Page 5 of The Exception

I clenched and unclenched my fists. Now was not the time to dwell on that. I couldn’t change the past; I needed to focus on the future.Myfuture vision for the company.

Certain members of the board, led by Donahue, had been trying to oust me as CEO and replace me with someone outside the family. And I wasn’t going to let it happen. My grandfather had entrusted the Huxley Grand empire to me, and I intended to hold on to it until I was ready to step down. And considering the fact that I was only forty-four, I had no intention of resigning any time soon.

I’d been running this company for the past fourteen years, but the brand was in my blood. I’d grown up hearing about the hotel business, about profit and loss statements, for as long as I could remember. And while, yes, thirty was a bit young to take over as CEO, I’d known the company—the industry—inside and out.

And my success as CEO proved it. I’d helped steer the company to greater wealth in more locations across the globe, while focusing on the luxury and sustainability our brand was known for. I’d increased profits. We consistently received the highest ratings of employee satisfaction in the entire hospitality industry. Probably in no small part because we paid the highest salaries, and we attracted the best, most diverse talent. Our company culture valued inclusion and innovation. This brand and what it stood for were my everything.

Donahue didn’t understand. Could never understand.

He’d joined the board five years ago, and he’d had very distinct opinions about how things should be run. He came from an IT background, and he had a different mentality. He preferred to fail fast and break shit, whereas I was focused on maintaining the legacy and prestige of the brand.

I entered the conference room, and Donahue’s attention snapped to me. I tried not to smirk. So maybe Ididlike surprises, so long as I wasn’t on the receiving end.

“Graham?” Fred jerked his head back. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”

“Helicopter, actually.” I slid into my place at the head of the table. “But I would never miss a board meeting, let alone an emergency one.”

His face reddened, and he opened his mouth. I braced myself for his tirade, but Danika placed her hand on his arm as if to soothe him. Silence him.

Mm. Interesting. I supposed that answered my question. Danika must be the other board member who’d called for an emergency meeting.

Carson switched on the projector, and I scanned the rest of the board members, trying to determine who else might be in on this little political maneuver. My younger brother Jasper appeared on the screen, his shirt unbuttoned and his hair wet. He’d flown to Mexico a week ago to finalize everything for our soft opening. Palm trees swayed in the background, and I tapped my fingers on my thigh beneath the table. He looked irresponsible. Like the billionaire playboy everyone expected. I knew that wasn’t entirely fair or true, but he couldtrynot to feed into their low expectations of him.

A minute later, our sister Sloan joined us. Her clothes were rumpled, and she was slightly out of breath.Unprofessional.

I needed to have a talk with the two of them. Because clearly, they didn’t understand how precarious our current situation was. We were on the verge of a coup by the board.

But Jasper had been acting strangely ever since he’d gone to London to stand in for Sloan while she’d taken her annual sailing trip. And Sloan had been floating on cloud fucking nine ever since she’d married Jackson. I was happy for her, truly. And I liked Jackson, respected him. But did they have to be so sickeningly in love?

Maybe I just didn’t get it. Would never get it. Hell, I’d been told by women in the past that I was incapable of love. I hadn’t wanted to listen, but when you heard something enough times, you tended to believe it.

“Everyone’s here,” I said, eager to end this farce of an “emergency” meeting. It was likely nothing more than a chance for Fred to stir up shit, as usual.

Fred stood, a sort of smug self-importance surrounding him and ballooning out. God, I couldn’t wait to get out of here. “Thank you all for being here. I called this emergency board meeting because there’s been a significant and sudden drop in our stock price.”

I sat back in my chair. “Yes, it dropped, but it’s not unprecedented. There was a scandal. We will weather it. And we will come out stronger.”

I was trying to downplay the scandal, but it still rankled. Last year, allegations had been made that the brand wasn’t taking the privacy and security of high-profile guests seriously enough. And rightly so. Paparazzi had slipped past security multiple times, as had someone who’d wanted to harm my sister, Sloan. The situation was now well in hand, thanks to her husband, Jackson.

Then we’d been the target of a sting operation to uncover escorts. Claims that Huxley employees had looked the other way. Or worse—actively recruited escorts to fill seats at our bars and clubs.

I’d been questioned about my knowledge, not that I’d known a damn thing about it. It had been a fucking mess, and it had shaken investor confidence. It had certainly made me question some things about how our locations were being run, and I’d kept a closer eye on operations ever since.

“Mm.” Fred tilted his head, and I wanted to punch him in the face. “This was not a slight dip. It was a significantplummet. If we don’t do something, and soon, it could go even lower.”

Great.I just loved when members of the board resorted to scare tactics without considering the full picture. But if stock prices dipped low enough, they could force a vote to oust me as CEO.

“I understand that you’re concerned. We’re keeping an eye on it.”

“Keeping an eye on it?” he spluttered. “So you want us to just sit here and watch as the company tanks.” Fred flung the words at me. “Spend even more money on overpriced and ill-considered new developments? People are saying that the brand is outdated and elitist. That it’s run by a cold, heartless billionaire.”

I frowned. “Who’s saying that?”

He pointed at the screen, where an image of me was displayed on the cover of a widely circulated, prestigious business magazine. In bold letters over the image were the words, “Cold. Heartless. Billionaire.”

Fuck.

I needed to get my hands on a copy of that article.

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