Page 89 of Executive Decision

“I’m sorry, but… you brought one of the Delphine girls back here?”

“Lanie is here literally all the time, Mom.” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“But not at yourbrother’sinvitation.”

“I made an introduction. That’s all,” I lied. “Chloe is taking over the shares David willed me for the company.”

“David willed you shares?”

I winced. I left that out.

“He did.”

Mom shook her head. “And you’re… what? What is this? Why are you helping that girl?”

“Because Davey is running the damn company into the ground.”

“Yeah, that’s all it is.”

I slapped Chloe’s arm playfully. “You’re really testing my patience, kid.”

“Kid? Daphne’s what… eight years my senior? Get over yourself, Cal.”

“What is going on?” Mom grew serious. “Calvin, if you are… entangled with that girl… so help me.”

“If I am, it’s none of your business, Mom.”

“No, itis. Because you brought her into my house, she’s still married, and she’s just as pretentious as her mother. You couldn’t bother to find someone… less complicated?”

“Last I heard he wasn’t engaged to her, so calm down,” Chloe said.

I said, “I will remind you that Lanie is a frequent guest and you don’t react this way to her.”

“Lanie and her mother do not get along. She’s different. I don’t think she is a spy. Daphne is?—”

I countered, “What, Mother? A well-educated, ambitious woman trying to do right by her family’s company? I would expect you’drespectthat as a woman who had to?—”

“I built a brand fromnothing. She was David’s precious favorite child—a princess. She’s never worked for anything. What did she do? Lie on her back and play politician’s wife to no avail for years? I heard she couldn’t even give him a child and that was?—”

I pounded the kitchen island with my fist. “Mother, so help me if you say another unkind, false thing about Daphne, I will lose it! I will leave and I won’t be back.”

She fell silent, surprised I spoke up. I rarely got animated. Usually, I was a good boy who let her rant. Daphne was different. She did nothing to my mother and deserved none of her anger.

“Be kind,” Tim reminded. “Sweetheart, she’s just a girl. You’d hate anyone to describe Chloe like that, right?”

“What do you see in her?” Mum glared, ignoring Tim’s reasonable question.

“She cares about me,” I answered. “And… I have feelings for her. So, you can give up your hope that I will move on.”

Mom groaned.

“As for her marriage, he was an abusive dickhead. And the reason she didn’t have kids is not any of your business, but it isdeeplypainful for her. She’s good to me. Would you rather me be lonely, Mother?”

Mom sighed, annoyed. “When Danna finds out you’re having an affair with her precious daughter?—”

“We’re not having an affair,” I said. “That’s a silly way to describe a consensual relationship between two unattached adults.”

“She’smarried.”

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