Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
I was twelve years old when they died.
I can’t stand to think about them.
In fact, I try not to, but my grandmother brings them up every now and then as a cautionary reminder. The last time she spoke of them, she took me by the chin and tilted my face so my eyes captured the light streaming in through the windows.
“Your mother was a beauty.” My grandmother sighed. “And you have too much of her in you.”
Chapter Twelve
Emmett
What do I remember most about Lainey Davenport? Her eyes. Everyone back at St. John’s was obsessed with them. They called them haunted and scary because they feared their beauty, feared her. She was cunning, or better yet, astute, like she could strike to the very soul of someone if she paid close enough attention to them. She used to be quiet, shy, young; she seems to be none of those things now. Younger than me still, yes, but a woman, so different than the last time I saw her at St. John’s.
It’s been a week since the gallery show, and I’ve pulled up the Morgan Fine Art Gallery website more than once. It’s muscle memory, typing in the URL, clicking the About page, then Staff. Her professional photo is in black and white and doesn’t do her justice. Her pale green eyes don’t pop like I want them to.
The need to see her again started as a curiosity, and now it’s festered into something hungrier, an itch that needs scratching.
Unfortunately, I’ve been busy; I’m always busy.
Just as my father wanted, I work for GHV. I’ve seen how he operates. He’s a shark. Over thirty years, he’s grown GHV from nothing. Now, we control nearly 50 subsidiary companies that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. Every top French and Italian fashion house, world-famous luxury wine and spirit companies, watches and jewelry…the list is always growing.
In fact, that’s why I’m in Boston. Even though nowadays I live primarily in Paris, work takes me everywhere. I’m in town for the next few weeks so I can assist with GHV’s acquisition of Leclerc & Co., the American luxury retailer headquartered here. The company sells everything from jewelry to sterling silver, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances, watches, and leather goods. It’s also a household name in the United States, and we’ve had our sights set on it for a while, though the purchase is not coming easy.
Last November, we offered Leclerc & Co. $16.8 billion for the buyout. The deal was expected to close by July of this year. However, during an audit of the company’s financials, our team found that they were paying millions in dividends to shareholders despite sustaining financial losses of over $40 million in the last year.
The media’s been hungry for an update, so last month, GHV issued a statement indicating that the takeover would not proceed and the deal was invalid because of Leclerc’s handling of their business during the last year. Subsequently, Leclerc filed suit against us, asking the court to compel the purchase or to assess damages. We planned to countersue, alleging that mismanagement had invalidated the purchase agreement, but we’ve pumped the brakes because the goal hasn’t changed. We still want to acquire Leclerc & Co., but there will have to be new terms and a reduced buyout price. So here I am, trying to get us out of this shit storm.
Beyond that, GHV is also opening a headquarters in Boston. For now, our North American offices are based in New York City, but we’re unhappy there for a few reasons. The building’s facilities manager is lazy and has let the building go to shit. Our employees have been anxious for a change for a while. We broached the subject of relocating the branch to Boston, and most everyone was on board. Those who would like to stay in New York City will swap to working remotely and can commute to Boston on an as-needed basis.
Boston fits our needs for a multitude of reasons. We were able to purchase a building outright here, centrally located downtown between Boston Common and Post Office Square. Our plan is to renovate it while preserving the historical architecture, which is costly and slow but will be worth it in the end. Alexander is supposed to be spearheading the renovation project, but he’s more interested in other activities, as evidenced by the party I’m currently walking in on.
His apartment is a penthouse overlooking Boston. He sits pretty up on the top floor, not a worry in the world. The life of a second-born son…
You’d think I’d envy him, but it’s the opposite. I like the weight I carry on my shoulders. Responsibility suits me. Alexander has too much free time, a perfect example of idle hands being the devil’s playthings. I know he’s using again, chasing women, avoiding my calls.