Page 22 of Snow

And if there was one thing Leonard Hart disliked, it was uncertainty.

“She’ll cool off,” he said, though the words sounded less convincing than they had a little while ago. “Nova has always been practical. Once she has some time to think, she’ll realize that blowing up her future over one mistake isn’t in anyone’s best interest.”

Merrick raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

Leonard put his drink down and folded his hands together on top of the desk. “Look, the important thing right now is keeping things contained until she calms down.”

Merrick shook his head. “She needs to understand the bigger picture here. We’re about a month away from the campaign ramp-up. The last thing we need is a scandal.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Leonard stated calmly. Look, I know my daughter. Nova is a very private person who hates attention being drawn to her personal life. She isn’t going to run to the media or create some dramatic public spectacle. When Nova gets emotional, she does what she’s always done. She’ll bury herself in work. And fortunately, I have the perfect opportunity for her.”

Merrick’s brows pulled together. “Like what?”

“One of our largest clients, Silverman Petroleum, is acquiring Gulf Tide Ventures. Mr. Silverman called me this morning and specifically requested that Nova handle the acquisition review. She will be leaving for Louisiana Saturday morning.”

“And you think she’ll just go?” Merrick asked.

Leonard gave him a wicked smirk. “Trust me, she’ll go. Sending her out of state gives her time to cool off while keeping her distracted.” He leaned back in his chair. “By the time she gets back, she’ll be thinking more rationally.”

Before Merrick could answer, the door opened without warning. Leonard looked up, prepared to be annoyed by the interruption, only for the irritation to vanish the second he saw Nova. She walked into the office with purpose, her expression unreadable and her gaze unwavering. Something about her demeanor immediately set off alarm bells in his head. This wasn’t the daughter he had spent the last twenty-four hours expecting to calm down. This was a woman who looked like she had made a decision and was gearing up for war. And Leonard had learned long ago that a determined opponent was far more dangerous than an angry one.

◆◆◆

Nova stood outside her father’s office door with her hand on the door handle.

The man behind that door, the one who called himself her father, was inside with Rick’s father, no doubt plotting whatever manipulation came next. She knew them all too well. They were probably discussing what to do about her. And how to make her come crawling back like she always did.

But this time, that wasn’t going to happen. She had thought long and hard since storming out of her parents’ mansion. After venting her rage to her sister, she and Sophia worked for over an hour on a plan and a timeline for Nova’s move to the East Coast.

“I’m strong, and I refuse to be controlled anymore,” she muttered to herself before taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and pushing the door open.

She was a vision of confidence and calculated defiance. Her hair was down in loose waves that framed her face like armor. She wore tailored black slacks, a crimson sleeveless silk blouse tucked neatly at the waist, and black pointed heels. Her lipstick matched her top, bold and commanding.

Her dad and Merrick looked up mid-conversation.

“Perfect! Two people whom I wanted to speak to,” Nova said coolly, shutting the door behind her.

Her father opened his mouth. “There’s something I—”

“No.” She raised a hand and cut him off. “I’m talking first.”

Merrick shifted uncomfortably in his seat, while Leonard’s face remained a mask, but his nostrils flared slightly. He wasn’t used to being interrupted, especially by her.

Nova turned her gaze first to Merrick.

“As I told your son yesterday, his and my relationship is over. What he did may be easy for some people to overlook, justify, or quietly tolerate, but I am not one of those people. The trust he broke is something I can never forget.”

Merrick’s jaw clenched. His expression was a mix of panic and barely contained rage.

“Now, I know all of you are probably worried about the video I took of Rick and Piper. And yes, I’m fully aware that if it ever became public, it could destroy Rick’s campaign before it even starts. But despite what you two apparently think of me, I have no intention of stooping to your level. I’m not interested in blackmail, manipulation, or turning someone’s private humiliation into public entertainment. I deleted the video. So, you both can stop sitting in here strategizing like I’m some loose cannon.”

She turned to her dad. His eyes narrowed, as if sensing the incoming strike but unsure where it would land.

She reached into her leather portfolio and pulled out a neatly typed letter. She laid it on his desk and slid it towards him, meeting his cold stare with a fire of her own.

“That’s my resignation. It’s effective at the end of the month.”

She was being generous and gave them more than the standard two weeks that most employees would give their employers. This gave her about three and a half weeks to tie up loose ends at the firm.