Page 45 of Sapphire Sunset

“I see it…I’m watching it. I’m watching the news.”

“It’s bad, Connor. It’s real bad. Your uncle used the securitycamera system at the hotel to blackmail the guests. Theguests. Ican’t believe it. I can’tbelievethat man.”

“I know, but what can we do? We don’t have anything to dowith the hotel.”

“It’s not that simple, sweetie. Listen, I’m sending a car toyour apartment in an hour.”

“What? Where are you?”

“I was in LA for a conference, but I’m headed down to OrangeCounty now. I’m not going to stay at the resort because the place is chaos now,but I’ll be nearby at Jan’s in Corona del Mar.”

“Okay, butme, Mom. Where is this car taking me? Idon’t understand what’s happening.”

“Teterboro. I got you a flight.”

“Teterboro?” he asked. “What airline?”

“It’s a private plane, Connor. The last commercial flightsfor the West Coast were all booked. I can’t risk putting you on standby. Weneed you here for a meeting first thing in the morning. This is anall-hands-on-deck situation.”

Needs. Meetings. All hands on deck.In Connor’smind, those words didn’t fit alongside Sapphire Cove.

“Mom, I’ll provide you with any support that you need duringthis, but I have nothing to do with Sapphire Cove, and neither do you, to befrank. We should steer clear of this. This is Rodney’s mess.”

“It’s not that simple, Connor.”

“I’m listening.”

“Look, a lot of things changed while you were gone. A fewyears ago, your grandfather amended the rules of the family trust that owns thehotel. They inserted a morals clause for the GM position.”

“For Rodney.”

“Precisely. And a criminal allegation with charges filed atthis level—it’s a blatant violation of the clause. It doesn’t matter if Rodney’sinnocent. It doesn’t matter if he’s eventually exonerated, and it doesn’tmatter if he goes to trial and prevails. Rodney will never run Sapphire Coveagain as of today. His lawyer just got a letter to that effect from the trustmanager.”

Fired,he realized. His mother was telling him thathis shitbag uncle had basically been fired.

“Who will?” Connor asked.

“You will, Connor, or it will be sold to an outsidecompany.”

In a daze, Connor almost stepped off the curb and in front ofa speeding cab by mistake. The cab whizzed by, and he barely flinched from thebackdraft.

He had a vague sense that he was standing, but he could nolonger feel his legs.

“Mom.” It was more like a gasp.

“I know. It’s a lot. And to be frank, God love Grandpa Dan,but I didn’t approve of this because I knew the position it would put you in.But heavens above, I never expected it to go down like this. Or this damnsoon.”

“Mom.” There was more breath in it this time, but he stillsounded like he’d run a marathon.

“One step at a time. Pack a bag, get some things together.Try to throw down some food or something before the car gets there. I don’tknow if they’ll have food on the plane. To be honest, for the price I’m payingfor this thing, they should feed you a milkshake that adds fifty years to yourlife.”

“Pack a bag?” Connor asked. “Pack for what? I mean, you’reasking me to walk away from my life?”

“No, Connor, I’m not. I know it may seem like that, but I’mnot. I’m asking you to make a choice. And it will beyourchoice. ButI need you to make it in an informed way, and I need you to make it inconsultation with the attorneys and financial advisors who manage the trust.Can you do that for me?”

He tried to answer, but he couldn’t find his voice.

Sold. As much as he’d tried to divorce himself fromSapphire Cove, the idea of it being sold to an outside company still made apart of his soul feel hollow.

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