1
KATHERINE
Time to put on the big girl panties, Katherine.
The New York City skyline looms large outside the hotel window, the sunrise glinting off the polished glass of the surrounding skyscrapers. Being home again is bittersweet, but I already miss Greece. The brilliant royal blue ocean, the wide open space, the sun on my skin, and the wind in my hair.
But as King reminded me on the flight home, we can go back any time we want. I’ll admit I’m tempted to call for a car right now, which is crazy considering we’ve only been stateside for a handful of hours.
After a languorous stretch, I swing my feet to the edge of the bed and check the time on my phone.
Shon will be awake, so I shoot off a quick text.
Katherine: home again smiling face with a tearemoji
King’s out for his morning training session. I made the executive decision to stay in bed a while longer. However, I fully expect room service to arrive any moment with coffee and mini boxes of cereal. King’s thoughtful like that.
With a to-do list growing by the hour, it feels like my impromptu vacation is fading. I rub the sleep from my eyes. There’s no more putting this off. It’s time to return to life and take care of business.
I tighten the belt of my robe, then navigate to my contact list and press connect on the call I’ve been dreading. I promised myself I’d stop running away. So here I am. Being responsible.
“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of,” Ronald Reyes grumbles.
Well, having your phone lost to a criminal investigation will do that,I think, in full snark mode.
I don’t say that to the chairman of Chanler & Cort’s board, though. No use reminding him of my mother’s crimes just yet.
“What can I do for you, Ronald?”
I’ve known these people since I could walk. At a certain point, I stopped calling them by their last name.
There’s a momentary pause, like he’s gathering his thoughts. Or maybe his courage. “We need youback. It’s been utter chaos since—since your mother was arrested.”
I make an understanding noise. “Yes, Charlotte said Tom Brinkley has been in touch. I’ve been out of the country.”
Thank goodness for Charlotte. Even in the chaos of us being booted to mandatory vacation, she’d held down the fort. And to no one’s surprise, my old boss—current boss?—had come calling. Several times. And apparently, he’d sounded more agitated with each call.
I’ve been letting those calls go to voicemail, but because Charlotte is in line for sainthood, she’s been dutifully recording and passing along my messages.
I’ll admit to feeling petty enough to let Tom, Ronald, and the rest of the company stew in their juices. They created the mess. They can slow-cook in it.
“Right, well, we need you to step in as president.”
I absorb his words, a fizz of tiny bubbles coursing through my veins. There it is.
The ask.
What the hell? What the actual hell? They’re insane.
Behind me, the suite door opens. I see King’s reflection in the window, and I half turn towatch him saunter toward me. He strides into the room, a coffee in each hand, and, as he gives me my cup, there’s a question in his eyes.
I give him a quick, reassuring smile to put him at ease, then return my focus to the phone call.
“President?” I quiz.
I take a slow sip of coffee, letting the creamy elixir warm me from the inside out. King spreads today’s papers out on the polished round table next to me.
“We both know you’ve been groomed for this role your whole life. The company…” He pauses, as if he’s not sure how much he should say. Or rather, admit. But I snuck peeks at the news while we were away. I know that Wall Street is losing its mind over this scandal, as it should be. Whatever he was going to say dies on his lips. “The company needs a leader. The board wants you.”
