Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
GAbrIEL
Last week I’d walked out of the interview thinking I’d nailed it with a steady voice, solid numbers, and no wasted words. It was the kind of performance that should’ve left me relaxed. But it hadn’t.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. A couple months ago, I would’ve killed for the title.
Now? I’d already made my peace with the idea of losing the job.
Hell, more than that. If Charlotte got it, I’d celebrate her.
She’d earned it. She’d fought harder, sacrificed more, and she commanded respect in ways that humbled me.
She was the best leader this company could ask for, and she deserved every ounce of recognition.
She worried the decision would change us. She had no idea. My only plan was to prove to her that no matter what happened, I wasn’t going anywhere.
Thursday morning blurred together in a haze of black coffee, back-to-back meetings, and a half-eaten protein bar I couldn’t remember opening. I moved through the motions, trying to keep my mind busy.
Charlotte was due back from New York today, and no matter how next week went, I needed to see her. Needed to remind her, and myself, that whatever news came out of the interviews, this thing between us didn’t hinge on it. What we’d started was real.
Still, the thought nagged. If I got the job, everything would change. If I didn’t, maybe everything would change anyway.
For a brief, reckless moment, I considered pulling my name from the running. Ending the suspense before it could threaten what we had. But the idea died as quickly as it came.
Charlotte would never forgive me.
She’d see it as pity. As me stepping away to make things easier for her. She wouldn’t want me to. She’d earned her place through grit and brilliance, not circumstance, and she’d expect me to honor that. Stepping aside would undermine this relationship more than the decision itself.
We’d face whatever came next. I could only hope next week would bring the final decision.
“Knock, knock.” Olivia poked her head in around lunch, her cheerful voice breaking through my intrusive thoughts.
“Hi, come on in,” I called out, grateful for the interruption. Olivia had been a godsend, keeping me afloat with her efficiency and calm.
“I spoke with Charlotte a couple hours ago before she boarded her flight. It’s scheduled to arrive here on time despite the forecasted storms in New York.”
“Glad to hear it.” I forced lightness into my voice. “Is she coming into the office or going home?”
“She indicated she’d most likely go straight home.”
Every instinct in me screamed to go to her, to anchor us before the ground shifted again. But I’d told her I could be patient. Even if it meant counting the minutes until the weekend.
Olivia was mid-sentence when Rhys knocked, stepped in, and straightened his tie in one fluid motion. She flushed pink and practically bolted from the room with an excuse of needing to make a call.
He frowned. “Why does she run away whenever I’m in the room?”
I suspected she had a crush on him. “I’m sure she’s just busy. What’s up?”
He sat across from me, appearing uneasy. “I’ve been thinking. The owners will probably make their decision soon, right? In the next couple of weeks?”
“Timing makes sense.”
“And what do you think your chances are?”
I didn’t bother sugarcoating it. “Honestly? Charlotte will probably get it.”
His brows lifted at my statement.
“She deserves it,” I continued before he could respond. “She’s sharp, decisive, respected. And no one knows Arrow the way she does.”
He let out a long breath “High praise.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “And every word of it true.”
A pause stretched between us before he asked quietly, “So, you’d consider staying if she gets it?”
No. But not for the reasons he’d assume.
Charlotte and I made a damn good team. If things were different, and we weren’t romantically involved, I might consider it. But there was no version of this where I could keep reporting to her and pursue a real relationship.
As much as I trusted Rhys, I’d never burden him with my personal reasons for needing to leave.
“Until we find a good replacement, I’ll stay.” I wouldn’t leave her or any of my team in a lurch.
He exhaled heavily. “Listen, I respect Charlotte, and I like Arrow, but my loyalty’s to you. If you go, I want to be on record saying I’d like to go with you.”
“That means a lot, Rhys.” And it did. Loyalty wasn’t something I took lightly, especially from someone still carving out his place in the industry. “When I know where I’m landing, I’d be lucky to have you there.”
And I wouldn’t feel guilty about it, either. Charlotte had more than enough talent around her, and Rhys had started out under my wing.
Before I could say more, Olivia reappeared with a quick knock. “Sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed in the executive conference room upstairs. The owners have asked if you can do a potential client meeting.”
Strange, since it wasn’t on my schedule. But I shrugged into my suit jacket, ready to do whatever they needed. “Sure. Do you have any details about the potential client?”
“Afraid not.”
It wasn’t ideal to walk in blind, but I could pitch Arrow no matter who was upstairs. Rhys and Olivia wished me luck, and I made my way to the elevator bank.
Upstairs, Rosie greeted me. The owners’ assistant had her gray hair piled atop her head and her glasses perched on her nose. She’d probably been with them since the start of the company.
“Hi, Rosie. Any idea who this client is?”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Actually, there’s no client. It’s Reggie and Ronald. They’re waiting on you in the conference room.”
Odd. I hadn’t been expecting them in this week.
“Cell phone, please,” Rosie reminded me.
Right, they had a rule about no cell phones. I handed it over without question and stepped inside.
The brothers, Reggie and Ronald McMillion, sat at the far end of the table across from one another.
“Gentlemen,” I greeted. “Nice to see you both again. What can I do for you?”
Ronald leaned forward, heavy hands on the table. “We’re here to offer you the CEO position.”
Shock hit first, then disbelief. “You are?”
Reggie chuckled. “Unless you don’t want it.”
Of course I wanted it. But my heart lurched, and all I could think about was Charlotte.
Ronald smirked. “Don’t know why you’d be surprised.”
Reggie slid a folder toward me. “Charlotte is useful. We’d like to keep her on as your COO. If you agree.”
My spine went rigid. Useful? I forced myself to calm down and remember this was business, not personal. “I don’t see Charlotte taking the demotion back to COO. Most likely she’ll leave.”
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Reggie muttered. He didn’t appear bothered by the idea of her resignation.
Before I could second-guess it, I had to say it. “I’ve got to be honest, I really thought she was your front-runner.”
Ronald scoffed. “When we asked for five percent cuts in staff, she came with an alternate plan whereby we save money on rent and only cut three percent. That is the mark of someone who doesn’t want to do what it takes.”
Acid crawled up my throat. Why hadn’t she mentioned it had been my plan or their reaction to it? “Actually, that alternative was my idea. I asked her to present it.”
Reggie’s brows jumped up. “Yes, well, looking at numbers and being creative is always appreciated.”
What the hell? So for me, it was creative, but for her, it was evidence she didn’t have what it took.
Ronald wasn’t as smooth. “Either way, bottom line is we were never going to hand the reins to a woman.”
The words landed like poison. And they weren’t done spreading it.
“She’s lucky to still have a job at all given the way she blew it with Julian up in San Francisco. Thankfully, we were able to smooth it over. Barely. She should’ve been willing to do what it took to keep him happy.”
“What did it take to keep him happy?” I shot back, rage flaring in my chest. “I was there. Julian spent the whole dinner pawing at her like she was the entertainment. And she handled it with complete grace getting physically sick later. Are you suggesting she should sleep with him to keep him satisfied?”
The brothers exchanged a look, entirely unbothered, like this was just another Tuesday discussion about quarterly projections instead of about a woman’s rights.
Reggie leaned back in his chair, his tone smooth and detached. “Frankly, yes. She should have. Another reason to have a man at the helm. Julian won’t be hitting on you, will he? You can always hire him an escort to keep him happy for the night.”
My stomach rolled, a slow, nauseating twist. The casual way he tossed out that line, as if it was a clever business solution instead of something vile.
They weren’t even embarrassed by what they were saying. To them, it was cold-hearted strategy. A cost-benefit analysis of compromise and corruption.
The air in the room turned heavy, and blood rushed in my ears. Every muscle in my body coiled tight, begging for release.
When I spoke, my voice was cold and steady. “Keep your paperwork. I won’t run a company that discards its best leader because she’s a woman or treats her like a bargaining chip you can trade to the highest bidder.”
Ronald went red, stood up, and stormed out. Reggie stayed, cool and unruffled. “Unfortunate, Gabriel. But let’s be clear, if you turn this down, you’re finished here at Arrow.”
“Let me be even clearer. I wouldn’t want to stay at this company another minute. I quit.” I stood up from my chair, about to walk out, but needed a parting shot. “And you’d better hire a damn good lawyer because when Charlotte sues you for discrimination, my testimony will bury you.”
I walked out the door to find a security guard waiting. Ronald hadn’t wasted a second, or perhaps they’d had him on standby. The man escorted me straight to the elevator as if I was already disposable.
Only when I reached the garage did it hit me. I didn’t have my cell phone.
How the hell was I going to warn Charlotte before these bastards blindsided her?