Naked (37 page)

“I’ve spent the last five years thinking I wasn’t good enough for a woman like you, but you’ve changed my mind.” He laughed at the irony of the situation. “Thank you, Violet. Thank you for reminding me that being simple and honest
is
good enough.”

He’d run headfirst into this mess. Despite the warning bells. Despite history telling him to steer clear. Later, when he picked his heart up off the floor, he was going to figure out a way to hide it away for good.

“I think you should leave.”

He couldn’t talk anymore. He just wanted to smash something else. But he’d refrain; it would just make more of a mess for him to clean up. And renovate. Again.

“Don’t forget to send me your offer. I’ll make sure my mother gives it her best consideration.”

She choked back a sob and didn’t argue. She left him the very same way she had found him. Alone, with just his thoughts, and only the walls to answer back.

Chapter 31

She had gone to see Noah to tell him she loved him. To show him what she’d been hiding under her scarf. To come clean about the purchase of the land.

And then he dropped a bomb. Or rather he’d dropped
her
bomb. The one she’d been hiding from him.

The relationship she’d been hoping to nurture had blown up in her face.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to worry about that now.

A frantic phone call from her mother had her in her car racing to Walker Industries. Her father had somehow gotten into the building and was extremely confused.

As soon as she’d stepped out of the elevator on the thirty-second floor, she heard her father yelling.

“Where’s Violet?” There was something laced in his tone, something she’d never heard before.

Terror.

When she entered the boardroom, she stopped short. She had expected to be greeted by her mother and father. Maybe Ruby. Instead, the entire board of directors was also at the table.

And they were witnessing her father go off the rails. Once he was coherent again he’d be mortified.

Her mother hovered in the corner of the room, unable to deal with the fact her husband was having a meltdown. The rest of the board members stared at the scene with equal parts sympathy and fright. She imagined watching a strong, virile man like her father collapse right before their eyes would bring up thoughts of their own mortality.

He was pointing to his cellphone, yelling that he was going to be late.

“Violet is here, Ward,” her mother said from the corner.

“Hi, Daddy.” She walked toward him, the members parting ways, making room for her to slip between and bend in front of the man she’d admired her entire life. But she knew right away that the man she admired wasn’t the one staring back at her right now. That man had disappeared.

“Have you seen my daughter, Violet?”

She choked down her devastation. He didn’t recognize her. She was standing right in front of him, and he looked straight through her.

She choked down her tears. There was nothing she could do but play along.

“No, sir. I haven’t met your daughter.” She looked over at her mother, who was usually much better at remaining stoic in front of others. But not this time. Tears were streaming down her face.

“She is a wonderful girl,” he said.

Violet took the seat next to him, settling into the chair, hoping that if she remained calm, so would he.

“I’ve built over two hundred structures in my lifetime, and she’s the greatest thing I’ve ever created.”

Violet smiled at him, wanting to lunge forward and hug him so tight. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Because right now, she wasn’t his daughter.

“She is so smart. Smarter than I ever was, and when it’s her time, I know she is going to run Walker Industries and breathe new life into the company.”

This was the most demonstrative her father had ever been. Ever. He could give a good hug. Knew the exact spot to place his palm on her cheek to give comfort and was quite skilled in delivering a kind eye when necessary. But words were never his forte. This was more than she’d ever expected. More than she could have ever needed.

“She’s beautiful. Intelligent. Wonderfully kind and dutiful. Too dutiful. I sometimes think I’ve asked for too much. Relied on her too much. She has a light in her eyes, but it’s hidden under so much obligation.”

She looked up at the men around the table. All but one of them stared in awe as her father lived in his own head.

“I wish she could see herself through my eyes.”

She did lunge forward and hug him. Her father. The man she loved more than anyone in this world.

“Oh, now…” He patted her on the back and pulled away quickly. “You’re a sweet girl.” He rested his hand on her hair just like he always did, but this time he thought he was comforting a stranger. “You remind me of my wife when we first got married.”

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to bring him today,” Paul addressed the group. He looked put out. As though her father’s episode had ruined his plans. A tiny part of her wanted to slap him. But despite her urge to inflict physical harm on the one man in the room who was capable of undermining her career, his words were more concerning.

“Bring him?” She glared at her mother. “Why would you bring him here? You know he wants to keep his distance. And this is exactly the reason why.”

“He wanted to be here today, Violet,” her mother said. “We just…” She shied away, locking eyes with a few of the board members.

Violet felt her blood pressure rising. With every breath she took she tried to regulate it, but the more she looked at her mother, the angrier she got. Her father would be utterly humiliated when he realized he’d done this in front of his colleagues.

“And you…” She focused her eyes on Paul. It must have been a good glare because the man shrank against the back of his chair. “How dare you pass over him like he doesn’t even exist. He made you.” She pointed at him, her pink fingernail dying to press into his chest. “He is sick and he shouldn’t be here. So someone please explain why he is.”

She looked around the room, and that’s when another red flag flew up and hit her in the face. “Come to think of it. It appears you’re having a board meeting and forgot to invite one of the members.”

The men all looked at one another. Guilty faces. Maybe Paul wasn’t the only one trying to keep her in the dark.

“This meeting is about me, isn’t it? Because you think I botched the residential deal.” She made a high-pitched squeak.

She had no idea why she was flying off the handle. Letting her emotions get the best of her wasn’t something she ever did. But she was floundering. The confrontation with Noah. Her father’s latest episode. The possibility that these men didn’t trust her to run this company. It was all too much at once.

“Do you think I sabotaged the deal?” She pointedly looked each one of them in the eye. “This was my idea. This was my chance to—”

“You are a feisty one,” her father said. “Maybe I should hire you.” He looked at his friends around the room and smiled.

The sound of her father’s voice had calmed her a bit, but not enough to keep her steady.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she blinked them away. Fisting her nails into her palm to keep the urge away. To focus on the pain. On the fact that she might even make herself bleed.

“Maybe it’s best if you just take your father home,” Paul said. “You seem to be good with him. Like Florence Nightingale or something.” He smiled, so pleased with himself. As if his offhand remark was funny.

But it was nowhere near funny.

Anger.

The most virile and visceral she’d ever experienced rumbled through her body. She feared that if she wasn’t holding on to the back of the chair, she’d vibrate so hard, the windows would shatter. But she steadied herself, taking a deep breath.

“Do you know where I can find the nearest drugstore?” her father asked. He laid his hand over hers where it was gripping the chair back. “I think Bridget asked me to pick something up for her.”

She looked down at him, her eyes softening, just taking in his face.

“I can’t seem to remember…” His words trailed off. She was never going to get used to the sight of her father fading. Her heart broke in two at the confusion on his face. He wanted to remember so badly. She could see his struggle. It was written in his eyes.

She gave him her phone, right after clicking the GPS app. Then she turned her attention back to her audience.

“You all think I’m a stupid girl, don’t you? Just tits with a briefcase and no right to be here.”

“Violet,” her mother spat.

“No.” She raised her hand to stop her mother from talking. “I have a master’s degree in business administration. I schlepped concrete for two summers before my father let me into the office.”

Her arms flailed around as she spoke. She wasn’t usually so animated, but her heart was pounding and her skin was crawling with indignation and she was just so hot.

Without even thinking she pulled at the scarf around her neck, welcoming the cool air. Then she removed her suit jacket.

“I know I’m young. I know I have a lot to learn. But combined, you have eight hundred years of experience and can show me the way.” She was exaggerating with the eight hundred number and she hoped to hell that none of them got offended.

She looked up at the group of men and her mother. All eyes were focused on her, which she had expected. But instead of the angry expressions from her outburst, they stared, mouths agape. Some of them even refused to make eye contact.

Suddenly she realized, the cool air against her neck. She whipped her hands up to cover the exposed skin, but she was too late. She had just revealed her weakness to the last five men on earth she should have.

She looked over at her mother, and instead of the pity she expected to stare back at her, Bridget had a determined set to her jaw. She patted under her chin, urging Violet to keep her head up. Her mother straightened her shoulders, pulling them back, urging her to stand tall. For the first time since the accident, she felt her mother’s support.

And it was just the affirmation she needed to truly accept herself, scars and all.

“Do you know what I’ve just realized?” She stared them down. Each one of them. “I don’t give a fat fuck what any of you think of me.”

Ian recoiled beside her. Clive made a small laugh, a smile curving at the side of his mouth.

“I love this company. I love my job. I love that my last name is on the top of this building. I am going to see this company into the future. I don’t care who you chose as chairman. I’m still the controlling shareholder and if I have to get rid of all of you, so be it.”

“Violet?” Evan whispered. “You can’t do that.”

“Well then, gentlemen, you’re just going to have to learn to work with me, because I sure as hell want to work with you.”

Harper had said that confidence was sexy, but she didn’t want to be sexy right now. She wanted to be heard. To be respected. She didn’t need to prove herself. She’d been doing that all along.

“You really don’t care who we vote in as chairman?” Evan asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not delusional. I know the chairman spot should go to one of you. I just want to be treated as an equal.”

“Well, then you’ll be glad to know that we
do
think of you as an equal.” Clive rounded the table, walking closer to where she stood beside her father. “Because before you got here, we did a preliminary vote.”

“You voted?” Her stomach flip-flopped. “Already?” She pointed her finger to the table. “That’s what this meeting was about?” She looked over at her mother. “That’s why Dad wanted to come?”

Bridget smiled. “He wanted to witness his daughter being voted in as chair.”

She looked around the room. And right now, if the floor could open up and swallow her whole, she’d take it.

“You may be young and you may be inexperienced, but it’s because of that you bring the most valuable asset to the table,” Jonathon said.

“Innovation.” Ian spoke for the group.

“You’re eager. Driven. And can obviously handle yourself and the interests of this company should it come down to it.”

They all chuckled, everyone except for Paul.

“One thing we learned about you over the last few weeks, Violet, is that you don’t make unilateral decisions,” Evan said. “Your father never did, and we see you’ve learned from the best.”

God, she was sweating. Her cheeks were about to burst into flames at any moment.

“I can’t…I wasn’t expecting…”

“At the next meeting we’ll make the vote official with all board members present.” From his spot beside her, Clive picked up her scarf from the table and settled it around her neck. “But I think I speak for everyone when I say welcome aboard, Violet.”

Her heart swelled. Clive, the one who spoke in numbers and forecasts, had just single-handedly given her back her dignity.

They didn’t care about her scars. They didn’t care that she might have ruined her very first land purchase. They were behind her. Just like her father had been.

But her dignity wasn’t wrapped up in a scarf. Her dignity wasn’t something she’d lost, she realized. It had just been hiding, covered up under the pounds of clothes she’d thought she’d needed to move on.

There had to be a way she could proceed with the residential project and not break Noah’s heart.

“Was the vote unanimous?” She looked around the room. They all avoided eye contact. Everyone except for Paul.

“I voted against you becoming chairman.”

Violet smiled. This was exactly the petty reason she needed to make her first executive decision.

“Paul. You’re fired.”

He recoiled. “That’s preposterous.”

Evan leaned over and whispered. “Violet, we just finished commenting about how you don’t make unilateral decisions.”

“Technically, hiring and firing falls under day-to-day operations, which I am in charge of. No votes necessary. I can’t have a person who doesn’t trust me as my right hand.”

“Ward…” Paul looked over at her father who was too busy playing a game on her phone. He had no help there.