“I love my wife,” he said out loud to his empty office. There was no one to hear him, but saying it had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. Unfortunately, admitting the truth was just the first step.
How could he prove to Francesca that he really did love her? That this wasn’t about the network or stock deals? There was no way for her to know for sure that he wasn’t just playing nice for appearances.
The only way to convince her, the only sure path, would be to take the stock deal and the network woes off the table. If his aunt had no negotiating power over him, then he stayed married to Francesca because he wanted to, not just because he had to.
But to do that without risking the company would mean that he needed enough stock to control ANS without his aunt’s shares. That seemed virtually impossible. Unless…
Liam grabbed his phone and leaped out from behind his desk. He had to find Victor Orr before they returned to California. Francesca had mentioned they were staying on a few days to tour the Smithsonian, so if he had any luck, they were still in D.C.
It took two phone calls and a drive to their hotel in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but Liam was finally able to track down Francesca’s parents. He was standing at the door, waiting for them to answer the buzzer, when he realized he didn’t know exactly what he was going to say to them. He would have to admit the truth. And that would mean that a very large, angry Irishman might be beating him senseless within minutes for hurting his daughter.
Victor answered the door with a frown. Without speaking a word, he seemed to realize something was wrong. Why else would his new son-in-law show up alone just days after the wedding? He led Liam into their suite and gestured for him to sit down in one of the chairs in the living room.
He watched Liam through narrowed eyes for a few minutes before Liam gathered the nerve to speak.
“There are some things I need to tell you,” Liam said.
“I’m sure there are.” Victor leaned back in his chair, ready to listen.
Without knowing the best way to tell the story, Liam chose to start at the beginning. He began with the stock arrangement with his aunt, delicately skipping over the elevator debacle, and followed with Beatrice’s later demand that he marry to keep control of the network.
“And my daughter agreed to go along with this phony engagement?”
“Yes, sir. She seemed hesitant at first, but apparently she saw a sign that she should do it. A ladybug.”
Victor shook his head. “Her and those damned signs. She gets into more trouble that way. Married to a man she hardly knows because of a ladybug!”
“We never intended to go through with the marriage, but my aunt was adamant we do it now. She’s ill and wanted to make sure we followed through. I told Francesca she didn’t have to do it, but she insisted.”
“She’s stubborn like I am.”
Liam chose not to touch that statement. “What neither of us realized was that we might actually fall for one another. On our wedding night, Francesca told me she had feelings for me that she knew weren’t mutual and she couldn’t go on that way.”
“You just let her walk out like that?”
Liam frowned and looked down at his hands. “I didn’t know what to tell her. I wasn’t sure how I felt about everything. What was real between us and what was a fantasy? I didn’t know.”
“And now?”
“Now I know. I love your daughter, and I want to ask your permission to marry her.”
“Son, you’re already married.”
“I know, but things are different now. I want to be married to her for real. I want to go to her and tell her how I feel, but I need your help. Francesca will never believe our marriage is anything more than a business deal as long as my aunt is holding the stock over my head. I can’t afford to buy her out. But if I could get enough minority stockholder support, I might be able to get majority control without her shares.”
Victor nodded. “I don’t think I have enough, but I’ve got a good bit. So does my friend Jimmy Lang. Together, that might tip the scales. Let me make a call.”
As Victor got up and headed into the bedroom, a simmer of hope started bubbling in Liam’s gut. He really hoped that he could pull this off. He didn’t want to go to Francesca and tell her he loved her if there were any suspicions about his motives. This was the only way.
“Good news,” Victor said as he returned a few minutes later. “I spoke with Jimmy and did the math. Combined with yours, we have fifty-two percent of the company stock. Close, but we made it. Jimmy and I are both really excited about the direction you’re taking the network, so we have no qualms about delegating our voting authority to you. So,” he said, extending his hand to Liam, “congratulations. You’re still running this network.”