Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Idrummed my fingers against my desk, impatiently waiting for an update from Halle.
My assistant and I had just finished going through my calendar, and she was getting closer to confirming a date with the woman who’d won me in the bachelorx auction.
To say I wasn’t looking forward to spending an evening with another woman was an understatement.
The only woman I wanted to spend time with was Halle. I might be at the office, but my mind was on her and Kai. I could only imagine how she felt after dealing with this for as long as she had. For having doctors, her ex, doubt her instincts.
And poor Kai. If last night was any indication, he’d been through a lot.
I’d spent the night at their place, though I’d slept on the couch.
Kai had thrown up a few more times, but we’d kept him comfortable and hydrated.
I could see the exhaustion in Halle’s eyes, and I felt it too. The worry. The love.
Kai couldn’t keep living like this. Halle either.
I didn’t want her to have to continue to wait for answers.
Nor for Kai to have to continue to wait for relief.
So, I’d pulled some strings and gotten a next-day appointment for Kai with one of the best pediatric GIs in the city.
She was usually booked solid, but her office had been able to work them in this morning.
Halle: I like the GI a lot. She’s ordering some blood tests and wants Kai to have an endoscopy.
An endoscopy? Shit. That seemed like a big deal, but I didn’t want to alarm Halle.
Me: How do you feel about that?
Halle: I’m glad my concerns are finally being taken seriously.
So was I. I couldn’t believe Craig had dismissed her fears.
There was no way the symptoms Kai was experiencing were normal or acceptable.
And the idea that Kai’s father—the man who was supposed to be looking out for him, protecting him—had ignored or downplayed what his son was going through made me irrationally angry.
Me: Me too. Let me know if I can do anything to help.
Halle: Thanks. I’ll tell you the rest of what she said later. Sorry I had to miss the meeting today.
I didn’t give a shit about the meeting, and I didn’t want Halle to worry about it either. Kai absolutely came first.
Me: Focus on Kai. Work will be here when you get back.
Halle: Thanks.
Me: Rosie and I would love to see you and Kai tonight.
Who was I kidding? Rosie practically lived with Halle and Kai. There were many times, especially lately, that I found myself jealous—of a dog.
Halle: We’d love that.
I smiled, but before I could respond, there was a knock at my office door. I was surprised to find Pierce standing at the threshold.
“Pierce, hey.” I stood, rounding the desk to greet him with a handshake and a hug. “How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
“I’m good.” Better than good. I was still worried about Kai, but I knew he was in good hands.
“And your family?” Pierce asked, though I wasn’t sure why. He was practically family himself. He could’ve called up any one of my siblings and asked how they were. Hell, sometimes I wondered why he wasn’t part of the family group chat.
“They’re good.”
“You sure?” he asked.
I eyed him. What was his deal? “Yeah. I’m sure.”
“I’m glad to hear it, though I was surprised to learn that you came back from Colorado several days early for a family emergency.
” Ah. That. I tried not to react as he continued speaking.
“As far as I can tell, Sloan and Jackson and Evie are good. Graham and Lily are fine. Knox and Nate. So you can understand my confusion, as well as that of some of the board members who passed along their concern.”
“Please feel free to reassure any interested board members that all is well.”
“Mm.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is it?”
“Yes,” I said, trying not to let my exasperation show.
“Does this ‘family emergency,’” he said, using air quotes, “have anything to do with that situation we discussed previously?” He gave me a meaningful look.
I knew he was referring to Halle even if he hadn’t mentioned her specifically. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her, though I knew that was the exact opposite of what I should’ve done.
“Oh, fuck me.” He dragged a hand down his face. “It does. Doesn’t it?”
When I didn’t deny it, he closed the door to my office. I settled in behind my desk, trying to appear calm when I was anything but. It felt as if reality was pushing in on the bubble Halle and I had been living in, trying to burst it.
“I thought I told you to drop it,” Pierce said.
“I tried. I really did. But…” I lifted a shoulder. What else was there to say? I was in love with Halle.
“I need details,” Pierce said, taking the seat across from me. “Who is she? What’s her position in the company? How serious is it?”
I shook my head, unwilling to answer his questions. I couldn’t do that. I’d promised Halle. I wouldn’t make decisions that could impact her career without talking to her first.
“I can’t betray her confidence.”
“Jasper.” Pierce pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. And when—not if—this blows up, you’re going to want my help.”
I dragged a hand through my hair, knowing he was right.
Halle might not be ready to tell anyone about us, but Pierce might be the one person who could help us navigate this situation.
I understood her reservations, and I hoped that by talking to Pierce, we’d be able to devise solutions to overcome them.
“This stays between us?” I asked, needing confirmation. I would never intentionally do anything to put Halle or her job at risk. But it was my hope that this would help her. Help us.
“Of course. Though, I have to remind you that I’m your family’s attorney, not just yours.
So if your relationship creates a conflict of interest, and it’s more than minor, I might be required to disclose it to the others.
Especially if it could harm their interests in the company.
But, of course, I’d give you the opportunity to disclose it first,” he said.
“I understand.” And I respected him for stating his boundaries.
“Who is she?”
“A higher-level employee.”
He groaned. “It’s Halle, isn’t it?”
I supposed there was no use trying to lie to him, not when he’d already guessed. But still, I was protective of her. “And if it is?”
“Is it serious?”
I knew Halle loved me. And while she seemed to know that we’d need to tell my family about us at some point, she was always evasive when I brought it up. Not that I’d broached the subject in a while. We’d been busy with Kai’s birthday, my travel, and now navigating Kai’s health issues.
“Yes, but she’s concerned about the impact to our jobs and the company.”
“Rightly so,” he said, and the pit in my gut widened. “After our last conversation, I reviewed the bylaws and employee policies. There is no policy outright prohibiting a relationship between the executive and a subordinate—”
“That’s good,” I said, relief settling over me.
“You would think so, but it’s still a potential conflict of interest. And it’s subject to review by the board.”
I scrunched up my face, seriously disliking that idea. Halle would hate it.
“Look. I get it,” Pierce said. “But if you want to keep seeing each other, you’re going to have to bring it to the board. You’d have to recuse yourself from voting, which means that your family would lose their majority. But at least you’d still have a huge advantage.”
“Realistically, what kind of action could the board take?”
“They could put you under review. Ask for your resignation. With regards to Halle, they could demote her, put her on leave without pay, demand her resignation.”
I gulped, the consequences suddenly feeling that much more real. “Do you think they’d do that? Halle’s good at her job.”
“You know how these things go. It’s all about politics and perception. Which is why you need your family on your side more than ever.”
I winced, and Pierce massaged his temples. “I take it you haven’t told any of them?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“What are you waiting for?” he pushed.
“I would, but she’s opposed.”
“I don’t know about you, but that feels like a red flag to me.”
Red flag. The fuck?
I tried not to overreact, but Jesus.
“I understand her reasons,” I gritted out. Even if I didn’t like them.
“Right. But surely you can see how that makes you more vulnerable, legally speaking. Because if you go to the board, that puts her on record for saying the relationship is consensual. And if that’s the case, it can undercut any potential claims to the contrary that might later…arise.”
“Pierce,” I warned.
I understood it was his job to protect me and my family, which included the company by extension, but I didn’t appreciate the way he was talking about Halle. Questioning her motives. Doubting our future together.
He lifted his hands as if in surrender. “Look, I know that no one wants to think about a relationship ending while they’re in the throes of it. But you have to.”
He might be right, but I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to think about things ending with Halle. The idea of not having her—or Kai—in my life was too painful.
“You saw the fallout from Nate’s divorce. It was bad enough that Trinity was his wife. Can you imagine how much worse it would’ve been if she’d also been his employee?”
I shuddered. Trinity was a manipulative, toxic woman who only cared about herself. I hated what she’d done to Nate. To Brooklyn. And I was glad Trinity was no longer able to poison their lives with her bullshit.
“First of all, H—” I swallowed, smoothing down my tie. I was still unwilling to admit that it was Halle. “She is nothing like Trinity. And I’m not a celebrity like Nate.” I hadn’t won Sexiest Man Alive or a Golden Globe. “The paparazzi don’t hound my every move.”
“No, but you are worth billions.”
“She’s not—”