Chapter 2 #2
They get it and know if I want the COO position next year when our father leaves for England, I have to play nice. They also know I hate playing nice, but I’m a man who knows how to choose his battles, and whatever I do always benefits me.
“Is everything in order?” I direct my attention back to Levi.
“Yeah. I met with both PR and IT first thing and grounded them.”
“All of them?” I need to make sure every single motherfucker in those departments has been stripped of access. The good, the bad, and the neutral alike—those you’d never suspect.
He nods. “They can still do functional work on the system mainframe, but I’ve revoked all access and clearance to high-profile files and accounts, pending investigation.”
“Good.”
Since I cover all the ops for the company worldwide, I already work in the same capacity as chief operating officer.
The part of me that’s reeling from the whole situation wants to fire the whole team and start fresh.
But even I know that would be counterproductive.
Not only does Vale Global need both departments to run, firing everyone would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. And another media scandal.
Vale Global’s Heartless Villain Fires Entire Team…
No thank you. I’m in enough deep shit as it is.
“What’s next, Dorian?” Knox cuts in. Everything in his tone screams how badly he wants to take the reins and sort this all out. “Who’s doing the investigation if the entire IT team is grounded?”
“I got it covered. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I need to know something.”
“All you need to know is that I’m handling it. And I need you to trust me.” I don’t want him involved. He’s been through enough with whoever this bastard is. Also… I don’t want him getting in the way of my plans. Knox still has a moral compass. I don’t.
Finally, Knox sighs and nods his agreement. “I need you to keep me updated. You may want to handle this, but I need to know what’s going on at an operational level.”
“Sure.” I cock my head toward the corridor. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“Good luck.” Knox bites the inside of his lip and raises his brows, silently adding: you’re going to need it.
I turn and leave, feeling like a man walking toward his execution. I keep wondering where I went wrong and what I could have done to be more careful.
The answer is nothing.
When someone is out to get you, they eventually do. You fall right into their trap, and there’s nothing you can do about it except fight to break free.
I reach my father’s office at the end of the corridor. The door is ajar. A sign he’s waiting for me.
He used to do that when we were kids. When we got in trouble. Granted, most of that trouble was caused by our psychotic mother, who made our lives a living hell. We just couldn’t tell our father that at the time.
I knock on the door once then push it open.
Dad sits behind his desk looking like the regal emperor he is. He’s on the phone. It sounds like he’s talking to Louise, my stepmother, about Adeline, my sister.
He signals for me to take a seat. I walk in, lock the door, and pull up the chair in front of him.
Quickly, he bids Louise goodbye then hangs up. He was smiling while he spoke to her. Now he’s not.
“Good morning,” he grates out, steepling his fingers on the desk.
“Morning.” I maintain my composure. My last words to him yesterday were to go to hell. If he weren’t my father, I would have told him to fuck himself, but I still maintained some level of respect.
“I’m glad we can meet under less heated conditions.”
“Me too.” My tone is noticeably clipped.
“What’s the status with the leak investigation?”
“I’m working on it. I have a third-party team looking into it.” He’d undoubtedly have my head if he knew who I was working with, but in these types of situations, you have to work with those you trust. “I’ll update you as soon as I have more information.”
“Please do. It’s worrying, to say the least. Any ideas on suspects?”
“No. So it could be anybody. All I know is they want to make us look bad in the public’s eye.”
His expression shifts, and his bright blue eyes—the same as mine—darken to the color of a storm. “Making us look bad may have been their intention, but you made it easier for them.”
“What happens in my private life is my business.”
“Of course. Until it becomes public and you make the Vale family and company look bad.” He cocks his head and throws me a crude grin.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“And of all the women you could choose from, you had to get mixed up with Grace Astor.”
I clench my jaw and lean forward. “We said all this yesterday. Let’s not rehash the shit. Yes, she was a poor choice, but again, it’s my business.”
His gaze thins, and he switches back to the businessman. “Have you thought about my demands?”
“I have.”
His brow quirks, and the muscle in his jaw jumps. “And?”
“I think we need to talk about it.”
His brows snap together, and fury sparks his eyes. “I already told you what I want.”
“Dad. You are being unreasonable.”
“Absolutely not.” He raises his voice so loud the ornaments on the shelf shake.
“How can you think your demands are reasonable? Not only have you given me a ridiculous time frame in which I’m supposed to give you the name of a woman I intend to marry, but you’ve also made terrible suggestions and demanded heirs.”
“I don’t care what you think is reasonable.” He makes a fist and presses it into the table. “You have been grating on my ass for the last two years.”
“That’s because we have different ways of working.”
“You can certainly say that again. You are my second eldest son. I have the same expectations for you as I do for Knox. He performs. Plays the part. You don’t.”
I hate when he compares me to Knox. It’s not fair. Everyone knows my brother is the apple of my father’s eye. Deep down, I know that doesn’t mean he loves the rest of us any less. He just holds us to the same standards, not accepting that we’re all different people.
And I usually take all the slack because like he said, I’m the second eldest.
“Dad, I do what I must, and I make this company millions.” I stare him down. He hates it when I do that, but I don’t care.
“Son, that’s not the argument here. A blind man can see that no one can do the job like you. Nobody.”
“If you can acknowledge that, give me the fucking credit I deserve and stop making ridiculous demands of me.” I’m gonna lose my shit. I can feel it.
“This company is about more than money, Dorian.” His shoulders relax a little. “It’s about legacy. Image. The Vale Global brand. What you fail to realize is that people judge a company’s abilities to perform based on who’s in charge of it.”
I want to argue with him, but I can’t. Because he’s right. “Dad, there must be something I can do to change your mind.”
He shakes his head, and the knots in my stomach tighten, forming a ball of venom.
“My problem is, I haven’t been firm enough with you. That needs to change. It’s my responsibility to honor our legacy. This company has been going for over a hundred years. It’s my job to make sure my sons have the same honor. We are a family company. That has been our strongest selling point.”
“I honor our legacy just fine. This mistake was not mine.”
“That’s where you’re wrong and the reason I need to put my foot down.” He sets his shoulders back and lifts his chin. “Sure, we have a leak, but you made yourself look bad on your own. What’s worse is, this isn’t the first time we’ve spoken about your public image. It’s just the worst.”
“Dad—”
“No.” He holds up his hand, cutting me off. “These are my final terms and conditions. You have three weeks to either give me the name of a woman suitable for marriage or accept the options I have provided for you. Personally, I think any of the Harrington or Mayfield girls would make a good match.”
“Absolutely not.” I won’t let him choose for me. And I would never go for any of the Harrington or Mayfield girls. They’re his friends’ daughters, so I get why he wants us to marry, but he doesn’t know those viperous women like the rest of us do.
“Failure to meet my demands will result in you forfeiting your rights to the COO role when I head to England,” he continues as if I didn’t speak. “If that happens, your cousin Parker will take the position.”
My stomach bottoms out. “Parker?”
“You heard me. He’s flying over from England tomorrow and will be joining us here for work come Monday. For now, he’ll work as your subordinate, but should you fail to meet my demands, he’ll take over your current job in prep for the COO position.”
“You’re replacing me with my asshole cousin?”
“If you agree to the terms, I expect you to get married as soon as possible.” He ignores my comments completely.
“The press will label the Grace fiasco as a fling and move on with something more positive about you. Following the marriage, I will give you a three-month trial that must be satisfied before I even consider giving you the role.”
Fuck. How did this get worse? How? “That’s it? Those are my options?”
“That’s it, son. Take it or leave it.”
I glare at him. No way am I leaving anything. Definitely not in the hands of my cousin.
So, I’m back to ground zero.
And I have to find a wife.