Chapter Thirty-Nine Peace
SUTTON
It’s a week later, the beginning of May, and the press room is crowded when I step out and make my way to the podium. Cameras flash, and I flip my hair, showing off the full purple and teal mix I recently dyed it. My chin is high and I don’t feel like I’m going to break apart with anxiety.
Jayce is right behind me. I don’t have to look back to know that. He’s always there for me. Always has my back. I have no doubt about that.
When I reach the podium and the microphone, I take a moment to get my bearings.
Mom and Dad are sitting in the front row of the audience, which is made up primarily of reporters, waving to get my attention.
The reporters don’t intimidate me — not today, not tomorrow, never again — and my parents are gazing at me with pride.
Jayce’s parents are sitting next to mine, along with his brother and sister.
They all look curious, and Ryan looks almost nervous.
Turning my attention away from them, I grip the edge of the podium and begin to speak.
“Good afternoon.”
My voice rings out loud and clear and the room goes quiet. Dozens of cameras point toward me. Flashes pop, and for a split second, the room feels too bright, too loud, and too crowded. My palms are damp against the edges of the podium.
Breathe.
I swallow and straighten slightly, remembering the steady tone Jayce drilled into me when we practiced for this.
Slow. Clear. Confident.
“My name is Sutton Holloway,” I continue, “and I’m here to shed some light on the events that have taken place in the past week regarding an attempted hostile takeover of Holloway Architecture.”
I glance down briefly at the notes in front of me. They’re mostly blank because Jayce insisted I didn’t need to hide behind them.
“You know this better than anyone,” he’d said. “Just tell the truth.”
I lift my head again.
“Aubrey and Leon Reynolds conspired against Holloway, but it wasn’t the first time.”
The room is perfectly silent as the rows of reporters appear to hang onto my every word. My throat tightens, and for half a second, my voice threatens to stall. My fingers grip the edge of the podium as Jayce’s voice echoes in my head.
“Own the room.”
I inhale slowly, then I continue.
“They attempted a similar plot years ago, targeting Holloway through financial sabotage and fraudulent activity designed to destabilize our business. Thanks to the efforts of a private investigator who wishes to remain anonymous, and my fiance Jayce Vaughn, we’ve been able to uncover evidence of the Reynolds’ conspiracy and they’ve been arrested and will face the consequences of their actions. ”
I glance over my shoulder and meet Jayce’s gaze. He’s grinning, pride shining in his eyes.
Turning back to the crowd, I continue, “I want to apologize to all of Holloway’s business partners and clients who were affected by the breaches in our security, and I can assure you that we will be implementing stronger measures and protocols going forward so this type of thing can never happen again. ”
As I finish, the room is quiet for several moments. I take a deep breath.
Suddenly, the reporters erupt. They’re lobbing questions at me, rapid-fire.
“Ms. Holloway, has this affected your engagement?”
“Will this breach of security have any bearing on your deal with Jackson Romero?”
“Can you comment on the rumors that you’re being prepped to take over Holloway Architecture as its new CEO?”
None of the questions surprise me, but I don’t offer any answers. I’ve said what I needed to say, and I’ve been through enough stress for one day. Plus, I feel good about my comments, and I want to leave it at that.
Turning, I walk away from the podium. The reporters keep calling for me, but I ignore them.
Jayce is smiling, pride shining in his blue eyes as he offers me his hand.
He’s dressed in a charcoal gray suit, his blond hair slicked back.
He’s so handsome, my stomach flutters as I take his hand and he pulls me to his side and leads me out of the room.
Tingles rush up my arm at his touch, and I can’t help imagining his fingers dancing along my bare skin as he takes his time tying me up with intricate knots.
“You did amazing,” he tells me in a low voice.
I glance up at him. “Thanks to you.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, that was all you, Starling.”
We head to the adjoining conference room, which acted as a sort of dressing room for me to get ready to meet the press.
The noise from the main room dulls instantly.
The reporters are still talking, but now it all sounds distant.
Muffled through the wall and the thick wooden door. Like the ocean rumbling far away.
This room is empty of the glam squad that was in here with me earlier, and I feel like I can take a full breath.
“I’m glad that’s over,” I confess, leaning against the long table in the middle of the room. “Now we can just move on.”
Jayce leans over me, bracing his hands on the table on either side of my hips. He presses his lips to mine in a tender kiss.
“I love you,” he murmurs. “I’m so proud of you.”
Reaching up my hand, I brush my fingers along his jaw. “I love you too. Thanks for being here.”
His smile widens and he leans forward to kiss me again, but before our lips meet, the sound of someone clearing their throat has us both freezing.
Jayce pulls back and turns his body so I can see Mom and Dad standing in the doorway.
Mom’s hands are clasped tight in front of her and Dad’s jaw is set and his brow is arched.
“Oh!” I push from the table and hurry to them. “Hey, uh…sorry about that…”
Mom grins and shakes her head. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. We didn’t mean to interrupt.”
The way she’s looking at me makes my chest ache.
There’s pride in her eyes. In Dad’s too.
God, I wish I could just soak in this moment and just enjoy the fact that I’ve finally done something right, but I know I can’t.
There’s something that I need to clear up with them once and for all.
Something I’ve been putting off for way too long, and it’s time
“Sutton,” Mom says, grabbing my hand. “You did so well, darling. I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Very well done,” Dad agrees with a nod. “You handled that like a CEO.”
My heart races. That almost sounded like an offer.
“Thank you.” I suck in a breath and glance back at Jayce. He gives me a nod of encouragement. Turning my attention back to my parents, I continue, “I need to say something, about Colson, and I really need you to listen and let me finish before you say anything in response.”
Mom and Dad both frown in confused concern and share a glance.
Dad finally replies, “Okay.”
Here goes nothing.
“Colson’s death broke me,” I begin, the truth spilling out before I can think better of it.
“It didn’t just make me sad, though. I felt so much guilt…
I blamed myself, and part of me was convinced you blamed me too.
It made me want to be smaller. Made me afraid to take up space.
Afraid that if I stepped wrong, if I failed you, it would confirm every terrible thing I was already thinking about myself, that it should have never been him. ”
Mom’s eyes widen and she parts her lips as if to say something. Fear grips me at what could possibly come out of her mouth. Will she try to stop me? Tell me I’m being entitled and full of myself?
“It changed you too,” I rush on, hands shaking at my sides.
“Whether you blamed me or not, you started treating me like I was made of glass. I know you were just trying to protect me, but sometimes it felt like you didn’t trust me to stand on my own and you had to hold my hand every step of the way.
It was… hard. All I ever wanted to do was make you two proud and prove I was good enough, but I should’ve just been honest with you.
I should’ve told you how I was feeling long before now. ”
When I’m done, I wait for them to respond, my heart racing with growing anxiety.
“Sutton,” Mom whispers, reaching for me as tears stream down her face.
“I know you didn’t mean it,” I say, my own tears blurring my vision.
She pulls me into her arms without another word, holding me tight, like she used to when I was little. Dad steps in too, wrapping his arms around both of us, his hand warm and steady at my back.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, his voice thick. “You’re right, we were terrified of losing you too. But we never blamed you and we never thought for a moment it should have been you instead of Colson. You are irreplaceable to us, Sutton. We love you so much.”
We all cry together, and it feels like something is lifting from us. Years of guilt and regret that we’ve all been holding on to. It’s not all gone yet, but I can tell it’s a start.
When I finally pull back, wiping my cheeks, I smile up at them in relief.
“There’s, uh, just one more thing,” I say.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Mom asks, brushing a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“I know you believe in me. You always have and you just worried about me, not because you doubted me, but because you love me.”
Dad exhales. “That’s true.”
“I believe in myself now too,” I continue, my voice steady. “I know I can be a great CEO, but I don’t want to take over Holloway yet.”
Mom tilts her head. “Not yet?”
“I want to do it in my own time,” I explain.
“When I’m ready. Not because tradition demands it.
” I look over at Jayce again and smile. He gives me a wink.
“When Jayce turns thirty-five and takes over Parker Global, we’ll merge the companies and have two headquarters.
One in New York and one in Colorado. Until then… I belong in Colorado.”
Dad studies me for a long moment. Then he smiles. It’s not the professional, contained smile he usually gives. It’s a real, bright smile, and it’s focused entirely on me.
“And the Romero deal?” he asks.
“I’m going to use it to open my own Holloway branch right here in Colorado,” I say, chin raised. “I want to build something that’s mine.”
My mom’s smile trembles, and happy tears roll down her cheeks.
“You’re ready.” She sniffles. “You can do it.”
“Agreed,” Dad nods. “It’s a great idea, Sutt.”
Suddenly, Jayce’s arms wrap around my middle and he hugs me from behind, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“And I’ll be right by your side through it all,” he murmurs in my ear.
I lean back into him, soaking in his warmth while my parents look on us with pride. I’ve never felt so at ease before. So calm, happy, loved…and at peace. Both with my past and my future.
And it’s all thanks to the man at my back, holding me tight, who I know will never let me go.