Page 24 of Shattered Souls
Through the glass wall of the conference room, I can see my father standing in front of the gathered crowd, addressing them as I quietly open the door and slip inside.
“—Reassure everyone that, while I’m back, it’s purely in an advisory role.” Hands in the pockets of my suit pants, I lean against the back wall as I listen to my father’s fake speech of remorse and how he’s all about making amends for his past mistakes. “While I am mostly here to help my son adapt to the role of CEO,” my father continues, fully aware of how every word undermines my position as everyone’s fucking boss, “I want to remind you all that the transition from being an heir to a leader is a daunting one. Not everyone is equipped to handle such a monumental task, especially without a guiding hand. Any one of you is welcome to approach me if you have any questions or concerns—or if you feel the need for a more experienced perspective. After all, it’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure that the company remains on solid ground during this, shall we say, delicate phase.”
My teeth grind, and I shoot lasers at him from across the room.
He pauses, his eyes scanning the crowd as he meets each person’s gaze as if to solidify his position as the go-to authority. “Rest assured, my priority is, and always will be, the stability and prosperity of this company. Sometimes that means stepping in where I’m needed… whether or not my son realizes it.” He gives the room a beaming, charismatic smile that I’m two seconds from punching off his face. “Anyway, I have taken up enough of your time. It’s great to be back, and I look forward to catching up with old acquaintances and meeting the new faces I see today.”
Everyone murmurs their acknowledgment of my presence as they file out of the conference room until only me and my father are left.
“I had already addressed all the employees and advised them of your new…role.”
“Yes, well. I felt it was prudent that I make my own introductions.”
“That went a little beyondintroductions.” It takes serious effort to keep the cool, calm facade he dons so well. I’m furious. Raging. I don’t know why I’m shocked, but I’mshockedthat he dared to pull a stunt like that. That he thinks he can just come back and undermine me and worm his way back into CEO of this company.
This company thatIbuilt after he destroyed it. The one I’ve nurtured and fostered until it became stronger and more profitable than it ever was under his care. I scoff to myself. I knew his pretty words at that parole board were bullshit. My father wants only one thing: control. Control over everyone and everything in his environment.
“This is not a new ordelicatephase. I’ve been doing this job for a long time now. I’ve gotten pretty good at it, actually.”
He makes a derisive noise of disagreement. “You’re a child playing at being a grown-up. You might have kept the company afloat, but you have no idea what it takes to run a business of this size long-term.” He runs a hand down the front of his impeccable, designer suit. It is one that I don’t recall him having before his incarceration, so it must be new. “Now that I’m back, the board members will want a more experienced person to have a prominent say.”
“You’re back in anadvisory role,” I remind him. “One that does not require you to call last-minute board and exec meetings, especially without running it past your CEO first.”
Bertram scoffs. “I presumed you had much more important business to attend to. God knows when I was in your shoes, I did.”
“I do things a little differently,” I retort stiffly. However, nothing I say will prevent this argument from going around in circles. Instead, I pivot. “You’ve just gotten your life back. I’m sure Lydia would love to spend time with you—rekindle your marriage. The two of you should take a few months—goto Europe or lounge on a beach on some Caribbean island.” Anywhere that gets the two of them the fuck away from here. “Enjoy the free life.”
“Since when have you known me tolounge on a beach?” My father drawls, voice dripping with absolute disgust.
Sadly, never.
“You deserve time for yourself. To… acclimate,” I hedge, softening my tone. My father has always responded better to submission. “You’ve always put me and this company first,” I say, trying to seem like the caring son worried about his father.
“Last I checked, it still said Van Doren above the door. That means it is afamilybusiness.” There’s a tick in his jaw, and when the next words spew from his lips, I imagine they took great effort to phrase. “While you’ve done an adequate job in my absence, you’re still just a kid. You haven’t even graduated college, for Christ’s sake. You can’t seriously expect to be able to handle the rigorous demands and convoluted problems of a multi-million dollar company.”
In the past, I’d have believed him. Believed he knew what he was talking about with all his many years of running the company. Believed he had my best interests at heart.
Now, I know he’s incapable of caring about anyone other than himself.
I should feelsomethingat that acknowledgment. Some sort of loss for the father I thought I knew. Instead, I feel absolutely nothing beyond cold detachment.
He’s done so much to hurt me, to try and destroy Riley, that any vestige of the man I once respected is gone. All that's left is this empty shell. A manipulative, selfish bastard who only thinks of himself. The mask he always wears no longer works on me, and instead, when I look at him, all I see are the years of lies, deceit, and cruelty.
I want him out of my life, permanently. Out ofourlives. He’s a poison, a cancer that needs to be cut out so we can finally start to heal. I don’t need his approval, his guidance, or his love. I never did. Maybe I wanted it, relied on it after I was left to sink or swim in the shitshow he left me to handle after his arrest. However, with crystal clear clarity, I realize I’ve accomplished everything I have on my own. He’s never loved me, and any approval I obtained was a reflection on him. There was a time when I counted on his guidance, but those days are long gone. Despite what he believes, I have grown into my role as CEO. That’s not to say I won’t make mistakes, won’t get things wrong, and fuck up. But I’ll learn from them and do better in the future.
What I need now is to protect the people I care about. To protect Riley from whatever nefarious plans he’s brewing and ultimately build a life free from his shadow. That’s all that matters. That’s all that’s ever mattered.
“We should schedule a meeting to discuss youradvisory role,” I state, hating that I must deal with him at all. However, I’m done letting him call the shots.I’mthe one in control here, and it’s past time my father realized that. “I’ll get Stacey to check my calendar and get back to you with a suitable date and time. Until then, I suggest you keep a low profile in the office while people adjust to your unexpected return.”
Not giving him a chance to respond, I pull open the glass door and stride out of the conference room.
8
RILEY
The thump of a backpack hitting the seat beside me jolts me out of my daydreaming. Although, is it daydreaming when all your thoughts resemble a nightmare?
Blinking, I stare absently across the tables—some occupied but most empty—and book stacks that comprise the Halston U library.Right, I came here to study.Coming to campus had sounded like a good idea this morning. Anything to get out of that house, to distract myself…
