Thatcher Edward Charles III has a name that spells lineage and a work history that reads like a cautionary tale. Six months at Johnson & Associates, terminated after “innovative improvements” to the office coffee system resulted in a loss of over five hundred dollars’ worth of IT equipment. Eight months at Meridian Corp, ending with what’s diplomatically described as a “mutual separation” following an incident involving a paper shredder and what appears to be a company-wide reorganization gone wrong. The list continues, each entry more alarming than the last.
No less alarming is that Thatcher could have left these details out of the résumé, but instead he included them, like a proud display of his incompetency.
Lior said everyone deserves a second chance. His eyes had held that same look they had months ago when I did the unthinkable, and he still forgave me. My betrayal almost cost him his rightful place at the helm of the company his grandfather started, yet he not only put the past behind us, but he also offered me a job.
I don’t deserve his kindness or his forgiveness, but I can accept whatever he throws at me. Financial reports, business trips he doesn’t want to take, so he can spend time with his new husband, or personal assistants with questionable references. I’ll take it all with gratitude.
I put the résumé back in my drawer and focus on getting ready for the board meeting later.
My phone’s ringtone cuts through the silence in the office, and I notice two whole hours have passed. My brother’s name flashes on the screen, and my stomach tightens. I consider letting it go to voicemail, but it’s worse not knowing what the fuck he’s up to right now.
“Pierce.” James’s voice drips with false warmth. “How’s life among the common folk?”
“What do you want, James?” My fingers drum against the desk.
“Can’t I check on my big brother?” The word “brother” slides off his tongue in a way that shows exactly what he thinks of my place in the family. “Though I do have a proposition.”
I don’t want to hear it. In fact, the less I know about my brother’s schemes now that I no longer work for the family company, the better. But I also know he’s a snake. After all, we both learned from the best.
“The board is pushing for a global distribution deal with VSE. You know it would be incredibly profitable for Dellcourt Holdings. But Lior’s father was always a hard one to do business with, and it seems the trait runs in the family. Lior isn’t cutting us the deal we need.” There’s a pause, and when James speaks again, his voice turns sharp and accusatory. “You were supposed to handle this, Pierce. You were supposed to marry into VSE and secure a merger. Instead, you failed the company. You owe us.”
I straighten in my chair, anger building inside me. “No,” I say firmly. “I don’t owe you anything, and I’m certainly not jeopardizing my relationship with Lior for a business deal. Whatever arrangement you have in mind, you can forget it. Find another way to get your deal because I’m done being a pawn in Dellcourt’s corporate strategy.”
“Work with me,” he continues, ignoring every single one of the words I’ve just said, “and you could be welcomed back at Dellcourt with open arms.”
“I’m not sure why you assume that’s something I want, James.”
“Your little experiment with Lior won’t last. When it falls apart, and it will, remember who your real family is.”
The line goes dead before I can respond. My reflection in the computer screen looks tired, the silver in my hair more pronounced against the black. My eyes drift to the wedding photo on my desk. Lior and Noah radiant in matching tuxedos, my smile tight but still more genuine than any I managed in years of family portraits.
My father’s words whisper from recent memory: “You had one job. Secure the Van Stern merger through marriage. And you couldn’t even manage that.”
I straighten in my chair, gripping a pencil so tightly it almost snaps. James may be right that I failed to marry Lior, but he’s wrong about one thing. This isn’t an experiment. This is redemption, earned one careful decision at a time. And if Noah thinks this Thatcher Charles deserves a chance, well…I’m living proof that sometimes the most unlikely candidates can exceed expectations.
Too wound up to focus the way I like, I stand and walk to the window. Across the hall, Lior commands the conference room with easy authority, everything I once pretended to be and everything I’m still learning to become.
There’s one thing I’ve become an expert in over the last year: pretending that I’m in control.
So when the conference room beckons, I grab my folder and walk confidently into the meeting.
This is where Pierce Dellcourt makes no mistakes.
Life? Sometimes I feel like I’m failing the practice run.
Finances and money? This is where I excel.
But if I thought I’d have it easy, I am sorely mistaken. Board members’ questions come like arrows, each designed to make me stumble, to expose weaknesses in my work.
If I didn’t know better, I’d wonder if my brother’s influence has reached the most susceptible layers of the VSE board, but there’s no way James could have this much reach, so I stay professional even as I exchange a look with Lior.
His face remains neutral, but I know all his microexpressions. He’s annoyed that the board members still refuse to acknowledge him as the legitimate CEO of his family company because he refuses to be influenced by privilege and old money.
“These growth projections seem…optimistic,” says Richard Thornton, one of the older board members, his tone suggesting “delusional” would be more accurate.
“Perhaps we should discuss potential mergers,” suggests another one. “Dellcourt Holdings has expressed interest in a strategic partnership. The synergies could be quite profitable.”
The suggestion makes my jaw clench, and now I know James has definitely found a way in. I don’t know how he did it, but my gut tells me that this push from the board is more than just a good proposal.
