Chapter 42
“Mr. Mercer, please take a seat.” Colin said.
Upon hearing Colin’s voice, Caleb came back to his senses. He sat sternly on the sofa, looked around, and did not see Evelyn around. He then raised his eyebrows.
“Mr. Mercer, I apologize for any confusion, but Ms. Brin has stepped back from the day–to–day operations and left me in charge for the time being.” Bobby explained.
Bobby, observing from the sidelines, couldn’t suppress a snicker. Caleb’s a piece of work, he mused silently. Pushes for a divorce, then keeps getting tangled up with exes and other women. But he knew better than to voice his opinion out loud in
front of Caleb
Caleb nodded slightly. “I know. Then let’s start talking.
Bobby replied, “Mr. Mercer, please wait a moment. There’s one more person coming.”
With a frown, Caleb was about to inquire when the sound of strang footsteps came from the door. He followed the sound, and Aron in a suit appeared at the doorway.
“Aron?” Caleb’s eyes narrowed, a glint of warning in them. Memories of Aron circling around Evelyn during their time in Romaine weren’t easily forgotten. Just yesterday, Aron had been spotted lunching with Evelyn, all smiles and conversation.
Aron, walking in, seemed caught off guard by Caleb’s presence. He arched an eyebrow and offered a small smile. “Hey, Mr. Mercer. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Our paths crossed before, but we never really got the chance to talk.”
Caleb caught the insincerity behind Aron’s smile and let out a soft, mocking snort. Even though Aron rubbed him the wrong way, he played it cool, matching Aron’s politeness. He extended his hand. “That’s a pity… I’m Caleb Mercer, CEO of Mercer Group. Mr. Quinn, pleasure to meet you.”
As they shook hands, Aron’s gaze locked onto Caleb with an intensity that bordered on uncomfortable. He introduced himself with a deliberate charm that felt out of place. I’m Aron Quinn. Pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Mercer…
Meeting Aron’s stare, Caleb felt an odd twist in his gut. He was sure he’d never crossed paths with Aron prior to his trip to Romaine. Something about Aron’s demeanor put him on high alert.
As tension crackled between Caleb and Aron, Bobby stepped in to cool things down. “Gentlemen, how about we all take a seat and discuss this calmly?” he suggested.
Reluctantly, Caleb and Aron broke their standoff and sat across from each other, a silent battle of wills simmering between
them.
Bobby got straight to the point. “The thing is, Ms. Brin needs to step away for personal reasons. We’re looking at a change of ownership for the company. I’d like to hear what each of you have in mind. We’ll take both suggestions, and then make the final call
After exchanging glances, Aron gave Caleb a nod, a modest smile playing on his lips. “Mr. Mercer, care to kick things off?”
Caleb shook off the odd feeling he had about Aron and laid out his cards. “I own a 29% stake in Evelyn Jewelry, and Tin pretty sure Evelyn’s share doesn’t top 40%, making me the second largest shareholder. Since she’s looking to sell, I bel
