Changing Tactics

Ethan and Keith head to the game room on the fifth floor, after changing into jeans and tee shirts. Charles is already sitting at the counter of their fully stocked bar, flipping through documents and typing into a laptop.

Charles removes his glasses, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “How is she?” He askes after the twins pull up chairs on either side of him.

“She’ll recover.” Keith responds while leaning over the counter to grab a glass and a bottle of whisky. He poors a glass but before he drinks it Ethan knocks on the counter with his knuckles. Keith puts the glass down and slides it down the bar past Charles, where Ethan catches it before bringing it to his mouth and drinking it in one go. Ethan gets himself another glass then drinks it down in one gulp.

“She’s not the right person for this. She’s too unstable. We should find someone else.” Charles says while putting his glasses back on.

When Charles drafted the surrogacy agreement, he thought that the quarter of a billion dollars the mother would receive would solve any objections she would have. That was enough money to make her rich as well as her children and her children’s children, for generations. However, Hope threw that thought out the window. She wasn’t playing games. He could see it in her eyes as she cut open her veins right in front of him.

“She’s still the right one.” Keith responds while playing with his empty glass. “We just need to rethink our negotiations.”

The brothers never lost a deal they wanted. In the business world they’re crafty, brilliant, and unappreciatly ruthless. They would go after their goal like they’re going to war, like it’s life and death.

We’ve had one encounter with the little stubborn girl, Keith thought to himself. We’re not going to give up after just one stand off. We need to switch tactics.

“She’s not money motivated. I’ve heard about people like that but it’s the first time I’ve actually met one.” Ethan says with a grin.

Ethan stands up and walks over to the pool cues hanging on a wall. After making his select he takes it to the pool-table and starts racking the balls.

“So what does motivate her?” Asks Keith, as he picks up his own cue.

“That’s obvious.” Charles replies. “Family. She tried to kill herself after we told her why she’s here. That’s her bottom line. It’s why I said she’s not the right one. You’re going after the one thing she will never let you take.”

Charles can’t shake the image of that girls blood dripping to the carpet. Having preformed the background check on her himself, he knows what a pure soul Hope is and he nearly watched her die right before his eyes.

“If you two insist on her, I don’t think I can help you anymore.” Charles says as he closes his laptop screen. His fingers shake slightly.

“What?” The two brothers ask in unison.

“I can’t watch a young girl die just so you guys can get a kid. Pick someone else.” Charles says.

“She’s not going to die, Charles, because we’re going to give her exactly what she wants. “ Ethan says, while lining up his shot.

“I don’t uderstand.” Charles says.

“You will.”Keith responds. “Here’s what we need you to do, and Charles, we’ll tell you exactly what we told her, you don’t have a choice.”

At that point Ethan strikes the ball with the cue and a loud crack filles the room.

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