Chapter 30
PHOEBE
Dominic, August, and Theo stay close to my side while I take a seat and a few long sips of ice water.
Outside the boardroom, chaos has ensued as dozens of agents roam through the building, packing legal and financial documents into labeled boxes.
Our employees mumble and mutter as they’re asked to keep their distance, all of them understandably distraught and confused.
I can see them through the boardroom’s open doors.
I imagine a similar chaos unfurling in the finance department. The accounting department. The IT units downstairs. They’re all subject to intense scrutiny. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all.
“Are you okay?” Theo asks me, his hands resting on my knees.
“Had a bit of a spell,” I reply with a weak smile. “It’s been a long night, and an even longer morning. I’m kind of hungry.”
Penny smiles as she sits on the edge of the conference table. “We did it, babe.”
“No, you did it,” I correct her. “You were incredible just now! Holy smokes, Penny.”
“When the detective told us Crystal had bailed you out, we knew they were up to no good. We had to get here before something awful happened. Something we might not have been able to undo.”
“Like me signing those legal documents and renouncing my shares, my trust fund, my whole future. A future my dad worked so hard to secure for me.”
“But you didn’t sign,” Dominic says.
I give him a pained look. “I almost did, though. I just wanted it to be over. I just wanted them to leave me alone.”
“It’s okay,” August gently comforts me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “We’ve got you, baby. We’ve got you. Always. You made it.”
I need another minute just to come to terms with that, but it’s not like we’re in a particular rush to go anywhere. Not with the Feds and the SEC raiding my father’s building, likely finding more evidence against Mom and Crystal.
“My God, it’s going to be a media circus, isn’t it?” I ask.
Penny shrugs. “You weathered the storm. The truth will come out now. Your reputation will be cleared. Hell, you’ll be righteously vindicated, and the whole world will learn about the machinations designed to rob you of your inheritance.”
“You helped me save my father’s company,” I tell her. “I can never repay you.”
“You don’t have to. I’m getting paid by these three, and handsomely, too, to represent you.”
“Oh, Penny, I’m not talking about the money here.”
She laughs. “Relax, Phoebe. We’re best friends. I’ve got your back, always. Besides, there’s only one way you can repay me.”
“What’s that?”
“Save your dad’s company. Take over, clean it up, steer this mastodon in a better direction.
You’ve got your work cut out for you and then some,” she says, then frowns slightly.
“The firm partners and I are already working on a strategy to appease the SEC and the IRS. I presume you’ll want us to handle that. ”
“Oh, absolutely,” I reply. “As soon as I’m appointed to the executive board, I’m firing the current law firm and hiring yours. Mr. Harding and his pack of ghouls can focus on defending Mom and Crystal.”
It’s going to be a long and tough journey ahead, but I’m confident we will pull through. The worst part is over.
“You have been my rocks, this whole time,” I tell the guys as tears flood my eyes. “Even when I jumped back, even when I panicked, when I overreacted and ran off, you stood by my side. Working to defend me. To protect me.”
“I don’t know what you expect us to say,” August replies. “You’re our woman, Phoebe. We’d do anything for you.”
“I love you,” the words roll off my tongue with surprising ease.
My whole body quivers with emotion as the three of them look at me, their gazes softening and their lips stretching slowly into warm, comforting smiles.
“I do. I love you. Each of you, in equal measure. I never imagined I’d feel this way about anyone, let alone three of you.”
“It’s definitely mutual,” Dominic says.
He pulls me into a deep kiss. I moan against his lips, welcoming the taste of him, the flavor of love filling me to the brim like liquid sunshine. August wraps me in his arms and kisses me next.
“I love you, too,” he whispers in my ear. “More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life, Phoebe.”
Theo cups my face, planting a kiss on my temple. It makes me feel safe and cherished, as if I’m the most precious thing on earth. “There’s so much for us to love about you. I hope you see that now.”
“I think I’m starting to,” I reply with a giggle.
Penny’s in tears, practically holding her breath as she watches us.
I give her a curious look. “I’m sorry, but this is just so goddamn sweet and beautiful and just fucking perfect.
I swear, Phoebe, this is as close to a happy ending as you’re ever going to get, and it’s messy and wonderful at the same time. I’m so happy for you.”
I can’t help but laugh.
“You’re going to get your inheritance, your share in the company,” she adds, then pauses and frowns. “Helen and Crystal still hold a majority even if they are no longer employed here.”
August nods. “I think we can arrange a buyout for Crystal, at least. That will put you in the majority, and the executive board will support you going forward. They’ve already expressed their confidence and signed the paper demanding your installment.”
“Do you think Crystal will sell us her shares?” I ask.
“Pfft, please, didn’t you hear her earlier? She’s desperate for a deal. She’ll sell both kidneys if she can avoid jail time,” Penny replies.
“We’ll offer her an appealing amount for those shares,” Dominic reassures me. “She’ll need money once she gets out of jail. Crystal no longer has access to company funds, and I’m pretty sure she’s already squandered her part of the inheritance.”
“She could live off the sale of assets,” Theo suggests. “Her penthouse, cars, jewels and whatnot.”
“It’s all getting seized, pending the investigation,” Penny replies with a cool grin. “She’s screwed. Crystal will absolutely sell her shares.”
“Which leaves my mother still on the board,” I sigh deeply. “But as a minority stakeholder. No decision-making power whatsoever. The executive board demanded her resignation, but she’s not obliged to do that, right?”
Theo shakes his head. “No. But there are still a few legal avenues to consider that could get her bumped off the board, leaving her with just the honorary title of a stakeholder and nothing else.”
“Already on it,” Penny mutters as she takes copious notes on her phone. “I’ll discuss this with our partners later today.”
“Enough of that, at least for now,” Dominic declares as he helps me out of my chair. “We need to celebrate.”
“Oh, that sounds nice,” I reply as I relax in his embrace. “What were you thinking?”
He looks at me. “Well, you said you were hungry. We should take care of that. How about Balducci’s? Table for five. A good bottle of wine or three and all the authentic carbonara you can eat.”
“I’m afraid that will have to be a table for four. I need to head back to the office,” Penny says.
“What? No. Why?” I protest.
“As much as I would love to join you, I still need to stay ahead of the legal proceedings. But don’t worry, the weekend is coming up, and we’ll have a celebration of our own then.
Just stay hydrated in the meantime, because I’m ordering the good champagne for this!
” She laughs wholeheartedly. “We’ve earned it. ”
My cheeks burn as I gather the courage to give them the news. “Actually, ix-nay on the wine and the champagne altogether,” I blurt out. “I shouldn’t be drinking any alcohol for a while.”
“Why the hell not?” Penny gives me a troubled frown. “You loved that French blue label champagne I got you for the wedding. I can have a whole case delivered to your place by Friday.”
I smile and look at my guys. They’re quiet. They already know what’s coming, I can see it written all over their faces, and it’s the sweetest thing I have ever seen—to witness them so disarmed, raw and stunned.
“I’m pregnant.”
Penny lets a sharp breath out, her eyes as round as saucers. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“You’re pregnant,” Dominic whispers, his gaze dropping to my belly.
“You’re pregnant,” August echoes his twin brother.
“Holy smokes,” Theo laughs, lighting up like the sun.
The three of them sweep me into their arms, and we huddle and laugh as tears of joy stream down my cheeks. Tears of joy and relief, because I’ve never seen these men so happy, so thrilled, so excited. And it’s all because of the prospect of fatherhood we’d never discussed.
“It wasn’t planned, obviously,” I say as we come down from the revelation. “I can’t tell you who is the father yet.”
“It doesn’t even matter,” Dominic says, laughing. “We’re all going to be fathers, babe.”
Penny wipes another round of tears as she comes in for a hug. “Damn, Phoebe. You sure know how to flip the script, huh?”
“I guess so.”
“I’m going to be an aunt! Can you believe that?”
“I suppose you are going to be an aunt, yes,” I reply, tearing up again. “Penny, you’re more family to me than my own flesh and blood. You’re going to be a wonderful aunt, I just know it.”
“And I’m gonna spoil the little one rotten, you know that, right?” She points a finger at my belly as if the baby can hear her.
“We’ll celebrate with apple juice, then,” Theo concludes with a huge grin.
“And carbonara,” I reiterate. “Balducci’s makes the best carbonara in New York City. I’m not even going to entertain any other suggestion at this point.”
“You heard the lady, gentlemen,” Dominic says. “Balducci’s it is.”
Penny and I will have our own celebration over the weekend. She’ll have more updates about Mom and Crystal by then. We’ll need a few days to recover and recharge, but it feels as if we have all the time in the world now.
“I can only imagine the tweets about this,” I mutter as we head out the door.
“We’ll face it together,” August says. “Fearless, just like before.”
“Oh, God, we’re going to be a pretty weird family,” I reply with a quiet laugh.
“A happy and weird family,” Dominic corrects me.
“We will live boldly and out in the open, always,” Theo adds. “As long as we’re together, babe, we’ll be fine.”