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“I’ll talk to—”
“—No,” Lily cuts me off. “Your relationship with your grandfather is rocky enough at the moment, and bringing this up will only make it worse. I know your parents spoke to him about it too, and it was all to no avail. It’s okay, Celeste, truly. Just like you, I have a bachelor’s and a master’s from one of the best universities in the world. I’ll find the right job eventually.”
“How are you so okay with this?” I ask, my voice breaking. “We were supposed to rise to the top together — our plans have been set in stone since we werekids.”
Lily grabs my hand and holds it between hers. “We will. We’re only just at the start of our careers, babe. We’ll work together eventually, I just know it. Besides, this way I won’t have to doubt every promotion I get, or be ostracized by my peers who might fear upsetting the boss’s best friend. I’ll learn somewhere else, and I’ll bring all of that knowledge back to Harrison Developments in a few years. It may not be the road we envisioned, but we’ll get there eventually, alright?”
I grit my teeth and suppress my desire to argue with her, knowing it’ll lead nowhere. It’s clear she’s made peace with the rejection, and there’s no changing her mind when she’s decided on something.
“Where have you applied? Have you gotten any offers yet?” I ask, trying my hardest not to sound upset.
Lily’s expression falls. “Pretty much most of the big firms. But no offers yet.”
I frown and stare her down. “You’re keeping something from me.”
She sighs, guilt flickering through her eyes. “Fine,” she says, losing her composure. “I’ve been rejected everywhere I’ve applied because they all want work experience for an entry-level role, which is just ridiculous. We didn’t do any internships while we were in London, and well… I guess we should have.”
Helplessness renders me speechless as realization sinks in. We’d both expected to work for Harrison Developments and didn’t think we needed internships, so we focused all our time on getting higher grades instead.
My mind begins to race as I think through Lily’s options. “Did you… did you apply to Windsor Hotels?”
The disgusted look she throws me answers my question before her words do. “I wouldneverwork there,” she snaps. “That bag of dicks bullied you foryears. There’s no way I’ll become one of the worker bees that puts more money into his already stupidly deep pockets.”
I try my hardest to suppress my smile and fail, a peal of laughter escaping my lips. “Bag of dicks? I thought you just told me to use everything I know about Zane to my advantage, that our minds are so in-sync we’d solve world hunger if we ever worked together?”
She stares at me sheepishly and runs a hand through her long, blonde hair. “Yeah, well…whatever.”
I shake my head in amusement and force a serious expression. “I’m serious, Lil. I hate to admit it, but they’re the biggest and the best. Their training program is notoriously thorough, and they don’t require any prior work experience. Besides, we’ve always wondered what exactly it is that gives Windsor Hotels the edge that Harrison Developments seems to be missing — this way we can find out. Everything you learn, you’ll bring back with you when you join me in a couple of years.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but thankfully, she doesn’t look as disgusted as before. “Just apply,” I murmur. “It’s such a big company, you probably won’t even see him. Honestly, when else would we get an opportunity to learn about Windsor Hotels from the inside out?”
Lily narrows her eyes, but her smile is as wicked as mine. “Celeste Harrison, are you insinuating that you want me to become your little spy?”
I shrug. “I’m merely suggesting that we both take your advice. This is an unfortunate situation that we can turn into an opportunity.”
She sighs. “I’ve been rejected by eight different companies in the span of a few weeks. There’s no way Windsor Hotels would hire me, even if I did apply.”
“They will.” I may have to make a deal with the devil to ensure it, but one way or another, I’ll get her that job.
ChapterFive
Celeste
My body is taut with nerves as I walk into the acquisition meeting I’ve spent weeks preparing for, only to find Zane acting chummy with Jonathan Cavalier, the current owner of the inn we’re both trying to acquire.
Both men look up when I enter, and the soft smile Zane throws my way only makes me feel more discouraged. I see it in their body language — I lost this deal before I even had a chance to pitch my proposal, simply because he’s a Windsor.
Deep-rooted resentment unfurls in the pit of my stomach, despite my best attempts to contain it. Why is it this specific deal he’s interested in? The Bellevue isn’t big enough to be on his radar, and surely there are higher ROI projects available to him?
“Celeste,” Zane says, rising to his feet. He walks around the conference table and pulls a chair out for me. I raise a brow, and his smile turns roguish, challenging. With his back turned to Jonathan, he’s showing me his true colors. Zane’s eyes slowly roam over my body, and I narrow mine, refusing to play this game. Instead, I force a fake polite smile for him before extending my hand toward Jonathan, whose attention is still entirely on Zane’s back. How am I supposed to compete with the awe in the man’s eyes?
“Ms. Harrison,” he says, his tone friendly. “I’ve heard such great things about you from Mr. Windsor here. It looks like my hotel will be in good hands regardless of who I choose today.”
“It absolutely will be,” I agree, my words ringing true. I might not like Zane, but he’s an excellent, yet fair, businessman. Unlike other big firms, he’s never acquired a hotel only to destroy its history and replace it with something modern. It’s why competing with him is even harder now than it ever was before — I might hate him as a person, but I respect him as a hotelier.
“Why don’t we start with Mr. Windsor,” Jonathan says as he retakes his seat, and I only just hide my surprise. He must have shot down everyone else’s pitch already, leaving only the two of us. Jonathan is a somewhat eccentric man, and he insisted on one collaborative meeting with his finalists instead of separate ones. It’s unconventional, but I understand why he prefers it this way. Sharing ideas in this manner will ultimately benefit his vision.
Zane moves to stand in front of the projector screen, his expression as serious as it always was right before we walked into any test at school. I never would’ve admitted it to myself back then, but whenever he looked like that, my heart would skip a beat. It still does. There’s something about watching the jokester melt away, leaving only the real him standing in front of me.
