Vow of Surrender

Chapter Twenty-Six

Caedance finished her cornbread before speaking again. She didn't want Koda to be suspicious of her plans, but there was no other way to follow through. She needed him, and she had to trust he wouldn't blab to Adam about what they'd discussed.

"Hey, how much is your dad selling for?"

His eyes grew wide. "Um. Five hundred K I think. Why?"

"Just curious. I wasn't sure what a franchise went for on the market these days,. Especially a family business. And your brother-in-law made the offer?"

"Damn My brother must love you if he's sharing private business. But yes. Benjamin's company wants to buy."

"Huh."

She stopped being nosy and finished her breakfast. After helping Koda clean the kitchen, she quickly showered and got into work attire. She dropped him off at his house then texted her employees that she would be a bit late then made her way to her next destination.

Caedance had all the necessary information ready to go, but just because she was prepared didn't mean she would leave with what she wanted. Same went for everything in life.

The inside of the bank smelled like cookies, probably from the several air fresheners plugged in everywhere. The carpet was worn, and the chairs were the same chairs she remembered from when she was little. Ugly as hell with a weird flower pattern and the plasticky looking wood.

Her old friend Oscar was sitting at his desk typing away at his computer. When he saw her, he took his glasses off and smiled. Though he'd lost his hair since high school, he rocked the bald look, and he kept his chinstrap beard nicely trimmed. He'd barely aged a day.

"Caedance, hi!"

"Hello! Thank you so much for seeing me on such short notice."

"Of course! You've done business with us for a long time, and you're a friend so I'm happy to help."

Se sat on the other side of his desk. Oscar and she had gone to high school together, as had many people her age in this town. They went to prom together after her boyfriend and she broke up.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well . . . I'm looking to getting into real estate specifically purchasing a company."

"Oh? Don't you have a company?"

"I do. This is a side project. A different scene, if you will."

"Alright, so you need a loan I'm assuming?"

"Yes! But I am unsure of how much I could qualify for."

"With your credit history and business revenue, you could be qualified no problem. How much are you looking to borrow?"

She hesitated and almost said 'never mind.' This was different than anything she'd ever done She hadn't needed a loan when she started Starlight.

"How about . . . seven hundred thousand dollars."

Oscar's jaw dropped. "You looking to buy out the whole town?"

"Kind of."

"Wow. Seven hundred K. I don't know, Caedy. That's a lot! But I'm going to do my best."

He started clicking away at his computer and she gave him the information he needed when asked. After about a half hour of playing the waiting game, the results finally came in.

"Hot damn. You were approved!"

"No way! How?"

"You're a bad bitch, that's why!" He shut his mouth and looked around to make sure no one heard him. Oscar was professional at his job, but his hood side came out every now and then.