EVIL QUEEN - Rebel Hart Page 0,38

such time that Connor Loche returns or until another officer steps in full-time.”

“All in favor,” Arden said.

There was some indecision amongst the board members, but eventually, everyone affirmed. After that, a few additional topics were discussed. Finally, after a painful amount of time, the meeting came to a close. I might have preferred to go bolting out of the room before anyone else, but I had to lock up, so I made my way over to my father’s desk and woke up his computer. There was no password on it, something my father would never do unless he believed I’d be coming by. I set it with a password, downloaded a remote desktop app that would allow me to access it from home, and then packed my briefcase full of any important paperwork I could find.

Someone cleared their throat, so I looked up and noticed that Christine was still standing in the middle of the room. “Can I help you?” I asked.

“Just a suggestion,” she said. “You’re a kid. This isn’t your world. You should sell your shares to the company, convince your brother to do the same, and leave the company in our hands.”

Crossing my arms, I sat back in my chair and narrowed my eyes in Christine’s direction. “Has my father done something with the company you don’t approve of?”

Christine shook her head. “No. Your father has continuously led this company with vigor, but he’s always played his cards close to the chest. It’s unheard of for a board of directors to have as little power as we do.”

“You’re upset that you don’t have more power?” I asked.

“No.” Christine appeared to be getting flustered. “I just think there’s a…warmer way to run the operations here, and none of that is a decision for a child. You’d be appointed to the board as a member as opposed to an officer and would maintain all your voting power.”

“Understand this,” I said. “There aren’t many people in this world who hate my father more than I do, but he knew how to run this company and has made half this city rich doing it. You say I’m a child, but while your children were playing for your local soccer team and going to bake sales, I was studying economics and Latin. You need not worry about me.”

Christine’s eyes widened. “I see. I apologize for overstepping.”

“If Connor isn’t found, when I graduate, I’ll be stepping into my rightful place. If you have some sort of issue with that, you can step down.”

“No, sir. I understand completely.” She didn’t say anything else, rather bowed her head and immediately left.

That three hours passed was obscene, but fortunately, Nikita had the frame of mind to set my therapy appointment late enough to compensate, just in case. Exactly as she’d said she would be, she was still sitting in the lobby when I walked in, but I didn’t even get a word out to her before the receptionist called my name and motioned me back. I left my briefcase with Nikita and followed the receptionist into the recesses of the office, where I was led into a comfortable enough room with couches surrounding a fireplace, a coffee table with finger sandwiches and coffee atop it, and bookshelves lining both walls.

On one of the couches, a woman sat. She was a blonde with her hair pinned up and, surprisingly, sporting a comfortable pair of jeans and a zip-up sweatshirt.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Loche. I’m Nicole Favor,” she greeted, standing up and walking over to me with her hand outstretched. “You are dressed much nicer than I am. So you know, I don’t require such formalities. Just wear what you’re comfortable with in the future.”

“Well, I just came from a board of directors meeting at my company,” I responded.

She laughed and then noticed the seriousness on my face, and her smile dropped. “Oh, you aren’t joking.”

“No.”

“Well, Nikita has told me a little bit about you. Don’t worry, nothing personal, but she told me you’re in quite unique circumstances.” She motioned to the couch opposite the one she’d been sitting on. “Why don’t you have a seat? Help yourself to any of the sandwiches and coffee. I have bottled water if you’d prefer.”

“No, the coffee is much needed,” I said.

We walked over to the couches, and she sat with a saddened look on her face. “My, you’ve been forced to the age of about thirty, haven’t you?”

I looked over at her. “Um. I suppose.”

“Well, I’ll start with the disclaimers. You