“People like us—”

“Stop,” I interrupted. “There is no ‘people like us.’ You and I are different.” I paced the length of the room, dragging a hand through my hair. “My future is my choice. It’s not for you to decide. I won’t be bullied into anything.”

“Just think about it. I’ll call Adrian back and let him know you’re considering his offer.”

“No, you won’t.” Anger heated my gut. “You’re not hearing me. This. Is. Not. Happening. And by the way, he said to tell you that he’ll be taking what he’s owed another way.”

“Yeah, out of my flesh,” he snapped. “Jesus. Listen, Willow,” he continued more quietly. “You wouldn’t have to marry him forever. Just until I can find a way to pay him back and get control of the company again. Fortunately, I don’t need your approval to sign over Lennox Securities, but for some goddamned reason, he wants you too. He won’t settle for just the business.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” My knees shook, and I sank into a chair. “Ronan will pay your debts and you’ll sign Lennox Securities over to him instead.”

Tom laughed in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. You owe Petrov money, and you can’t pay it, right? He’ll wipe your debts in exchange for the company and me. Ronan will pay your debts in exchange for the company and nothing else. It seems like a no-brainer.”

“I won’t give our father’s company to King,” he insisted. “If Petrov has it, I might be able to get it back. If King takes it, he’ll never let that happen. Do you really want Dad’s legacy to leave the Lennox family?”

I sighed. “It’s the best option we’ve got. Ronan is a good man. He’ll run the company well. We’ve been hemorrhaging clients for years. It’s time for us to accept that it would be better off in someone else’s hands. Personally, I think Dad would approve.”

Tom was quiet for a long moment, and I thought I’d gotten through to him, but then he said, “Ronan King will not get my company as long as I’m around to fight for it. Dad always liked him more than me. King was the protégé. The special one. Fuck that.” His tone was bitter. “I see him for what he really is: the bastard son of a whore, who won’t get the chance to lay a finger on my property.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry, Willow. I never meant for things to end this way. I was trying to save us, but I’ve done my part; now it’s your turn.”

He hung up.

I handed Ronan the phone, feeling dead inside. Tom and I had never been close, but I hadn’t realized his petty vendetta meant more to him than I did. Than honoring Dad’s memory did. That realization made me feel less guilty for what was going to come next. Even if he didn’t know it, Tom had already lost his fight.