Page 2 of He Had It Coming

My plan wasn’t complex. Focus and produce, and then I’d be named the new head of Hayes Properties’ west coast division. That would allow me to transition from second-in-command to first. Eventually move back home to Philadelphia, company headquarters, where I’d run the whole damn commercial real estate operation.

I could see the future so clearly. I gave myself a year to make it happen. Thirty and the one holding all the power. Viewed as a brash and brilliant newcomer. That was the dream. I’d move Maeve to the head of HR or something equally useless and demoralizing and quiet her forever.

She deserved the demotion. She hated me, spent her whole life targeting me. Told Dad untrue rumors about me. Twisted every situation to make her look like the saint while painting me as the sinner. Treated me like an unwanted guest on the family estate.

I refused to feel guilty about wanting her away from me. Far away.

I reluctantly dismissed Willa and those legs and concentrated on the next steps. Before I could depose Maeve from her unearned throne and take over her office, I had to handle Anonymous. My unworthy adversary.

I almost felt bad for destroying the woman behind the annoying site. But she was asking for it. Just like her sister did.

Chapter Three

I didn’t bother to knock on the office door. Maeve, with her usual pinched look of disappointment, didn’t deserve that level of deference. I walked in and slumped down in the chair in front of her big, impressive desk. The one she earned through the genetics lottery, not hard work. My sister, the ultimate nepo baby.

Maeve had the fortune of being born first to Dad’s publicly preferred wife. The first one who helped him build the company. The now ex-wife turned big-time philanthropist who everyone praised while vilifying Dad for wanting to move on.

Then there was my mother. Wife number two. The one-time assistant and full-time office joke tagged as a gold digger.

“You’re late.” Maeve’s voice rang out loud and clear. “I know you don’t like the official office chain of command but—”

“Dad’s decision. I get it.” I propped my feet up on the edge of her desk. Just to piss her off. “What do you need?”

She didn’t disappoint. She stared at my legs. “Down. Now.”

So predictable. “Maeve, what is it? I have work to do.”

“The Anonymous situation.”

Of course, Maeve tracked down that bit of gossip. Anything that shoved me into an unwanted spotlight and held me hostage there appealed to her. She enjoyed my discomfort and having Anonymous set up an obscure website then send links to local neighborhood sites and true crime forums to gain exposure certainly caused that.

“Dad’s people are on it.” And they should work faster.

She leaned back in her chair. Eyebrow arched in rabid disapproval. “Working on what exactly?”

I refused to play her game. “This isn’t a big deal.”

“Apparently it is if company resources are being used to diffuse the situation.”

She had a point. Not that I’d admit that. “No one is paying attention to some nutball screaming into the void.”

“It sounds like you need another meeting with HR about your word choices.”

She was in one of those moods. Lucky me. “A complete waste of time.”

“You have a sordid past.” She tapped her pen against the desk. “It’s not hard for people to conduct an internet search.”

I had one overblown thing that certain individuals purposely misconstrued. “Let them.”

Maeve sighed. Made it dramatic and loud. “Everyone in the office has seen the posts. Several employees have asked questions about your history with women.”

Something crashed inside me. I heard the shattering in my head as my forward progress lurched to a shuddering stop.

“You’re too public.” She cleared her throat. “Again.”

“It’s character assassination. This time I’m not going into hiding.” Because she’d love it if I did. Blocking my momentum. Seeing me cut off, no longer a threat to her precious succession planning. “Those days are over.”

“Hmmm.” That’s the only noise she made.