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He knows.
After my grandfather stepped down as CEO and became the honorary chairman, my father took his place. My uncle is the COO and, honestly, I expect him to step down sooner than my father since he prefers his extended family’s company and was never as ruthless a businessman as Dad or Grandpa.
I need them both gone so I can do things my way. Something neither of them will give me unless I fight for it.
And fight I will.
I pretend to take a sip of the champagne, measure my words—ironically, a trait he taught me—then smile. “If you have a choice between being loved and hated, it’s better to be hated.”
“Not if we need to expand the business. And this isn’t the Roman Empire.”
“I’ll handle it.”
He raises a dark, sardonic brow. “Will you, now?”
“Trust me, Dad.” I squeeze his shoulder.
“I don’t trust your destructive methods.”
“They won’t be used unless absolutely necessary.”
He shakes his head, a mysterious look taking refuge in his eyes. “If you don’t focus and step up your game, Landon will come after your position.”
“That prick hasn’t taken a business class in his life and is more content sculpting statues and pretending the entire population are peasants who should start a cult to worship him. How could he ever be a threat to me?”
“He’s studying for an MBA at Harvard. We both know he’ll speed through it like lightning and roll back in here for your throne, even if it’ll be purely out of spite and to prove himself to Levi and my father.”
I grind my teeth. Just another complication to add to the list of fucked-up nonsense I have to deal with lately.
For the sake of my sanity, I blame a blue-eyed, pink-obsessed little minx who gives me a hard-on with a single glare.
“You’re going about this entirely the wrong way,” my father tells me matter-of-factly.
Though I respect the hell out of him, I seriously loathe that knowing look he directs at me as if he has me all figured out.
“Humor me,” I say with no emotion. “Is this concerning business decisions?”
“It’s more related to the reason you’re losing concentration.”
“No idea what you’re insinuating.”
“Marriage is not a joke, a bet, or a way to inflate your mega-sized ego.”
“Took that last one from the best.” I wink at him.
He doesn’t smile. “The moment you think you’re in a competition with your wife, you’ve already lost, son.”
“We’re not in a competition.” Except for the fiery back and forth that somehow ends up happening whenever we’re in the same room.
“What did I tell you before?” It’s his turn to squeeze my shoulder. “Women need space. Doesn’t matter if it’s an illusion or if you can confiscate it whenever you wish. It’s the gesture that matters.”
“Ava would take that space, drown it with alcohol, fill her nose with white powder, then drive her car over a cliff while laughing like a maniac. She needs discipline,notspace.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He drops his hand. “Let’s get this over with.”
“What?” I nudge him. “Can’t wait to go home to Mum?”
“Some of us actually miss our wives. I certainly prefer her company over this charade.”
