Chapter 29
VAL
The holiday season was always a bit crazy in the Connor clan.
Carter and the girls spent Christmas with us the next week, and introducing April and Peyton to my family was simply precious.
Peyton had been shy and silent in the beginning but opened up when she realized everyone had a present for her.
April was starstruck by Jace. She wasn’t a soccer fan, but she’d started following him on social media after his newest GQ title.
I’d overheard her inform Carter later that evening that he was officially a “cool uncle” because he knew Jace.
At the next Friday dinner, April asked my brother for an autograph.
It took yet another week for her to work up the courage to ask him to take a photo with her, but now I could confidently say the girls felt comfortable around the Connor clan…
which was why I was certain they wouldn’t be overwhelmed when I introduced them to two of my Bennett cousins.
My cousins Pippa and Sebastian were in LA. Since they were flying back to San Francisco tomorrow morning, they couldn’t make it to our traditional Friday dinner, so I’d invited them over today, on a Thursday.
I was picking up Peyton and April from school, then going to my house with them.
None of my siblings could stop by, unfortunately, but that gave me a chance to brag about my man and the girls.
After picking them up from school, I headed directly home. Carter was meeting us there.
On the way, the girls talked my ear off.
“So, I don’t know what to do,” April said thoughtfully. “Should I text him back? Or not?”
“Go for it.”
April grinned at me. “I will.”
Peyton had other issues. “Val… I need a costume for the festival. Can you come shopping with us? Pleaaaase.”
“The festival is next Tuesday, right?” Since Carter and I were actively trying to shift things around in our lives to make time for each other, I also had a copy of the girls’ schedule.
“Yep.”
“We’ll go shopping Saturday, okay?”
Peyton clapped her hands, nodding excitedly. Carter was already at my house when we arrived. I’d offered to pick up the girls because their school was on my way from a meeting. I loved spending time with them and goofing around. We’d grown closer since that swoon-worthy night with Carter.
The girls and I also plotted behind Carter’s back quite often, which was probably why he scrutinized us as if we were in the witness box when he saw us.
“What secrets are you keeping from me this time?” he asked.
“No secrets. We’re just going shopping on Saturday to buy a costume for Peyton,” I replied smoothly.
He grimaced. “Got it. I’m in for a few hours of torture.”
April rolled her eyes, heading inside the house with Peyton. I took advantage of the fact that we were alone and whispered, “I promise to reward you very generously after the shopping trip.”
Ah, that glint in his eyes was simply delightful.
My Bennett cousins arrived shortly afterward, and we ordered in dinner.
They were in town on a business trip for their company, Bennett Enterprises. They made the most beautiful jewelry, and they were in talks with Blair, one of Hollywood’s hottest leading ladies, to have her be the face of the company.
Sebastian was the CEO, and Pippa the head designer. Out of the nine siblings, five worked at Bennett Enterprises. I was always eager to catch up with them. Over the past few years most reunions had been at weddings (all nine of them were married), or when they had business here.
“Such a pity no one else could make it,” I commented.
Pippa waved her hand. “Everything was too short notice, but we wanted to meet Blair before we signed her, to see how she is as a person.”
“We’ve never had someone represent the company this way. It’s a big risk, but she has international recognition—in Europe especially,” Sebastian continued.
“Taking over the world, huh? I will forever be in awe of the way your brain works,” I told Sebastian honestly.
“I’m not doing it on my own. Everyone works hard.”
“He just likes being modest from time to time,” Pippa mocked.
“My wife would disagree with you.”
“I can’t believe Ava actually agreed to share an office with you.”
Sebastian grinned wolfishly. “What? I am the CEO. If I want to share an office with my marketing director, who also happens to be my wife, why shouldn’t I? It makes perfect sense. Many synergies in our work.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why it took you years to convince Ava.
Because those synergies will be so productive.
” Pippa chuckled, but her eyes flew to April and Peyton, and I knew that if there hadn’t been kids at the table, she would have called him out on the tactic.
I imagined those synergies included some hot make-out sessions… at the very least.
“By the way, I saw that Jace is in one of your social media campaigns,” Pippa said.
I grinned. “He is. And he’s killing it.”
“Pity he’s not here.” Pippa flashed one of her trademark “I’m plotting” smiles. She liked to tease Jace relentlessly.
I went on to pepper Sebastian and Pippa with questions about their international endeavors.
I was curious, but business talk made me nervous.
I’d hoped the litigation with Beauty SkinEssence would be resolved before it went to trial, but to no avail.
We had the trial date in six weeks. I was getting more nervous by the day.
But for tonight, I resolved to shove the issue to the back of my mind and enjoy my cousins and my man.
On a bright Tuesday morning two weeks later, I found Anne close to tears at her desk.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You didn’t read it?”
“Read what?”
She turned her monitor to me, and my heart sank.
A business publication had written an article about the upcoming lawsuit, and it wasn’t painting me in a pretty light.
They used terms like fraud and foul play.
A source inside Beauty SkinEssence had given them their side of the story, but since the publication hadn’t asked for mine, it was clear this wasn’t impartial journalism.
It was a smear campaign led by Beauty SkinEssence.
Despite the fact that a chill of panic raked through me, I set my hand soothingly on Anne’s shoulder.
“This doesn’t mean anything, Anne. The judge will decide, not the press.”
I wanted to set an example for my employees, and I needed them to know they could trust me to lead them even through difficult times.
But over the next week, my leadership skills were put to test like never before. Three other business publications picked up the story, and since only Beauty SkinEssence’s side of the story was available, that’s the one they highlighted.
As a PR pro, Hailey was my counselor.
“Call journalists and give them your side.”
“I plan to do that, but I also want to do more.”
In the end, I contacted each journalist and posted an open letter on my company’s website, which I penned myself under Hailey’s supervision. Some of the journalists said they would mention my statement, some were skeptical.
What gnawed at me was that these publications were respected in business circles, and a judge might believe that what they were reporting were facts, not suppositions.
Apparently, my lawyer thought the same thing.
“You can’t be serious. The trial is in three weeks,” I barked into the phone.
“Ms. Connor, I’m sorry, but… my current health does not permit me to continue with my current workload.”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
“The case is receiving too much attention, and if the judge will not rule in your favor… our firm doesn’t want that kind of negative press.”
“I’ll give you negative press,” I said through gritted teeth. “You think it’s going to look good for you that you dump your clients when you can’t win a case?”
“Bowing out is preferable to losing.”
“That’s a very shitty company policy.”
Anger coiled through me, and I tried to relieve it by squeezing the little stress ball Hailey had brought me a few days ago. It wasn’t helping.
I barely ended the call when Landon’s name appeared on the screen. Sometimes I wondered if he could feel when I was upset, because he always had uncanny timing.
“How is it going?” he asked.
“Well, I’d like to tell you I have good news, but my lawyer just dropped the case.”
He went on to call my ex-lawyer every profanity in the book as I told him what had happened.
“I’ll cast my net wide. We work with many lawyers on our deals.”
“Thanks. You do that. I have a meeting starting in ten minutes that will last the entire afternoon, but I’ll talk to Carter first. He’s in the industry and might have some recommendations.”