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Definitely not thinking about anything else, and certainly not thinking about Sophie.
Right now, I’m sitting at my grandmother’s bedside with my laptop balanced on crossed legs, listening in on a Zoom conference between three members of my legal team. I told them that I wouldn’t be able to speak, and they said that was fine—it’s after work hours, anyway, and I’ll see them in a conference tomorrow.
Our strategy as of right now is a supermajority defense. Legal is working to amend the company’s charter, making it so that a three-quarters majority will be required to approve any corporate mergers—or allow my father to buy control of Dynasty.
The insanity hasn’t slowed in the past week, despite all of our efforts. We might be in this for the long haul.
“Declan,” my grandmother says, “why are you on your laptop?”
“I have a meeting right now, gran,” I remind her—even though I just told her when I first arrived here. “Legal is trying to help me deal with the takeover, remember?”
She frowns, her forehead furrowing. “Oh, yes,” she says faintly. “I forgot.” She gives me a half-smile. “Don’t worry. Your father may be a bully, but he doesn’t have half your determination.”
I smile back, thin-lipped but grateful for her support. I return my attention to the legal team.
My general counsel is speaking. “We’re getting close with the supermajority,” he says. “And things have been slowing down on the attack front. If we can get the shareholders to present a united front here, we may be able to stop this thing after all.”
I settle back in my chair, folding my hands across my lap.
Our efforts are finally working.
Good.
* * *
Sophie
Arriving at work to pack up my things is the most embarrassed I have ever been at the office. It was hard enough to get out of bed this morning. It was cloudy all morning. I tried to get here early to pack up my things before everyone else showed up, but I overslept, and now I’m feeling the consequences.
If you walk to your cubicle with a big cardboard box, everybody knows what that means.
Andrea is waiting by the coffee machine when I arrive. She follows me to my cubicle expectantly. I can already see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes when she tells me, “Sophie, I was so sad to hear that you’re leaving.”
I shrug, reaching for the pictures on my desk—framed photos of my parents and me from about a year before they died. “I’m sorry to go, but it’s time.”
Mark comes up to the cubicle’s entrance next to Andrea, also looking somber. “It’s gonna be rough around here without you.”
Andrea wrinkles her nose in agreement, nodding. “You said it. You know they gave Hannah the team leader position on the social campaign now that you’re leaving, right?”
I sigh. At least Hannah’s not around right now to rub my face in it. Clearly, she doesn’t care enough about my departure to come say goodbye. “Yeah, I heard,” I say. “You know, it should’ve been you, Andrea.”
“Me?” She snorts. “No way. I mean, I didn’t even want it. I just wish it was literally anyone other than her, you know? It’s going to make her so much more insufferable.”
Mark nods, looking resigned. “If she was bad before, she’ll be that much worse as our boss.”
I gather up the potted plants at the corner of my desk and clear the office supplies out of the top drawer, packing them into my box. “You guys will be okay,” I say confidently. “You’re good at your jobs. And you’ve managed to ignore her for this long, so I’m sure it’ll be the same going forward, right?”
Andrea and Mark exchange doubtful looks. I heft my cardboard box, and they part to let me through.
“Thank you guys for the welcome you gave me here,” I say. “It’s been nice. I mean that.”
“You’re definitely going to be missed around here, Sophie.” Andrea gives me a hug, or tries to—it’s a little awkward with the box between us, but she does her best, and I get a little misty-eyed at the warmth in her voice.
As I walk back toward the elevator, Mark calls after me, “Best of luck!”
I balance the box on my hip and wave back at both of them.
Before I get to the elevator, my footsteps slow. Isn’t there someone else I should be saying goodbye to?
