Page 29 of Snapshot

“What about the Hessler Estate?”

“What about it?” Denny asks, looking puzzled.

“Honestly, you spent more time there than I ever did. It’s basically your childhood home. I want to sell it to you.”

Her jaw drops. “Dex…that’s…very generous, but you know I can’t afford?—”

“For a dollar. Or is that too steep?” I ask with a wink.

“I…um…” Tears begin to fill her eyes. “I could probably handle a dollar,” she breathes out in a whisper.

“Great. I’ll have the real estate team make arrangements. I’ll make sure we add the amount of the annual taxes to your salary, too. The property will be in much better care with you. I travel too much anyway. This is how Grandma would’ve wanted it.”

Crossing the room, she wraps her arms around my neck, her tears absorbing into my dress shirt. Leaning back, she looks me in the eye. “Sweet boy. It’s hard to believe you’re a Hessler sometimes.” She pats my cheek. “Okay, I’m off.”

With that, she’s dialing again on her phone, a little pep in her step as the new owner of a forty-million-dollar property.

7

Dex

In the matter of Hessler Group Holdings, I nominate Dex Malcolm Hessler’slegal spouseto inherit my majority shares in full, which are then to be locked from transfer or distribution for a minimum of a twelve-month period.

Just like that.One simple sentence has changed the entire trajectory of my life.

At least twenty pairs of eyes are locked on my ghost-white face, but all I can do is focus on breathing.Stay calm. Stay in control.

Looking down at the small stack of papers in front of me, I tap the line that just threatened my entire future. I lift my eyes, glaring at the lawyer across from me who has the daunting task of explaining the troublesome matter at hand.

“What the fu—” I exhale. After taking in a few more deep breaths, I collect myself and start again. “Ms. Mendel, what does this mean?” I force out, trying to maintain manners.

The lawyer gulps as I address her directly. She’s young. I bet she’s barely out of the legal bullpen. Tori Mendel. I’ve neverheard of her before today. She clarified upon her arrival that the will was revised under her guidance a couple months ago. Why would Grandma hire an executor that isn’t in-house? We pay a small fortune for a dedicated team of very experienced lawyers. Perhaps it’s because she was planning to pull the rug out from under all of us.

Tori clears her throat and speaks with confidence. “Mr. Hessler, it indicates that Hessler Group, being privately owned, has a policy that the majority shareholder of the company also assumes the role of CEO.”

“That part I understand. What’s confusing me is the part that says mylegal spouse.”

Tori sucks in her lips. “Um, so that would indicate an individual that you are legally married to. We’d need to see a marriage certificate to validate the name?—”

“Ms. Mendel, I’m not married. I’ve never been married. I have no plans to marry,” I bark out.

The boardroom is silent except for the subtle sound of people shifting in their chairs. The spread that Denny arranged for has been served, but no one is touching the little white plates in front of them filled with lavish brunch appetizers.

Denny leans forward in her chair, her elbows hitting the table. “Clearly, this is a misunderstanding.” Her voice is honey-smooth and unwavering, a direct contradiction to my current fluster. But this is what she’s constantly trying to remind me of. A good leader maintains their composure, even in the face of disaster. “Dottie must’ve put this together when Dex was in a relationship. Perhaps she made some assumptions about Dex and Leah’s future plans, but that relationship has since ended. I’m assuming as there is no one to claim the title of his legal spouse, the company inheritance defaults to the Hessler’s next of kin.” Denny gestures to me. “Hence, her grandson. Problem solved.”

I see the first flicker of agitation on Tori’s face. She barely glances in Denny’s direction and locks her gaze back on me. Folding her hands, she calmly explains, “That’s not an option. Mrs. Hessler was extremely clear about her intentions. The company will either be claimed by your legal spouse, or you forfeit the shares to a trust. Hessler Group would be without an acting CEO. And if the trust is unclaimed, the state will likely get involved after a relatively short dormancy period.”

I bury my head in my hands as I groan.Grandma? What the hell were you thinking?She knew I was nowhere close to marriage. There’s not a damn woman on the planet I’d trust to be my wife right now. And especially not one I’d hand my family’s entire company over to.

From the moment I turned eighteen, I’ve been manipulated, tricked, and possessed by women, all in attempts to obtain my wealth. Briar was the icing on the cake. Never again. I dated Leah because, after her divorce, she swore she’d never marry again either. We were in similar boats—disinterested in trusting the opposite sex again. We were comfortable with the boundaries we set. Grandma knew all of this.How could she do this to me?

“How about this?” Hank Fowler, our most senior advisor, who has sat on the board for thirty years, speaks up. His voice is grisly, a side-effect from decades of chain-smoking cigars. “What if all the shareholders in this room refused to forfeit ownership to the state? Then we could collectively vote Dex back in as our CEO.”

Hank’s thick white eyebrows are furrowed, but when he catches my glance, he smiles. A brief rush of gratitude sobers my current horror.

“Thank you, Hank.”

He bows his head in a heavy nod. “The seat at the head of the table is yours, son. Harrison and Dorothea set this companyup for you. We’re not going to let some senseless legal mumbo jumbo stand in the way.”

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