Chapter 311: Gathering Allies
"Mr Reginald, Mr Matthew Grayson is here to see you." his head of secretarial staff greeted.
Kayden clasped the silver bracelet in his hand into a tight fist, and turned around, "I thought I was meeting with William Grayson?" he asked, stuffing the bracelet into his pocket.
"There was a last minute change in plans." he was informed.
Kayden hissed, "Are they looking down on us? Do they think this sort of behavior is acceptable?" though he was fairly new in the company, he understood the great power imbalance between the Grayson family and everyone else.
Still, his family’s company was not none to make an enemy out of.
"Should I let them in?" the sectary asked.
He raised a brow, "Them?" Folding his arm across his chest, he asked, "Who else is there?"
He got his answer when Matthew Grayson stepped into his office in the company of a ginger haired woman, dressed in a gray suit. He held her chair for her, then stood possessively behind her.
Kayden flashed a deep frown, "And you are?"
"Mallory Rosamund."
Matthew inserted, "My fiance."
Kayden looked unimpressed, "Mr Grayson, you must be quite confident in sealing this deal to bring your fiance with you to a confidential meeting."
Matthew replied, "She’s not just my fiance, she’s my business partner and advisor, so feel free to say whatever is on your mind."
"Is this some sort of joke?" he turned to the timid looking woman, "You’re his business partner?" he asked in disbelief. She looked so gentle that he doubted she had any idea on how a business worked.
His aunt had taught him how to judge people by their eyes, and she did not seem to make the cut.
Mallory’s eyes sharpened, "I am the sole heir to the Rosamund family, I advise you do not take me lightly."
Her voice was still, but held a weight behind them. Kayden’s mind darted to what he had read about the Graysons, especially Malcolm and his wife, Rosalind. They were the infamous couple whom did business together, looking at these two, Kayden was left to assume that the Graysons were the sort of people that worked with those closest to them.
Abandoning his doubts, he sunk into his chair, "What happened to William? Why am I meeting with the both of you in his place?" He had read about most of the Graysons, but not Matthew, at least, as far as the business was concerned.
Matthew rested his arm on Mallory’s chair, "We stole the deal off his hands."
Stole?
Out of all the things he could’ve said, that was the last thing Kayden expected to hear.
"I see there’s trouble in paradise." he noted.
Mallory straightened her back, "I can assume you’re aware of the scuffle for the inheritance."
"Yes, I am." He replied, stunned by how forward these two were being. He also knew that the favored heir was in another country, doting on Brooke.
"To be frank with you, my fiance is vying for the inheritance, and we’re trying to gather as much allies as we can into our cause." she went on, laying all her cards out.
Kayden frowned, "And what makes you think that I have any interest in your family’s politics? All I want is to make my business flourish, your family feud does not affect me. I advise you to gather allies elsewhere."
"But, you have a lot to gain by siding with us." Mallory insisted.
"A lot to gain? I highly doubt that, in fact, I’d argue that I would be on the losing end. Compared to William, who has more experience, I doubt the both of you will stand a chance. I’d hate to be the ally to the faction that loses." To keep his aunt’s hard-work alive, he would be cautious and watch from the sidelines.
Or at best he would form an alliance with William, if he really had to.
Matthew grinned, "You must be thinking that you’d rather form an alliance with my cousin, the surest bet. Am I right?" he asked, reading Kayden like an open book.
He nodded, "It’s the safest choice."
"It’s a losing game." Matthew inserted. "Do you think it’s so simple to swipe a deal from underneath my cousin’s nose? The evidence we have against him is enough to get grandfather to disown him." he informed him.
Disown? Now that sounded intriguing.
Mallory followed, "If you’re wondering why we haven’t presented it yet, then that’s because we’re simply waiting for the right time. If we were to act hasty and reveal our trump card now, the other faction would change pawns and rejoin the game."
"By change pawns, you mean William’s younger brother, Desmond." Kayden assumed.
"He might not be much, but under my uncle’s guidance, he could prove a problem for us. So we want to build as much power as we can, before we reveal our final play." Matthew informed him.
Kayden was still not convinced, "But that’s only if your evidence is as strong as you’re presenting it to be. If I openly show my support for your faction and you end up losing, my stocks will crash. Also, like I said earlier, all I do is for my business, there is no reason to make such a gamble-"
Matthew cut him off, "Business is all about taking risks. The profits you could make would be double, no triple of what you have. Would you really throw all that away for cautiousness?!" he raised his voice.
Impulsive and naive. This kid has no idea how to run a business, I was right to not pay him any mind.
"I think we’re done here-" he was saying, until Mallory sharply cut him off.
"The business you’re so keen on protecting, is it even yours to begin with?" her words were as sharp as knives.
Kayden’s demeanor shifted, "What are you talking about?"
She bluntly replied, "From my source, the owner of this business is Cassie Crane, isn’t she the rightful heir? Does she know you’re back home running her company?"
"Miss Rosamund, are you trying to threaten me?" his eyes darkened.
She smiled, "No, I’m simply stating facts. As things are, we both are at a disadvantage, so it makes sense that we cooperate with each other, right?"