"I can change my mind if I want to," I say, and the suppressed anger from all the name-calling manages to slip through the cracks. I walk away when she grabs my hand, stopping me.
"I know why you're here. You might be able to fool those men, but you can't fool me."
I swallow, her eyes digging into my soul. I pull my hand away from her grip. "I told Declan this already. I'm not here to spy or anything you're thinking of. If anything, I want nothing to do with this life. So, you can keep your threats. You won't be needing them."
I walk away without turning back to the elevator. I press the button, and the door glides open. As I step in, I rest against the wall, letting myself breathe. I struggle to catch my breath, my legs feeling too weak to stand. I almost got caught. I have to be careful. Especially with Ailish.
CHAPTER 13
Finn
I'm goingthrough some paperwork. Doing some bookkeeping. As I flip through pages and write, my mind keeps returning to Gianna. I've barely seen her since that day at breakfast. It's been two days already. Ailish just had to ruin everything. I take my phone and text Bernard to check up on her. I've been doing so since that day. I make sure she has breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Despite my hesitation to leave the estate every morning, I have to work. There's a lot of accounting I have to do and meetings to hold.
I click on my computer, going through the series of emails I have to attend to before Stella knocks. She strolls in, her pad in her hand, and I know she's about to remind me of something I forgot.
"You have a meeting now, Mr. Costello," she says, looking up from her iPad.
I check my watch. It's noon already. How long have my eyes been buried in these pages? I pinch the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes for a second. I get up, reaching for my suit jacket. I slip it on, adjusting the collar as I walk toward the door.
Stella holds it open for me, and I walk out. "Is everyone ready?" I ask, knowing I don't want to spend long hours there. I still have a lot to do. Costello Motors, one of the many Costello businesses. Behind the original business of the Costellos, we have legitimate businesses that we handle, and Costello Motors is one I manage.
"Yes," Stella replies, catching up with my strides. We reach the elevator, and Stella presses the button. The door slides open, and we enter. "Who is presenting the meeting today?" I ask, glancing her way.
"Tyler Briggs," she answers, and I nod.
The elevator door slides open, and we step out, walking down the hallway to the conference room. Stella pushes the glass door open, and I step inside, my footsteps echoing off the polished floor. The air is still, the kind of quiet that settles when everyone knows it's time to focus.
I catch a few glances shift toward me, but no one says anything.
I make my way to the head of the table. This boardroom has seen millions of dollars' worth of deals made, but what's about to be pitched today could set the tone for the next decade of Costello Motors.
I settle into my seat and glance down at the table, and Stella hands me the iPad and a cup of coffee.
The engineering team is already here, notebooks out, screens open. My eyes land on the young man at the far end, Tyler Briggs. He's been making noise in the R&D department lately, and today's his shot to prove it's more than just noise.
He stands as I sit, smoothing his tie. "Mr. Costello." He nods. His voice has that polite edge I've heard a thousand times before, equal parts respect and nerves. I nod back and motion for him to begin. He clicks the remote in his hand, and the presentation kicks off behind him.
Tyler dives in. His pitch is clear and confident. He talks about torque improvement, emission reduction, battery life—all the things I want to hear, but most importantly, he backs it up with data. Simulation stats, test results, comparative analysis.
When he finishes, I lean back, studying the room before zeroing in on him. "Have we run a full test under urban and off-road conditions?" I ask. "And how does it perform against the X-series we benched last quarter?"
"The three-phase tests are already done. It beats the X-series by twelve percent in hill climbs, eight percent in torque retention." I raise an eyebrow. That's better than expected.
The room loosens up. Marketing asks about consumer sentiment. Operations wants to know if battery components can be sourced domestically. Tyler holds his ground well, flipping through slides, answering without hesitation.
We discuss it for nearly an hour. Ideas bounce. Concerns rise, but that's how good innovation takes shape. I glance at my watch. Time's up. I scan the room before standing, tucking my hands in my pockets. "Keep testing," I say. "I want weekly updates."
I nod at Tyler, button my jacket, and walk out with Stella behind me. After the meeting, I don't head back to my office right away. Instead, I decide to do my rounds. Routines like this remind people I'm watching.
"You've got a call with the legal team at two. And procurement is requesting a quick sit-down about those late transmission supplies from Ohio."
"Push legal to 2:30. I want to stop by assembly first." We pass through the upper hallway, glass panels showing the production floor below. Rows of assembled engines glint under industrial lights, workers in uniform moving like clockwork.
Stella works on the iPad, jotting down reminders while I scan the scene.
"Morning, sir!" One of the floor supervisors spots me and stands straighter. I give him a nod. "How's the output looking today?" I ask, walking down the metal staircase into the main bay.
