“You were?” I wouldn’t associate her positive energy with someone who struggled to trust anyone.
“Oh yeah. I went through a rough breakup with someone I thought I was going to marry one day. Turns out he was cheating on me with one of the Dreamland princesses.”
“Ouch.” I wince.
Her smile falters. “At the time, it felt like my world was ending. But now I realize it was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
“Because you found Rowan?”
She shakes her head. “Because I found myself.”
“I feel like I’m going to need a lot more than a mimosa for this kind of conversation.”
She laughs. “Too deep for a Sunday morning?”
I nod. “Way too deep.”
We break out into a fit of laughter. We move on to safer topics that have nothing to do with my relationship with Declan. I’m grateful he planned today’s family gathering, solely because I got to spend more time with Zahra and hear another person’s opinion on my marriage. While Cal means well, he isn’t exactly a guru when it comes to relationships. Hence his resistance to contacting Alana despite him needing to for his inheritance.
Speak of the devil, he throws open my bedroom door with a dramatic flare. “I hate to interrupt this bonding session but the race is about to start and Declan’s getting antsy.”
“He’s just annoyed he has to talk to you for twenty minutes straight.”
“Watching him fumble through small talk that has nothing to do with work or our inheritances is far more entertaining than I thought.”
I lock arms with Zahra. “Let’s go put Declan out of his misery.”
Cal scoffs. “I know you’re biased because you’re his wife, but the man has been miserable ever since the day he was born.”
Zahra winks. “I have a feeling that’s about to change.”
1 ? Noun, Dutch: The warm feeling of being surrounded by loved ones. The state or fact of being cozy.
36
DECLAN
I t only takes one email to ruin my whole year.
“Iris!”
She comes running into my office with my brother on her tail.
“What?”
I don’t even bother asking what he is doing here. Knowing him, it has everything to do with avoiding his responsibilities.
“Did you see Yakura’s latest email?” I slam my finger against the mouse, shutting the email browser before I have a stroke.
“No. What happened?”
My entire face feels like it’s on fire. “He received a call from my father.”
“Fuck.” Cal wipes his face.
My thought exactly. “Yakura’s threatening to pull out of the project.”
She drops into the chair across from me. “Why?”
“He didn’t go into any specific details, but his sentence about how our goals don’t seem to align was as good of a hint as any.”
It doesn’t take a genius to understand what happened. With my father’s personality and his desperation to remain CEO, I have no doubt he went out of his way to make my project seem inadequate. Because in the end, the Kane Company bottom line doesn’t matter so long as he remains in power, even if it means ruining a deal that could make us billions.
He wants to make me look weak and inexperienced compared to him, and this is the best shot he has at destroying whatever credibility I have with the board thus far. The executives know how hard I have been working on this project. If it falls through, the blowback could be detrimental to my transition.
“We can fix this. I’ll reach out to Yakura.” Iris rolls her shoulders and tips her chin up. She has a unique ability to command the situation and ease the growing tension in my shoulders.
“And say what? ‘Sorry my dad’s a dick. He didn’t mean it,’” Cal offers.
Her brows scrunch together. “Of course not. What do you take me for?
An amateur?”
“Then how do you plan on winning him over?”
Iris turns toward me. “We show him how our goals align.”
“Do we even know what those are?” Cal’s head swings back and forth between Iris and me.
My face is as blank as my thoughts. I thought Yakura’s goal was to build a park worthy of his land, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I have an idea but I don’t know if it’s a good one…” Iris’s voice trails off.
“This doesn’t sound promising.” Cal grimaces.
I shoot Cal a look that tells him to keep his mouth shut. “Go ahead.”
She perks up at my obvious interest. “When we initially introduced the idea of building Dreamland Tokyo, Yakura’s first question had nothing to do with profits. I found it strange that someone as successful as him wouldn’t care about how much money he stands to make.”
“What did he ask about?” Cal leans toward Iris.
“If we could make Dreamland Tokyo happen before he was too old to enjoy it with his grandkids.”
“I don’t remember that,” I reply, drawing a blank on that part of the meeting.
Her eyes roll. “Of course you don’t. You were too focused on pulling up the next slide discussing expected proceeds.”
“So he cares about his family,” Cal says.
She nods.
“We’re screwed. There’s no way Declan can work with someone like that.”
“I disagree. Because while your father might be clever, he missed one tiny detail.”
“What?”
“Me.” Her smile rivals the sun.
Fitting because it burns away that last bit of remaining anger I have toward my father. In its place, I am filled with a newfound sense of hope. I can convince Yakura to stick with the project, so long as Iris helps me. She can appeal to just about anyone’s humanity—mine included.
Cal whistles. “Someone thinks mighty highly of herself.”
I want to smack the back of his head but hold back. I’d hate to waste his last brain cells with something impulsive.
“I know my strong suits, and picking up after Declan’s messes happens to be a personal strength of mine.”
“So what’s your plan then?” my brother asks.
“Easy. We show him exactly what Dreamland has to offer.” Her eyes seem to sparkle.
“How do we do that?” I lean back in my chair and consider her idea.
“We take him to where it all started and show him what he would be missing out on if he walks away from this deal.”
“Are you suggesting we take a family trip to Dreamland?” Cal asks.
She nods, and his smile is wiped clean off his face. I feel the same way.
Unlike Rowan, neither one of us wants anything to do with the park. Every memory of our life with our mother is attached to the place. The only times I’ve gone have been strictly for business, and I’ve been sure to keep it that way.
“How is this supposed to change his mind?” My voice comes out rougher than intended.
“Yakura is a family man. We need to show him how, unlike your father, so are you.”
Cal’s laugh grates against my nerves.
“What’s so funny?” My teeth grind together.
“The idea of you playing a family man is too good to pass up. You can count on me to be there.”
“Who said you were invited?” She looks at him like a bug beneath her shoe, and I could kiss her for it.
He waves a hand down his body. “I’m part of the promotional package.”
“Not happening,” I respond for her.