Rich (Benson Security #5) - Janet Elizabeth Henderson Page 0,93
wrong anyway,” Rachel said. “Everyone signed a disclosure agreement years ago that allows the company to search personal devices at their discretion. As long as they were in the building at the time and were used for work. We all know you make work calls on your phone; we’ve watched you. Which means TayFor was well within their rights to crack open your phone and peer inside.”
“TayFor,” Charles snapped. “Not Benson Security. Not him.” He pointed at Harvard. “He has no right being here. None.” He sneered at Rachel. “No one can stop you from making a foolish decision about whom you marry, but we can definitely stop management from putting him in a position of trust. I mean, what do we know about this man? How do we know he can be trusted? For all we know, he might be planting clues to dismantle the board and install himself. He’s probably after Rachel’s money and the company. Bloody gold digger.”
“Charles!” Francesca shot to her feet. “I will not tolerate you speaking to Rachel like that.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Charles gave her a look of disgust. “You made the same mistake with your choice of husbands. My father and his brothers started this company. It should have remained with them. It should still be called Talbot Pharmaceuticals, not TayFor. Roger Ford didn’t start this business, he just wormed his way into it, exactly the same way this boy is doing.”
Boy? Hell no. Harvard lost all sense of amusement. “You call me a boy one more time, and I’ll escort you from the building. Through that window. This isn’t some plantation, and you sure as hell aren’t my white overlord. I’m sick of your racist shit, so do me a favor and keep talking, because I would seriously love to make you stop.”
Charles’ normally ruddy face paled as he shrank in on himself. His bluster disappeared as he obviously read correctly that Harvard wasn’t joking.
“Everybody, calm down,” Jonathan ordered. “The police will be here soon, and they’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“This what? This preposterous lie against Preston?” Theo snapped. “You’ve made a mistake. Go over it all again because my son wouldn’t do something like this. Tell them, Preston. Tell them they’re wrong.” He appealed to Rachel, “Why on earth would my son steal from the company? This makes no sense.”
Preston barked out a mirthless laugh that had all eyes focusing on him. “Do shut up, Father. You’re making everything worse just by being here. Can’t you tell when you aren’t wanted? None of us…” He waved a hand to indicate his mother, stepmother, and brother. “None of us wants you. You’re an embarrassment to us all and have been for years.”
Theo’s jaw dropped before he gathered himself. “You don’t know what you’re saying. It’s shock from being so heinously accused. Don’t worry, son, I’ll look out for you.”
“You’ll look out for me?” Preston laughed hard.
It was cold and filled with bitter anger. Harvard had heard that laughter before and knew it only manifested in people who were broken. His eyes scanned the room, and he unobtrusively signaled to his team not to interrupt, but to stay quiet and watch.
“You’ll look out for me?” Preston soared to his feet and leaned over the table toward his father. “The way you looked out for us when you walked out on our mother? The way you’ve walked out on every family you’ve had since then, so you could follow your dick all over London? Please, you can’t even look out for yourself, let alone anyone else.” He slammed his palms on the table, making several people jump.
Stephanie put her arm around Anne, who watched in horror as her son raged at his father.
“You’re the reason this happened,” Preston spat out. “You keep diluting the share base. Every child you have means more people on this board. Less profit for everyone involved. More stupid voices to listen to as they expound their inane opinions about a company that’s nothing more than a meal ticket to them.”
He slapped the table again. “You’ve diluted our heritage. Because of you splitting your shares with every divorce, our family’s position on this board was weakened.” He swung to Jonathan. “That seat is mine. I’m the eldest. I’m the one with the most experience. I should have been CEO. But no, you get to sit in the seat because your father managed to get his hands on the majority share of the company. A company that wasn’t