Page 2 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

I smile. Tight. Controlled. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me crack. Not today.

"It's nice to see everyone here today. Sorry I'm late. Turns out stilettos and marble floors make for a terrible sprinting combo."

Tough crowd.

I quickly set up at the podium at the front of the room, watching my color-coded presentation glow back at me from my laptop screen.

Every bullet point is precise. Every transition flawless. It should calm me.

It doesn’t.

The bitter scent of burnt espresso curls from the desk, where my untouched cup sits like a forgotten offering.

I meant to drink it. Hell, I meant to breathe at some point. But here I am, staring down twenty meticulously crafted slides as today could be the most important day of my life.

I never thought I’d end up back here. Not in this office. Not at this firm.

Not under my father's roof, fighting for a legacy I never asked for but can’t seem to escape.

His PR firm, Prestige & Associates gleams like a monument to control.

Every polished surface, every quiet click of keyboard keys, every overachieving employee fueled by caffeine and fear.

I tug my blazer straight, trying to shake the chill crawling up my spine.

The merger of the century between Valentina Vineyards and the Salvatore Wine Group is about to dominate every headline, and I’m the one tasked with managing the PR storm before it hits.

I should be proud. Grateful. Triumphant, even.

But all I can feel is the pressure of James Henderson’s name on the walls. My father.

The weight of years we never talk about pressing against my lungs.

We haven’t had a real conversation in nearly three years. And now, I’m working for him. Again.

Worse, he asked me to take lead on the merger, and I agreed.

This is what desperation looks like.

I clawed my way up once before. I had power. Respect. Clients who trusted me to handle scandals like a surgeon. Until one didn’t.

Just the thought of him makes me want to grind my teeth.

A country music superstar with a God complex and a devil’s grin.

Something happened between us. Something I never fully understood and still can't quite name.

And I was the one left holding the fallout.

But I can’t think about that. Abouthim. Because now, here I am. Back where it started. Under my father’s banner, playing nice with people who used to whisper behind my back, all because I refuse to let my story end in disgrace.

But this merger will be my reset. My chance to prove that I’m not just back. I’m better.

And this time, I play by my rules.

I take a beat to find my footing, then step toward the front of the room. “Thank you all for being here.” My voice comes out steady, thank God. “As you know, this merger represents not only the union of two of the most iconic winemaking families in Italy, but also a billion-dollar opportunity to reshape the luxury wine market on a global scale.”

A few heads nod. One man scribbles something in a notebook. Another sips his espresso without looking up.

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