She longed to respond but couldn't move. What about her feelings for his brother? Could she deny those right here in front of him? Alex waited a little longer for a response from her, found none and then continued.
"But I want you to be happy, too. I need you to be happy or there's no point in any of this. So, here's my idea: our father will disinherit whichever one of us takes you. You will lose your job and any future prospect in the Drummond Corporation or the airline industry in the United States. However, the brother who loses you will keep his position and inherit his full share of the Drummond fortune. Do you understand?"
She nodded. "I understand that." She said. "But how does that solve anything?"
He was shaking with nerves. She couldn't imagine what it was that would make this extraordinarily confident man so twitchy.
"What if the man who was yours was also the man who inherited the Drummond fortune?"
She shook her head, bewildered.
"Oh come on," Sebastian interrupted, "just get to the point, will you?"
Alex opened his mouth but nothing came out.
"This genius," Sebastian continued, "this relationship Einstein right here wants to share you. Understand?"
"That's not what I mean and you know it." Alex bit back.
Melanie shook her head, she was baffled, mystified.
"Just hold on a minute." She said.
"Right. That's what I thought." Sebastian said. "Look at her! She's not confused because she doesn't understand; she's confused because she gets it and it's totally crazy."
"It's not as crazy as you think, Melanie. I swear it."
"Then why can't you just come out with it? What he means is--"
"Shut up, I'll tell her myself. Melanie, let's say you chose him, for whatever crazy reason. I still don't want you to be poor. I'll see to it that both of you are taken care of, no matter what. It means that we could never speak to each other again, never even be seen in each other's presence."
Her mind was reeling. This was a crazy idea doomed to failure. It had to be Alex's because he was the selfless one, the one willing to sacrifice. Sebastian was far too egotistical. If she chose Alex, Sebastian would be sure to betray them and they would be disinherited anyway. Then she would never see Sebastian again and she didn't want that either. No man had ever touched her like he had before.
"Never." She heard herself say. "It's crazy." She looked up into Alex's pleading eyes. "I know you mean the best, but you can't make me do that."