Page 22 of Built to Last

I don’t have a choice. Beyond my own self-respect, there are other things to consider. “He’s got a fiancée, and I don’t need to bring a bunch of drama to the set. This is Ani’s first big project, and she’s taking a chance on me.”

I don’t like the thought that Ivy’s right and last night was the first time in forever that I relaxed and enjoyed myself. Right up until the moment I realized he was keeping things from me. Important things.

Ivy nods and sits back. “All right, then. I’ll handle the moms. You concentrate on making Banover Place pretty. I wonder what it’ll sell for when you’re done?”

Millions. Millions that will help Ani’s new country.

I try to relax and think about the good I’ll be doing. Whatever it takes to get my mind off that man.

Chapter Eight

I sit at the desk I keep in the small office where we handle all the administrative things that come with running a construction company. There’s a larger warehouse outside the city where we keep equipment, but this space is where we do things like payroll and meeting with potential clients.

And worrying about the fact that I have a board meeting coming up in a few months and half the family is irritated with me because I won’t give them money we don’t have.

Like my cousin, Claire, who sits across from me wearing more designer wear than a single person should own. It’s a mishmash of brands. Chanel bag. Prada shoes. A Dolce and Gabbana jacket. Dior sunglasses. I don’t even want to think about the jewelry. “But the sorority fees are due. What am I supposed to do?”

She’s a college student. I think she’s studying fashion, but what she mostly does is whine.

“You can’t allow Claire to be out on the streets.” Unfortunately, she knows how to get under my skin since she brought my mother along.

“She won’t,” I point out. “She’ll be in a dorm, or better yet, she can live at home and commute to school. Her mom lives across the river. It’s literally three subway stops away.”

This brings out a gasp in both my cousin and my mother. Like I’ve asked her to battle her way through a pack of werewolves to get her higher education.

“I stayed in a dorm last semester,” Claire says. “I’m not doing it again. I need to be in Tau Alpha Kai. It’s for my career.”

“It’s for her career,” my mother parrots.

Where was she when I wanted to study architecture? She hadn’t cared about the career path I wanted to take. She told me my father didn’t work all his life to have me turn my back on him. “She can be in the sorority and not live in the house. Look, I know our dads used company funds for things like this.”

“It’s called dividends,” Claire protests. “Daddy used to say it was all our money.”

“Yeah, well all our money is now going to the IRS.” I’m tired. The last eight days have weighed on me. I tried to get to Banover Place to do some prep, but I’ve been forced to put out fire after fire here at work.

And I got a peek at a European gossip sheet. It had a picture of Reid and Britta in a café in Ralavia. I think it was taken the next day. The paper’s headline said it all. It’s Back On.

I have to see him soon, and I am not looking forward to it.

“I don’t understand,” my mother says. “This didn’t happen when your father was in charge. When he was in charge everyone got what they needed.”

“Yes, he did it by not paying taxes,” I reply, though I explained this a million times. “I had to sell equipment to keep us from getting taken over by the government. I had to sell stock. My personal stock. Our aunt now has it. I’m sorry, Claire. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I’ll handle this for you, sis.” Paul stands in the doorway, wearing a button-down and slacks. He’s in for a client meeting, or at least that’s what he told me. I suspect he’s here to make me look as bad as possible in front of his overly privileged sister. Who has a fifteen percent stake in the company as one of her father’s heirs. Paul had been given more, but they don’t have enough between them to challenge me alone. I’m the majority holder, but there are some other relatives who hold small shares. Luckily most of them understand business. He tried to wrestle control away before, but I held him off.

Still, I’m not fighting this battle today. “Good for you. See, Claire, Paul is going to pay for you to stay in a way overpriced apartment so you can make contacts with the people you drink too much with. All’s well that ends well.”

My mother huffs. “It shouldn’t be like this. Harper, both you and Paul’s educations were paid for by the company disbursements.”

“Would you like to check the accounts, Mom? I can show you where we’re running light on cash. We’ve been undercut by some of the bigger companies recently, and I’m still digging out of the IRS debacle Dad left behind.”

She stands, her shoulders going back. “You should have respect for the dead. Your father ran this company the best way he knew how. So did your uncle.”

“Our parents made sure we always had what we needed.” Paul has to chime in. “And I wonder if we’re getting undercut or if we’re not making the right impression with new clients.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I have to ask since he’s obviously talking about me. I’m the forward face of the company.

He shrugs. “It means we’ve lost bids, and I don’t think it’s all about money. Make of that what you will. Come on, Claire. Let’s go back to my office and we can talk. I’m not going to make you drop out of school.”

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