Love in the Shadows of Legacy

across from me in the private dining room

another influential board member, a

pose beyond excellent food," Robert said a

iness, exactly

moving from face to face, cataloguing their reactions as I spoke, "

acks?" Patricia'

dget changes for marketing without reviewing historical data. Just yesterday, she committed to

hat account,

sentimental he could be at times," I replied, "But sympathy isn't

uestions during the last

dent would know. Look, I'm not saying she's malicious. I'm sayi

you suggesting, Alexa

quest

at each of them, "Give her a chance, absolutely. But watch her every decision closely. A

ove her," Dav

for the employees who didn

lence for a

erests have always been your priority, Alexander. But

merits. All I'm asking is that you pay attention. And when shareholders start asking questions, when clients los

ll, I suppose increased ove

s for the good of Thompso

home, I replayed our co

the company's best

d

t protecting

parking lot, my phone buzzed a

me

Tomorrow mornin

I knew if James said it w

AM. My

r scotch and stood at the floor-to-c

t me three mi

e that money could b

e things that a

need to tell you someth

ld, standing in the h

d? Where are

s hand on m

t. A car accident. Th

, "What do you mean

t was the only time I'd ever heard Richard Tho

n years old, and felt m

ns now?" I'

hug that felt like the only so

ach you everything I know. And we ma

pt that

had filled the gap. He stoo

knew about business, strateg

t me how t

ate at night in his study. We'd been reviewing quarterly repor

chose each other

S

n't sacrifice everything for this company

else wa

y. It was Richard's life's work. It was th

ven it to some s

scotch and p

es calling, even though h

night," I

drowning in scotch and se

do you

e, "You had dinner with Hartley, Patricia, and David toni

ll did he

nner. Not y

ncern. I'm your COO, remember? Your right han

ady to go do

mes

Manipulating board members? Sabotaging Lily's schedul

This is what Richar

chard trained you to be a leader, n

deserve tha

ngry to see." James sighed. "Do you even remember what

d not

ged you. Made you laugh. Made you feel something other than obligation for the first tim

as diff

you're just pissed that reality is more

as wrong and that Lily Rose was a t

ds stuck in

ect Richard's legac

rything. And now you feel like you've lost him too. But Alexander-destroying Lily won't bring Richard

me what Richard wou

en what he actually valued." James paused. "Character, Alexander. I

ter flashed t

to succeed in business, but he lacks the

to go,

. Please." James hung up

taring at the city light

parents died. He'd given me p

l act, he'd cho

h at Grand Palms, talking an

had I last

p with an emai

r tomorrow's executi

emoved Lily from

overed over

d her back and pretend it

uld be nice to watch her scramble and

isn't

words

ecome? What if Richard had seen it and

used to laugh at my dad's terrible jokes. The w

hing for this company,"

ificed relationships, happiness, and any chan

wh

nd choice in t

ar and stared at t

it without m

how Lily handled

p toward proving she

and headed to bed, b

he way she'd challenged me at poker. The way she'd looked at me like I w

Alexa

time anyone had

last time I