Chapter 46
Ethan
‘You’re insane. Certifiably insane.’
‘Maybe,’ I say slowly. ‘Maybe I’m insane to have come here and shown my cards to a guy who’s always had good reason to detest me. Maybe this will all blow up in my face, but honestly? This is the first time in a long time that I’ve felt good about my actions.’
He’s still staring at me in utter shock and bewilderment.
‘You’re serious.’
‘Deadly. I can’t go on like this.’
‘You’re actually considering walking away from everything you guys have built and handing it all over to me?’
‘Well, first of all, I didn’t build it. My father did.
I’m just his evil henchman. Secondly, I don’t see it as walking away from anything.
I’m walking towards what’s important, probably for the first time.
And thirdly, why the hell shouldn’t I hand it to you?
You’re by far the most qualified person of anyone to lead the combined entity, and that includes me.
’ I grin at him, and I suspect it’s maniacal. I feel maniacal.
He barks out a shocked laugh. ‘You’re off your rocker.’
‘You betcha.’ I sit back and cross my ankle over its opposite knee.
I’ve been tied up in knots since last night over having this conversation, but I’m enjoying myself immensely.
I suspect Miles is right and I have officially lost the plot.
But the sensation of having zero fucks left to give is really fantastic.
‘Jesus Christ.’ He drags a hand down over his face. ‘I’m not sure I’ve outright hated you, mate—like I said, you’re not a total egomaniac like your old man—but I’ve always found you a bit of a cold fish. You never give an inch.’
I nod, feeling fatuous. ‘I know. My therapist has had a lot to say about that.’
‘I bet they have. They’ll probably be able to buy a nice gaffe in the South of France by the time they’ve finished sorting you out. Fuck—sorry. That was uncalled for.’
But I’m chuckling. ‘I’m sure he’s counting on it.’
‘Look. You’ve really taken me by surprise, mate.
People don’t usually take me by surprise, but consider me gobsmacked.
But, at the very least, I can tell you’re serious about this.
In that respect, I trust you. So honestly, if you have an idea for how the hell this harebrained scheme of yours should work, then please enlighten me. ’
‘It’s like this. Of course I realise how shitty it is for me to walk away from a transaction I spearheaded.
How much of a let-down that would seem to investors.
But consider it this way. I’m a father, and I have a child in crisis.
As far as I’m concerned, he has to be my priority.
This is an emergency situation. This time it was stealing a car and joyriding.
If I don’t act, what could it be next time?
Drugs? Cutting himself? I hate to think.
‘If he was physically ill, there’d be no question that I’d remove myself from my job to focus on his recovery. Just because it’s his mental health that’s at stake, doesn’t make it any less important.’
‘Agree wholeheartedly.’ He nods. ‘And, for what it’s worth, the market should take that as a valid reason. A family health emergency should be respected as a reason for making drastic decisions.’
‘I’m glad you think that.’ I square my shoulders.
‘And if I was leaving the firm in the lurch, then I’d definitely feel more conflicted.
But let’s be honest here. We’re acquiring The Montague Group because our organic growth is shite.
Your strategic positioning is far superior to ours.
And who’s at the helm of that growth engine?
You. I’d be delusional to argue that I’m more qualified to lead on that front than you.
All I’m good for is slashing your jobs, which, honestly, is something I was never fully comfortable with in the first place, even if I knew it was the best way to get the market on board. ’
He’s shaking his head at me in disbelief. ‘You cheeky fucker.’
I shrug. ‘I don’t pretend to be as passionate about our people as you and your dad are. I’m more cut-throat, and I suspect you’re overly emotional. But I don’t know for sure what I think, because my father’s voice has been in my head for so long that it’ll take a while to articulate my own values.’
‘Seems like you’re making a good start,’ he mutters, taking a sip of tea.
I ignore the low-key compliment. ‘So what do you think?’
‘Fuck. I think it’s insane, and you’ve turned my Christmas upside down, and my wife really wouldn’t want me taking on two companies instead of one…
but at the same time, I have to say, I have a lot of respect for you for being prepared to throw a lit match and walk away.
’ He nods thoughtfully. ‘A lot of respect. I mean, Jesus, this shit could actually work.’
That gets a genuine laugh out of me. ‘I’m very relieved I’m not the only one who thinks so.’
‘What makes you think your board would support it?’
‘Honestly, I’m cautiously optimistic. Dad aside, most of them are decent people who respect my leadership.
Every one of them is a big fan of you and your father, and even your cocky little shit of a brother.
I think they’ll be pretty aghast, but I’d expect them to choose the successor that will upset the markets the least, and I believe that’s you. ’
‘Good to know. But I have to ask—how big a part of your motivation is down to the fact that this will fucking destroy your father?’
‘Not as much as you’d think. I’d never set out to destroy him. I’d rather just walk away. Disengage. But I can’t say I don’t feel a certain satisfaction that his shitty parenting methods have blown up in his face.’
‘You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t, mate.’ He blows out a breath. ‘Okay, a lot to think about. How about this—you stay for lunch, and I’ll get Dad in for a chat. I think it’s time we got him involved.’
Miles disappears for about twenty minutes, I assume to fully brief Charles before he joins us.
‘I hear you’re proposing a reverse takeover of sorts,’ Charles says after he’s shaken my hand.
A friendly member of staff has been in to set a tureen of soup and a pile of turkey and ham sandwiches on the round dining table at the far end of the room.
I usually try to avoid gluten, but it would be rude to decline these on every level.
Not only is Miles’ hospitality far exceeding what he owes me, but they look delicious.
‘That’s essentially what it is. It’s unorthodox at this stage in the proceedings, but it’s not uncommon when the target is superior.’ I don’t say it as if I’m trying to blow smoke up his arse. I’m merely stating a fact.
‘Unorthodox it definitely is. And ballsy.’
I laugh grimly. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘The biggest problem that I foresee is not Miles taking the reins per se but the investors getting spooked that he’ll backtrack on the job cuts,’ Charles muses.
He pulls up a chair, and we sit, too. As we tuck into the soup and sandwiches, we also get stuck into the finer points of how the announcement, the transaction, and the future of the combined entity could possibly work.
It’s ambitious on all fronts, not least because I’ve totally blindsided poor old Miles.
‘I didn’t even know I wanted this,’ he groans at one point. ‘I’ve never even thought about it. I just wanted you to bugger off and leave us to run our company in peace. But now I see it, I can’t unsee it. Damn you, Kingsley.’
I chuckle. ‘Sorry, mate. I appreciate I’m handing you a hell of a burden.’
‘You’re handing me a royal mess, but it’s an itch I’ve got to scratch.’
‘You know,’ Charles says thoughtfully, ‘it’s a hell of a bombshell, and I appreciate you’re scrambling to find a solution that works for your family, as you absolutely should, but it’s genius, really.
Not that you wouldn’t do a fine job running the company,’ he adds hurriedly. ‘Of course you would.’
‘Jamie’s the catalyst. But, like I told Miles, I’ve been having doubts for some time, and a few recent conversations I’ve had have been clarifying. I actually think it might be the best thing for the business.’
He nods. ‘It’s all very unconventional, but by appointing someone outside of your faction as your successor, you’re telling the market that you value finding the right person for the job. That should sit well.’
‘Talent over nepotism,’ I mutter.
‘You have talent, too.’ This from Miles.
‘Of course you do. And, while I wouldn’t want to be you when you propose this to your father, I can’t deny there’s a certain cycle that you’re breaking with this very courageous move.’
He’s too polite to say it, but I suspect the cycle he’s referring to is that of the Kingsley men needing to dominate and destroy everything they touch.
‘I’m not proposing anything to him. I intend to fill the board in, appeal to every member individually, and get my votes in the bag before I politely inform him of my intentions. I’ll very much be telling, not asking.’
Miles presses his lips together in an unsuccessful attempt to hide a smirk. Charles laughs delightedly.
‘Oh boy, oh boy. I almost feel bad for him. His entire business empire, handed over to his arch nemesis.’
‘Don’t feel bad. He’s had it in for you for years. This takeover all came from him, you must know that. I’m just the idiot who went along with it.’ I pause. This is difficult, but it has to be said. ‘For what it’s worth, I really am incredibly sorry. For everything. I regret all of it.’
Charles’ expression grows sober. ‘We’re all adults, and we run public companies.
This is the risk. We know that. Besides, he’s not an easy man to cross, your father.
I wouldn’t like you to be too harsh on yourself.
’ He shakes his head. ‘You were such a lovely little lad, back in the day.
I remember you clearly, because you reminded me so much of Miles. So smart. So eager to please.
‘He was… he was hard on you. Very hard. Cruel, even. It was difficult to watch, sometimes, especially as a father of boys. So, to see you come here today when none of this can be remotely easy for you—it’s admirable.
It really is. You’ve shown a great deal of principle, of integrity, and I know you’ll go on to make a great success of whatever you try next, if we get this thing over the finish line.
If it’s not an overstep to say, I’m proud of you. Very proud.’
A hush falls over the table. I bow my head over my soup bowl, not trusting myself to speak for a moment.
I can’t be sure what memory, exactly, he’s recalling, whether it’s the investment club disaster or another of the humiliations I suffered at my father’s hands.
For a moment, that ten-year-old version of me hovers right by my side.
Coming from a man as noble, as fatherly, as Charles, this feels like nothing short of a benediction.
A precious gift. The approval my father never gave, offered freely by the man whose family I tried to destroy.
He saw me then, and he sees me now, and he may not be my father, but he's twice the man Richard Kingsley has ever been. In this moment, I understand what I've been missing my entire life—and what Jamie deserves to have from me.