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“Hello?”
“Hi, honey. Where are you?” He sounded upbeat. A good sign.
“I’m on the way to Lacey’s fashion show.” She kept her voice calm and natural though the speed of her heart had tripled and banged against the wall of her chest.
“Oh, I forgot the show was taking place tonight. Well, I hope you’re sitting down because I have good news.”
Annabelle squeezed her eyes shut.
“The board agreed with my recommendation, and you’re going to be the next CEO of Buchanan & Buchanan!”
She opened her mouth wide and let out a silent scream, doubling over and shaking with excitement. When she straightened, Dante looked at her with a line of concern creasing his brow, but when he saw her wide smile, the worry dissipated.
“Thank you, Daddy. You gave me the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
“I thought you’d like to hear it,” Clifton said with a chuckle. “Enjoy your night. Tell Lacey that I wish her the best. You and I should talk soon. I’m ready to step down immediately, and we need to discuss logistics, including moving you into your new office.”
She covered her face, slumping against the seat in disbelief. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Sounds good, honey. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Annabelle hung up and bit her lip. “I can’t believe it.”
“We knew this would happen,” Dante said.
His face no longer contained the harsh lines they did at the beginning of their marriage. Was she softer too?
“I will continue the Buchanan legacy.Me. A woman,” Annabelle said in wonderment.
She didn’t have much time to wallow in her newfound success because the driver pulled up to the venue. Fashion and local media hovered outside as cars arrived, and they snapped photos and jostled for position to get the best shots of the people arriving.
“She has quite a crowd,” Dante murmured.
“Her publicist sent out a lot of invitations, and Lacey put in months of hard work,” Annabelle explained.
The driver hopped out of the vehicle and came around to her side.
“Well, I guess I can celebrate later.” She slipped from the back of the vehicle.
“Annabelle! Annabelle! This way!”
Dante sauntered off and left her in the midst of the fray. Though he was well-known, his notoriety was limited to the business sector. She was a local celebrity because of the years she’d spent courting media attention when she’d been a young socialite enjoying her father’s money.
“Why was it important for you to be here tonight?” a male reporter asked, shoving a microphone in her face.
She paused to answer the question. “Lacey and I have been friends for a long time, so there was never a question of whether or not I would attend tonight. She has always had my support, and tonight is no different.”
“Are you wearing one of her designs?” a woman asked.
“Yes, from the summer line.” Annabelle turned in a slow circle, and cameras flashed to capture all the angles.
Posing with her back to the reporters, she showed off her bare back, making eye contact over her shoulder. When she thought they’d taken enough photos, she smiled. “I better get inside now.”
“How is married life?” someone yelled from the back.
Annabelle kept the smile on her face. “Better the second time around.”
She left them with those words and walked to where Dante waited. As she approached, he placed a hand at the small of her back, and they made their way into the venue.
