35. The Firm Offers
EVA
The moment Foster’s silhouette darkens my doorway, I brace for the storm. He’s seen the kiss, I’m sure of it. Everyone has.
“Hey, Eva,” is all he says, his voice even. No rage. No flying spittle or flaring nostrils.
“Hey.” I clutch the doorknob. “Wanna come in?”
“Sure.” He steps inside, and although I usher him to the couch, he stays standing in the doorway.
I face him. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said to your dad—”
“Don’t be,” he cuts me off. “I love my dad, but he can be a jerk politician at times. He deserved it.”
“Really?” I squint, confused. “But you left with him.”
“I had to be on his side in public. You know how that goes.”
“Yes. Right.” My hands fidget. Foster’s got the play-it-cool image down pat. Which I guess makes sense, given that his dad is constantly in the public eye.
“So... the show,” he says, moving on. He does this weird thing with his mouth that could be mistaken for a smile.
I clear my throat, apologetic. “Foster—I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Sorry?” He arches an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. “For what? Kissing a guy who you clearly care for deeply? Please.” He waves a dismissive hand. “You can’t help how you feel, Eva.”
“Can’t I?” My voice is a mix of confusion and genuine curiosity.
“Believe me.” He leans against the doorframe. “Trying to fight feelings is an exercise in futility.”
“It seems to be,” I murmur, impressed despite myself.
“You and West.” There’s that half-smile again, cryptic. “Make sense.”
“Make sense,” I echo, dubious. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Thank you?” I say as a question because I still can’t believe this conversation is going down this way.
“I get it, and I’m okay. Honestly, you’re not the woman I thought you’d be, Eva. Not in a bad way, just... different.”
“Ouch,” I say, but it’s clearly in jest.
“So, no hard feelings?” He straightens up, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
“Not at all. We’re just two ships passing in the night.”
His brows knit. “Wait, I didn’t say that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t want this to end.” He reaches forward and takes my hand. “So you have feelings for someone else. I’ve had plenty of feelings for others too. But what we can have together is far greater than that.”
I blink. “Which is what, exactly?”
“A lifetime partnership based on the commonalities that’re important—dedication, duty, and ensuring the security of both our families and our families’ names.”
“Oh, right.” I don’t know why his words have caught me off-guard. This is exactly what my goal has been since this weekend started: to prioritize the very things he’s just said. But somehow, hearing them voiced out loud makes dread trickle down my spine. I look down and brush off my dress as I recompose myself. “I’m not sure.”
“Just think on it. Your feelings may change when you get to New York and away from the whirlwind of emotions.” He gives an easy nod. “If you want to pursue something with me then, give me a call.”
“Oh. That’s very thoughtful.” And logical. And businesslike. I’m rooted to the floor, eyebrows knitting together as I process the lack of fireworks, of smoke, of... anything, really. This was supposed to be a showdown, not a polite, logical matchmaking session. “I’ll do that.”
“Good.” He opens the door and just like that, he’s gone, leaving me alone with a mixture of relief and even more confusion than I had five minutes ago.
I sit on my room’s couch, still waiting for West to reply to my text. I need to see him—what a fuck-tastic night.
That’s when I notice that a big envelope’s been slid under my door.
I rush over to pick it up, my heart racing. I rip it open with wild abandon; paper cuts be damned.
“Eva,” it begins. The words following shock my system. My father’s voice echoes in my head with every syllable.
If you come to New York now, I’ll make you an equal partner at the firm.
“Equal partner?” Without Foster’s help? Now? I’m not ready—Dad must be so desperate!
I keep scanning.
A corner office.
Oh, that sounds nice.
Sorry I doubted you; you can do this alone. You don’t need Foster or anybody else.
Wow! Is this Dad believing in me?
I can take you under my wing and teach you everything I know.
Right, because if I wait any longer, Dad won’t be there anymore. And it’d be amazing to have him as a mentor. I mean, he’s the best in the business.
My eyes continue to read, and the words blur.
See the attached contract and read it over. I need an answer by Sunday.
Sunday? That’s the day after tomorrow! I continue, hearing Dad’s stern cadence, and I can almost see him—eyebrow arched, lips thinned to a line.
This is our family legacy, Eva. I need you now or not at all.
His threat, sharp and final, slices through the air. My inheritance. My future. Everything I’ve known dangles by this, the thread of a cobweb. Sticky, invisible, and yanking me back into the life I left behind. For good.
That’s why I need to see West, and now.