Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
JAXON/JAX
Then
The Edge Of Her Silence
Some truths don’t need to be spoken…they bleed to be seen.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Crowne?” My assistant Natalie’s voice floats through the line.
“Livianna Hemings will be here soon to interview for a spot in The Vault mentorship program.”
I gaze around my office from my monolithic black desk and stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows with remote blackout glass. “Please stick around while she’s here. I might need you for something.”
“Of course, but can I ask if there’s anything I should prepare for?”
“No need. You’re already privy to all the details.”
She sighs. “I wonder if I’ll ever get used to you and your mysterious way of working.”
“I need to keep you on your toes. Otherwise, your defenses will go down. I can’t have that.”
“There’s no need to worry. There are plenty of moving parts that—” Her voice grows more professional. “Good afternoon. You must be Livianna Hemings. Mr. Crowne is expecting you.”
Livianna’s response filters in. “Yes, I’m Livianna.”
“Mr. Crowne, your appointment is here. I’ll get her into the system and we’ll be up in about ten minutes.” Natalie shifts something over the receiver. “Is there anything I can bring you when we come up?”
I notice the racing of my heart. “Yes, some lemon balm tea would be great. Ask Miss Hemings if she would like some as well.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll see you in a bit.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Natalie hangs up.
I stand and stride to the window. The Eiffel Tower looms in the distance. Dusk is falling. The Paris lights shimmer, whispering beautiful stories of partners meeting in the city of love.
After bolting out of Livianna’s apartment—after one glass of wine two weeks ago—I haven’t stopped thinking about her.
There are so many layers to navigate in any kind of relationship with her, professional or otherwise. I’m reconsidering mentoring her.
My video conference call with her dad on Saturday replays in my mind.
I work my sleek steel pen between my fingers.
“To be clear, Greg, I don’t want to be involved in any turf wars.
If Livianna and Trent are being used in some game I’m unaware of, I won’t mentor either of them.
I have an alliance with you. The Diamandis International Realty Group isn’t one I want to be aligned with. ”
“I appreciate your loyalty.” He gives me a hard stare. “Livianna’s safety is at the forefront of my mind. I assure you, nothing is brewing under the table. The Diamandis team and my team haven’t had competing views since our truce. It’s truly a case of strange coincidences.”
“Then there are no issues with me mentoring them where we’re concerned?”
“No, Jaxon. If anything, I have a sense of relief knowing she has a watchful ally in her corner.” He tugs on his collar. “Hopefully, I can trust you with my family as you have with me.”
“On my heart.” My pulse skyrockets just talking about family. “Like my own, Livianna will be well watched over and protected.”
“The good news is she’s not nearly as…provocative. At least I don’t hear about any wild behavior anymore. She’s grown up a lot since she cut her ex out of her life. She’s one hell of a fashion designer. Try to remember that and give her a chance.”
“I was planning on it. I’m not mentoring her out of obligation to you. Her business goals have always interested me.”
I place my pen down and give him a sincere look. “You know I have an extensive sector of investments in the fashion industry, and she has a built-in platform. It’s a win-win situation.”
“I realize that. Just heed my warning and remember she pushes hard when she wants something. Be careful when you're dealing with her.”
He glances away, his shoulders falling. He stiffens again and brings his gaze back to me. “I’m holding you responsible if she runs into trouble, so take that for what it’s worth.”
That statement alone is enough to make me want to retreat, but I didn’t get where I am today by backing down from risky situations. If anything, I’ve thrived in such instances. Mentoring Livianna is no different.
A few minutes pass, and Natalie taps on the door. “Mr. Crowne?”
“Yes, Natalie.” I return to my custom-made desk. “Come in.”
Natalie pushes the door open and enters with Livianna. Livianna scans the room’s clean, linear, and unapologetically masculine modernist design. Curiosity flickers across her expression.
I stay standing. “Livianna, welcome.”
Natalie places my tea on a metal coaster on my desk, dips her head, and excuses herself. Livianna’s gaze follows Natalie and then finds mine.
“Would you like me to call you Mr. Crowne?” She hugs what seems to be a sketchbook, almost unsure of herself as she inches toward one of the saddle-tanned Italian leather chairs.
Interesting. I wasn’t expecting a timid approach. This woman always leaves me wondering who she truly is and what she’s about.
“What would you feel comfortable calling me, Livianna?”
“I don’t know. Seeing you in your domain is somewhat…intimidating.”
“Please make yourself at ease.” I gesture to her seat. “This area isn’t meant to be off-putting. If anything, it was designed to evoke clarity and focus.”
“It’s beautifully done.” She sits, crosses her sleek legs, and sends a gleam my way. “I’d like to call you Jaxon while conducting business.”
“Jaxon it is.” I settle into my chair. “Why do you find my office intimidating?”
She raises her brows. “I just had my retinas and fingerprints scanned to access this floor. When I got off the elevator, I was led down a long black corridor lit only by a constellation of pinpointed LED lights that looked like stars suspended in the void.
“My bet is they’re blended in with security cameras. Then I walk into this space and it literally smells of leather, power, and…insider secrets.”
“Livianna, I don’t take security lightly, and I like the aesthetics. That said, please relax and let’s get right to it. Tell me why you think the Crowne Ventures mentorship program should bring you on.”
“Straight to the heart of the issue. Okay, then.” She rolls back her shoulders, takes a breath, and glances down at her lap. “Livianna Grace Designs was launched a little over two years ago.”
“That’s not what I want to know about.”
She raises her head and stares at me with confusion floating in her eyes. “Why?”
“Exactly.” I recline and rest my ankle on my knee, keeping my gaze locked with hers.
“What?” Her face scrunches up. “I’m not understanding.”
“All my mentees have a why, and that’s what interests me.”
“You want to hear about how I came up with the idea?”
“Not at all. I want to know what you desire for your brand. What’s the reason you created Livianna Grace Designs?”
Her breathing kicks up, and her palms wrap around each wrist. “I want to create something beautiful.”
“I’ve seen your work, and you’ve succeeded in that area. Does that mean you’ve hit your goals?” I lean forward and motion toward the sketchbook resting on her leg.
She inclines it toward her chest. “No. There’s more to it than that.”
“Then tell me what that is. What do you really want?”
Her cheeks turn red, and she averts her gaze to the floor. “I want to build a legacy. Something that will live on forever. Something that will be honored and…”
I let her sit in silence. She’s right at the edge of articulating her reason, and I don’t want to interrupt her process.
She sucks in a shaky breath and lifts her head to me with a kind of iron mask covering her expression. “I envision a fashion design house that dominates both the classic and modern rockstar style with elegance, yet it’s sexy and edgy. I want to own the entire market.”
That was a well-calculated deviation from whatever she was about to say. I study her subtle movements. Her crossed leg bounces, and she scratches at her skin.
Her self-soothing and coping behaviors are enough to give her away. Just as I expected, there’s something profound here she doesn’t want to share.
I press the call button on the speaker console, and Natalie answers, “Yes, Mr. Crowne? How can I assist you?”
“Please come to my office.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be up in two minutes.”
“Thank you.” I disconnect and cup my hands together.
Livianna’s glare flits around my face. “Did you call her here so she can walk me out?”
“No.”
“Then why is she coming up here?”
“I get the distinct feeling you need more from me before you’ll open up and tell me why you’ve been almost desperate for my help, yet now that the opportunity is in your grasp, you refuse to embrace it.”
She turns her head and tucks her long, wavy brown hair behind her ear as she peers out the window. “If you’re wondering why I can’t find the words, it’s because you’re talking in riddles and leading me in circles. If I’m being honest, I don’t like it.”
“If you’re being honest, then give me the truth. Don’t disguise your unease as defiance.”
There’s a moment of quiet as she shifts and huffs out tiny bursts of frustration. Natalie knocks and enters my office.
I gesture to the seat next to Livianna’s. “Please join us.”
Natalie sits and peers my way. Livianna aligns herself with Natalie.
Good. I want Livianna to feel like she has an alliance with Natalie.
“Natalie, would you tell Livianna why you work here?”
“Of course.” Natalie faces her. “I’ve wanted to work with Crowne Ventures International since I first learned of Mr. Crowne. He hired me right after I received my associate’s degree, but I had been reaching out to him since I was a junior in high school.”
“That’s wonderful for you.” Livianna shows her a genuine smile. “Why were you set on working here?”
Natalie shoots me a questioning glance. I give a nod of approval and sip my tea.