Page 3 of Discretion at Its Finest

Even when it was once all taken from me. When I wasn’t deemed worthy by my former family to be the heir to their precious business, by my colleagues or subordinates… when Iwasn’t even deemed worthy byher...I didn’t let it tear me down or change me and the man I was… the man I would become. I only used my failure to become stronger. To rise above the mediocrity that once meant something.

“Ten minutes out, sir.”

The voice of Charles, my driver, pulled me from my thoughts. Through the window, I could see the Kaufman Industries building cutting into the San Francisco skyline, tall floors of glass and steel that caught the morning light, its stature visible from half the city. And as we rolled into the technology campus filled with perfectly trimmed hedges, polished buildings, I already felt at home again.

Entering my main building, my assistant quickly briefed me on my daily agenda as he walked alongside me, sifting through documents.

“Your eleven o’clock with Reynolds Capital Group has been pushed to this afternoon, and your lunch with Langley has been moved to next week. Legal finalized the restructuring paperwork for the Montclair acquisition, and the Tokyo division confirmed the expansion plan is ready to roll out next quarter.”

I gave a nod, barely sparing him a glance as I stepped into the private elevator. Soon, the doors slid open to my penthouse office, the skyline spread before me in floor-to-ceiling glass. It was the perfect view of power and ownership.

And yet, someone was obstructing the once serene view, pacing the floor of my office, running a hand through his hair as he exuded stress.

“Give me a minute, Alex,” I muttered, making eye contact with the man through the glass.

Alexander stood outside the room silently as I entered, closing the door behind me.

“Raymond…” I muttered. “It’s good to see you.”

He gave a sad smile. “I guess I lost the pleasantry of being addressed as your father.”

“Not entirely. But when you’re the bastard child, you have to lay into the troubled stereotype just a little bit.”

His grin widened as I entered. He didn’t even bother to correct me. Which meant he probably still believed it.

Leaning against my desk, I crossed my arms. “How is my mother?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Has another surgery scheduled in the coming weeks or so,” he said, rubbing a hand down his face. “Even once the tumor is removed, the doctors warn it may grow back as she gets older.”

Jamie Newman was the only woman who had ever looked at me as something other than a mistake. She had fought for me, loved me… and was the only reason I wasn’t erased from existence entirely.

“I appreciate the update,” I said finally, voice devoid of emotion. “Though… I’m sure that’s not the only reason why you’re here.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced at the whiskey decanter on my desk, the same way a man drowning looks at a raft.

“Help yourself.” I gestured toward the bottle, watching as he stepped forward, pouring himself a drink with steady hands. He was nervous, trying not to show it, but I didn’t apply pressure just yet.

He took a seat, struggling to look at me as he held the glass in his hand. “It’s Gregory.”

“When is it not?” I muttered, ready to pour myself my own glass. “Let me guess. He made impulsive decisions with money the company didn’t have. The investors are pulling out, and… the board is ready to replace him… andyou.”

Raymond’s jaw clenched. “You always were the smarter one.”

No protest or excuses? My lips curled slightly as I poured myself a drink, the rich amber liquid swirling in the glass as I took my time to respond, letting him sit in his own humiliation.

This was a man who had once erased me.

And now? He was here, in my office, preparing to ask me to save the empire I was never meant to have.

I lifted the glass to my lips, taking a slow sip before finally meeting his gaze. “So. You need me.”

Raymond exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around his own drink. “I need someone who can fix this mess.”

I tilted my head, amused. “That’s not what I asked.”

He said nothing as I placed my glass down on my desk. I knew how to put people in their place, how to force them to look in the mirror and face the truth they had spent their whole lives avoiding.

Admitting who you are can break you down or build you up. I was always happy to hand out the hammer.