Chapter 14 The Acquisition

• Again, Keira had to wait for a little longer in the president’s office. She was suddenly startled by the sound of footsteps from outside as a man had pushed the door open and entered while talking to someone else.
• “Summarize the two documents from my earlier discussion. As for this contract...” During the short pause, Tyler had noticed Keira seated upright on the leather sofa and quickly wrapped up the conversation. “Get this sorted out.”
• “Will do, President Emerson,” Harrison answered and he was about to leave the office when a deep and cold voice reverberated in the air with a hint of impatience. “Why is Ava Lindt not here yet?”
• Ever since he had entered the office, Tyler did not seem to pay much attention to her. Harrison was taken aback by the question, for he had been with Tyler since the meeting earlier and it was impossible for him to know the answer.
• Still, his hesitation was considered a mistake, especially when he was with Tyler, who believed that working with elites demanded the highest level of professionalism and efficiency.
• “President Emerson, please hold on. I will call Miss Lindt and check with her right away.” Harrison quickly composed himself and offered to reach out to Ava.
• “There’s no need to do so. Ava was here earlier, but she just left,” Keira suddenly interrupted. She was seated upright on the sofa with no intention to rise to her feet.
• Upon hearing that, a light frown appeared on Tyler’s face. “What’s wrong with her? Why would she show up and leave? Harrison, find her immediately and remind her to give her best effort to entertain the guests. She better not ruin the business deal for me. As for the agreement... Tell her that she has to get it signed tonight, no matter what it takes!”
• “Alright, I understood.” Harrison gave him a respectful nod and left the office. The office fell into silence after he was gone.
• Keira observed Tyler as he perused the documents in the office and threw himself into his busy work immediately after the meeting. Her sixth sense told her that this was not the right time to ask him about her family’s business debts and she decided to bring that up over lunch instead.
• When he was done with work, he picked up the cup of coffee from the tabletop and took a sip before glancing at the woman on the sofa. He said quietly, “Let’s leave now.”
• “Okay.” She nodded at him without another word.
• Tyler brought Keira out of the office for lunch and they arrived at a romantic diner named Blue Rose Restaurant.
• “What do you want for lunch? Order anything you like.” Without taking a look at the menu, he immediately placed it in front of her.
• She shot a careless look at the menu and her eyes darkened. However, she did not immediately order her food. Her anxious and complicated feelings had bothered her and she was visibly affected by it. “Tyler, my dad’s company is in a bad state now.” Didn’t he promise that he’d help our family to resolve the crisis after I marry him?
• Tyler stared at her with a wise twinkle in his eyes as his fingers played with the glass of drink in front of him. He slowly replied, “Whitlaw Incorporated is nothing but an empty shell. If you apply for bankruptcy, your family will lose everything and all your assets would be liquidated. That is not the outcome you’d want.”
• Keira looked at him with a pained expression while searching for some guidance from the man opposite her. As expected, he added, “However, since we are now married, I will not ignore the woes of my spouse. I plan to acquire Whitlaw Incorporated. I think... That’s the best outcome for everyone involved.”
• Upon hearing his suggestion, she was shocked and stared at him with an agape mouth. “You’re acquiring Whitlaw Incorporated?”
• “That’s correct. An acquisition and a subsequent restructuring will be way better than bankruptcy. This is akin to a dying man who has found a new food source. Isn’t that great?” he explained calmly before he picked up the glass of water with his slender fingers to take a sip.
• Keira sank into silence and carefully pondered the solution. She was well aware that no one, not even Tyler, would agree to lend Whitlaw Incorporated more money for it to revive its business. Although the man across from me is my legal husband, he is merely a stranger to me.
• To make things worse, her dad and Harvey Bates were no longer around and her mom was experiencing post-traumatic amnesia. Whitlaw Incorporated was large in scale and she did not have anyone to help her run the company because her younger siblings were still in school. The expectation that she, a college student, could turn things around was only wishful thinking.
• However, if she agreed to Tyler’s proposal, she would be the person responsible for ruining Whitlaw Incorporated. If she had objected, she would lead the company into a worse fate—bankruptcy. For her, it was not a win-win situation.
• Keira looked at him and bit her lip. With agony, she muttered in defeat, “If that’s the case... Alright, you can go ahead with the acquisition as long as the bank doesn’t come for our house.”
• With that, he no longer said anything and quickly ordered his food. They ate in peaceful silence when food was served.
• When Tyler was done with his email, he gracefully patted the edge of his lips with a napkin. “I’m done. Let’s go home now.”
• At first, Keira was taken aback by his remark, but she quickly realized what he was referring to and she looked at him warily. She swiftly turned him down. “I can head home on my own.”
• He paused before asking her, “What do you mean by that?”
• “Well...” She could not help but smile incredulously at him. What else could I mean? Is he seriously considering living with me and sharing a bed? That’s my worst nightmare!
• Even though they had officially registered their marriage, she had no plans to fulfill the duties of a wife.