Shut Up and Surprise Me

06. Ponder

I blink. And I blink again. "I beg your pardon?"

"You, Charlotte, are going to help me persuade Danielle Knight to agree to meet me. Just one meeting. That's all I ask."

I open my mouth and close it again. My brain cells are at their maximum capacity, but still, I can't process what Leo's father just proposed to me. "So, I talk to Danielle and tell her to meet you?" I repeat his line, wanting to make sure that I heard him correctly.

"Yes," Frederick replies, his eyes fixed on me, but it's hard to read his face. Is he pulling my legs? Or is he testing me? For what reason? Does he know what kind of relationship I have with Ashton's mother? I would prefer to persuade a stubborn elephant to fly instead of talking to Danielle.

"Mmm." I clear my throat. "I don't think that's possible. Danielle and I have quite an" —I wince— "interesting relationship. And we only talk about general things; nothing personal. And from what I saw, I don't think she wants to see you."

Frederick chuckles. "I know this isn't an easy request. Otherwise, I would ask someone else. But at the moment, you're the closest person I know who has direct access to her."

"I don't think the rest of the family will appreciate this, too. They dislike you, and I believe they don't want to have anything to do with you."

"Yet you're working for The Sauers Group." He chuckles. "That was quite a brave decision. How did they handle the news?"

"Nothing extraordinary. My decision in my career life has nothing to do with them," I say, reminding myself to be diplomatic in answering his questions. "So, I believe this conversation ends here," I conclude before standing up. "I wish I could be of any help."

Mimicking my movement, he props himself up. "I will grant the loan for ErosBross if you can help me."

"Pardon?" I frown. "So, is this some kind of bribe?"

"No. I see this as a mutual exchange. You do something for me, and I'll do something for you in return." He sighs. "Look. I'm trying to help Danielle here. All you need to do is tell her that I need to talk in private, and that I have an offer that she probably can take advantage of."

I frown. "Why would you want to help her?"

"This is not free help. I want something from her too. Ashton's shares."

"But why? You could have put your money and energy into approaching a bigger company than Trisure Group." I bite my lower lip when a dangerous question pops up in my head. "Is it because of...you and Danielle? Are you asking me to set you up with her?"

"That's an absurd idea," he says, raising an eyebrow at my question.

"I'm sorry. It's just hard for me to wrap my head around this."

"What happened in the past has been buried and forgotten. I have no hidden agendas." He slips his hands into his pocket. "What I see now is an opportunity from my side and also from her side. I know how their competitors are trying to hit them from all directions right now. Everyone can see the Trisure Group keep making dangerous maneuvers and they are ready to pounce when there is an opening."

"It sounds like this is what you're doing right now." I bite my inner cheek, cursing inwardly at my inability to hold my tongue.

"I built the Trisure Group from scratch with Danielle, remember? At least until the point when things went south, and I pulled out so that I could disappear from Dani and Abraham's life, to let them work out their marriage. If I wanted to hit Trisure, I would have done it years ago, Charlotte. They're like an open book to me. But I didn't because Trisure still means something to me."