After He Gave My Wedding Away, I Built My Empire novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Open Door

The receiver's conference room in Charleston had a long table, a speakerphone, and one pitcher of water that nobody touched.

On Thursday morning, at ten, five of us sat on one side of it.

Caleb was on my left.

Linnea, the baker and the potter were on my right, and Hattie stood against the wall with her phone down, because the receiver had asked.

Rowena came in at five past, alone, in gray.

She had no lawyer and no assistant.

She sat across from me and folded her hands on the table, and I saw that the nails were bitten.

"Ms. Sayre," the receiver said. He was a tired man in his fifties with a legal pad. "I'm told you represent the Delaware bidder."

"I own it."

"I'm also told that the wire for your bid arrived this morning at six."

"Yes."

"It didn't clear."

Rowena's hands didn't move.

"The investors froze your personal accounts on Sunday," the receiver said. "Every one that holds a Sayre name. Your bid is funded from one of them."

"Then I'll bring a cashier's check."

"From what account?"

She did not answer.

The receiver put down his pen.

"Your bid is disqualified," he said. "I'm sorry. The offer from Ms. Broughton and her partners stands at one million nine hundred thousand dollars, with the judgment offsets applied, and I'm prepared to accept it."

Rowena looked at the pitcher.

Then she looked at me.

"You'll sell it to the next Colin in five years," she said.

"No."

"Everyone sells."

"I know why you think so."

"You were a candle maker," she said, and her mouth twisted. "I made you a story."

"You made me a very bad week," I said. "I made the rest."

"Everyone has a price," she said.

"Ms. Sayre," the receiver said. "We're finished."

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