Page 103 of Emergence and Ascendance

"I choose to let my character speak for me and not my father's name."

I grinned. "That right there is exactly what I mean, but it's not just his name. You're a Whitney whether you like it or not. You can't deny who you are and you shouldn't."

"I'm not denying that I'm a Whitney. I just don't want people to mistake what's given with what's earned. The development division of Whitney International is all mine. It's a reflection of my hard work and my vision. I've spent the last twenty-two years proving that."

"You damn sure have. You've earned the respect and the name. You can't make people feel or believe what they choose not to, so fuck their opinions. Embrace the name."

"Is that your mindset?"

"Now, yes. It hasn't always been though. My family is connected to things that are respected but not always by respectable people. There was a time when I did everything in my power to prove I was more than the legacy my father created. But now I just don't give a fuck. The Devereaux name is what I make it. It's the legacy I create. I am not my father but there are some people who will only ever accept me as his son."

Her eyes narrowed a little then she smiled. "Sounds like you're encouraging me to lean into my privilege as a Whitney."

"I am."

Her smile expanded. "I'll keep that in mind when I'm negotiating with you about your Aston Martin."

I laughed and shook my head. "Nah, fuck that. My car is not up for negotiation."

"I'm a Whitney and we get what we want."

"With everything but my damn car."

I looked up and noticed my team moving down the platform with a cart which held our dinner. As soon as they reached us, I was handed an envelope, which I extended to Scotlyn.

"What's this?"

"You asked why we were having dinner out here. The answer is in there." I motioned to the legal sized envelope in her hands and watched while she opened it and removed the documents.

She flipped through them, frowned, then her eyes landed hard on me. "This is the deed to the property I purchased."

"It is." I kept my eyes on her while hers narrowed more.

"You agreed to stay out of the way."

"Look at the name on the paperwork, Scot. It's yours, not mine. You own this." I lifted my hand and circled a finger in the air. She dropped her eyes to the paperwork and flipped through the pages again, examining them more thoroughly.

"Then I'm confused on how and why you have this?"

"You're facing off with your father tomorrow. That finalizes the deal. This waterfront property is officially yours. The permits in there give you a green light to start construction immediately. There's not a damn thing he can do to get in your way outside of changing the branding. Whether or not it needs to fall under Whitney International, even if that's the case, you own it, clean and free of his reach."

"But how did you get this? It takes at least thirty days but more like sixty considering all the permits required to have access to the water."

I smiled arrogantly. "List it under the Christian makes shit happen thing. We're having dinner tonight to celebrate this milestone for you. I figured there was no better place to celebrate than the location of the actual milestone."

She stared at me for another moment then grinned. "I still have to deal with the board."

"You've got that shit covered. Consider it done. So tonight, we're celebrating." I lifted my glass, extended it in the air, and motioned to hers. She lifted it as well and we met in the middle of the table over the food my staff was setting up. "Congratulations on your first solo development, Scotlyn."

"Thank you." We touched glasses then drank.

"We're going to have dinner then I'm going to see how many times I can make you cum before the sun comes up."

"Christian." She choked on her wine and her eyes darted to the woman removing our dinner from the cart, placing it on the table. She ducked her head but grinned and Scotlyn looked mortified.

"I pay very well for discretion. She didn't hear anything."

She narrowed her eyes and I chuckled and waited for them to leave before I continued.

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