Page 5 of Always Knew It Was You

Another one?I can hear his sneer now, as well as his exasperation.How many businesses do you have to try and fail before you learn that you just don’t have the knack for it?

Even just the thought of his admonition gets me irritated. Especially since he’s wrong. Technically, only half of my attempted businesses have failed. The others were successful at first and only failed after I lost interest, sold them, and/or deliberately sabotaged them.

But this new business venture is different. It’ll be a success; I can feel it. But convincing my father of that will be impossible, which is why I’m going behind his back to sell my hotel shares for starting capital.

“So you found out,” I say, annoyed as my eyes find Athena again. She’s resting against a wall, observing once more. I wonder if she knows she looks like a goddess amongst mortals.

“I did. Your father isn’t going to like this.”

The mention of my father has me stiffening as much as I try to hide it. Thankfully, there’s a mask shielding my expression. “What Daddy doesn’t know won’t kill him.” Technically, due to the nature of the contract, Frank Tudor and my dad are the majority stakeholders, with Declan and I being the minority. As such there are certain limitations on us selling our shares to other entities, but DuPont knew a way around it.

Frank and Dad’s idea, I know, is for both Declan and me to prove ourselves in order to eventually inherit our parents’ shares and be in full control of the Pink Hotel. Declan already did his part by renovating the hotel, much to my annoyance. I wanted him to help me sabotage our parents’ deal by obstructing the rebuilding efforts, and I initially thought it would be easy enough to get him on board. After all, Declan also thought the purchase of the Pink Hotel was stupid and he didn’t want to stay in Laketown either.

But then he had to go and fall in love with a local and that sent all my plans to shit.

As happy as I am for Declan and his future bride, his decision to go along with our dads’ plot has forced me into a difficult position.

My father already told me that it’s my turn to prove myself by handling the reopening of the hotel. Except I refuse. I have no interest in running this hotel or being my father’s errand boy. So I’m selling my shares. Declan already agreed to buy half, and now the other half is going to Ben. For some reason, Frank eyes me carefully. With black eyes set into the narrow eye holes of a black mask, he looks very menacing and I’m almost intimidated. Except that I’ve received similar glares from my father, and I’ve gotten too used to them growing up.

Frank is an interesting man. While not as strict as my father, he’s not exactly a bed of roses either. Declan is a workaholic and since he was raised solely by his father, I can only blame Frank for that.

And as an old family friend, Frank occasionally likes to pretend to be my father too. Which is why he’s here looking at me in disappointment. “Well, you know I’ll have to tell your father.”

“Do what you need to do.” I try to sound casual about it, even as bitterness curdles in my gut. I’m sure Frank’s interference is the reason why DuPont didn’t show up today despite us pretty much finalizing everything over the phone. Damn it.

There goes the last man in New York City willing and powerful enough to go against my father. Most of the other men in power are firmly within my father’s circle of friends. And the only other person I can think of who has the kind of “fuck you” money and influence to go up against Marcus Landing, is an old acquaintance from school, Toby Leviathan. Problem is, he’s a recluse who is extremely hard to reach, and even harder to convince.

“I’m sorry, Micah. But I just can’t watch someone I care about throw money away.”

“Must be why you’re the richest sixty-year-old in America.”

He snorts. “Second richest, thanks to your father’s recent acquisition.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” My father has an eye for taking failing businesses and turning them profitable and his most recent acquisition just catapulted to a billion-dollar value. “But if it makes you feel better, you look younger and better than he does.”

Frank snorts.

“Excuse me,” I say and he waves me off as I start walking away. Athena is finally alone and this is my chance. Since my night is already ruined, business-wise, I might as well have some fun. I don’t miss the fact that she, like many other women at this party, has been sending looks my way all night. That’s pretty normal for me. I’m a good-looking guy if I do say so myself and get looks pretty much anywhere I go.

But currently, Athena is the only woman here who caught my attention from the moment she walked in with that damn curve-hugging dress.

“Who is that?” I asked Declan the second she arrived with a masked woman I instantly recognized as Emma.

Declan followed my gaze and shook his head.

“That is not for you,” was all he said sternly, and that piqued my curiosity even more.

Being with a woman like that would be enjoyable enough. But messing with Declan while I’m at it would be a nice bonus too.

So I began watching Athena, keeping tabs on her movement in between my conversations. At one point, Emma left her to go to Declan but Athena didn’t seem to mind. She immediately drifted to a group of women, joining their conversation with little effort. She was like a chameleon, purposefully fitting herself into the fold and unconsciously mimicking the stance of the women beside her. Even with the mask, I saw her eyes moving over them, her lips curving as though she could read them like a book and was laughing silently at them.

Just like she’s doing now from her position against the wall.

She fascinates me. I wonder if she can read me. I wonder what she’ll see.

She seems comfortable alone, but I find myself moving to her anyway. She doesn’t look at me when I arrive, merely takes another sip of her drink.

“I have a question to ask,” I start and even though she still doesn’t look at me, I sense her pulse quickening, her breaths coming slightly faster. She’s not as unaffected as she’s pretending to be.

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