I wondered how I was going to get through this meeting when she was sitting just a few feet away. I tore my eyes from her chest and looked back at Mr. Howard.
Her fucking father.
Chapter 5
Gabriella
I could feel Chandler’s eyes on me, aka Mr. Asshole. I could tell he was trying to be on the sly, but when you were the one being stared at, it was easy to tell. Everyone else in the room seemed oblivious. Though they were an audience to our little showdown moments ago, their attention was now on my father. My attention was elsewhere, though.
Like the feel of Chandler’s smoldering stare on me. All of me. I swallowed hard, squirming in my seat slightly as questions flooded my brain. I didn’t understand why he was here. My father never mentioned bringing on a partner, or whatever he was. I still wasn’t completely sure what his position was here or how he ended up here in the first place. I had mostly drowned out his sparkling résumémy father so proudly listed off because my ears were pulsing with annoyance.
I wondered how long this business deal had been in the works. I felt like an outsider looking in, and it made my stomach do a slow, uneasy flip. If anyone should be an outsider, it was Chandler.Hewas the interloper. He might be some big shot where he was from, but he didn’t know this company. Didn’t know my father’s legacy. Didn’t knowme, though he acted like he had me all figured out with that smug expression on his face.
The morning was not at all turning out like I had hoped it would. I smelled like coffee, the sticky liquid from the fabric pulled at my skin when I moved a certain way. And the man who caused it and left me hanging was now my father’s new shiny toy. Today was supposed to be perfect. It wasmyday. The day I would become CEO.
I reminded myself of that as I tried to bring myself back to the present moment. I was not going to let Chandler White ruin my big moment. I rolled my shoulders back and tilted my chin up slightly, looking over at my father, who was commanding the room. If anything, when my father made the announcement, at least I would get to see the expression on that asshole’s face. I would behisboss. I smiled to myself.
My father, true to his form, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire meeting. He always liked to drag out his surprises. He did it on birthdays, always waiting until I got through all the smaller gifts before pulling out the big one. He did it on Christmas mornings, wrapping a gift in pieces of wrapping paper, excitedly watching me peel back each layer in anticipation. He did it in business too, always waiting until the last second to pull the trigger on a deal. Just when I thought he had lost out, he pulled the client back in before they took their first step out.
Just be patient, I thought to myself as I conspicuously watched the clock on the wall tick by. I wondered if anyone else knew what he had up his sleeve. If they did, they didn’t show it. I, on the other hand, was impatiently bouncing my knee under the table.
“Our numbers are up from last month,” said my father, listing off stats. I always admired his memory. He never needed a report or a paper in front of him. His mind was sharp like that. It always seemed to impress people when he could recite numbers down to the cent. “Now that we are at the midyear point, I expect them to only go up from here. It could be a record-breaking year.”
The board members, whose investments were paying off nicely, all nodded their approval as they listened on. I glanced over at Chandler who was listening intently, allowing me to sneak another look at him. It was annoying how good-looking he was. As if he knew he had caught my attention, he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat, puffing out his chest slightly. I rolled my eyes and snapped my attention back to my father.
The first thing I would do as CEO was remove Chandler White from whatever position my father had hired him on for. I didn’t need someone like him working for me. I also didn’t need the distraction of his jawline or dark green eyes.
“Now, you’re probably wondering why I called this meeting so early this morning…” said my father, placing his palms on the table. I could practically feel his excitement radiating off him. “I appreciate you adjusting your schedules to make this meeting happen. It’s for good reason.”
Verygood reason.
“I have spent the past forty years building Harold Enterprises into something that I could be proud of. It started off as a distant dream when I was in my first year of college, and since then it has flourished, growing to be bigger than I could ever imagine. I couldn’t have done it without the support of the board, my employees, and my family, of course.”
He looked over at me and placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. I smiled warmly at him, feeling tears prick the back of my eyes.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
It was exactly what this roomful of men would expect of the only woman sitting in here.
I blinked a few times, pushing my feelings down. I could cry later. I could celebrate later. I could freaking dance on this table if I wanted to.
“With that said, I’m old,” said my father with a dramatic sigh.
The men around the table chuckled softly at his little joke.
“And I’m tired. I’ve put my work in, and now I want to golf. Travel with the wife. Nap,” said my father with an easy smile. “Which is why I’ve decided to retire.”
A hushed murmur sounded through the room. It seemed as if this wasn’t on anyone’s radar. It wasn’t surprising. My father was sprightly and sharp and still one hell of a businessman. But I knew how tired he was. I was the only one he let see that side of him. Me and my mother.
“Now, I know this may come as a surprise to most of you. You might be worrying about the company’s value. Your money. Your position here. But I assure you, nothing is going to change.” My father put his hands up as if to ease the growing tension in the room. These people were losing their fearless leader. If I wasn’t taking over, I would feel worried too.
“I have selected a successor and I know all of you will be thrilled.”
I scooched to the edge of my seat, waiting to hear my name. I tried to remember the little speech I had memorized last night, but the words were failing me now. The excitement swelling in me was too much.
I looked up at my father and watched as his lips moved, but his voice sounded like it was in slow motion.
“The new CEO of Harold Enterprises is Chandler White.”
