Kingmaker (Ace of Queens #5)

Pt.18 Bird in a trap

Chapter 18

Are you home yet? Maksim texted Ella for the 6th time since she had gotten on the school bus.

Ella rolled her eyes as she answered. She knew he was upset he couldn't drop her off but she always knew they had to be more careful around each other. The last thing she needed was for someone else in her family to see them together.

I'm home, you can breathe now, Ella responded back.

Not until you are next to me again.

As Ella climbed the stairs to her house, her heart skipped a beat from reading his text. She stood outside her door taking deep breaths before she entered. She knew she was red as a tomato.

As she stood outside, Ella could hear her father's voice speaking to someone on the phone. She turned the key in the key hole and stepped inside. Her eyes immediately landed on her parents sitting at the dinner table huddled around the phone. As Ella walked in, Ruby helD her her finger to her lips to signal her to be quiet.

Curiously, Ella dropped her bag on the floor and paused to hear what was going on.

"So, just to be on the same page, how much are you offering again?" Dean asked the person on the phone.

Ella's heart sank. Was this about the diner? A hollow feeling came over her chest as she sank into her chair. Her eyes watched her parents with worry as Dean listened to the phone.

"So, 40%?" Dean asked as he scribbled something down. "No, no. That is completely fine."

Ruby and Ella waited patiently as Dean continued to listen for ten more minutes before he thanked the person and hung up.

"Who was that?" Ella asked impatiently.

"How much are they offering?" Ruby asked.

Dean took a deep breath as a smile fo great relief washed over his face surprising Ella.

"We have a buyer for the diner," he said with enthusiasm. Ella didn't understand why he was so happy about it.

"They want to keep me on as a partner," Dean finally explained.

"What?" Ella couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, they're offering me 405 of the partnership. We can keep the place going just as with our name and everything."

"Who are these people?" Ella asked.

"They're some company out of town. They got our information from the bank."

"And you think they're good? I mean the offer seems too good to be true." Ella frowned.

"No, no. They're good and real. My lawyer looked over their contract. They invest in small businesses all over the country."

"What's their name?"

"Harris Corporation."

"I never heard of them," Ruby said.

"It's not like they put their names on everything, honey," Dean laughed. "This is wonderful for us. We get to keep the diner and everything goes back to the way it was."

Ella found herself smiling as she watched her parents. The joy and relief in her father's eyes made her heart feel light. Ever since his stroke and the news of the diner closing, he hadn't been the same. But for the first time in a while, Ella was starting to see his old self coming back.

"Ruby, go get the old bottle of wine I've been saving. I'll call Seth and Rob," Dean got off the chair in excitement as he clapped his hands. He walked over to Ella and kissed her head.