Page 34 of The Silver Fox Brother

We end the call. I know she'll try again in a few months with a different publication, a different angle. The answer will be the same.

I don't need my face on magazine covers. Rowan does that—loves the press, the profiles, the validation that comes from being recognized. I build buildings. That's enough.

By 2:47, I'm on a call with the Dubai investors, walking them through timeline adjustments for a project that's been delayed by permitting issues. They're frustrated. I'm diplomatic but firm—delays happen, we adapt, the final product will be worth the wait.

The call runs long. When I finally hang up at 3:30, I have eighteen minutes before my CFO arrives to review Q3 projections.

I use the time to return emails. Approve a vendor contract. Review updated renderings for a Brooklyn townhouse conversion.

At 3:50, Sarah—my CFO, appears in my doorway with her laptop and a stack of financial reports.

"Ready?" she asks.

"Let's do it."

We spend the next forty minutes deep in numbers—revenue projections, development costs, cash flow analysis for the next two quarters. Sterling Tower is on track. The Brooklyn project is slightly over budget but still within acceptable margins. The Queens ground-breaking is scheduled for September, permits approved, financing locked.

Everything is moving. Everything is on schedule.

By 4:37, she's gone, and I'm alone in my office with the familiar hum of the city outside my windows and the weight of a hundred decisions still waiting to be made.

Marcus appears shortly with a file in his hand.

"The designer list," he says, holding a leather folder.

"Ten firms. All vetted, all capable of handling the Sterling Tower timeline."

Finally.

"Leave it on my desk."

He sets it down, starts to leave, then pauses.

"Anything else you need today?"

"No. That's it. Thanks, Marcus."

He nods and disappears. I stare at the folder for a moment, and then I open it.

Inside are ten firms, each with a single-page overview. Firm name, principal designer, notable projects, estimated timelines, rate structures. Marcus has done his usual thorough job—every firm here is qualified, experienced, capable.

I scan the first page.

Ashford Design Collective. High-end residential, strong portfolio, but their aesthetic skews traditional. Not what I need.

Second page. Studio Maren. Better. Modern, clean lines, but I've heard they're difficult to work with. Every decision requires three rounds of revisions.

Third page. Bennett & Associates. Solid work, but uninspired. Safe choices, nothing that pushes boundaries.

I flip through the next five quickly. All competent. All acceptable. None of them right. Then I reach the tenth page.

Winter Hayes Design Studio

I stop. Her name on the page feels like a punch I wasn't prepared for. I read it again:

Winter Hayes Design Studio. Principal Designer: Winter Hayes. Notable projects: West Village brownstone restoration, Chelsea loft conversion, Upper East Side penthouse. Current project: Chen residence, $3.5M.

Winter:Rowan's girlfriend.