CHAPTER 2
ELLEN
"Shit," swore Ellen, gripping the armrest of her leather seat.
A jolt rocked the plane, making Ellen feel like she was on Montreal's most popular roller coaster.
She glanced over at Taylor, who was snoring like a baby.
Laid-back rock star Taylor Caldwell could totally crash anywhere, like in the cabin's back right now.
Maybe it's because of all those tours and sleeping on buses.
Her eyes wandered to the window, her thoughts going back to twenty-one hours before takeoff when her father walked with her to the boarding stairs of the Global jet.
"This is the starting point of your amazing adventure." A wave of pride for his eldest daughter washed over Robert Caldwell's voice. "Ellen, I'm so proud of you, and your mom would be too."
"Let's see if you say that after I ruin everything," Ellen said vulnerably. "I still don't understand why the board chose me."
"Because you're the best person for the job. It was your idea."
Ellen was in search of words. "Yeah, Dad, it was just an idea."
"Every success I've kicked off like that, Ellen. You know that better than anyone. We're more alike than you think," he said. "This is just one part of your plan to take over AtMedias eventually, if you are still up for it."
Ellen knew her father was right. She'd been preparing her whole life for this moment, or at least since her mother died when she was just seventeen.
It was this plan that had helped her through her grief.
She was going to study hard, get her law degree, do an MBA, and practice law for a year or two before joining AtMedias, where her father would take her under his wing.
She had sacrificed so much in recent years to make it happen.
Another shake, smaller this time, snapped Ellen back to the present moment. She was apprehensive, yet ultimately ready to face the challenge. She needed it. She needed a fresh start.
Could Sydney give her that fresh start?
Life had thrown a lot of obstacles at Ellen over the past few years.
It all started with her breakup with Leah Donovan, her first true love.
Leah meant everything to her. In her mind's eye, Ellen saw a lifetime unfold with this woman—a wedding, a family, a dog, and the peaceful journey into old age together.
Everything was going well between them until Ellen started to take a back seat, allowing Leah to truly blossom without even realizing it.
Leah was so in love with Ellen, and it was impossible for her to continue like that.
Ellen and Leah were heartbroken, but it was for the best.
The breakup became inevitable when Leah got an opportunity she couldn't refuse in Los Angeles, which was completely at odds with both of their interests. Yeah, they were heartbroken, but at least, even today, Leah was still her best friend.
And just as Ellen was recovering from her breakup with Leah, Caroline Gervais entered her life. But her five-year relationship with Caroline collapsed in on itself one year ago after Jess, Ellen's youngest sister, discovered Caroline was cheating on Ellen.
Ellen longed to say Caroline loved her but couldn't. Caroline enjoyed the lifestyle of being Ellen's partner, the daughter of Robert Caldwell. Nothing more.
Ellen always forced a smile during the five years she was with Caroline. Much to her sisters' dismay, she pretended not to see or feel the pain. Ellen convinced herself—or Caroline did—she was the problem because she was too intense, too excessive.
It was a far cry from what she'd known before her, with Leah. She was intense and ambitious, and you could get lost following her sometimes. However, Leah did not love Ellen's life; instead, she just loved life with Ellen. This slight distinction carries significant weight.
Ellen heard Taylor moan in her sleep. She must have been dreaming about something pleasant; her lips formed a smile. That brought a smile to Ellen's face.
The bond Ellen shared with her two sisters was undoubtedly the thing she cherished most. She knew this even more since their quarrel last year.
Another one of Caroline's manipulations.
Her sisters wanted to warn her that Caroline was cheating on her, but Ellen refused to listen and didn't speak to her sisters for almost a month.
Ellen was defending a life she should never have kept believing in.
For Taylor and Jess, watching their wonderful sister disappear like that was a painful experience.
A month may seem relatively short, but for Ellen, it felt like an eternity.
That fight wrecked Ellen, Taylor and Jess.
But after that, the sisters made a promise: never again.
The Caldwell sisters might have been individually three independent and strong women, but they formed an unbreakable alliance.
Ellen Caldwell would not be who she is today if she did not have her twin sister by her side, and the same goes for Taylor.
The twins shared the same face and, sometimes, the same heartbeat.
Their bond was much stronger than a typical sisterly connection.
When they were little, the twins used to finish each other's sentences, and they could even pull off tricks that made them undetectable.
Even Jess and their parents could fall for it.
People often see Taylor as loud, bold, untouchable, or even brazen—and they weren't wrong.
But she was perhaps the gentlest and most vulnerable woman Ellen knew.
At 30, she was the frontwoman, guitarist, and co-founder of the famous pop punk/rock band SNARL.
She also had a successful career as a top-notch music producer, launching her own label, Indeed!
Music, at 25 with Leah. Ellen knew Taylor had already left her indelible imprint on the music industry and she was so proud of her twin.
The twins' special bond was also boosted by their sister, Jessica Caldwell-Fortin—also recognized as Jess Fortin, the cofounder and drummer of SNARL.
But to Ellen, she will always be her 'Jessie.
' The twins were deeply connected to her.
She may not be their biological sister, but she might as well be.
Before becoming sisters, the twins and Jess were the best of friends.
When the Fortins and the Caldwells were under the same roof, the three of them were always together, like a single entity.
A dark cloud fell over Jess's life on the day of Christmas Eve in 2005 when a tragic accident took her parents' lives in a split second.
She was only nine years old. Having been adopted by Robert and Marianne, who were both her parents' dearest friends and her godparents, Jess found a home with them.
Jess became an integral part of their family without ever having to ask.
The twins didn't call her 'sister' because it was polite or expected from them.
They meant it, deep in their bones. The moment Jess walked through the door, she became their sister.
Period. Jess always knew who she was fighting for, but she didn't always know how to allow herself to be held.
Ellen sometimes saw the way Jess stood slightly outside the circle, even when she belonged right at the centre.
Even if the twins told her so clearly, without ambiguity, frequently.
Ellen wished Taylor and her could protect Jess the way she protected them.
She couldn't stop feeling guilty about moving down under, worrying that her career goals meant abandoning her sisters.
"Earth to Twinie. Can anyone hear me?" Now awake, Taylor came and sat down in the seat facing Ellen with a smile.
"Sorry, I was zoned out."
"No shit. Tell me, what's going on in your head?"
"It's nothing," Ellen said, faking a smile.
Taylor gave her a look that basically said, "You think I'm dumb, Ellen Caldwell?'"
"Fine," she conceded, a hint of weariness in her voice. "I might find things somewhat challenging. I feel like I'm leaving you and Jessie behind by moving to Sydney."
Taylor's face softened. "Not even close. Twinie, I'm in LA for work like 85% of the time, and you're still in Montreal. Also, Jess is spending more time in LA with Blake. We're the ones who left you behind, not the other way around."
Then, a heavy sigh slipped out of Ellen. "And I'm afraid of failing. AtMedias' future is at stake with this expansion. I can't afford to make any mistakes. I don't understand Dad's reasoning in letting me take the lead."
"You're the person Dad trusts most in the world. You're here because he believes in you, not because you're his favourite," Taylor said with a smile.
"Oh, come on, you know that's not true."
"I'm just saying, I'm not pointing fingers here. I totally agree with him on that. It's not the first project he's entrusted you with."
"Tay, just think for two minutes—the task is essentially for me to manage a multi-billion-dollar deal. This isn't the acquisition of 'La Tribune' of Sherbrooke."
"And you're going to crush it, like always," Taylor said.
"Now you sound like him," Ellen replied.
"And I take that as a huge compliment. Just trust yourself.
" Taylor squeezed Ellen's hand, which brought a sense of calm to her.
Taylor leaned her head against the window for a moment before adding, "Anyway, Jessie and I will always be there for you.
I bought the studio in Sydney mostly so I could come bug you. "
"Lucky me," Ellen responded her lovingly.
Taylor now had a big, evil grin on her face. "Before I forgot, Leah absolutely wanted me to wish you 'good luck' in person. I quote, 'If there's one girl badass enough to pull this off, it's my Ellen.'"