Anastasia Chapter 9
Sitting at the kitchen island, Reign and I had just finished the breakfast we prepared together.
It was a very domesticated feeling, just as it had been last night.
We’d talked about what we wanted to do today.
We were in the middle of that discussion when there was a knock at his door. Reign came to his feet.
“That better not be my brother. There’s only a handful of people with direct access permission to get up here.
Since we came in through the garage, you didn’t see the doorman.
Whoever is the doorman at the time prevents people not on the residents’ permitted access lists from coming up.
If someone not on the list asks for access, the doorman calls to see if it’s allowed at that time. ”
A second, louder knock came as he finished explaining. Curiosity had me following him. Reign didn’t prevent me. I hung back in case it turned out to be one of the other tenants. He didn’t bother to look out the peephole. He disarmed the security alarm, unlocked the door, then swung it open.
Standing there was a man who was a few years younger than Reign. A quick scan told me it had to be Rowan. He had enough of Reign’s look to show they were related. I was behind Reign, barely visible. Rowan scowled.
“We’re talking and settling this inheritance shit once and for all, Reign. You can’t blow me off with the excuse you’re busy with work or going to a meeting,” the man said.
He stepped forward, expecting his brother to move. Reign stood his ground. He crossed his arms over his chest. I couldn’t make out his expression, but I had no doubt he wore a thunderous one. We’d discussed how infuriated his brother made him.
“You should’ve called, Ro. It might be the weekend, but I’m busy and have plans for the entire weekend,” Reign told him gruffly.
I shifted, which caught Rowan’s attention. His gaze flickered to me, then back to his brother.
“She can go wait in the bedroom or come back later. Yeah, that’s better. Hey, sweetheart, get dressed, then go. If my brother wants you back, he’ll call you.”
Rowan’s leer and the tone of his voice made me feel dirty and lit the fire inside of me.
But it was nothing compared to what it did to Reign.
A loud, rumbling sound came out of him. I saw Reign’s arm flash forward, grabbing the front of his brother’s shirt.
He yanked him inside. The door slammed behind him.
As Reign whirled his younger brother around, he faced off with him.
“This place is my home! I say who comes and goes, not you. She has more fucking right to be here than you ever will. If anyone is leaving, it’s you. How dare you barge into my home and issue orders?”
Reign turned to me. “Babe, I hate to ask, but this moron won’t stop until I smash this into his head. You can relax in the bedroom or my office. I doubt you want to hear this.” His tone with me was gentle.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with you. Lord knows you’ve seen mine being terrible shitheads.”
Reign grinned.
“Hey, this is personal family business. Run along, sweetheart. My brother will get back to you when we’re done,” Rowan condescendingly replied.
Before I had a chance to tell him off, Reign beat me to it. He got in Rowan’s face. Reign was a couple of inches taller and much bigger physically. I saw Rowan’s eyes widen as he stepped back, then froze.
“Whoa,” Rowan muttered.
“Don’t you ever speak to her that way again.
Call her sweetheart or anything else one more time and see what happens.
And she’s welcome here way more than you are.
If you want to hash this out again, then she stays, and when I say it’s time for you to go, you go.
But I’m telling you, Ro, you’re wasting time,” Reign warned him.
With that said, Reign turned, wrapped an arm around me, and brought me to the living room. He sat in his favorite chair. When I went to sit on the couch, he tugged me down on his lap. His brother sank onto the couch across from us. His gaze went to Reign’s hand resting on my thigh.
“Go ahead and tell me something different from the past few times we’ve talked this over, Rowan.” Impatience was audible in Reign’s voice.
“I know that I haven’t made the greatest impression at the company.
I get it. And I want you to know that I’ve gotten serious.
I won’t be coming in late to work. I’ll be productive during working hours, and if something requires me to work on the weekend, I’ll do it.
You’re right. I’ve gotten used to skating by.
“Dad and Mom made it easy as the baby of the family. When they died, you were drowning with your life and then taking on me. You kept it the same. I know it was to lessen the impact on me. I appreciate that you did, but it has gone on far too long, Reign. You’re right.
I need to stand on my own two feet and create my future.
“I plan to do just that. But it doesn’t mean I have to do it separately from Caldwell Catastrophes.
I want to learn and work beside you to make Caldwell into a bigger, better family company.
Yes, you’re the owner, but I think we can take it even further if we work together.
In a case like that, it makes sense that I get not only a portion of the company for my work, but also an additional percentage as your only sibling.
“Assuming you decide to get married one day and have kids, they should get a portion of the company when you pass. However, you don't have to leave that burden to your wife and kids. Leaving me in charge as your successor will protect them from all the stress and worry. I’ll make sure they have what they need. I’m your brother.
You can trust me to do that. After all, they’ll be my family, too. ”
Rowan paused as if to see if Reign had anything to say. Although Reign’s body had tensed beneath mine, he kept his expression bland and showed no outward appearance of tension. Rowan continued.
“Think about it. You always said that companies with too many hands trying to steer them, who split it into so many slivers, are inherently disasters waiting to happen. If you have your kids and a wife all trying to direct things, it’ll weaken the company.
Whereas if I were the CEO and carried on as you want, there would be a solid face of the company and a single leader. I’m ready, Reign.”
Rowan sat there staring expectantly at his brother.
The only time he looked at me was when he mentioned a wife and kids.
Inside, my heart jumped at the thought of being Reign’s wife and providing him with children, which was wild considering the length of our acquaintance and that we’d only had oral sex once.
“I want to make sure I got this right. After thirty-one years of pretty much doing or not doing whatever the hell you want, you’re ready to get serious about work.
And you want me to allow you to demonstrate that at my company.
And not only to allow you to remain employed there, but to make you a stakeholder with authority. I assume as my VP.
“And when I marry and have kids, they wouldn’t take over the company because that fractures it too much. Instead, you’ll take over as CEO and ensure my family receives a share of the profits without any voting or authority within the company. Did I miss anything?” Reign asked calmly.
Rowan scooted to the end of the couch cushion. His face glowed with excitement.
“Exactly. Now, you’re getting it. I need work that challenges me.
Take, for example, the Littleton acquisition.
I need to be involved in those types of things.
I need to be involved in engaging work. Associating my face with you, Reign, is key, not as a faceless drone. What I’m doing now doesn’t do that.”
“You want me to give you more work, work that can make or break the company, and if I do that, you’ll perform. Do you hear yourself, Ro? That’s not how one proves oneself ready for advancement.”
“Maybe not in regular companies, but this is yours. We’re family. And family sticks together and helps each other.”
I was astonished at what came out of Rowan’s mouth. And the way he acted, he believed it. It was clear he had no clue how the real business world worked. Poor Reign, he had to put up with this every day.
“I swear to God, Rowan, do you even hear yourself? I’ve never heard anything so asinine in my life,” Reign told him coldly.
Reign held up his hand as Rowan opened his mouth, no doubt to argue.
“No, it’s my turn to speak. You sit there and listen.
Are you that goddamn entitled and disconnected from reality that you actually believe what you’re saying?
And that you think I’ll ever agree to it?
If so, you need help. I love you, Rowan, but I’m not blind to who you are.
Yes, I had a hand in shaping you, which I’ll regret for the rest of my life, but it’s time to face reality.
“The fact we share the same DNA doesn’t entitle you to a fucking thing of mine—not my business, my home, or anything else that I’ve fought to build.
I created all I have through sacrifice and backbreaking hard work over the years.
You skated by with college paid for and your every need and want fulfilled, without lifting a finger.
The fact that you believe being brothers means you should get anything of mine, let alone run my company, is ridiculous.
“I will never place my future wife and kids in your hands for you to decide what they get. They will inherit everything and run my company. I’m not saying this to be cruel.
It’s to wake you up. It’s not too late for you to build something of your own, as I did.
A legacy you can pass down to your family one day. ”
When Reign stopped speaking, it was evident his words went right by his brother. Rowan’s face had grown steadily redder and his scowl deeper as Reign spoke. When the silence came, he immediately launched into more spewing.
“I can’t believe you! You act all superior, saying you did it on your own. No, you didn’t. Mom and Dad helped you. Remember the house? You got capital from it to start your business,” Rowan snapped.
“I got the same amount of money you did. I chose to use mine wisely. You blew through yours in a year on stupid shit: more expensive clothes, a sports car, fancy vacations, and dinners. You threw it away, partying with your so-called friends. I used every penny to help get my company off the ground. It took way more than that to become what it did.”
“There was money, too, that you took! I know they had money in the bank and a life insurance policy,” Rowan yelled. He was on his feet, pacing.
“You’re right, there was a policy, but it wasn’t massive, and as for money in the bank, there wasn’t much.
I used the money from both of those to continue paying the mortgage, property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, everyday bills, and groceries.
I paid for everything you wanted, plus clothing, school trips, and a car when you were seventeen.
I didn’t pocket that shit, Ro. And you know this because I kept meticulous records showing where every dime went.
And outside the mortgage and mutually beneficial bills like utilities and groceries, every dime was spent on you.
I paid for my car, car insurance, and anything I wanted or needed out of my salary.
I worked sixty-hour weeks while you sat back and got to enjoy being a teenager and coast by! ”
Reign was breathing hard, and his body was stiff and vibrating. I rubbed my hand across his chest, attempting to soothe him.
“Reign, honey, try to relax. You’re stressing yourself out too much,” I said softly.
Rowan, who had paced over to the kitchen island, whipped around and marched back to us. He pointed his finger at me.
“Who is this woman? You never mentioned dating anyone. I bet she’s sitting there thinking she’s hit the jackpot and is set for life.
You’re her meal ticket. She’s no doubt counting on being the future Mrs. Reign Caldwell.
If you give her access to your money or company, she’ll steal you blind.
Women think the fact that they fuck a man means they get everything,” Rowan hurled spitefully at me.
I gasped. Not because of what Reign’s brother said, though it pissed me off. It was due to suddenly becoming airborne, and then I was seated back in the chair. Reign was on his feet, and he let a roar rip as he went after his brother.
Rowan’s eyes widened as he backpedaled, but he wasn’t fast enough. I watched as Reign grabbed him by both sides of his shirt. Then, Reign shoved him down on the couch and loomed over him.
“Listen, you little bastard. You dare to come into my home and insult my girlfriend. Anastasia isn’t a goddamn leech, unlike you.
She has her own successful business, which, newsflash, she built herself through hard work, too.
Insult her again, and I’ll knock your teeth down your throat.
Get out. And prepare to pack your shit at the office because Carla and HR will be in touch. ”
Then, without another word, as Rowan sputtered and tried to backpedal his words, Reign yanked him to his feet and marched, almost dragging him, to the door. Once there, Rowan was thrust into the hallway.
“If you’re not out the door and in front of the doorman within the next two minutes, I’ll have the police called to find you. Until you get your head out of your ass and make something out of your life, Ro, I don’t want to hear from you.”
And just like that, the conversation was over. Reign slammed the door shut and locked it. Before returning to me, he took his cell out of his pants pocket.
“This is Reign Caldwell in 20A. My brother, Rowan Caldwell, is on his way down. Ensure he leaves the building and then remove his name from my approved access list. Please note he is not permitted up, and if he comes back and causes issues, call the police.”
Reign paused and listened for a few moments before responding. “Thank you so much. Have a good day.”
After he hung up, he stood there, running his hand through his hair. Reign gave me an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry you had to be subjected to that, Sia.”
I got up and went to him. I wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me close.
“You have nothing to say sorry for. Your brother is an ass. Oh, and I like the nickname. No one has ever called me Sia before.” I tacked on the last with a smile.
Reign’s expression softened. “You’re incredible, you know that? And I wanted something that wasn’t what your family calls you. I’m glad you like it. Now, let’s finish deciding what we’re doing today. I refuse to let Rowan ruin our time together.”
“Sounds good to me,” I replied.