Page 98 of The Paradise Problem

I don’t miss the way her expression crashes, and I feel it, too, the unwelcome invasion of reality into our night. “Hello.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, but he doesn’t leave. An empty apology.

I lift my brows, waiting.

“I was just speaking to your father.” Ellis looks to me, then to Anna, and back to me again. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

My first thought—an insane one—is that he somehow knows I’m going to ask Anna to move in with me.

“Congratulations…?” I ask.

“Your father mentioned that he’ll begin the three-year transition process to retirement. And that you’ll be coming on board, eventually taking over as CEO.”

Anna’s attention presses like a red-hot iron rod to the side of my face.

“He said this?” I ask.

Ellis nods. “It’s unconventional. But I think your education and in particular your focus on corporate microcultures is exactly what Weston’s needs. A positive step toward a modern workforce. I’d love to dig into that, how you plan on amplifying employee engagement and shaping the corporate culture under your leadership. Do you have plans to transition back over the next few months?”

I scan the room for my father. He’s standing on the far side of the tent, surrounded by his sycophants, but the moment I spot him, our eyes lock. He’d been watching, waiting for this. With a small smile, he raises his glass to me.

“We haven’t discussed a plan,” I say, and then clear my throat. “There are a lot of steps we’ve skipped here.”

“Your father is confident the board won’t present a problem,” he says. “And I understand why you had to play coy. Can’t let this kind of thing out early, can we?”

I glance to Anna. She looks as annoyed as I feel.

“I knew your grandfather,” Ellis adds, jerking my attention back. “He would be proud to see you at the helm, Liam.”

This feels like a dagger. I swallow, and then have to swallow again to get past the clog of anger and sadness. “Right.”

“I’d love to have some time to talk to you, to perhaps plan the exclusive interview for once we return.”

“The exclusive—?”

“Yes. Your father and I have set an agreement that Forbes will have the exclusive. Does tomorrow morning work?” he asks, smiling warmly.

I am numb. “Tomorrow…”

“Congratulations again, Liam.” With a pat to my shoulder, Ellis nods to Anna and leaves us to return to our dancing.

But instead, Anna pulls me off the dance floor, resting a hand on the side of my neck. “Hey, sweetheart?” I blink down at her, unseeing. “Are you okay?” she asks, searching my eyes. I have no idea what she finds there.

This is a mess. It’s one thing to flirt with the idea of me coming on, to let Ellis dig around a little, but this is an announcement. Turning the message around now would be a public nightmare for the company.

“Shit.” I look up and, as it sinks in, begin searching for someone else now. “Shit.”

But he’s already on his way. My eyes lock on Alex’s as he approaches, cutting across the dance floor, eyes burning. Jake is jogging to catch up to him. “Alex,” he says. “Slow down.”

“Liam.” When Alex reaches me, he roughly pushes Anna out of the way and all thoughts of Weston Foods, my father, and whatever Forbes might have to say about it vanish as a bubble of hot rage explodes in my chest.

“Hey.” My voice is a knife’s edge, and I shove Alex backward. He stumbles. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but if you ever touch her again, I’m putting my fist through your jaw.”

Alex ignores this, coming right back up in my face. “You don’t know what’s going on here? Really, brother?”

“I don’t want this,” I say, low and seething, protectively shifting Anna behind me. “I’ve told Dad a hundred times I’m not interested in that job, or any job in this company.”

“So you said,” Alex says, face crimson. “And yet here we are.”

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