The Terms We Signed

Skylar

Skylar walked down the pristine hall of Lane Industries, her heels clicking sharply against the polished black floors. Her green skirt swished against her thighs, red curls bouncing with each step.

Her father had called a meeting just minutes before a major negotiation—one she was supposed to be leading.

“Whatever he wants, it better be important.”

She held the documents and her laptop close to her chest, grip tightening slightly.

Chloe, her assistant—and bestfriend—was right behind her, thumbs flying across her phone screen. “He only ever calls meetings in his office, not the boardroom,” she said. “So I’m guessing this isn’t small.”

Skylar didn’t need to turn around to know Chloe hadn’t looked up once. She’d gotten unnervingly good at navigating the world without ever taking her eyes off a screen.

When they made it to the meeting room, Skylar shouldered open the door, only to pause immediately upon entry as her eyes fell on the room and who resided within.

The room was no different than any of the others—long, sleek, and lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that showed off the skyline like it was something to be owned.

A glass table stretched down the center, its black metal legs curved into something almost decorative—ornate in a way that felt out of place, like old clawfoot tub feet dressed up as modern art.

High-backed chairs surrounded it, white leather against the otherwise dark room. Expensive. Polished. Controlled. Just like everything else in the building.

But it was the people in the room that drew her attention.

Her father, mother and older brother. All dressed to the nines with their expensive suits and dress. All with the same red hair and green eyes – but the others there?

Three others. An older gentleman, with salt and pepper hair, neatly brushed back. His suit, a dark blue, with a small white pocket square that matched his undershirt. He was tall, he wasn’t standing but she knew he was tall from how he filled the chair.

There was an older woman, her brown hair swept back in a military style-bun. Not a single hair out of place. Her dress, the same deep blue as the man’s suit, and very plain. She sat next to him.

The last was another man. This one younger, the same age as Skylar. Early thirties at the least. His suit was a sleek black, no pocket square. Plain white undershirt and a black tie. He stood, taller than her father and brother.

She gritted her teeth when she locked eyes with his grey-blue ones. The Ashmoars.

Daniel, Elaina and Steele Ashmoar. They were the owners of the only other securities firm that could match them in size, but they specialized in defense contracting for the military.

She didn’t mind Daniel and Elaina. They were decent enough – Elaina being a bit less so. But it was their son, Steele, that she really didn’t like. He was an arrogant asshole and had been since they were children.

Because of him, his company had stolen every major defense contract her family had tried to break into—never letting them get so much as a bite of the pie.

“What’s this?” She asked, turning her head to her father – Shamus Lane. She moved to sit down near the head of the table, turning her eyes to the massive man who still stood, hands in his pockets as he watched her like a predator watching its prey.

Her father didn’t speak, it was her mother who did as she was taking her seat.

“It’s a contract meeting, sweetheart.”

Raila Lane was the sweetest personon the planet. Which was why she often had nothing to do with the company. She dealt with any charity work – but that was it. She never came to meetings, especially not contract meetings.

“Okay? So what – are the great Ashmoars finally going to let us into the defense industry?” She asks with a slight laugh, pulling out Chloe’s seat for her before opening her laptop.

“Something like that.” Her brother said, in a deep monotone voice he was known for. Cage Lane wasn’t much for any kind of excitement.

She cocked a brow, looking up and around the room. “Oh?” Her gaze landed on Steele once more. “Finally able to shrink your ego enough to swallow it?”

Steele sneered at her. “Skylar!” Her mother scolded.

“Watch your mouth. I don’t know anything about this meeting but I know if you keep speaking to me like that I’ll ensure it doesn’t happen.”

“Just like you, Steele. Always have to have control, don’t you?” She spat back.

He puffed up, reminding her a bit of a video of a chicken she’d once seen. “Enough! Shut your mouths so we can get to this damn contract.” Her father snapped.

Skylar went quiet, but she let her yes say how she felt. Steele stood back, crossing his arms over his chest, visibly grinding his jaw. She waited for him to sit, they all did. But he never even looked at the chair in front of him, just staring her down like she spit in his Cheerios. She smiled inwardly at herself. She liked that – liked that she pissed him off. After all, it had been his fault all those years ago that she had been made fun of so badly in high school.

Skylar only ever had one friend because of him. And she now sat next to her in the board room, holding a pen like she might sink it into the man’s eye for even looking at her.

She loved Chloe. The saying ‘ride or die’ didn’t even begin to cover who they were to each other.

“So whats the contract?” He asked through gritted teeth.

Daniel stepped forward, tossing identical folders on the table in front of them.

Skylar slid one to her, flipping it open as his father spoke. “We got The Obsidian Project contract.”

Her head snapped up, her lips parting in partial disbelief. The Obsidian Project was the largest known military contractor in the world. And they had been looking for a new firm to do some outside work.

It had been a bloodbath of a bidding war. Her family hadn’t even attempted that contract.

“But, the financial capabilities of the Ashmoar Corporation are limited.” Elaina finished.

She smiled as she flipped through the signed and finalized paperwork before her, looking up at Steele, who showed not even a hint of surprise. He just stared at the folder that sat before him.

“So, you want Lane Industries to back you?” She asked, leaning back into her chair.

“Not quite.” Her father said, stepping forward. Steele, she noticed, looked at him with a flash of something crossing his eyes. Something that seemed like surprise, but his face betrayed nothing.

“So what then? A loan?” She asked, turning to her father who shook his head.

“A merger.”

Her spine went rigid. A merger. Between Lane Industries and The Ashmoar Corporation? “No. Absolutely not. Who the hell would even run it? Them?” She slashed her hand through the air, holding it out accusingly at the three across from them.

“You can’t trust them! Especially their CEO.” She growled, her gaze shifting to Steele, who’s brows were downturned and who’s shoulders were stiff.

His gaze broke from hers as he looked to his parents. “I agreed to a financial backing contract. Not a fucking merger.”

So he hadn’t been aware of it, just as she hadn’t been. “It’s the only viable option. Lane Industries has all but stalled in further growth and without the ability to break into defense contracting, we will eventually fade into obscurity. We must expand. This is the only option.”

Her brother said with arms crossed over his neatly ironed button down white shirt.

“We can break into literally any other industry. I will not let us merge just to get into defense.” Skylar was livid. They knew how shifty the Ashmoars were –how shifty he was.

“We can’t trust them.”

No. No and no. Absolutely not. They weren’t going to take over her families company. Her company. Not while she had a say in it.

“We have agreed on a way to ensure that this merger will benefit both companies and neither will have more control than the other.” Elaina said flatly, like she had the same enthusiasm for this deal that Skylar did.

“Yea? And what’s that?”

Steele remained silent. Watching, listening. But she could see the tension in his shoulders. How stiff he seemed compared to his normal confidence.

“We’ll formalize the merger with marriage.”

She wasn’t sure who said it. Her ears were ringing. “Between who?” She already knew. She didn’t have to ask. Steele was an only child. There was no sister for her brother to marry. There was only her and Steele.

Their eyes were locked as his mother all but spat the words, “You and my son.” She spat them because she didn’t like her. Didn’t like her family. She never had. She was a jealous woman– a vindictive one.

“No.” They both said almost at the same time, turning to their respective families. “You can’t tell me who to marry. This isn’t the 1800’s. I’m my own person. I have autonomy!”

“And I have my own life! I’m a thirty-year-old man. I’m CEO. You cannot tell me who to fucking marry.”

“If you don’t, then you are both out.” Cage stated flatly. So emotionless, as if he didn’t care he was shoving his sister into the arms of a monster. Her mouth dropped open.

“Out?” Steele asked, his head snapping to Cage. “The fuck do you mean, out?”

“He means that if you don’t agree and sign the terms of this contract, you’re out of the companies. Out of the families. On your own. Cut off completely.” It was Daniel who clarified.

No. No. They couldn’t, “Mom?” She asked, swinging her gaze to her mother, but was met with a solemn stare and silver lined eyes.

Fuck. Even her mother was in on it. She stared down at the table, down at the papers she had been holding only minutes before, ready to do everything she needed to for her family corporation.

She couldn’t leave. Even with her skill set – her last name would keep her from getting any other jobs. Everyone was too afraid of her father.

A thick packet was smacked down onto the table in front of her, two pens dropped down on top of it. She wasn’t sure who did it. But she didn’t care. Not as her world began to close in on top of her.

She stared at the pens – at the blurry writing on the pages before her. She hadn’t even realized she’d started crying until she felt wetness drip onto the back of her hand.

“You can’t just do this.” She breathed out, standing up and wiping the tears from her eyes. She met Steele’s furious gaze for only a moment before she looked at her parents. “You don’t get to decide terms of my life. I’m the negotiator for contracts for our company. You don’t write the terms – I do. So if you want me to sign a contract where I am basically signing away my life? I’ll be the one writing it.”

And she would make it the most loosely worded fucking contract she could.

She looked once again to Steele. “Objections?” She asked.

He stared at her for a minute, like he knew the way this went down either way wasn’t in their favor. Like he understood what she did. Them being kicked out? That was death for their Careers. Being married? It was death for their social lives – but neither of them had ever had much of one anyway. Well – she didn’t at least, and she’d never seen any evidence of him having one.

He shook his head. “No. But I’m going to help you. Because it’s my fucking life too.”

She was silent for a minute, considering. Hesitantly, she muttered, "Fine."