Page 167 of Temporary Vows

“What does that have to do with the company?”

“I’ve told you before, this company is not just about money. It’s about family. Legacy. People. You’re finally beginning to understand that.”He nods. “No matter how good you are, you cannot build an empire alone. Men like us like to think power is enough. It isn’t. The things built to last are held up by more than ambition.”

My shoulders relax. “I hear you.”

“Dorian, I can see you’re a different man from the one who stood here months ago. Today you came in here ready to walkaway from all of this for your wife. That is the kind of man I want running my company.”

“Means you have the COO job next year when I head to England. You don’t have to worry about that anymore. I wanted to see you because this situation is clearly the mole again.”

I feel like I just woke up in an alternate dimension. But in a good way. “I have the job?”

He nods once. “I think you won me over from the moment you chose Elodie, and you put your foot down then too.”

“I did do that.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “I made mistakes with you boys when you were growing up,” he says, his voice lower now. “I stayed with your mother too long. And by the time I faced what she was, the damage had already been done. I couldn’t undo it then, and I can’t undo it now.”His jaw tightens before he looks at me again. “But one thing I can do now is make sure you don’t learn the wrong lesson from my failures. Love was never my downfall, Dorian.”

“Wasn’t it?” I ask, my voice softer than usual.

“No. It was pride, denial, and waiting too long for someone to change when they had no intention of changing.”

I nod slowly, understanding him better.

“As for this new incident, I don’t know what we’re going to do. It doesn’t seem like this person is going away.”

“My people were waiting for the mole to strike. They’re looking into it.” Salvatore was one of the first people to call me when the story broke, letting me know he was investigating straightaway. “It’s been a tricky situation. They’ve been ingrained in our lives for so long, they’re hard to root out.” That’s what Salvatore had said.

“I understand. I just want it done.”

I’m about to answer when my phone rings in my pocket. “I have to take this.”

He nods.

I retrieve my phone and see Salvatore’s name flashing on the home screen. I answer at once.

“Hey,” I say.

“I got news for you. I found the mole.”

“You did?” I look at my father and give him a thumbs up, indicating I have good news.

His face brightens.

“I did. But you’re really not going to like this.”

“Tell me.”

* * *

The boardroom is already full when I walk in.

My brothers are on the left side of the long table. Knox catches my eye and gives me a subtle nod. I acknowledge him.

On the right side, Parker sits with that practiced calm of his, one hand resting on the table like he's posing for a corporate headshot. Uncle Richard is beside him, his reading glasses perched on his nose as he flips through something on his tablet. Their assistants flank them like matching bookends.

Albert is here too, along with my brothers’ assistants.

Dad stands at the head of the table, hands braced on the back of his chair. I know what he’s like. He hasn’t taken his seat yet because he’s too angry to sit.