Chapter 46

Since meeting her: 52 days

Company takeover: ?

Married: 33 days

After showering and dressing, the two of us take a car to the office in Manhattan. It’s afternoon, and the buildings shine and sparkle. We don’t say much on the way there, and it’s ominous.

Weston instructed me to arrive at fifteen until two in the large boardroom with Alexis in hand. The boardroom can easily accommodate fifty people when needed. While we could walk directly into the lion’s den, Weston would never do that to me.

As soon as we step out of the elevator, Taelor approaches us. My brother must have called everyone in today. “I’m glad to see you two are back from the dead. Weston’s waiting for you.”

Lexi and I walk through that building like I fucking own it. I should.

Before we enter, I stop, giving her my attention. “No matter what happens today, I choose you.”

“Same,” she whispers.

The uneasiness in the air is thick.

“Ready?” I ask.

She grabs my hand. “Yes.”

I suck in a deep breath and push open the door. When we walk inside, Weston is sitting at the head of the table. Thankfully, it’s only us. He checks his watch and stands.

“Wonderful to see you both alive and healthy,” he says with a smile. “Did you have fun?”

“Actually, yeah,” I tell him. “Wasn’t ready to cut it short.”

Moments later, the door bursts open and my father enters. I see the stress on his face. Two steps, and he’s wrapping me in his arms, hugging me tight.

“What is wrong with you? We thought …” He glances at Lexi. “We thought the both of you were gone.” His voice falls an octave lower, and I can see the guilt and shame written on his face.

Good. He deserves to feel that way after how he treated me the last time we spoke.

“It’s almost like you care,” I say, and it comes out heartless.

He acts hurt, but I have no more fucks to give.

Before the conversation can continue, the board of directors floods in behind him. Derrick enters and stops when he sees me with Lexi, and I don’t like how he lingers on her. She leans into me as if I’ll protect her from his beady fucking eyes. I will.

When everyone is in their usual places, Weston smooths his hand over his suit jacket and stares at the door.

Moments later, Taelor walks in with a cart stacked with paper. Then, she slams a packet in front of each of the eighteen people around the table, even Lexi.

Weston clears his throat and sits. “Thank you all for attending this emergency meeting, especially on a random Sunday afternoon. Appreciate that. I guess we should get started. Nice to see you, Lexi and Easton. I’m so glad you’re both here and well. I’m sure everyone else is too.”

He glares at our father. Weston used emotional warfare without apology.

“Exhibit one: the video,” Weston says. The screen lowers from behind him, and he plays it. “You’ve all seen it. But I have another one for you to watch.” He double clicks, and it’s a long-lens view of Lexi and me in Fiji, laughing and kissing on the beach.

We thought we were alone, but we weren’t. It’s not moments I wanted to share with the world, but as I watch us together, it’s hard to deny anything.

“And this one,” Weston says, playing another from us eating together in the diner in Texas. I was feeding her French fries. “There are countless interviews, accompanied with affidavits. Maybe we did have a stupid conversation, but look at the date. That night, Easton picked her up at her apartment and let her drive to The Garage, where they got to know each other better.”

I glance at my brother, knowing damn well that’s a lie, but he gives me a smirk.

“The future of this company hangs by a thread because you don’t believe their genuine marriage is real? Look at them,” Weston says. “Look. It’s not an act. They’re like this all the time. And it’s not up to you to decide if it’s real. Easton married, as he was supposed to, and kept his word to himself to marry for love. What else do you want?”

Weston makes eye contact with each person, ending with Derrick.

“Before I forget, Derrick should be fired for breaking into my brother’s office. I recovered some mysteriously deleted footage.”

“What?” my father exclaims. “Explain.”

“I did not,” Derrick denies.

“Thought you’d say that,” Weston says, pressing play on the following video.

It’s Derrick, after hours, sneaking into my office three weeks before I returned from overseas for the first time. And Taelor is helping him.

“What the fuck?” I hiss.

Taelor stands by the door and I glare at her. My nostrils flare and Lexi squeezes my hand three times to remind me she’s right there.

Weston seems disappointed. She was a great secretary, so I can only imagine what Derrick bribed her with if he became CEO. Probably a promotion.

My father is seething. “You sabotaged my son?”

“Before we get into that, please look at the packet before you. This was always a joke between them because their communication has been honest from the beginning. This fake-as-fuck contract is proof of that. Three hundred pages, poking fun at the ridiculous arrangement. Flip to the back page and read the fine print.”

Lexi reads it for the first time. She bursts into laughter, and then I do too.

By signing this contract, you recognize that this is a farce, and we should give each other a chance.

“Lexi, is that your signature at the bottom?”

“Yes,” she says, “it is.”

“Does everyone see the date and time of it?”

My father breathes in. “The night of the video.”

“It was blown out of proportion. So, can we stop meddling in my brother’s personal life and get back to business? I’m growing exhausted by the dramatics,” Weston states.

A few board members mumble to one another.

“Derrick, you’re fired,” my father says, standing and opening the door to the room. “Leave.”

“You can’t do this,” he grinds out. “You can’t fire me. The position was supposed to be mine.”

“Leave,” I say as Weston calls security.

The tension grows as Derrick rushes toward my father, and I stand up. Something shiny and metal is in Derrick’s hand, reflecting light.

A knife, I think, and my adrenaline rushes when I look into Derrick’s dead eyes. The scene unfolds in slow motion, but Weston is fast. He kicks out his leg, slamming his heel into Derrick’s knee. A crack rings out, and then I move forward, wrestling him to the ground. All of my pent-up anger that I have toward this man releases from my fist into his face.

He fights back, but doesn’t land a single blow as I shove my free hand into his jaw.

Over the years, he’s tried to discredit me, wanted to set me up to look like the bad guy, and even fed the media false information to catch me off guard. He has always been the problem.

Security enters and Weston pulls me away, backing me up against the wall. It’s pure fucking chaos.

“Look at me,” Weston says, placing his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to focus on him and only him.

Moments later, arms are being wrapped around my waist. Lexi. Fuck, I almost forgot she was here.

“I’m sorry.” I pull her close to me. “I’m so sorry.”

“Are you okay?” she whispers, studying me like I’m a miracle.

I made it out unscathed, other than my bloody knuckles, where I broke skin.

Once Derrick has been escorted out, along with Taelor, my father clears his throat, and the room quiets. We take our seats.

“When I was a young boy, my father always told me the truth should be regarded above everything. I taught my boys to tell the truth, even when it hurts, because, in a world full of lies, it’s all we have.” My father meets the eyes of every person in the room. “If you say this marriage is real, Easton, I trust you’re being truthful.”

“I am,” I confirm, taking Lexi’s hand in mine, and I graze my thumb along the outside of hers. “This woman is my everything, and I’m willing to lose it all for her.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Weston says. “Easton always said he wouldn’t get married for any reason other than love. He kept that promise to himself and met our grandfather’s requirements. Yes, that conversation happened, but it was a push in the right direction. I’d like everyone here to raise their hands, especially those who had a private wedding ceremony with just you and your partner.” Weston looks around. No one moves. “They did it for themselves, not for a spectacle. Otherwise, you’d all have received an invitation.”

Lexi laughs and I glance at her, holding back a smile. It was the original plan when we were unsure of how we felt. Our desires quickly changed; we cared less about everyone else and focused on us.

My father speaks. “I’d like to make a motion that we continue forward with the transition. Easton will fulfill his role as planned and the farewell party will be rescheduled for this Saturday.”

“I’ll second that,” Weston says.

Votes are taken, and it’s unanimous. Lexi smiles, and I know no matter what would’ve happened, we’d have had each other. Life still would’ve been amazing.

“I love you,” she whispers, squeezing my fingers three times. “Congratulations.”

“I love you too,” I say back to her, feeling overwhelming pride.

Tomorrow, I’ll finally take on the role I was born and trained to do.

I will officially become CEO.