I smoothed my hand over Aidan’s fuzzy head and kissed him lightly on the nose. Because he brightened everything up. And when I held my own baby in my arms, hopefully he or she would chase away the sorrow that was heavy in my heart now.
“I’m sure he’ll come around,” Vanessa offered, touching my arm gently.
I didn’t reply because I didn’t really believe he would. I’d keep trying, but the way he’d said good-bye, the pain in his eyes… I was certain we were over.
Chapter Nineteen
WILL
I hunched over my desk, sifting through papers that Adriana had left for me to review. Trying to work ahead had me feeling like I was falling behind. I had a trip to London coming up soon to discuss a promising investment, but leaving Olivia alone right now seemed impossible. Fucking Ian.
I tried to temper my anger, but I found it harder to do as the days went on. Olivia put on a strong front, but I could see right through it. Ian had left her reeling. She was wrapped in a kind of sadness that I felt powerless to lift away. She was in love with him, and no matter how hard I tried to fill that empty place in her heart, I knew I couldn’t.
I had argued with her about whether it was the right time to get her involved with a new building I’d purchased a few blocks from the office. She was tired and edgy, and the last thing I wanted to do was tax her more with work. In the end, of course, she’d won.
With my blessing, she’d launched herself into the early details of another remodel. In the space of a week, she’d met with the interior architect and was sketching out plans for the commercial and residential spaces that would ultimately transform the outdated structure.
With Ian out of the picture, I couldn’t deny the extra help was needed, but I worried constantly that she was overexerting herself.
A knock on my office door interrupted my troubled thoughts.
“Have a minute?” Jia sauntered in before I could invite her.
She was dressed head to toe in white. The sleek and smart blouse and skirt combo radiated against her naturally olive skin. The way she carried herself, it was no wonder she’d had new investors eating out of her palm.
As Reilly had promised, Jia more than pulled her weight. While I worried about keeping the investors we already had, she’d hustled up several new accounts. She was killing it, and for the first time since I inherited this billion-dollar problem, I actually felt like we had a fighting chance to turn it into an opportunity that could pay off.
She took a seat across from my desk and crossed her legs. “I wanted to chat about our fees.”
I leaned back in my chair and stared at her over my desk. “What about them?”
“Waiving the management fee to attract new investors was a bold move, and I get why you did it. We’re trying to extricate ourselves from all the controversy, and we’re doing it. But I think you should reconsider waiving the fee.”
My cell phone vibrated, but I ignored it.
“We’re trying to win back confidence. Nothing says confidence like, ‘I get paid when you get paid.’”
“I just think we’re leaving money on the table. Prospective clients expect the fees. Why undercut ourselves?”
I drummed my fingers on the desk. “Need I remind you we’re working from a disadvantage?”
She held my gaze a moment. “I need to be bringing in more money. I thought this would be a way to do that without cutting into the company’s revenue.”
I paused, trying to get a read on where she was taking this. “You’re getting a salary and a share of the performance fee. What more do you want?”
“I want you to set up a management fee so we can split it.”
I laughed and leaned forward. “You’ve been here a few weeks, and you’re already trying to squeeze me for more money?”
“That’s not what this is.”
Adriana’s voice sounded on the office phone’s speaker a moment. “Will, you have a call.”
“Not now,” I snapped. “Jia, we already negotiated your pay, and you seemed more than satisfied. Explain why you’re bringing this to me now.”
She shrugged, but her shoulders and the muscles in her face were tense. “Circumstances changed. That’s all. I didn’t think you’d be so against the suggestion.”
“I’m less concerned about the money than about why your circumstances changed so suddenly. I need to trust you, Jia. What’s going on?”
“We’re friends, Will. Of course you can trust me.”
I frowned, because nothing about this conversation or her demeanor made me want to trust her. “You don’t have friends. You have colleagues. Superiors, inferiors. You have fuck buddies and family. Don’t bullshit me about friendship, Jia. I know you better.”
Her expression went taut. She squeezed her eyes closed and exhaled heavily. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know what to tell you. This opportunity is my whole life right now, Will. Please, just consider it.”
Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in my gut.
“What the hell is going on?”
She shook her head, avoiding my imploring gaze. “I just need some extra funds. I thought what we agreed on would be enough, but it’s not going to be.”