THE ENGAGEMENT.

MANIPULATIVE.

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BENNETT...

The issue concerning the hotel had stressed me out all day yesterday that I got little to no sleep at all last night. While in Roman's office yesterday, a spontaneous idea crossed my mind, but first I had to discuss it with Nelson. Nelson had been working for the company by the time my father gave the C.E.O position to me. He knew so much about the company and his opinion in company matters mattered to me a big deal because I knew he had the same good intentions for the company and wanted to see it prosper. He was in his early seventies but was still strong, energetic and hardworking with the determination of a thirty year old.

I had sent him an email the previous night to meet me at my home to discuss a way forward to securing the hotel.

I left my Majesty Vi-spring bed, put on my bathrobe that was hanging on the chair by my bed side. I walked to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, took a long cold shower. My father always told me cold showers made a person more of a man, that a person could deal with any situation after having one. Whenever I was stressed out, that was the remedy my father would recommend.

A cold shower.

It had become my daily routine to take cold showers and today more than ever I needed one much colder than ever before.

After spending an ample amount of time in the bathroom, I walked in to my closet to pick out an outfit. A suit, I decided. It is truly said that man becomes a confident gentle man when adorned in a stylish suit. I scanned through the hundreds of suits I had and finally landed my eye on a fine pair. I pulled the hanger out and took the suit off of it and dressed up.

Looking in the mirror, my reflection was more than I expected. This grey suit was working it's wonders. I smiled and left my closet. While I was wearing my shoes, a soft knock sounded on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I responded.

My house keeper, Carmen walked in, greeted me and informed me that Nelson had arrived and was waiting for me in my study. I instructed her to bring us coffee in the office and with that she left. I picked up my Rolex watch, placed it on my wrist and walked to my office.

"Nelson," I spoke as soon as I entered my office. He was dressed professionally himself in an oversized green suit. He always went with brightly colored suits.

He rose from his sit and put his hand out for a handshake, " Mr. Bennett, how are you doing?"

We shook hands as I responded letting him know how stressful yesterday was. He listened intently as I spoke. I gestured for him to take his seat as I did the same.

"Have you read your emails today?" he asked me worriedly.

"No. Anything important I missed,"

Carmen walked in carrying a tray with two cups of hot coffee. She placed them right in front of us and exited the room.

"It's an email from The Silver spoon company. They are threatening to sell their shares in the company because they heard we are loosing the hotel," Nelson continued after she had left.

"What?" I barked angrily. "Brown is an unintelligent man. How did he even become C.E.O of that company? Look at the feebleminded decisions he is making," I completed.

" But no worries, I had an idea," he replied.

"Go ahead Nelson. I actually had one too,"

"You go first sir,"

"No, it's okay. Let me hear yours first,"

"I think we should lease unwanted property in order to come up with the money,"

"Like which property?" I asked him.

"The hotel in Hawley and the land we acquired in Little Rock. The hotel in Hawley has done nothing but take lots of our income to renovate it but are we sure we will get back any returns. Little Rock is a small town to place a big hotel," he confidently replied.

"Nelson, we can not sell that property. We just can't. Properties are our biggest assets,"

"But sir, what else can we do now,"

"I thought about this carefully and I think it can work," I took off my eye glasses and placed them on the desk in front of me. "I looked in to the loans company and discovered it is a family company as well. It is currently run by a Mr. Bynes who is to retire very soon and will be passing it on to his daughter but based on what I read, his daughter is not as responsible as she should be. She is fresh out of M.I.T and is at the moment on a travel spree in the Caribbean islands with her friends,"

"What are you trying to say Sir?"

Looking him straight in the eye, I said, "Roman should marry her so that the loan can be dropped since they would be sharing it together" .

And with that, Nelson's jaw dropped. On my side, I felt relieved to let that out. In my mind it sounded genius but after letting it out, it sounded manipulative.

"But sir..... Roman has a girlfriend,"

"I know but this family comes first at all costs. He knows that too. Family over everything and in any case they are not married as yet. How sure are we they will go that far,"

"I have always been honest with you and to be honest with you, this is very risky and Roman will not agree to this. He loves Olivia so much and she loves him as well,"

"Well, he is going to have to make a compromise..... Nelson, I need you to support me on this. You know am doing all this for Margret. Take time to think about it and process this because I am going to need you with me when I tell Roman about this,"

"So, you expect him to marry her with in a month's time,"

"He is his father's son," I spoke after chuckling at how that sounded.

Nelson sat quietly with his head in his hands looking down. I kept sipping my coffee.

"I will do this for Margret," he spoke after a while.

"Thank you so much, Nelson," I responded standing up from my chair to touch his shoulder as a gesture of gratitude.

"We should figure out a way to deliver the news to Roman," he spoke shaking his head and sipped his coffee.

I knew he cared about my children like they were his very own but I cared about them more than he did because I was their father. I just wanted the best for them with no intention to hurt any of them.