The four of us sat in the living room—Isabella and me on one couch, my mother and Abigail on the couch opposite us.
We faced each other like opposing armies on the battlefield, each waiting for the other to fire the first shot. A plague of tense silence engulfed the room. The only sound came from the clock standing sentry in the corner, as unmoved and passionless as a god observing the petty quarrels of humans.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
I knew my mother would show up eventually. Leonora Young was incapable of relinquishing control over my personal life. However, I hadn’t expected her to drag my sister with her. Abigail looked like she would rather be trekking through the Andes in the winter than sitting here.
“I heard your meeting with Mishra went poorly.” My mother cut straight to the chase. Other than a telltale tightening of her features when she first saw Isabella, she hadn’t acknowledged her presence since she arrived. “Luckily, I have good news that might counteract the DigiStream problem. Tobias is out. He withdrew his candidacy an hour ago.”
Shock burned away my knee-jerk defensiveness at the Mishra comment. “He withdrew? Why?”
“He didn’t give a reason. He simply said he didn’t feel like he was the right fit for the role at this time.”
It didn’t make sense. He had the Black Bear deal, and we were a little over a week away from the vote. Of all the other candidates, Tobias was the least likely to throw in the towel. He wouldn’t drop out this close to the finish line unless…
An inkling of suspicion formed in my stomach.
The photos. The withdrawal.
The two leading candidates hit within weeks of each other and close enough to the election that we had little time to rally. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the timing was awfully convenient.
However, I kept my face neutral while my mother continued. I didn’t want to throw accusations out until I had more than my instincts backing me up.
“This is a good thing,” my mother said. “I like Tobias, but he was your biggest competition. His votes are up for grabs, which means you need a last-minute campaign push.”
“We were here to check on you anyway after everything that happened,” Abigail added. “The Tobias news came at the perfect time. Now, we can brainstorm how to get those votes together.”
“Abby.” I leveled her with an even stare. “You hate talking business.”
She was a professional socialite. Her campaign experience started and stopped with chairing a gala committee. My mother probably forced her to come so she could convince me to break up with Isabella. She knew I wouldn’t listen to her, but I might listen to my sister.
“I can still have ideas,” Abigail countered. “You’re my brother. I want you to win.”
“The first order of business is generating good press,” my mother said, cutting off our back-and-forth. Once Abigail and I started, we could argue for hours. “I’ve arranged for a public date with you and Clarissa.”
Next to me, Isabella stirred for the first time since we sat down. My hands clenched into fists, but I forced myself to relax until my mother finished talking.
“She was understandably hesitant, given the situation you put her in, but she agreed. This will help quash rumors about you and your…friend.” Her eyes flicked over Isabella with disdain. “Not that you seem particularly worried about the tabloids catching you together.”
She was right. Even after the National Star scandal, I’d been careless about sneaking around with Isabella.
If I were smart, I’d cut off contact with her until after the vote, but she had a way of scrambling my brain. Perhaps that was part of the problem. Whenever I was with Isabella, the world seemed…brighter. It could be burning down around us and it wouldn’t matter as long as she was there.
“First, I’m not going on a date with Clarissa,” I said coolly. “It’s wrong to lead her on. Second, Isabella is sitting right here.”
“Is it leading her on?” My mother arched a sculpted brow and switched to Cantonese. “Your infatuation with Isabella will pass, and you’ll realize Clarissa is a much better fit for you when it comes to breeding, education, and temperament. You may think I’m overbearing, but I’m your mother. I only want what’s best for you. I’ve seen too many wayward children make terrible mistakes to allow you to do the same. Look at the Gohs. Their daughter ran off with that awful pool boy only to get knocked up and swindled out of her inheritance. Her poor parents haven’t been able to show their faces in society since.”
“Clarissa and Isabella aren’t dogs,” I said in Cantonese, striving for calm. “We can’t put them side by side and compare their breeding. However, if we did, might I remind you Isabella is the heiress to Hiraya Hotels? She’s not some lowly bartender, as you originally thought.”
I wasn’t upset at Isabella for hiding her family background from me. I was initially hurt that she hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me her secret, but I understood why she did it. Honestly, her family reveal made our relationship an easier sell to both my family and the board. A Young dating a bartender was scandalous. A Young dating an heiress was par for course.
My mother’s lips thinned. “It’s not about the wealth. It’s about suitability. She—”
“Don’t you think Kai should be the one who determines the suitability of his partner?” Isabella cut in. She smiled at the flare of surprise on my mother’s face. “I’m Filipino Chinese. I speak English, Tagalog, Hokkien, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I’m surprised you didn’t think of that, given all your education and breeding.”
I wiped a hand over my mouth, hiding my grin. A similar smirk tugged at Abigail’s lips.
We loved our mother, but we also loved seeing people call her out. It didn’t happen often.
She recovered with remarkable speed, as Leonora Young always did. “Then you should know why you and my son make a poor match,” she said in a voice like ice water. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this…predicament. A Young has helmed our company since it was founded more than a century ago. I refuse to let a tawdry infatuation ruin our legacy.”
“It’s funny,” Isabella said. “You want Kai to run a Fortune 500 company, yet you treat him like a child who can’t make his own decisions. How do you reconcile those two things?”
My grin widened.
I should’ve been thinking about DigiStream, Tobias’s suspicious withdrawal, and getting my family out of my apartment as soon as possible, but all I could think about at that moment was how much I wanted to grab Isabella and kiss her.
My mother was, understandably, less impressed by Isabella’s comeback. “How dare you talk to me that way?” She turned furious eyes on me, her cheeks stained red with outrage. “Is this the type of woman you’re willing to throw away your future for?”
“No one is throwing away anything.” I ruthlessly corralled my amusement into a straight line. “Isabella isn’t responsible for any of this. It takes two to maintain a relationship. She didn’t force me to date her, nor did she tip her hand to the National Star. She’s as much a victim of Victor Black as anyone else.”
“Speaking of Victor, what are you going to do about him?” Abigail asked. She despised him almost as much as I did after the Star insinuated she was siphoning charity funds years ago.
“I’m taking care of it.” I’d ignored his machinations in the past because they weren’t worthy of my attention, but he’d gone too far. By the time I was done with him, he wouldn’t have a company or reputation left.
“We’ll discuss your private relationship later,” my mother said, her expression stiff. She must’ve realized she couldn’t get through to me with Isabella sitting right there. “However, our public statement maintains there was never a relationship and that the photos are innocent. Tobias’s withdrawal puts you in the lead again, but we can’t be complacent. We need to go on the media offensive.”
As the current CEO, she shouldn’t have been strategizing with me, but our family’s reputation was at stake. Leonora Young wasn’t a rule breaker by nature, but when pushed, the ends always justified the means.
“You think going on a date with Clarissa should be part of that offensive,” I said flatly. Without thinking, I curled my hand over Isabella’s. Hers rested in her lap, the skin ice cold. She was more nervous than her earlier bravado let on.
A wave of protectiveness crested in my chest. I gave her hand a small squeeze, which she returned.
My mother’s mouth pursed. “Yes. Clarissa understands the nature of the date and has agreed to help. We need to rehabilitate your image. Every little bit helps, especially this close to the vote.”
“I hardly think—”
“You should do it.”
Three pairs of shocked eyes swung toward Isabella, including mine.
“Excuse me?” I said, sure I’d heard wrong.
“You should do it,” she repeated. “You and Clarissa both know it’s not a real date, which solves the problem of leading her on. It’s a PR stunt, and if it helps you win the vote, then it’s worth doing.”
A shadow of approval crossed my mother’s face. “For once, we’re in agreement.”
“It’s a good idea,” Abigail chimed in. “One date equals at least a week of press.”
Jesus Christ.
I disliked the idea of using Clarissa to further my own means. It was tacky, but I knew how the media worked. Every little bit did help.
“Fine,” I said, wondering how my work life had devolved from mergers to publicity stunts. “One date. I’ll do it.”
I only hoped it didn’t come back to bite me in the ass later.
Two days after my mother and sister’s visit, I gritted my teeth and paid Richard Chu a visit in his Fifth Avenue home. After the initial rancor following their surprise arrival, the four of us, Isabella included, had put aside our differences to iron out my plan for the next two weeks. Step one was the PR date with Clarissa. Step two was a face-to-face with the company’s most powerful board member.
Like my mother said, Tobias’s withdrawal eased some of the pressure, but I couldn’t afford complacency.
“This is a surprise.” Richard folded his hands across his stomach and regarded me with amusement. A touch of triumph gleamed in his eyes, making my stomach turn. “The intrepid Kai Young seeking me out in my home. What an honor.”
My jaw locked, biting back a snappish reply.
I hated the old, musty scent of his office.
I hated the smug look on his face.
Most of all, I hated having to slink to him for help, like a stray dog begging for scraps.
Part of me would rather jump off the Brooklyn Bridge than bend the knee, but there was more than my pride at stake. At least that was what I kept telling myself.
“We have much to discuss.” My smile masked my distaste. “I’m sure you’ll agree.”
“Funny how you’d like to talk now that your future is on the line.” Richard raised a bushy gray brow. “You certainly didn’t want to listen to me when I told you we’re moving too fast with all this digital noise.”
Because your advice is more outdated than your taste in decor.
His office could be plunked whole in a museum for late twentieth-century artifacts and no one would bat an eye.
“Since Tobias is out of the running, it’s in both our interests to work together,” I said, deflecting from his pointed remark. “You and I both know I’m the best person for the job. Paxton is too inexperienced, Russell is too docile, and Laura is talented at communications but doesn’t have the range for CEO. Meanwhile, I’ve been preparing for this since I was born. You may not like me, but you still want what’s best for the company. That would be me leading it.”
Richard snorted. “There’s nothing like the arrogance of youth. Fine.” He spread his hands. “Since you came all this way, let me hear what you have to say.”
I bristled at his patronizing tone, but I forced myself to ignore it.
I laid out my proposal. It was simple. If he promised me his vote, I would appoint him as senior adviser during my first year as CEO, which would give him considerable influence over the company’s initiatives. The first year, especially the first one hundred days, were crucial for a new CEO. That was when they set the tone and priorities for their leadership going forward.
Bringing Richard into my inner circle was a significant concession on my part, but it was the only way to alleviate his concerns and secure his vote.
“Interesting,” he said after I finished. “I’ll think about it.”
My spine locked. He’d think about it? Heat simmered slow and thick in my veins. “This is the best offer you’ll get.”
I wasn’t going to beg. Not anymore than I already had.
Richard gave me an enigmatic smile. “I’m sure.” He stood and held out his hand in an obvious dismissal. “Good to see you, Kai. Best of luck with the vote.”
I kept my calm during the elevator ride and the walk through the lobby, but the frigid January air blasted the doors off my control. Frustration surged, unchecked, through my blood.
Me: Are you free for a match tonight?
Dante answered less than a minute later.
Dante: Emergency?
Me: Friendly request
Dante: Right. See you at 7
Dante: Btw you owe me. I was supposed to watch a movie with Viv tonight
Me: I’m sure your twentieth rewatch of Stardust would’ve been as scintillating as the first
Dante: Fuck off
I pocketed my phone, my anger easing with the promise of a guaranteed fight later. Some people went to therapy; Dante and I punched each other. It was faster, more efficient, and doubled as a workout.
I climbed into my waiting town car and instructed the driver to take me back to the office.
Richard thought he was a kingmaker, but I could win without him.
I was Kai Young.
I never lost.
