Page 100 of If the Ring Fits

When the doors slide open, Dominic’s assistant waves me straight into the corner office. I settle into the leather chair opposite my boss’s expansive desk, willing my face into its usual unreadable mask.

“Adrian,” Dominic greets me, sharp eyes flicking up from a stack of papers. “I’ll cut right to it. I’ve made my choice about the CEO position.”

My mouth goes cotton dry. This is it—the moment I’ve been gunning for my entire career.

“But first, let’s discuss your performance these last few months.” He stacks the papers and pushes them aside. “Since I announced my retirement, you’ve taken more days of leave than in your previous ten years combined.”

“I had to accompany Rowena to medical appointments,” I interject, scrambling for an explanation that doesn’t make me sound like a total flake. “She?—”

Dominic holds up a hand, silencing me. “You’ve been delegating more than usual to Sarah. Logging fewer hours than ever. Frankly, you look exhausted most days.”

Heat crawls up my neck. I want to protest that Soleil has yet to sleep through the night, but Dominic forges on.

“I’m aware you have an infant at home.”

Frustration surges through me, hot and stinging. The long nights walking the halls with a wailing newborn, the endless diaper changes and leaky bottles, all piled on top of my brutal work schedule—does he think any of that is easy? I bite the inside of my cheek hard, choking back the snide retort burning on my tongue.

Even if putting my family first has torpedoed my shot at being crowned king, I don’t regret a single minute spent by Rowena’s side. She and Soleil are my entire world. They’re what matters most, promotion be damned.

Dominic leans forward, elbows propped on his massive desk. “And let’s not forget the police pension fund deal. You busted your ass to land our biggest whale to date, only to walk out mid-meeting.”

“We still got the funds,” I grit out, my agitation rising by the second. Rowena was in labor, what was I supposed to do?

“I know.” Dominic’s steely gaze pins me in place. “That’s not the point.”

Adrenaline floods my system, anger simmering just beneath my skin. Does he seriously not grasp the magnitude of what I’ve sacrificed? The parts of myself I’ve carved out and laid at the altar of this firm?

“Moving forward, all fund profits will be directed into a charitable foundation.” Dominic knocks once on the desk. “I’ve asked Ella Harris to become president of the foundation, given her extensive non-profit experience.”

Ice water replaces the blood in my veins. If Preston’s wife is landing the foundation gig, does that mean Pretty Boy Preston is a shoo-in for my job?

A trickle of sweat slithers down my temple as a sickening sense of revulsion curdles in my gut. I don’t know if I’ll want to stay on if I have to report to Preston. California or not, it looks like I’ll be in the job market soon, anyway.

Dominic leans back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers. “Which brings us to the role of CEO.” He pauses, letting the suspense build until I’m ready to vibrate out of my skin. “If you want it, it’s yours.”

I blink once. Twice. The words hover in the space between us, too far-fetched to feel real. If I weren’t already sitting, I’m pretty sure I’d crumple to the floor.

“I… I don’t understand.” I rub my brow. “You just spent the last ten minutes describing what a shit employee I’ve been. Why on earth would you give me the job?”

My brain scrambles to process this dizzying turn of events. Is it a prank? A test? A trap?

Dominic regards me steadily. “Because now you get it,Adrian. There’s more to life than putting in face time at the office. I need someone in the big chair who sees my people as human beings, not cogs in the money-making machine. People with families, with personal lives and challenges that can’t always be put on hold for the sake of the almighty dollar.”

He leans in, his expression deadly serious. “Seventy per cent of our fund’s profits will seed the foundation. The other thirty? Half will go toward employee benefits—better health insurance, paid family leave, the works. And half will be redistributed as year-end bonuses, rewarding everyone’s hard work. I want to make money for charity, yes, but not at the cost of bleeding my people dry.” Dominic’s eyes are alight with the new vision. “I want to build a different company, Adrian. One where employees love coming to the office every day, without having to sell their souls like all the other corporate drones on Wall Street. And you”—he points a weathered finger at me—“are the man to make it happen.”

“Me?” I gape, still reeling. Then, as if realizing I should project more confidence, I repeat, “Me.” No question mark.

“Yes, you. You’ve always had killer instincts, Adrian. You’re a damn right sicario. But now”—a slow grin spreads across his face—“you’ve got a heart to match. Courtesy of that firecracker wife of yours.”

At the mention of Rowena, a matching smile blooms on my face. “She’s… everything.”

Dominic nods sagely. “Hold on to that, you hear me? That woman is one in a million. Don’t you dare screw it up.”

“Never,” I vow fervently. “They’re my whole life.”

“Good man.” Dominic pushes to his feet, extending a hand across the desk. “So what do you say, West? You ready to usher Fulton Capital into its bright new future?”

I stand so quickly my chair nearly topples over. My palm meets his in a firm shake, sealing the deal. The grin on my face threatens to crack it clean in two.

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