Chapter 91 – Pleasing the Boss

Hadrian POV

“Here he is—f**kup number one. Most people call him Hadrian.” My father’s offensive introduction amuses no one but him, and yet all of us standing around him pretend like it was fine.

That’s what you do with men like him. He’s royalty, not because he’s worth being worshiped, but because he’s got the power to cut your head off—both literally and figuratively. We’ve all learned to treat him with deference, even though most of us here are related to him by blood.

The woman I’m meeting, my soon-to-be stepmother, is the only person brave enough—or possibly stupid enough—to call him out on it, her Italian accent almost making it sound like song. “Samuel, that’s terrible. He’s running your empire. Not everyone can do that. He obviously deserves some credit.”

I’m too intrigued by what my father will say in return to notice Giulia step toward me, and next thing I know, I’m being embraced.

“Oh. Uh. Okay.”

It’s weird being hugged. I can’t remember the last time a woman that I wasn’t f**king put her arms around me. My grandmother, maybe? Before she passed away. Years ago now. It’s both invasive and relaxing, and I’m not sure what to do with it so I let it happen and then quickly retract.

“It’s so good to finally meet you.” She’s closer in age to me than my father, but she has the mother vibe down well. Everything about her is warm—her dark eyes, her honey tone, her gentle smile, her blonde highlights.

“Sorry for missing the family dinner.” This whole interaction is painful, but I think I almost sound genuine.

“Like I said, you’re running an empire. We’re meeting now.”

It’s not like I made an effort. Dad scheduled this meet and greet with the extended family at the gallery during my workday, which meant I could pop over on my lunch break. Meant I had no excuse, more like.

I give Giulia the most sincere smile I can manage. “Now we’ve met.”

Meanwhile, my father hasn’t bothered to demean her for contradicting him, which is a Samuel Seymour miracle. He does still stand his ground. “Was running it well there for a minute, too. Then he had to go and let his ratings darling walk out on him. If the contract wasn’t ironclad, you need to fire those lawyers, Hadrian.”

“It wasn’t the lawyers, Dad. I misrepresented myself. She could have sued if I didn’t let her terminate without penalty.” So far, I’ve been able to leave it at that, but I know I’m running on borrowed time.

“What does she have on you, son? You f**k around with her? Offer her a bonus under the table and get her back on the air. Problem solved.”

I exchange a glance with Adly, who seems to think she knows what’s going on, despite the fact that we haven’t had a single conversation about Brystin in weeks. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Nothing’s so complicated you can’t solve it with a check. You’re too soft. This is not a position for a pansy.”

Again, it’s Giulia that comes to my rescue. “You promised me you weren’t going to talk work today.” She sidles up to my father, and casts her doe-eyes at him like she’s weaving a spell.

“That’s right, that’s right. Sorry about that, darling.” He k**ses her on the forehead, and I exchange another glance at Adly who looks like she wants to throw up. “But we’re not done discussing this, Hadrian. I’m going to want a full account later.”

“Yep. I’m sure you will.” It occurs to me that I’d thought the CEO position meant that I didn’t have to account to anyone, except of course, the board. How am I still having to explain myself to my father when I’m a thirty-seven-year-old man?

He turns to say hello to my cousin Brett—one of the Lesser Seymours, as the family calls them, since they’re descended from Grandpa’s sister. I look at my watch, wondering if this is a good time to make my escape.

Then I feel a soft hand on my upper arm.

“I’ll have a word with him,” Giulia says quietly, as though any of this is her business. “Get him to ease up on you.”

“Good luck with that.” I reconsider as soon as the words are out of my mouth. “I really don’t need anyone fighting my battles, thank you. I’m fine.”

Her smile isn’t as warm now that my father isn’t part of the conversation, and I imagine I’m seeing a truer version of her rather than the performative version she’s worn this last hour as she’s greeted one Seymour after another. “Adly told me you’d be the hardest one to win over.”

“Did she, now?” I turn to scowl in my sister’s direction, only to find she’s conveniently disappeared. In her place is a woman—a girl, really—who looks very much like an Irish version of Giulia.

Giulia follows my gaze. “Ah, my daughter Lina.” She summons the redhead to her side. “Fresh with her master’s, and soon to be working at SNC, I believe. Lina, this is Hadrian.”

It feels strange to shake hands with a girl who can’t be older than twenty-three. Stranger shaking hands with someone about to become my sister. “Soon to be working at SNC?”

Lina gives a modest shrug. “Adly said she’d try to find me something. We’ll see.” She turns to her mother. “Mamma, I’m going downstairs to look at the art. You’ll be okay without me?”

When Lina’s gone, Giulia lets out a breath. “She has her father’s coloring,” she says, as though that weren’t obvious. “He passed only a couple of years ago, when we were still living in the States. Lina and I are still working out what our relationship is without him. He was a buffer for the two of us. I’m hoping Samuel can fill that role for her.”

I choke back a laugh. “Sure, sure.”

Though, already, he’s been a very different man today with Giulia. Maybe she’s got some magic bet**en her legs that I don’t know about.

I regret the thought immediately, not wanting to think of my father as sexual, ever, ever, ever. Still, I can’t ignore the fact that she’s got him wr*pped around her fi**ger, and I wonder what that might mean for our family. What might change, if anything.

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