Page 100 of Unwritten Rules

There was no way anyone in this world was clean, and I had to swallow the pill that my mother was one of them.

Both men were so unsettled by my brazen speak as if they’d never seen my mother. I’ve seen the stuff about my mom.Brutal businesswoman. With me being dreadfully behind on knowledge, needing to learn everything about my world, now was not the time to be unsettled.

“There are a few details Mr. Caldwell and I need to discuss before the board returns.”

Mr. Legal Counsel, a.k.a Mr. Caldwell, cleared his throat. “I have been your mother’s legal counsel for what seems an eternity. When she first got started, Mr. Vaughn offered her whatever she wanted in exchange for the temporary usage of certain properties at preorganized dates and times. This kept things under wraps while forming a strong bond with the two and creating a god-like level above their competitors and just about everyone else. The two weren’t on top for no reason. When he offered her this proposal, she took it withnohesitation.”

I shook my head, wondering what made her say yes to something like this. “Why didn’t she just say no and start a company like everyone else?”

Evans shifted in his seat and fidgeted with his hands. “Well, Augustus Vaughn technically gave your mother the leg up in her world to build an empire. How else could a woman with a background like hers be able to become one of the wealthiest women in the world so quickly? She wanted that for herself, and she took that offer with no hesitation. He saw what she could become and how it could be mutually beneficial.”

Brent’s grandfather was the devil my mother made a deal with. He dragged her into a criminal underworld, dangling success in front of her face like a carrot. I wondered if Brent would try the same with me–unless he already was.

I drummed my fingers on the table in anxiety and anticipation. My heart thumped and I was becoming flustered. “Leg up–what do you mean by that?”

“Opportunities. Connections. Cash flow,” Caldwell replied. “What it takes to be the one percent of the one percent is what she had, and he provided her every resource to do so. She was wonderfully poised, a classy woman with a great mind for business. That’s what drew Mr. Vaughn to offer such a deal to her, which is no easy feat to get noticed by the man who holds a monopoly on a lot of the world. He knew she could handle matters with a feminine smile on her face while remaining ever discreet about it all.”

But she was a kind, loving woman... There was no way my mother was the type of person everyone was describing. Then again, I didn’t know her before I was born. She was thirty-seven when she had me. Thirty-seven long years as a woman without a child and a vision for the future.

She just lived a double life with me.

“All of this,” I breathed in, “was before she had me?”

“She started kicking up dust in the business world the day she turned twenty-one.”

Just like she willed me to do as her dying wish. Was she emulating her own life in mine with her plans? It felt weird to put that on your own daughter, but it seemed I might not have known her as well as I thought.

I resigned from learning any more until a later date. My head was spinning and throwing up again was not in my plans. Getting caught up with current events in the company was more imperative but felt more normal than talks about criminal enterprises and deals with the devil.

The suits flowed back into the room, getting comfortable in their seats again. Adjusting ties, sitting back in chairs, and getting ready for important matters.

“We are at a pivotal moment in the company,” Evans said from the projector screen at the opposite side of the room. “Our top priority is easing Miss Montgomery into her leadership position and continuing on with our company mission: connecting discerning clients with unique properties and exceeding expectations–every time.”

A manila envelope was handed to me ceremoniously. “A write up for you, Miss Montgomery. This outlines our most current events, important relationships held, market trend research, and other key details I felt were important for you to browse at your convenience.”

I swallowed the uncertainty in my throat. “Thank you, Mr...”

“Jones. Executive director at your service.”

I nodded and tucked the envelope into my lap while feeling eyes on me. What secrets I could find inside this envelope had me in no rush to find out. James would take me over it later.

Evans ran the meeting. We covered current and future marketing trends among luxury real estate and what we’ve been experiencing with consumers, key demographic shifts in certain countries for opportunities, government regulations and changes coming in the next year, how the company will continue to move forward with these in mind, and political situations in certain countries to be aware of.

I took explicit notes like I was in school.

What the hell was my mom doing at twenty-one where she could have handled all this?

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