Page 9 of The Exposed Heiress

Leo leaned back and crossed his arms. “Your father didn’t delegate. His files, working papers, everything is in here.”

She held his gaze. “Copies can be made of the relevant documents.”

“No.” He stood and threw his pen on the desk.

“It’s not a request, Leo. This is my father’s office and I prefer that you work elsewhere.”

“You’ll be disappointed. I intend to manage the business aspects of Francis Bolles from here.”

Emma remained silent and waited for him to relent. Insisting on using her father’s office was beneath him. He’d bend and accommodate her. It couldn’t be that important to him.

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Are you ready to meet or are you heading down to the design studio?”

She crossed her arms. “I prefer to begin the day thinking about the creative parts of the business and then deal with the more mundane issues later in the afternoon.”

“The mundane aspects of Francis Bolles are going to sink this place if you don’t start to make them a priority.”

Fear slid over her. She shook her head. “You’re wrong, Leo. The creative aspects keep things flowing. It’s why there is a business.”

He moved away from the desk and looked at her. “By all accounts, you’re a highly talented designer. But to save this couture house, money has to be found and overhead costs need to be slashed.”

Her stomach tightened. “Francis Bolles is more than the sum of its parts. It’s about inspiring buyers and having something exciting to offer.”

Leo crossed his arms. “It’s no longer about inspiring buyers. It’s survival time. The business is steeped in debt and vendors haven’t been paid in months. You can no longer hide your head in the sand.”

* * *

Leo pusheda hand through his hair. Reasoning with her would get him nowhere. She was a Bolles. Her family acted like royalty and would go down with the ship instead of changing course. He wasn’t willing to do that. He was going to help this place survive and recoup his investment.

Emma stood up straighter. “We have a launch coming up. The new collection will increase sales.”

He stretched out in one of the upholstered chairs and with effort relaxed his body. “Tell me your plans.”

She sat in a chair opposite him. “This place is in turmoil. No one expected my father to have a tragic accident. It’s only been three days.”

Emma Bolles wasn’t the right person to lead in a crisis. She missed her father and probably idolized him. “Even so, you need to be able to articulate your plan.”

She held his gaze. “If you care to come down to the studio, I can show you the new collection.”

He gestured with his hands. “You can’t describe the collection?”

Her eyes widened. “I could. But the issue is that you don’t like me, do you? You don’t think I’m capable of running this business.”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s obvious that the Bolles family is not adept at running a successful business. I don’t understand your capabilities, nor do I understand how much say you’ve had up until now.”

She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. “Not much. My father could be somewhat of a dictator. But I’ve been behind the scenes creating a new look for the Spring collection.”

Leo held up his hand to stop her. “I’ve had that sense of your father. Unfortunately, without his presence, his direct reports don’t know what to do.”

She stood up. “You’re not giving the staff enough credit. They are talented and loyal, and with the right leadership, they’ll know what to do.”

He wished that was true. “Let’s go and see the collection. Afterwards, we need to take a hard look at the financials.”

She smoothed down her skirt. “Fine. But first, I want to talk about what happened with Tyler. It’s something that we need to put behind us.”

Leo got to his feet. Her willingness to discuss the past sparked something deep inside of him. Her family tactfully avoided mentioning his brother. “You’re suffering from a guilty conscience?”

Emma tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t feel any guilt about my relationship with him. Why would I?”

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