Chapter 6
JACQUELINE
Corporate law had always been my special interest, but I’d never actually had the chance to practice it. After graduating from law school, I’d gone straight into estate law because in London, that was where the work was.
All the major legacy names were starting to die off and that meant their estates and titles were being passed down the line.
I hadn’t minded it, but there was only so much excitement one could wring out of wills, trusts, and the occasional family dispute over who got the silver and who got the scandal.
Ellis & Addeson was something else entirely.
My office was large and light, two of my walls made entirely of glass. The view of the lake was perfect, even from my desk. I’d noticed the same thing from most of the other offices, conference rooms, and even breakrooms I’d been in since arriving here.
It made me wonder if the firm had chosen this building specifically to remind its lawyers to breathe between battles.
As I looked around my space, mentally making a list of things I needed to get to make it my own, I didn’t know if I would always be able to follow that advice, but this certainly wasn’t a bad view to come back to even if you were hyperventilating.
My gaze shifted to the one thing I’d brought with me for my desk, a small frame sitting on the corner with a picture in it of Hubert at four months old.
He’d been all oversized paws and questionable coordination, staring directly at the camera like he’d known I would need this picture of his happy little face one day.
I swallowed, a tight wedge catching briefly in my throat before I forced it back down. This wasn’t the time to get emotional. Crying in a brand-new office at one of the most prestigious firms in Chicago over a dog that had been wrongfully relocated to France was no way to make a good impression.
So instead, I dragged my attention back to the neat stack of files in front of me, then glanced at the clock ticking steadily toward my first meeting.
In two minutes, I would be sitting down with one of the firm’s biggest clients—after only one week to bring myself up to speed on an entirely new firm and a new area of focus.
At this point, however, I knew Thayer Steelworks’ file inside out.
All that remained was to meet the actual clients and find out what our next steps for them were going to be.
I stood up and smoothed a hand down the front of my blazer.
Rolling my shoulders back, I mentally ran through everything I’d absorbed over the past week.
It had been a lot, but somehow, I hadn’t been overwhelmed by any of it.
Miranda was a dream to work with, brilliant, decisive, and refreshingly uninterested in making me prove myself beyond what she already knew I was capable of.
She’d barely hesitated before looping me into high-level conversations, already talking casually about making me, Jaqueline Calhoun, a senior partner.
I knew there were Westwoods in Chicago, of course, but I’d never been particularly interested in getting to know them.
After everything I’d heard growing up about the way my grandparents’ family had treated my mother, politely distant at best and quietly dismissive at worst, it had never been a relationship that felt worth pursuing.
Family was only as meaningful as they chose to be and I had better things to do, so I was just fine being a Calhoun.
Just as I was leaving my office, Miranda appeared from the opposite direction, her energy as sharp and efficient as ever. She smiled when she saw me. “Perfect timing. They’ve just arrived.”
“Punctual,” I replied, falling into step beside her. “That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
She shot me another quick smile. “Relax. You’re going to like them.”
“I already do,” I said dryly. “Anyone who makes us money is immediately my favorite.”
Miranda laughed as she pushed open the door. Her tone was warm but authoritative as she strode inside. “Jaqueline Calhoun, meet Colin Thayer.”
I followed her in, my attention snapping to a man standing near the table. He was younger than I’d expected from what I’d read about him. Late twenties or early thirties at most instead of at least early forties like I’d thought.
That alone made me respect him. He’d achieved a lot for someone so young. He was also well put together without trying too hard. He seemed confident without being arrogant.
“Colin is CFO of Thayer Steelworks,” Miranda said as I shook his hand. “Jacque here is our newest addition to the team. Fresh off the plane from London. We imported her because she’s the absolute best out there at what she does.”
Colin chuckled. “Welcome to Chicago, Jacqueline. I hope the city’s been treating you well so far.”
“It’s been lovely.” I let go of his hand after shaking it, pleasantly surprised by how normal he seemed for holding such a high position in the largest steel production company in the Midwest. Very down to earth. I liked that. I could work with that.
Miranda stepped forward again, motioning to a woman standing on the other side of the table. “This is Jane. She’s their CEO.”
I turned to extend my hand toward her, instantly recognizing that she was something else entirely.
Polished and composed, she seemed like the kind of woman who didn’t need to assert authority because it was already there, carved into the way she stood, the firm grip of her handshake, and the way she held eye contact just a second longer than necessary.
Her lips curved into a polite but genuine smile as she shook with me. “We look forward to working with you, Jacque. Can I call you that or do you prefer Jacqueline?”
“Jacque is fine.” I liked her immediately too. Smiling, I released her hand and took my seat, opening my notebook when the meeting began.
Jane took charge, immediately launching into the primary reason for today’s meeting.
“Wyatt is about to graduate from college. Since his actual trust from the Thayer estate is still tangled up with all that business with Dad, Alex and I would like to set up an account for him to access as part of his inheritance.”
Miranda glanced at me. “Wyatt is their youngest brother, and Alex is Jane’s husband.”
I dipped my chin in a nod and quickly made a note of that as they started discussing the proposed inheritance.
It was almost a relief that this meeting wasn’t just about standard corporate matters.
With the estate elements woven in, it was familiar territory.
I followed easily, asking questions where necessary, filling in gaps, and letting them lead while still making it clear I was paying attention.
It was comfortable and engaging until Miranda finally got down to the nitty-gritty details of the account Jane wanted to set up.
“So this money is coming from the Westwood side of the family, correct? You and Alex are essentially stepping in to give Wyatt what he would’ve been due upon his graduation from college, but it’s not a loan against his Thayer trust.”
I glanced up. The Westwood side of the family? What the…
Once again, Miranda turned to me to explain. “Jane is married to Alex Westwood. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, the Westwoods.”
Her eyes twinkled as she said it, knowing that I had murky connections to them, but mercifully not bringing it up.
I managed to keep my expression neutral and professional.
Internally, however, there was a very distinct moment of oh, for God’s sake as the realization settled in.
They kept moving forward with the meeting, but their words were now flowing around me as I wondered if I’d ever be able to escape that damn family.
A little while later, they wrapped up, thankfully without me accidentally blurting out anything wildly inappropriate like small world or I promise I’m not one of them.
Colin shook my hand again before they left.
Jane smiled and wished me well in the new city.
Then they were gone and I closed my notebook slowly, turning toward Miranda the second the door clicked shut behind them.
“Quick question,” I said. “Why are corporate lawyers like ourselves overseeing estate law?”
Strangely, Miranda absolutely lit up, beaming at me like I’d asked exactly the right question.
“Oh, you’re going to feel so at home here.
With families like that, business and personal estates overlap constantly.
Marriage, inheritance, and ownership, it all blurs together.
You can’t really separate one from the other. ”
That made sense. Annoyingly those people had enough money and large enough companies that even their billions blurred.
“We do some work with the Westwoods as well,” she said lightly, like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb into my afternoon without any regard for my sanity.
“They have their own in-house legal teams for most of it, but between the Thayers and the Westwoods, we wind up doing quite a bit of estate work at times. It kind of goes in cycles.”
“Right,” I muttered. “The Thayers and the Westwoods are clients. Wonderful.”
Miranda either didn’t hear me or chose not to acknowledge it.
“Jane is an old friend. She kept working with us even after her marriage. Her brothers as well. Douglas Westwood, their patriarch, used to do some business with my father too, so after Alex, who’s their current CEO, married Jane and found out that she knows me, he chose to keep some of their business with us. ”
“Good to know,” I said, snapping my notebook shut.
Just what I need. More proximity to that family.
Fate had a sense of humor for sure. I just wasn’t entirely convinced it liked me.
“I think I’ll go out for lunch,” I said as Miranda and I were finally leaving the conference room. I needed air right now, distance from last names that came with history and weight.
Miranda smiled. “That’s a good idea. There are plenty of great little restaurants and cafes around here to explore. Downtown is fantastic to walk around when you need to satisfy your mid-day cravings and clear your mind.”
Ah, so she does know what a blow this was.
I returned her smile. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
Chicago, thankfully, delivered on her promises and it was exactly what I’d been hoping for. It was a warm, early autumn day, the air still holding on to summer but hinting at cooler days just around the corner.
I walked without much direction, letting myself get a little lost in the downtown district.
Everyone else seemed to know exactly where they were going, but I didn’t mind not knowing.
After buying an iced coffee from a small café on the corner, I found a small park tucked neatly between office buildings and towering skyscrapers.
Then I found a bench and sat down, pleasantly surprised at how peaceful it was.
I took a slow sip of my drink, letting my gaze drift over the skyline and finally feeling like I could breathe again. There was plenty of glass, steel, and movement, but it was still tranquil. It was also different from London. Less restrained.
I liked it here. The only dark spot marring an otherwise perfect clean slate was the constant looming shadow of my grandparents’ family that I wanted nothing to do with. Hopefully, the city was large enough that I would never actually see them.
I was just starting to relax when a literal shadow fell over me. Frowning, I glanced up and lowered my drink from my lips without really meaning to, my hopes already dashed.
Jesse Westwood stood only a few feet away, casually flipping through a newspaper like he’d picked it up specifically for the bit. He didn’t look at me right away, slowly turning a page instead and appearing to be deeply invested in whatever headline he was pretending to read.
I didn’t buy that for one second. Finally, when his eyes flicked to mine like he’d known where to look, it confirmed what I’d already known. He was doing this on purpose.
Even so, he rolled his gaze back down to the newspaper and I took another sip of my coffee, unimpressed with this little act he was putting on. Eventually, however, it started looking like he was willing to keep it up all day, so I finally lowered the cup again and arched an eyebrow at him.
“What do you want?”
It turned out that was all the invitation he needed. Naturally. He made a show of slowly folding the newspaper, like he hadn’t been lurking over me like a poorly disguised threat to my peace, and without waiting for permission, he sat down beside me.
So much for avoiding any Westwoods.