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“Don’t ignore this, Finn!” Raven calls. “The clock is ticking.”
How could I possibly ignore her? She won’t let me! But even worse, everything she said was completely true. Our financial state is in the red. Raven could easily bankroll us back into the hot seat, cushioned with enough money to feed a small country, if she wished. And what she wants in return…
I pass by Emma on my way in. She smiles sweetly and waves while balancing a phone on her shoulder. I wave back.
I want Emma. I want to be with her, fully. But doing so might mean sacrificing the firm, and everything we’ve worked to build here. How would it be right to throw away all of this, everyone’s jobs and livelihoods, just so I can be happy?
Emma hangs up her phone and rushes to catch up with me. “Hey!” she calls.
I want to turn around, grab her, give her a kiss and tell her she’s more important than anything else in the world. That I’d gladly sacrifice wealth and status just to be in her arms again, to have her smile all for myself.
Instead, I simply return her greeting.
“So, I wanted to ask, are you feeling ok?” Emma puts her soft hand on my arm. It’s almost too much to bear. “You just looked really upset when you walked in. Thought I’d check in with you. As a friend.”
The last bit stings. She’s been very insistent on that fact. And while I can appreciate her boundaries, it doesn't mean they don’t hurt to see so plainly.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” I lie. “Demon stuff.”
“Oh,” Emma says, and a slight blush forms on her cheeks. What exactly does she think I’m implying? “Maybe you should talk to your brothers, then?”
I have to admit, she has a point. This affects them just as much as me. We need to discuss this.
“I think I will. Thank you, Emma,” I say. Her smile makes my heart feel a little bit lighter, even as I show myself into Damien’s office where he and Luc are arguing about nothing.
“And I am telling you, cornflower blue looks awful with your skin tone,” Damien says with disgust. “You are going to scare our clients away with your obvious color blindness.”
Luc turns to me and huffs. “Finn, thank you for finally showing up. Tell Damien he’s being ridiculous, this tie looks—”
“It looks like shit, Luc,” I say. “Now listen. We have something more important than color coordination to discuss.”
“It does not look like shit,” Luc mumbles to himself before taking a seat.
“What is it now?” Damien asks, rubbing his temple. “Please tell me neither of you said something stupid on social media…”
“Worse. It’s Raven.”
Damien’s shoulders drop and he sighs, deeply. “Just what we need. What does she want now?”
“The same thing she’s always wanted,” I say, helping myself to an ice cold beverage sitting in a carafe by Damien’s desk. “Me. In exchange for our business.”
“Wait, what? I thought she was just offering you money. Now she’s holding the firm hostage?” Luc asks.
“Yes. She’s threatening to use her siren powers on potential clients. If I’m a good boy and give her a ring, she’ll use them to our advantage. But if I ignore her…”
“Ridiculous,” Damien seethes.
I take a look around this space. This office. It’s a gorgeous sample of the business we’ve built. A monument to our status, power, and of course, wealth. All of this could be gone forever if I choose to be selfish.
“I’m thinking of taking her up on that offer,” I say. It’s a statement that tastes like poison in my mouth. I’d be miserable with her, sure, but at least I’d have a job to come to. At least my brothers could maintain their lifestyles, namely their happiness.
“What? No way,” Luc shouts as he pushes himself from his chair and walks to me. “Are you insane? Raven! You barely managed to claw your way out of her clutches, now you’re going to fall back in?”
“Finn,” Damien says, gesturing for me to sit down. “I thought you had feelings for Emma?”
“I do,” I admit. There’s no sense in hiding that fact, it’s plain as day. “But what good is sabotaging our lives, including her career, for my own happiness? We need the help, guys.”
“We do,” Damien admits. “But more importantly, we need to live truthfully... You’re never going to be happy with Raven, no matter how much money is in your shared bank account.”
