Soren caught the flicker of unease on Evangeline''s face the moment Finn Lockridge''s name was mentioned. It was fleeting, but he didn''t miss it.


    "What''s the matter? Worried that asking him for money willplicate your little romance?" he taunted, though the irritation simmering inside him inexplicably subsided.


    It seemed the rtionship between Evangeline and Finn was more fragile than he''d realized. He was starting to wonder if there was any real love between them at all.


    Evangeline pressed her lips together. Soren had hit on one of her primary concerns. She and Finn had gotten together for their own reasons, a rtionship of convenience with no real emotional depth. A breakup was only a matter of time. She knew Finn would help her if she asked for a significant sum of money, but helping was one thing. Whether he''d resent her for it-and whether it would elerate their inevitable split-was another entirely.


    More importantly, turning to Finn was just a temporary fix. The real problem was Soren. As long as he was determined to wage war on UME, no amount of money would save thepany. What she needed was time-six months to give UME some breathing room. If thepany could demonstrate its strength, then foreign investors and Soren alike would be powerless to interfere. Not only would Glenn Carlisle''s position be secure, but he might even regain the upper hand.


    Steeling herself, Evangeline met Soren''s gaze. "Let''s keep other people out of this." She slid the agreement across the table toward him.


    "This is the cleanest way for you to get the shares back," she stated calmly. "Sign this, and you won''t have to waste any more time scheming to reim what my grandmother left me. The two conditions I''m asking for are things you could do without lifting a finger. It''s a win-win. I suggest you give it some serious thought."


    Soren''s eyes scanned the document, but he made no move to take it. A smirk yed on his lips. "Are you really naive enough to think a piece of paper from my grandmother guarantees you those shares?"


    "I know you and the Fawkes family have a thousand ways to get them back," Evangeline countered smoothly. "But none of them would be particrly clean, would they? To invalidate the will, you''d have to change it, and my grandmother dered her wishes in front of a room full of witnesses. If you suddenly produced a new version, people would talk. They might not say anything to your face, but the rumors would fly."


    Soren''s gaze was pure derision. "And you think the Fawkes family cares about rumors?"


    A small smile touched her lips. "If the family truly didn''t care, they wouldn''t have forced you to marry me in the first ce. At the end of the day, you can''t stand gossip, and you certainly don''t want a reputation for throwing your weight around to bully others."


    Her voice was soft, almost gentle, but the threat behind her words was unmistakable.


    Soren hated being threatened. But for some reason, hearing it from her didn''t anger him. He actually found it..... amusing. The old Evangeline would never have dared to speak to him like this. It w like watching a docile kitten suddenly bare its ws and hisspletely harmless, but fascinating all the same.


    Saying nothing more, he took the agreement from her.


    "I''ll consider it," he said, "but I have one condition of my own."


    "What is it?" Evangeline asked, assuming he was about to haggle over the price. She''d built some cushion into the figure, so even if he negotiated it down, it would still be enough r UME''s budget. Of course, for apany like Fawkes Enterprises, the amount was pocket change. Compared to the value of the shares she was giving up, she was still getting the short end of the stick.