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A knock sounded on his door.
“Come in.”
Alicia Hunter walked in. Even though she was nearly sixty, Alicia still commanded attention whenever she walked into a room, including the executive board she had served on for over thirty years, most recently as chair. From her trademark pant suits in vivid, jewel-toned colors to her short cap of silver hair that showcased her smooth dark skin and polished cheekbones to perfection. Her leadership and knowledge of shipping were legendary but so was her signature style.
That she had also played hide-and-seek with him when his father had brought him to the office as a child had added an amusing touch to their working relationship.
“Welcome back, Griffith.”
“Thank you.”
She tilted her head to one side. “You look good.”
He arched a brow. “Really?”
“Yes.” Her eyes narrowed as her gaze swept him from head to toe, assessing with a touch of maternal warmth. “Word is you’re actually talking to people.”
“I talked with people before.”
“Not like this. You were always respected around here.”
“But not particularly well-liked.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t a matter of liking. You just didn’t do much to get to know the people who worked for you.”
Because he had been focused on other things. Namely himself.
“Something I’m working on.”
“It suits you.” She moved to his desk and set her tablet down so he could read the screen. “The press conference is in twenty minutes. Daniel and I will be onstage with you,” she said, referencing the chair of the board of directors.
“Good.”
The public relations department had recommended a formal press conference to announce Griffith’s official acceptance of his position as CEO of Lykaois Shipping after returning from his sabbatical. An event made more crucial after the media circus following Kacey’s interview.
He’d known that something like this would be coming, had resisted the idea almost as much as he had resisted signing the contract accepting his inheritance. But now, as he glanced back out over London, he felt something deeper. Determination.
He’d experienced an unexpected sense of homecoming when he’d walked into the lobby on his first day back. He’d wondered if his emotional investment in Lykaois Shipping would change once he was surrounded by people again, by the company that bore his father’s mark everywhere he looked.
Thankfully, he’d discovered that while there were still currents of grief and regret beneath the surface, they didn’t weaken his resolve or his feelings. He did care about this company. His company. The people who worked for it. The legacy his father and grandfather had crafted.
As he’d assimilated back into the environment over the past few weeks, his determination had only grown. On the few occasions he had experienced uncertainty, he’d squelched it. He could, as Rosalind had said, wallow in his own fears and misery. Or he could do something about it. And at least with the company, there were tangible measures of success he could look to, numbers and reports to create a foundation he could build from.
He slid some written notes over to Alicia. “Thoughts? Public Relations approved it. But I’d appreciate your eyes on it.”
She picked up the paper, read through it quickly. “It’s good.”
“But?”
“You don’t talk about your father a lot.”
He looked down at his desk, splayed his fingers across the surface. The same desk his father had worked from. His grandfather before him. Months ago, the significance would have been lost on him. But now he recognized it for what it was, the meaning embedded in the faint scars, the streaks in the polished wood.
If he applied himself enough, focused on the company instead of himself, he would be at least half the leader his father had been.
“I don’t think he would care for being included in any speech of mine.”
The silence felt thick, heavy. His eyes flickered up to find Alicia watching him.
