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Dante hadn’t replied to Eduardo’s email or reached out save for a polite condolence note.
Did he even know he was in my father’s will?
Most likely, which made his silence all the more suspicious. “Have you talked to Dante recently?” I asked, abandoning subtlety in favor of directness.
A knowing smile tugged at the corner of Kai’s mouth. If Dante made it his job to know everything, Kai’s jobwasto know everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d gotten his hands on the will before I touched down in New York.
“We spoke yesterday,” he said, his tone mild. “Why?”
“No reason.” I drummed my fingers on the counter, mentally running through the committee members.
Sloane was on my side, but she wouldn’t lie if my business turned out to be crap in six months. Eduardo and Tío Martin would give me as much grace as they could. Mariana hated my fucking guts. Dante…well, he was the wild card.
Luca’s brother wasn’t my biggest fan, but could I trust him to be fair regardless of his feelings toward me?
“Xavier, I’m not a journalist after a story. What we discuss is strictly private.” Kai paused, then added, “I speak with Sloane often. I understand how to keep confidentiality.”
It suddenly clicked.Thatwas why Kai was suddenly so interested in my affairs. Since Sloane was the one who’d discovered the loophole in the will, she’d taken it upon herself to act as my unofficial business consultant. My inheritance clause wasn’t a secret, though the committee members were; she must’ve said something to either Vivian, Dante, Kai, or all of the above.
The wheels started spinning. If I was serious about starting a new company, I needed allies, and the CEO of the Young Corporation was one of the most powerful allies I could get.
“As a matter of fact,” I said, piecing together a plan on the spot. “Thereissomething I want to discuss with you…”
* * *
Two hours and several drinks later, Kai left for another meeting while I headed upstairs to the library.
It was the heart of the club, and it buzzed with activity as people forged deals, cemented alliances, and shared intel. However, no one paid me any mind as I took a seat at the grand center table, directly beneath the founding families’ panels, where my mother’s bear family crest was carved in between the Russos’ dragon and the Youngs’ lion.
I retrieved the watch from my pocket and rubbed a thumb over the smooth gold case, my mind churning from my conversation with Kai and the events of the past week.
Fact #1: There was no way my father could’ve overlooked something as basic as naming the company in his will. Granted, he’d been deathly ill when he changed it, which wasn’t an inconsiderable factor, but if hehadbeen aware of the omission, what was his endgame? To make me dosomethingeven if it wasn’t what he wanted?
No. My father would never be that compromising. Last option dismissed.
Fact #2: On paper, I had six months to figure my shit out. In reality, I should’ve figured it out yesterday. Starting a solid business in New York, in that short amount of time, was near impossible.
Fact #3: If I didn’t at least try, I would regret it forever. Out of all life’s questions,what ifwas one of the worst.
There’s potential in each and every one of us, and I hope you fulfill yours to the point of happiness.
My chest clenched. Would my mother think I’d fulfilled my potential? Probably not, but fuck, I missed her. I always did, but it used to be a dull, steady ache that hummed in the background. Ever since I read her letter, it’d been a knife that lanced through me, frequently and often.
I’d never stopped blaming myself for what happened to her. It didn’t matter what my childhood therapists or grief counselors said; guilt wasn’t bound by reason or technicalities.
That being said, I couldn’t change the past. I could, however, dictate my future.
Be proud of the person you’ve become and the person you’ll grow into.
I pulled out the sheet of paper Kai had handed me before he left. Like me, he’d been born into wealth, but his position hadn’t been handed to him. He’d worked his way up from the mailroom to the head position at the Young Corporation, and his circle was a who’s who of the corporate world.
My contacts could get anyone an invite to any party and access to any club, but his contacts could help build an empire.
I stared at the list of names he’d scribbled down.
In order to be a CEO, I needed a team. To hire a team, I needed a plan. To execute that plan, I required funding and legitimacy.
My reputation as a partier worked against me, which meant I needed a partner people respected. Someone reliable, established, trustworthy, and relevant to the business I had in mind.
