“Predictable,” my father mutters. “Except for your mother trying to pretend she doesn’t know who Karla Benedict is. Painful to watch.”
“She’s nothing if not committed to her delusions,” I supply, smoothly slipping back into my reluctant acquiescence.
Gareth lifts his glass. “To Odette. The grand actress of the family.”
Indeed. With the way she acted around Iris, I am almost certain she knew her before.
We all take a sip, and for a second, the silence feels almost normal. But then Gareth leans in just a touch. “I was surprised to hear about the delay with Miller-Moore,” he says smoothly. “Heard the merger’s been messier than expected.”
This again.
I want to tell him it’s because of their interference with the Coquitlam deal, that we’re near floundering. But I can’t be rocking the boat this early. “It’s under control,” I reply too fast.
“Oh, I’m sure it is.” Gareth smiles faintly, but his eyes stay sharp. “Just odd. Astor Capital’s usually pristine in transitions like these.”
“Transitions can be hard,” my father adds, his gaze now directly on me. “Even though I reached out to Miller-Moore to help with this, it can take time. Especially acquisitions like these.”
“It’s amerger, dad” I say, swallowing a sudden tightness in my throat. “And it’s going smoothly.” But then I register his words.
Hereached out to Miller-Moore?
“I doubt it,” Gareth says, too casually. “The financial hit Astor is taking is harder than what Wentworth would face. That’s what concerns me.”
That lands wrong. My fingers tighten around the glass. “Something you want to say, Uncle?”
“Not at all,” he says, chuckling again. “Just seems… there’s been chatter lately. That the merger’s operational cost is going to harm Astor more thanthem.”
Wentworths.
My pulse kicks up. They know, don’t they? Or aretrying to blame the merger for financial discrepancies. I can’t know for sure.
“Funny,” I say coolly. “We just went through an internal audit last week.Nothingwas flagged.”
“Right. Of course.” Gareth’s still smiling. “Just wanted to make sure you knew people were talking about doubting this.”People.Sure.
A long beat passes. My father swirls his drink, awfully silent.
“You know how these things go, Levi,” Gareth says. “We need to double check the plan. Understand that we can actually go through with the merger. Not have our board doubt us. Or have it create problems for Astor Holdings.”
Christ. They’re almost ten months too late in voicing this. But I have a feeling why they are sowing these doubts in menow. And possibly sowing them elsewhere too.
“Problems,” I repeat. “Like the ones my senior financial analyst is doing everything to avoid?”
“Don’t be glib,” Gareth snaps quietly.
“I’m just saying, if we’re doing our due diligence, hiring a firm to oversee it,andhave the green light from both our VP operations—then I’d say you’re talking out of your ass, Uncle Gareth.”
Both men go still. Not overt. Just… still enough to only catch my attention.
Christ, Levi, not the time.
Then Gareth lets out a breathy laugh. “You’ve grown balls since the last board meeting. I’ll give you that.”
“I’ve always had them. You just preferred it when I tucked them away.” I’m baffled by my casual snark that I’ve tried my best to rein in.
Uncle Gareth grins and downs the last of his fourth scotch—presumably. “Well. I’ll let you two talk shop. I think Genna just spotted me, and I’ve been dodging that woman since 2003.”
Yep.Go and forget that you have a wife who’s currently sitting at home waiting for you.
