Page 145 of The Exception

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Eight Months Later

“Can I get your advice on something?” Jasper asked.

He was sitting in his office in LA, my former office. And we were waiting for Sloan to join us on our video chat. She was still easing back into work, and I was glad she was taking time to recover and enjoy baby snuggles with the newest member of the family—Henry. He was adorable, and everyone was in love with him.

“Is it about the Thailand project?” I asked.

Jasper had taken over as CEO six months ago, and it had been a relatively smooth transition, all things considered. Once I’d explained my vision for my new role and reminded the board of all the reasons why Jasper would be an excellent leader for the brand, the vote had been overwhelmingly in favor of the plan.

The board had also stopped pushing back on my marriage to Lily, perhaps accepting that my decision to step down as CEO proved that my feelings—our marriage—were real. They’d dropped their lawsuit, and we’d come to a compromise—the ten percent of shares that I’d received from my marriage would be divided equally between me and my siblings. All ten percent would come from Donahue.

That escort scandal? The rumors had been started by him, and he’d continued to fuel them. He’d actively worked to bring down the company by spreading malicious lies about Huxley Grand locations filling its bars with escorts.

When the board discovered that—through an “anonymous tip,” of course—they’d conducted an investigation. He had been stripped of his shares for trying to sabotage the company. Not long after that, Danika sold her shares. Nate had purchased them to solidify our family’s stake in the company.

I had a strong feeling the takeover scheme had been Moretti’s plan, but I had yet to discover a direct link. And honestly, I no longer cared.

“No. Closer to home, actually,” Jasper said.

Occasionally, Jasper would ask my advice, but it wasn’t a frequent occurrence. He was holding his own, and he was doing a phenomenal job. It was as if now that I’d taken myself out of the equation, he could truly find his voice.

He’d been hesitant to take on the role when I’d first suggested it, and it made me proud to see him succeed. He might not always do things the way I did, but he was staying true to the ethos of the Huxley brand while putting his own spin on it. I only wished Pops and Gran could’ve seen all that we’d accomplished—together.

“New York?” Atlas Blackwood was developing a new property there, and it was going to be a masterpiece.

Jasper glanced away and then back at the screen before leaning in. “Halle is driving me crazy.”

I leaned back in my chair, fighting a smile. “Sounds like she’s doing a good job.”

He grumbled, and I chuckled some more.

“Don’t worry. It’s temporary. Sloan will be back in a few months, and then you won’t have to work with Halle so closely.”

Sloan’s face appeared on the screen, baby Henry asleep on her chest in a wrap. “Were you two talking about me again?” she teased, looking tired but happy.

“We were talking about Halle,” I said. “She and Jasper are having issues.”

“That surprises me. I thought the two of you got on fine while you were in London during my sailing trip the summer before last.”

Jasper said nothing, but his eye twitched.Interesting.

“Enough about me,” Jasper said. “What’s going on with the two of you?”

Sloan told us about Henry’s latest developments. Jackson and Sloan were both on three months’ paid leave, as was standard for our company after a baby was born or adopted.

Conversation turned to the château, though they were already pretty up-to-date, thanks to Lily’s YouStream channel and our frequent chats. My relationship with them was so different now that I was no longer the boss. Now that I’d released myself from the need to control everything and protect everyone. It was freeing.

When I’d stepped down as CEO of the Huxley brand, I’d stepped into a new role with Fleur-de-Lis—a recently formed subsidiary. Lily and I were developing a line of Huxley Grand properties under that umbrella—smaller, boutique resorts at historically significant properties. It had been inspired by Lily’s efforts to restore the château.

I wanted to breathe new life into older properties, restoring them while updating them with modern amenities and focusing on sustainability. For our first project, we’d selected a castle in Scotland. It was a mess, but it had so much potential. And the board had given us the green light.

Sloan, Jasper, and I discussed the new SVP, the upcoming board meeting, and then I hopped on a few more calls. By the end of the afternoon, I was impatient to be outside. It was a sunny day, and I’d much rather be working in the garden.

Finally, I signed off my last call and tugged on my boots. Prince Albert and Queen V followed me outside, sniffing the ground and exploring as we went off in search of Lily. They hung back with Luc when we crossed paths, and he told me where I could find my wife.

I leaned against the château and watched Lily from the shade of the tarp that had been erected over the roof like a canopy. Her boots were covered in dirt, and she wore a colorful scarf I’d given her for her birthday wrapped around her head. Her hat was sitting off to the side along with her water bottle, and I wondered how long she’d been at it.

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