Chapter Fourteen
VIVI
"The contract is iron-clad, Vivi." Yvanne spreads the papers across her mahogany desk in her downtown office. Her notes and highlighted areas cover the entire thing. "I've had three other firms look at it. They all say the same thing."
I lean forward in the leather chair, studying the document that's effectively holding my future hostage.
My signature looks foreign to me now—the careful loops and swirls of a woman who thought she was making a smart business decision by signing a contract that the trust required before Jameson and I got married.
Additional documents I signed regarding my honeymoon time off and my agreement to the interim CEO.
The board and its responsibilities, originally designed so that no one person could take over the company.
And here I am, the one who's being kept out.
The irony.
"There has to be something." I run a hand through my hair, a habit I picked up from Trey. "Some loophole or clause we can use."
"The merger agreement is tied directly to the marriage contract.
If you don't marry Jameson within the specified time frame, Holiday Industries can exercise their option to take controlling interest." She taps a particularly dense paragraph of legal jargon.
"And the board has the right to remove you as CEO.
You'll still retain your ownership of your shares, but there's nothing else we can do.
The board has to agree to this and right now, they're playing nice with Holiday Industries. "
"But it's my company. I built it from nothing."
"And you made a decision to get Holiday Industries involved in order to push Newport Staffing public—you created a board and signed this agreement.
" Her voice softens. "I tried, Vivi. My partner, both of our paralegals…
we've all been over every word for weeks.
But whoever drafted this knew exactly what they were doing. "
My phone buzzes—another missed call from my father. His voicemail notification pops up immediately:
Vivi, I heard you're still planning to go through with the wedding. Call me. I want to support you however I can.
Support me? I have no doubt that Genevieve is in my father's ear too.
A family connection to the Holidays only furthers the Newport reach, and vice versa.
In all other ways, this union between Jameson and I would make both of our families stronger.
That's what my father had expected for Isla and me as we grew up.
That's why I wanted to do this all on my own, and in the end, I landed right where he always wanted me.
What was even the point of working sixty-hour weeks for the last decade to prove I was more than just a Newport name when I just paid into the exact future he wanted for me?
Before I can delete the message, a text comes through.
Genevieve: We need to start planning the wedding in France. I've found several venues that would photograph beautifully. My PR team is drafting the narrative now. Call me.
Then a barrage of photos and links to venues start to blow up my phone.
Some with rolling hills, some with vineyards, a gorgeous fifteenth-century castle, and a venue three stories tall made of glass.
More keep popping through but I ignore them, setting my phone face-down on the desk, unable to look at it anymore.
"What happens if Jameson doesn't come back?" I ask. "He hasn't answered anyone's calls in weeks."
"The contract doesn't specify which party has to initiate the wedding. Just that it has to happen within the timeline." Yvanne makes another note. "Though I suppose if he stays in Greece indefinitely…"
"Then I lose everything anyway." I slump back in the chair. "I have no control over this situation. Perfect."
"There might be one other option." She hesitates. "But you won't like it."
"At this point, I'll take anything."
"Your father—"
"No." I stand up, pacing the length of her office. "Absolutely not."
"He has the resources to buy out Holiday Industries' stake.
And let's be honest…he's the best negotiator we know.
It's possible they would consider selling to him. From what I know, he helped them close a huge deal years ago that saved the family’s trust because he knew the right people.
It would void the merger agreement and the marriage contract if he can convince Genevieve to pick a new bride. "
"The problem is the Holiday trust has its own board, and they are making Jameson pay for this.
They're making an example for the other kids in the Holiday family.
And my father bailing me out would put me right back under his control which was the entire point of making the deal with the Holidays.
" I shake my head. "I'd rather marry Jameson. "
She doesn't argue. We've been friends since freshman year, when we both pledged to the same sorority and became roommates. She knows that everything that comes from my father comes with strings. "Then I suggest you start looking at venues in France and try to convince Jameson to come back."
My phone buzzes again.
Adeline: Can we go to the library after school? Please? ??
The request comes when I need it the most. I can't control whether Jameson comes back or not.
The best thing to do right now is pick up Adeline from school and have a girls' day, just the two of us.
Get lost in the library and pick up some greasy food on the way home before Trey's game in Boston tonight which we'll stream just the two of us when they take to the ice later this evening.
"I have to go." I check my watch. "School pickup."
Yvanne's eyes soften. "How's that going? The nanny thing?"
"It's…" I trail off, unable to find words for what it is. Wonderful. Terrifying. Everything I never knew I wanted. "Complicated."
"Because of Trey?"
Heat floods my cheeks. "I've never been with anyone like him."
"You've taken on so much, and then he steps in and takes care of you," she says as if she can read my thoughts.
"Exactly. But it doesn't matter." I gather my things. "I have to marry Jameson."
"Unless he doesn't come back."
Wouldn’t that be a fantasy come true? That somehow it works out and we don’t have to marry. But he still hasn’t returned a single text or voicemail I’ve sent.
"He'll come back." I head for the door. "He has as much to lose as I do."
But as I drive to Adeline's school, I can't help wondering what would happen if he didn't. If he chose to lose it all instead of marry me. If he decided some things were worth more than family expectations and trust fund requirements.
Adeline's waiting at pickup, bouncing on her toes when she sees me. "Can we go? Please?"
"Of course." I help her into the car, grateful for the distraction from my own problems. "What section do you want to look at first?"
"Fantasy." She buckles herself in. "Mom used to take me every week when I was little. We'd spend hours in the kids' section."
My heart squeezes. "That sounds nice."
"It was." She's quiet for a moment. "The smell of old books reminds me of her. Is that weird?"
"Not at all." I adjust the rearview mirror to see her better. "Smells are powerful memory triggers. Like how fresh-cut grass always reminds me of summer vacation."
She nods, considering this. "Uncle Trey says the smell of jet fuel reminds him of deployment. But he doesn't like to talk about it much."
The casual mention of Trey's service catches me off guard. He rarely mentions it, and I've learned not to ask.
The library parking lot is nearly empty when we arrive. Inside, the familiar smell of books and quiet conversation wrap around us like a warm blanket. Adeline leads the way to the children's section, navigating the shelves like she's done it a thousand times.
"Mom always let me check out five books," she says, running her fingers along the spines. "One for each weekday."
"That's a good system."
She pulls out a worn copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. "This was her favorite. She used to do all the voices."
I settle into one of the small chairs, watching as she carefully turns the pages. "Want to tell me about her? Your mom?"
She's quiet for so long I think she won't answer. Then, "She was funny. Like, really funny. She could make anyone laugh, even Uncle Trey when he was being grumpy. And she always smelled like cupcakes because she baked all the time."
"She sounds wonderful."
"She was." Adeline hugs the book to her chest. "I'm glad you came with me today. Sometimes it's hard to come here because it makes me miss her. But it's easier with you."
The simple honesty in her voice makes my throat tight. "Thank you for sharing this with me."
She sets the book aside and starts browsing again. "Uncle Trey tries, but he doesn't really get the library thing. He says books are too quiet—he likes noise better."
"The silence probably reminds him of things he'd rather forget," I say softly, more to myself than her.
She nods. "That's what Mom used to say too. That's why she always brought him cookies when he came home on leave. Said sweet things chase away bad memories."
My phone buzzes again—another text from Genevieve about venue options. I ignore it, focusing instead on Adeline as she builds a stack of books.
I pull a few of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe books to my corner. Maybe reading it at night together would be comforting for her. My mother used to read it to me too. Maybe we both could use a dose of nostalgia right now.
We spend the next hour picking books, Adeline telling me stories about her mom—how she'd do silly voices during bedtime stories, how she'd leave notes in Adeline's lunch box, how she'd dance in the kitchen while baking.
By the time we check out, my phone has three more missed calls from my father and two texts from Genevieve.
Still nothing from Jameson, and that has me both worried and relieved.
Watching Adeline clutch her books to her chest as we walk to the car, eyes bright with memories and possibilities, I can't bring myself to care about any of it.
"Pizza?" I suggest as we head for the car. "I think we've earned it. The Hawkeyes take to the ice in thirty minutes to play Boston, so we have to hurry home."
"Yes! That sounds good," she beams, running the rest of the way to the car. "Can we call him after the game to say goodnight? I miss him."
"I know he would love that."
My phone buzzes again—Genevieve, asking about flower arrangements for the wedding.
I leave it unanswered, focusing instead on Adeline's chatter about which pizza toppings. Right now, this is what matters. Everything else can wait.