Chapter 6

"We looked for a safe last night." William said.

Gio rubbed his red chin-hair again. "Whatever it is, it's not here." He stated simply. "Your Father was a smart man, he wouldn't have left it out in the open."

I looked around the room. There hadn't been a sign of the rest of the crew all morning. "Where's Pia and Woody?"

"They're off tending to the plane. We leave in a day or so." Dad's funeral.

"And Charles?"

"I'm right here, you bloody idiot." The voice came from the foyer. Charles looked dressed to kill in his finely pressed suit. I ran over to peck him on the cheek.

"You've got a date or something?" I winked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. With my wife and two boys."

I remembered him flying home frequently to visit them from LA. As much as I hated him being injured I certainly hoped it meant he could spend a lot more time with his family now. "What about you Gio? Do you have someone here?" He had always been extremely quiet about his personal life, especially while he was working with my Father.

"As a matter of fact I do, but it's just me and the wife. No kids thankfully."

I hoped my gaping didn't look too ridiculous. I believed that to be the first piece of personal information I had ever got out of him.

Will suddenly seemed all too quiet sitting at the bar.

"And what about you, Will?" I roasted him with my gaze. He barely looked me in the eye before returning to stare intently on a plate of toast in front of him.

"No." He replied curtly, harshly. I barely had time to soak his reaction in before Charles grabbed my attention.

"Good luck today kiddo." He hugged me with his one good arm and after a purposeful glance at Will, he was out the door.

"I'm curious." Gio said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter. "About what you think of your Father's company- now that the cat is out of the bag."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "I don't know." I shrugged. Then a more important question came to mind. "I guess I don't understand why you didn't tell me about WWM earlier."

Gio sighed and folded his hands in his lap.

A quick side glance at Will told me he was still sulking over his toast. What was eating him now anyways?

"I think... I just wanted you to get a good look at all of this before you knew." My eyes surveyed the beauty around me. The estate, the house, everything. "Part of me worried that once you found out, you wouldn't want to be involved and sell it or leave one of the executives in charge before you knew more about your Dad's life here."

"The executives?"

He sighed. "Well, I haven't told you this, but the executive board is expecting you to leave the company to someone more... suited to the task. They think you're too young to take on the responsibility your Father had." I could feel a flush of red to my face, and it wasn't all from the long run. I didn't want to admit that I felt they were right.

I swallowed hard and straightened my posture. "I minored in Business at Pepperdine. I know I don't have the experience or knowledge or desire to run things here, but Dad knew what he was doing leaving the company to me and even if it's the last thing I do I'm not going to disappoint him."

The look on Gio's face was one I could never forget—a mixture of utter joy and surprise. I could feel Will's gaze on me too.

"Thatta girl!" Gio patted me on back excitedly. "You'll show 'em today, Ev, and we'll be there right beside you the whole way."

Yes, perhaps once I finally get out of these sweaty clothes. I ran barefoot up the marble stairs. I had felt nothing but dread up to this moment, but suddenly I realized I couldn't be more ready to face the day's challenge.

********

I chose a slick bun to go with my pencil skirt and black cardigan. I looked the part, but my stomach felt otherwise. I couldn't eat a thing.

Gio decided to brief me about WWM on the drive over. I was lost on all of the minor details. I looked pleadingly to William for help, but he was silently staring out the window. I sighed, secretly hoping I hadn't said anything wrong. Hopefully he wasn't still stewing about last night. Me and my big mouth.

We drove through more of the beautiful English countryside, which helped to settle my stomach a little. When we arrived at the front gates of WWM I was astonished at the amount of security surrounding the place. There were three separate gates to get to a booth with two guards. Gio gave them all of the information and identification. They peaked back at me and nodded.

"Welcome, Ms. Westfield."

The entire place was 10,000 times bigger than I had imagined. It was a large architectural edifice covered in white sand-stone that jutted out in corners and massive glass panels. I couldn't tell where the building ended or began or where the front doors were since the front was mostly glass. The pavement consisted of the same white gravel as the estate. Stark, cold, looming. The same feelings I had while first laying eyes on Dad's estate.

To think this was all started by my Father! A smile played across my lips. It made me feel closer to him in some way.

"Now remember, I'm going in with you as your assistant. I'll be standing to your right." Gio handed me the folder with all of the company information, including a copy of my Father's will. "William will be to your left." I quickly thanked the driver and was helped out of the car by one of the security guards that had walked out of the glass doors. My hands were shaking a little.

"Eva Westfield, it's so good to finally meet you!" A man walked down a set of clean white concrete steps leading up to the space-age-looking facility. He was about 60 years old and looked sharp in his grey suit and tie.

"Eva, this is Edward Fitzgerald, the Vice President of WWM." Gio instructed. I gave the man a firm handshake and an unwavering gaze. Those months of training under Mr. Jeffries were paying off. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Fitzgerald."

"Please, dear, call me Edward." I nodded and motioned towards the building. "Shall we?" We walked together, accompanied by the unnecessary entourage of security officials.

"I know this all may be a terribly stressful time for you, what with your Father's passing and all of that-" He paused and opened the door for me. "I wanted you to know that he was a strong leader and one of my dearest friends." Gio acknowledged the bond by giving him a pat on the back. I took that as my que to trust him.

"Indeed, Eva, Edward and your Father spent many good years leading the company to where it is today."

"Well then—" I replied. "You'll have to come over for dinner sometime at my Father's estate. Our pilot, Woody, also happens to be an extraordinary cook."

"Ah yes, Woody!" Edward boisterously exclaimed. "He is truly one of a kind."

Since it was still 30 minutes shy of our meeting with the board, Edward took it upon himself to give me a tour of the grounds. From what I understood in his talking, WWM was strictly a government operation for national defense, rather than a place that manufactured weapons for the public. I was growing more curious by the second.

We passed several offices then entered a corridor with laboratories on either side. Through the glass panes I could see men working in full-length bodysuits. My heartbeat raced.

"Our biggest task at the moment is engineering the newest leading development of the toxin B-116 for our national military and allies."

He walked on and I found the opportunity to lean in next to Gio.

"What is B-116?"

"An agent used in biological warfare. It's for a type of gas that attacks the central nervous system." He whispered. I felt the color starting to drain from my face. All of this talk of defense weapons and biological warfare was making my head spin. A security official walked towards us and whispered something to Edward Fitzgerald.

"Ah, well if you're ready, Ms. Westfield, the board meeting is beginning in a moment." I felt a rush of adrenaline hit me and I looked to Gio for guidance.

He returned the gesture by squeezing my hand. "You can do this, Eva. You are, after all, your Father's daughter."

I took a deep breath, feeling the throb in my temples soften slightly.

We followed Edward and the security officials as they led us down several long corridors, all covered with glass panels showing views of the grounds. The trees around the edifice caught a hard wind and the sky was growing dark—the threat of rain.

We arrived in a central room with sets of low cubicles where the office staff worked. We were led through a set of doors and I caught myself glancing at William for his reaction to everything around us. His naturally pouted lips formed a hard, grim line.

I walked inside and noticed a sea of unfamiliar faces turn from talking to each other to watching me walk in. Every eye observed me as I made my way around the large table to the end seat, Gio sitting to my right and Will to my left.

The group consisted of about 6 men and 3 women, all of varying ages. Based off of stature and dress alone I could tell who the main leaders were.

Crap, that's a lot of people.I was feeling my hands start to tremble. My stomach unsteady. No. No throwing up now!

"Ms. Westfeild, how good of you to be here so soon after the news of your Father." One woman said

"Some of us didn't even know you existed until after he passed." A man said. Gio nudged me. Things were getting off topic.

"Please, if I could interrupt." I began, feeling my voice an octave higher than intended. "While I'm still dealing with the funeral and estate arrangements, I'd like to begin by saying thank you for having me."

The room fell completely silent.

I continued, "And I'd appreciate some time to take care of those personal matters before I make any final decisions within the business."

Edward slowly nodded his head, folding his hands on the planner in front of him. "Of course, Ms. Westfield. We expect you to take whatever time you need."

The woman who had spoken earlier, then introduced herself as Lisa Craig, the Chief Financial Officer. Her greying hair was tied tightly in the back.

I spoke up again. "Based off of what I know from him right now, he wished for me to keep the business—WWM—in the family." A few eyebrows raised and I could feel the tension slowly rising. I hesitated. "As of right now I thoroughly intend to keep the company in the Westfield name." The reactions spread like wildfire. Some gasped, others whispered. Overall, it was what I was expecting. I glanced at Gio. He smiled gently at me.

"Eva-" Edward Fitzgerald spoke from the center of the table. The lines around his eyes deepened. The room silenced once again. "This is, of course, so sudden after your Father's death. Wouldn't you rather think things over and leave someone who knows the inner-workings of the business in charge in your absence?" He removed his glasses. "We all thought your Father was an amazing leader, Eva, but WWM shouldn't suffer, he wouldn't have wanted that and we all know it. We are at a crucial crossroads with the new technology being developed."

"Of which I know little." I reminded him.

"With all due respect, Ms. Westfield." Lisa Craig's voice was stark, accusing. "While we expect you to remain in charge, we also fully expect you to choose someone who's well-acquainted with both the technology and the culture here to continue running the business."

The room was beginning to spin. At this point, I had no idea what I wanted, or even what my Father wanted. I only knew what needed to be done at the moment, and that included not causing turmoil in the executive group.

"Very well." I agreed with her. "I'm happy to appoint someone to take the leadership role temporarily, but as far as anyone is concerned outside of these walls, I'm still the face of the company in the foreseeable future. Then I'll decide with you all what will be best for the company, because that's what Dad would have wanted."

Everyone seemed to relax visibly.

"And there's Alex Westfield's charitable events. All of the benefactors and government officials need to see that everything is being handled well—a smooth transition of power." Edward's voice.

Another man on the other side of the table spoke. "The benefactor's ball in Greece is a week from today." He turned to me, peaking at me over his rectangle glasses. "We can postpone, Ms. Westfield, if you aren't ready to attend."

"We won't change a thing." I stated immediately. "My Father would have wanted them to continue." A week from today was the day after my Father's funeral. I made a mental note of it. There were more whispers around the table.

"If it's all the same to Ms. Westfield, the board should elect the official to serve in Alex Westfield's stead." My eyes met the man's who spoke. He was slightly younger than Edward, but taller as he stood up. He looked impatient to leave. I immediately decided I didn't like him. His demeanor was arrogant.

I rushed to stand, but Gio pushed my shoulder down. Edward Fitzgerald stood, unaware of the exchange between Gio and I.

"What do you say to a vote, Eva?" I nodded slowly in acceptance. There was no use in my appointing someone, especially if I still knew nothing about each executive's history with the company. There was a flood of acceptance across the room. The man who had spoken earlier smiled in his victory to undermine my authority. I started to stand again but once again Gio pushed me down.

"Eva, sit still!" He commanded in a hushed voice. Edward continued- "When Ms. Westfield returns from managing the prior wishes and affairs of her Father she will decide what the proper move is." There was a rush of agreement.

The other man who was still standing raised his hand to speak. "I would like to volunteer myself, as the Chief Executive Officer, to hold that position in Ms. Westfield's absence."

"I don't allow it!" I almost shouted. The whole room silenced. I could hear Gio swearing under his breath.

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in this yet, Eva." Edward's eyes and voice pleaded with me to remain quiet. The last thing anyone in the company needed was some head-strong foolish relative to show up and ruin everything. Realizing I was appearing weaker by the second, I sat down. I looked daggers into the man who made the claim to lead.

"As someone who has served as the chief operating officer for almost 10 years, Plymouth has both the qualifications and the wisdom to lead in your absence." Edward was vice president, not Dad, and certainly not me. I had to bite my tongue from wanting to speak out against him.

"All in favor of Plymouth serving as president in Ms. Westfeild's absence raise your hand." I didn't bother counting. I was still fuming.

"And all not in favor raise your hand." He paused to take count. "6 to 2. Mr. Plymouth wins." Furious, I stood to leave. The rest of the board began to disperse. As I headed toward the door, A tall figure stopped me in my tracks. Edward.

"Please try to understand, Ms. Westfield. His leadership is only temporary. The investors and the company as a whole need to feel confident in the future here if they are to continue to invest their time and money."

I nodded but I felt both powerless and irritated for him to be out of my way. "Until next time, then." I walked confidently around him and out the doors. I waited until we had reached a quiet area down the hall before I turned to face Gio and Will who stalked quietly behind.

"What the hell just happened back there?" I snapped furiously.

Gio shook his head. "I had the feeling this would happen." He said "But Fitz was right, if you decided to take control of everything and made one bad move, things could go south for everyone. We can arrange a call with him and see if there's any way we can gain the board's trust in the time we have."

My mind flew to another problem. "I don't trust that Plymouth person." I said, feeling the anger rising again. Something in his dull blue eyes. His thin smile-gave me shivers thinking about it. A group of employees walked by, forcing us to lower our voices. I glanced at Will who was studying me intently.

"We'll get this taken care of. In the meantime, you need to make a good showing at that charity event. I imagine that all members of the executive board will be there watching your every move." Gio said. A movement behind Will caught my eye. Two of the executives that were in the room passed by followed by someone else. His eyes met mine. Dark, proud, calculating, I'd seen it before. That face. trench-coat and dark beret. Suddenly something hit my mind with the force of a semi-truck. That was the man I had seen the grocery store in LA the night  Charles was shot. I gasped; my knuckles turned white.

"Eva, what's wrong?" Gio turned around, but the men had already walked past.

"She looks like she just saw a ghost." I heard Will say.

"He's here!" My heart was racing. The room began to spin unncontrolably and I gripped Will's arm for balance.

"Eva, what the hell is going on? Who's here?" Gio directed my chin until I was looking at him.

"The man from the grocery store in LA! He was right there!" Both Gio and Will exchanged worried glances.

"You knew who was there? And you never told me?" He seemed more furious than anything else. I began to feel myself hyproventilating. "Eva. Eva!" Gio shook me until he had my attention. "What does he look like? Tell me!"

Pull it together, Eva! "H... He wears this dark wool beret." I paused to take a deep breath. "-And he's wearing a trench-coat." Gio started to rush down the hall.

"Will, get her somewhere safe, now! I'm going to contact security." Everything was happening in a whirlwind. Before I knew it, Will took me by the arm and led us both down the hall in the opposite direction. Once I realized what was happening I pulled away from him.

"Gio can't go alone! He'll hurt him. He'll hurt him like he did Charles!" I shook free of William's grasp and started running in the opposite direction, but William caught me by my arm. I cried out from the pain.

"Sh! Eva!" He said my name. I whipped around and faced him, stunned. His dark brown eyes looked like unrecognizable black holes. I was only inches away from him. "You are going to listen to me and listen real good. If you don't come with me right now you'll be sorry." My arm screamed in pain, but the harder I tried to rip it away, the harder he grasped. "I'm not losing you again!" He almost shouted at me. Stunned, I froze in place, staring at him. He realized how hard he was holding on and let go, but his eyes never left mine.

Before I could think of anything else, I made another run for it down the corridor.

"You asked for it!" in seconds could feel his hot breath next to my ear. I was being shoved towards a janitor's closet.

"Don't you dare, you moron!" I shouted, drawing the attention of a young woman down the hall. Both of us stopped and gazed at her.

"Would you be a dear and call security?" I asked, breathless. She dropped her notebook and made a run for it. I rolled my eyes. There goes the future of equal rights.

Will opened the closet and shoved me inside. If looks could kill, I certainly hoped mine would as he slammed the door. I began kicking and screaming at the metal frame. A mop fell to the side and I used it as ammo. "You're fired. You're fucking fired! I don't care what Gio says!" Before long, I heard voices outside. It sounded like Gio was back. I pounded on the door with my fist until it flung open. All I could see was William and his smug grin, his stupid sexy smug grin. Feeling a sudden rage, I raised my hand and slapped it across his face. Gio backed away with his hands up.

"Whoa, what just happened?"

"Yeah, Will. Why don't you tell him what you just did to me?" Tendrils from my now-loose bun were all over my face. They moved as I breathed.

"She was trying to follow you." Will said. Gio looked at me and shook his head.

"Eva, we are both trying to keep you safe. It would do us all some good if you listened once in a while and let us do our job!" He sent Will a warning glare as in are-you-trying-to-get-fired?! I smiled within myself.

"Now, I think I caught a glimpse of the man you were talking about before he ducked into a car outside. I'm getting a full profile sent to me by security, so let's get you home right now and talk this out like civilized people." Gio was upset. I felt guilty for fighting Will, but I wasn't going let another person close to me get hurt. It happened once with Charles and I couldn't—no, I wouldn't let it happen again.

Author's Note

It's now November and getting cold up here in New England. The perfect weather to be inside writing! Thanks to you all for continuing to provide feedback and voting on your favorite chapters. :) Onwards and upwards to Chapter 7!