Chapter 22 #2
He held up a hand. “When Trinity and Nate fell in love, do you think he would’ve ever believed the level of destruction she was capable of?”
Point taken.
“And you’re not a celebrity, no. But your family has notoriety, and you’ve had a lot of press since taking over as CEO. Even if you hadn’t, don’t you think a story like this—CEO and his employee—would garner some attention?” He arched a brow as if in challenge.
“I should’ve talked to Knox,” I muttered. At least Knox tempered his advice with compassion. With Pierce, the hits just kept coming.
“You asked my advice, and I’m giving it. You need to find a way to assure the board that it’s not a conflict of interest. And they’re going to care more about how it reflects upon the company—to employees, the industry, and our guests.”
Right. So, no big deal, then.
“Let me ask you something,” Pierce said. “Take away the fact that you’re the CEO and she’s your employee. If you were just a regular couple in love, do you think she’d still insist on keeping your relationship secret?”
She wouldn’t. Would she?
She and Sloan were close. Keeping this from my sister felt like a betrayal, and we were both afraid how it might affect our working and personal relationships with her. “She knows that telling my family is ultimately the goal.”
“Has she said that?”
I considered it a moment, then I said, “She agreed to it when we first started dating, but I promised to go at whatever pace she needed.”
“Mm. And have you tried broaching the subject since?”
“Yes, but—”
“Let me guess. She always has some excuse?”
“I—” I opened then closed my mouth. Yes. He was right, but also…he didn’t fully understand the circumstances. And he was approaching this from the standpoint of what was best for me, for the company. Not what Halle wanted or needed.
“Are you listening to yourself? It’s like you’re doing my job for me. Red flag after red flag.” He pretended to throw flags in the air like a referee at one of the Leatherbacks’ soccer matches.
I wanted to protest and tell Pierce that none of this would be an issue but for our positions. But the fact that I had to question it gave me pause.
Was she questioning our future? Me?
No. I shook my head. She loved me. We loved each other.
And yet, she kept finding reasons to keep our relationship a secret. From Kai, from her family. From the people who mattered most to us.
“And that, my friend—” Pierce pointed at my face “—is further proof of why you need to protect yourself.”
I groaned. I didn’t want to believe there was any truth to his claims. I wanted to love Halle wholeheartedly without any obstacles standing in our path. But I was coming to realize that maybe Halle’s mind-set was the biggest roadblock to our future.
I didn’t know what more I could do to convince her that I would do everything in my power to protect her.
To make her see that we could find a way to be together and keep our jobs.
Maybe I was being na?ve, but Halle offered so much to the Huxley brand.
I wanted to believe that our relationship wouldn’t undermine all her hard work.
But Pierce’s warnings about potential outcomes had certainly put me on edge.
“I hope she’s worth it,” Pierce said. I knew he wasn’t trying to sound callous or mean. It was his job to consider what was best for me. Best for my family and our company. And the idea of my dating an employee was definitely a huge risk.
And yet, I was determined to have faith in us. Because nothing mattered without her. “She is.”
Pierce seemed to consider it a moment. “If you won’t protect yourself, protect the brand.”
I sighed, knowing I owed it to my family. To the company and all our employees. “What do you suggest?”
“The company can’t handle another CEO change in such quick succession.”
“Nor do I have any intention of stepping down,” I said firmly. He needed to remove that idea from his mind.
“You need to be ready for a fight. Start by getting your siblings on your side before you approach the rest of the members. It would be best not to catch your family off guard.”
“Oh, you mean how Graham stunned everyone by announcing that he was married to Lily?”
Pierce covered a laugh with a cough. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“Did you know they were dating?” I asked. Of all people, Pierce would’ve known. He was Graham’s best friend.
It was something I’d wondered for a while—how much Graham had told Pierce about his relationship with Lily. Because the rest of us had been shocked to discover that Graham was not only in a relationship but married. It seemed as if it had all happened so suddenly, but I was happy for Graham.
For the first time in as long as I could remember, my brother seemed…content. Settled. Grounded.
Pierce tapped the side of his nose. “Attorney-client privilege.”
I rolled my eyes. “How convenient.”
“Mm.” He tugged on his tie. “You’ll be grateful when I give the same answer to anyone who asks about your relationship with Halle.”
“I never said it was her.”
He chuckled, though he didn’t seem amused. “You didn’t have to.”
“Your comment suggests that Graham’s relationship with Lily wasn’t all that it seemed.” I studied Pierce, but he didn’t so much as twitch.
This was why I hated playing poker with Pierce. He kept his cards close to his chest, and he was damn near impossible to read. At least with Graham, I knew his tells. But even after years of playing with Pierce, I was still no closer to discovering his.
Pierce’s phone rang. “Speak of the devil.” He flashed me his phone, where Graham’s name was displayed. “I need to take this. And you need to talk to Halle and your family before you tell the board. Soon. Got it?”
I gave him a thumbs-up, my voice dripping with artificial excitement. “Got it.”
He exited my office, closing the door behind him. I slumped in my chair. Ending things with Halle wasn’t an option. Which meant…I needed to find a way to convince her to go public with our relationship. I only hoped I could get her to agree before it was too late.