Page 46 of Succumbed

“Interrupting what?”

He motions to the phone in my hand as he lets himself in and strides to the sitting area. “Picture time?”

Rolling my eyes, I stand, tucking a hand in my pocket as I walk over to join him on the couch.

“Thanks for stopping by.”

“Miles was…insistent.”

“I’m sure he was. Contrary to how he might’ve framed things, there’s no emergency.”

“Lex, unless I hear otherwise from you or a first responder, I’m always going to assume his urgency is manufactured. He’s worse than the boy who cried wolf.”

“He’s just…enthusiastic.”

Van grunts, moving to the bar cart.

“Are we celebrating something?” I glance at my watch. “Feels a bit early for scotch, if not.”

“Am I here because of the news about Greenstar Labs and P&L?”

Sighing, I flop into an armchair. “Yes.”

“Then no, no celebration. But a drink is called for all the same.”

He offers me a tumbler as he takes a seat on the couch.

“Thank you. Though I don’t expect this conversation to be difficult.”

“Suit yourself.” He takes a long drink of his scotch, then looks over at me. “I didn’t expect your brother’s name to show up alongside Anne-Marie’s.”

“Neither did I. But it’s a dilemma.”

The Bulletin published an interview with Anne-Marie this morning, and it featured statements of support for her “revolutionary technology” from the Greenstar board of directors. As the newest member, my brother was quoted.

“What’s the dilemma?”

I meet Van’s stony gaze. “Whether I should warn him about what’s coming. Greenstar and its board, particularly those who are vocal in their support of Anne-Marie and her tech, are going to be in hot water if all goes as planned. I know Nate wouldn’t extend me the same courtesy, but I’ve long prided myself on having more integrity than the men in my family. It feels like the right thing to do.”

“You sound decided.”

Shaking my head, I take a sip of scotch. “I’m not objective on this one. Your opinion is valuable to me.”

“Lex, you know what I’m going to say.”

I did. Van knew more of my history than most. I didn’t feel the need to air my family’s dirty laundry often, but the context had been important for him to understand before he joined Athena. My father founded one of the largest financial services companies in the country, and I dreamed of being his successor. Unfortunately, I was born with a vagina, and thus became his biggest disappointment instead. The moment he was born, my brother became the heir to P&L.

If that had been the end of it, perhaps a relationship could’ve been salvaged. But I was a smart, driven kid, and I wanted to earn my place in the family business more than anything. It took my father throwing me out for daring to dream of a life beyond being someone’s wife for me to realize there was no place for me to earn. And, though he’d had every opportunity to take my side, Nate had simply sat back and watched it all happen, soaking up the poison my father spewed about me along the way.

“I don’t owe Nate shit.”

Van leans forward, setting his empty tumbler on the coffee table with a loud thunk. “You really fucking don’t. And you’re right, he wouldn’t offer you the same courtesy. He’d gladly watch Athena burn if the tables were turned.”

My eyes close as I lean my head back. “I know.”

“And I hate this, but you’re also right that it’s the right thing to do.”

I look over at him, mouth parting in surprise. “Say that again.”

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