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A man in his late sixties is marching toward us, followed by a middle-aged woman in a brown pantsuit. Atop his head, a well-polished balding crown reflects the overhead lighting as he comes to a halt in front of me.
“Walter Hailey. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person,” he says, stretching his hand out for me to shake.
He stands with a slight stoop, his demeanor a mix of authority and experience. His tailored charcoal gray suit drapes his slightly rounded shoulders and his more rounded belly, softened by years of hearty meals.
I’m just about to follow his invitation and reach out to shake his hand when I’m interrupted by Madison, who steps between us in a sudden and surprisingly fierce motion.
“You!” she yells, pointing at him with her index finger. “How dare you do this! How did you think this could ever work?”
“Good gracious, Madison,” Mr. Hailey says in a low voice, casting me a quick side-eye. “This is no way to introduce yourself to—”
“Are you seriously going to lecture me about how we do things around here?” she interrupts him. “You know I’m not on board with this! You know I don’t want to sell, and you definitely know that I have no intention whatsoever of talking to a potential buyer. Because: We. Are. Not. Selling!”
Her voice raises by more than a few decibels, causing the other woman to take a step back, while her hand flies up to her chest and her lips part with a shocked gasp.
“Madison, control your temper,” Mr. Hailey snaps back at her, while casting a worried look in my direction.
He has every reason to be worried, because I sure as hell am very confused and angry right now.
Madison’s nostrils flare, her anger unfurling like a storm. “Control my temper? You arranged this meeting behind my back!”
What? What the fuck is going on here?
He scoffs, his voice dripping with condescension. “You have no idea what’s best for the company. This is a strategic move.”
I can’t believe what I’m looking at right now. I’ve had my fair share of wild business encounters, and I knew this meeting wasn’t going to be easy sledding, but I did not see this coming. In fact, I still don’t know what exactly this is.
But I do know that I can’t help but admire the fire in her—her heated temper coloring her cheeks with an endearing blush and making her blue eyes stand out even more. My lips curve into an appreciative smile as I step forward to place a hand on her shoulder.
She flinches under my touch but doesn’t shy away. Instead, she turns to look up at me, fire still burning and eyes narrowed to slits. Her lips are trembling, and once again, she’s struggling to find the right words.
“I’m sorry, but could someone enlighten me as to what exactly is going on here?” I say in the calmest manner possible.
“Oh, I’m very sorry about this,” Mr. Hailey says.
I notice the way his eyes flit to my lingering hand on her shoulder, but he doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, he glances at me with an apologetic smile.
“This is my niece, Madison,” he says—and I remove my hand from her shoulder.
“Your… niece?” I repeat in disbelief.
If she is this man’s niece, that means…
“And the newly appointed CEO of this company,” Madison concludes.
Of course she is. I’m too baffled to hide my surprise at that revelation, and she is visibly enjoying the look of astonishment on my face, apparent from the winning smile that emerges on hers.
“You are the CEO?” I blurt out, sounding like an idiot.
“Well, like she said, Madison’s newly appointed and still learning—”
“Which doesn’t mean I can be excluded from the planning of a meeting like this,” she interjects—and I have to agree. If what I’m hearing right now is true, Madison has every reason to be furious at her uncle’s behavior. That man made me believe he was the person in charge, overruling the CEO’s voice of this company.
“He planned all of this behind my back, probably hoping I would change my mind about selling,” she explains to me, pointing an accusing finger at her uncle.
“I’m still on the board, Madison, and until recently, I was the one in your chair, so—”
“But you no longer are!” she yells at him, startling Mr. Hailey’s seemingly mute assistant anew. “I am in charge now, and I say we don’t sell!”
