrace.
"That you love me."
"Yes. I don't know what you may have read about me and my past, but it doesn't matter. I love you, and that's never happened before."
Erica felt herself snuggle into his arms, her heart breaking with joy. "I love you too."
Dwayne kissed
"Then you will lose your hotels," his father interjected. "When your sister's shares are combined with ours, you won't hold a majority stake any longer."
"I don't give a damn," Dwayne spat. "Don't you understand that? I'm not you, Father. I never have been. If you want to take away control of the hotels, fine. Buy me out, you have the leverage. I'll take the money and make my own empire, with Erica and our baby as part of it. I'm not going to live without love in my life any longer."
"Fine," Dwayne's father replied, turning towards the other two people seated at the table, who had remained silent so far. "Curtis, I can be assured of your votes on the matter?"
"Of course, Peter," the man said, standing and looking at Dwayne with an arrogant stare. "I'll be happy to ensure that...."
"The shares are not in Curtis' name, Father," the woman replied. She also stood, and in her height and her eyes, Erica could see the resemblance between Dwayne and his sister. She was a bit too lean in the face to be called beautiful, but she had a regal air to her that Erica was sure was the product of years of training. "They're in mine. And I've had a change of position. It’s my opinion that the Caribbean hotels should remain right where they are, under Dwayne's control."
"You can't," Candace Forrester began, before her daughter turned her commanding eyes on her. For the first time ever, Dwayne saw Candace Forrester wilt under someone else's gaze. He was impressed by the steel in his older sister's eyes, and the strength she was showing.
"Oh yes I can, Mother. Your lessons taught me that."
Peter and Candace Forrester looked from son to daughter for a moment, before storming out of the conference room, saying nothing. Curtis looked at his wife curiously before retreating into the hallway, pausing for just a second as he was torn between being with his wife and following his father-in-law.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," Dwayne said quietly, once there were just the three of them in the conference room. "But why?”
Elizabeth looked out the window of the conference room, where her husband still stood, unsure what to do.
"Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, Dwayne," she said, regret in her voice and eyes. "If you're going to fall in love, then do it. And go make your own damn mistakes. Don't repeat mine."
Dwayne followed his sister's eyes out to where she was staring at Curtis. "Has he hurt you, Lizzie?"
She shook her head sorrowfully. "No, he’d never do that. But there's no love there. There never has been, he was picked by our parents. Curtis loves the Forrester empire and what Father can give him more than he loves me." Elizabeth gathered herself, before turning her face to Erica. "Hello, I'm Elizabeth Forrester Harding, Dwayne's big sister."
"Erica Williams, Dwayne's.... well, I'm not sure yet, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. Thank you."
"You too. Have Dwayne give you my phone number. I want to stay in touch with the mother of my nephew or niece, regardless of what happens. And if he gives you any trouble, just let me know. He'll find he's still not too big for his sister to smack some sense into."
Erica laughed, and Elizabeth left the conference room. It was just Dwayne and her, and she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?" Dwayne answered, returning her embrace.
"That you love me."
"Yes. I don't know what you may have read about me and my past, but it doesn't matter. I love you, and that's never happened before."
Erica felt herself snuggle into his arms, her heart breaking with joy. "I love you too."
Dwayne kissed
Similar Books
