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“This is what we’ve been groomed to do,” Olly says confidently. “Our families own multi-million-dollar companies and we’ve all being groomed all our lives to take them over. Arlo, Watson, and Carson are the oldest kids of old money dynasties and I’m the only one of my siblings that’s even remotely interested in my family’s businesses. We’ve been talking about starting our own company for years, so maybe we should just start a little earlier than planned.”
“He’s right,” Carson says, and I twist around to face him. “Money is in our veins. We know how to make it, invest it, spend it, and take it. If we’re taking it from your parents and getting your dad kicked out of his family’s legacy, well that’s just a nice little bonus. If it doesn’t work, then shares of Archibald Inc will always be a good investment and we just started our own legacy,” he says with a wink.
“So you guys would own all the shares?” I ask.
“No, we all would,” Arlo says. “Tally and I are getting married, what’s mine is hers anyway, and you and Carson…”
“I…” I start, then trail off, unsure what to even say.
“Priss and I are good too,” Carson interrupts speaking over me.
My mouth falls open and I just stare at him like he’s an alien, honestly it seems more likely than him basically suggesting we’re as permanent as my sister and her fiancé.
“Then the six of us are all equal partners,” Olly announces, interrupting my freak out and speaking like it’s just a given that the four guys in front of me, and my sister, would all just want to start a business with me, just like that.
Looking from each of them in turn, I wait for someone to protest my inclusion in this little plan, but even though Watson scowls at me in disgust, he doesn’t offer any objection about me being a part of this.
“Yes,” my sister announces loudly. “I think we should do it. Fuck Mom and Dad and fuck Great-grandfather too. Archibald Inc is the reason he started this whole stupid will thing, so fuck him. Let’s try to buy the shares and then even if we can’t get the board to kick Dad’s ass out, it’ll still drive him nuts to know we own some of the legacy that won’t ever be his,” she says gleefully with a giggle.
All eyes turn to me and I swallow thickly before I nod, slowly at first and then more decisively. “Yes, let’s do it,” I say quietly, sagging into Carson as the reality of what I just agreed to sinks in.
“Hell yes,” Watson hoots. “So what are we calling ourselves?”
“I already thought of that,” Arlo says, taping at his cell phone for a moment, before turning the screen towards us and showing us a roughly designed crown with six points, with the words Ultio Inc beneath it.
“Revenge,” I whisper reverently, translating the word from Latin to English.
Arlo smiles at me. “We’re the kings and queens of St Augustus,” he says pointing to the six points of the crown in turn, “and this is our vengeance.”
The next hour passes in a daze, with lists of investors being handed out and familiar names discussed while I just watch it all happen around me, still a little shellshocked at the way my little revenge plan has exploded into so much more.
I never expected this inclusion, or even acceptance into this group. I suggested the revenge and I knew I needed their help to pull it off, but I assumed my presence would be merely tolerated for Carson and my sister’s sake. Yet somehow, I’m now an equal partner in a company with these five powerful, single minded people, and even Watson is being a little less hostile to me.
Carson’s arm is around my waist and the quick kisses he keeps pressing against my neck are the only reason I know I’m not hallucinating or dreaming right now.
How is this even possible? These people are from some of the most powerful families in America. It’s ironic how Great-grandfather’s will wanted me to force alliances with just the kind of people I’m now starting a business with, yet it’s only after I walked away from his rules and influence that I found them.
“Okay, so Ultio Inc now officially exists, with the six of us holding equal shares,” Olly announces, looking up from his iPad with a huge grin on his face.
“So do our four new shell companies,” Watson announces.
“Four?” I question.
“That way if anyone looks into who’s buying the share’s they’ll find the shell company which will just loop through the other three and then back to itself before it links to Ultio Inc,” he tells me, without even a single scowl or insult.
“What do we know about the families on the investors list?” Arlo asks, picking up the paper with the names on. “Hudson Holdings?”
“That’s Elliot Harrington’s family’s business,” I tell him.
“It is?” Carson asks.
“Yep, his family inherited it from his great-grandmother’s side of the family, they’re in rail, mainly commercial freight,” I reel off, as the others stare open mouthed back at me.
“Nouman Batrich,” Arlo says next.
“That’s a partnership between the Astell’s and the Park’s, fairly new, I think they started the business about five years ago, they own property in New York, half a dozen high rises and loads of commercial space,” I tell the group.
“Vagnerwarmen?” he asks, his brow furrowed together.
