Page 37 of The Exposed Heiress

She smiled and said, “That’s fine. I have a few calls to make. I’ll see you in the lobby at six?”

Peter leaned forward and held his hand out.

She shook it. “Thank you for coming.”

Emma waited for them to leave before calling her brother.

Jeremy picked up on the second ring. “Hello, Em.”

She tightened her grip on the phone. “How is everything?”

“Not amazing. Dad woke up briefly but he didn’t say much. The nurses said he’s been sleeping most of the time.”

Emma looked out the window and fought back tears. “I’m happy that you’re checking on his care. How is mom?”

“I haven’t seen her today.”

She let out the breath she had been holding. “He needs someone advocating for him.”

“He’s resting most of the time. The doctor thinks it could go on for six weeks or more like this. It may be better that she stays home and rests herself. He’ll need more support when he goes to rehab.”

Her stomach hurt. “Was the doctor positive?”

“Yes, the scans of his brain are improving, but he needs time to heal. He had seven broken bones and a ton of internal organ damage. It’s a miracle that he survived.” Her brother’s calm voice soothed her frayed nerves.

Closing her eyes, she asked “So you haven’t been able to tell mom yet?”

He cleared his throat. “I’ll stop by her place before returning home. Don’t worry. She doesn’t seem overly concerned about Francis Bolles.”

A headache began to form at the base of her head. “I wouldn’t get into too many details with her, but other things will change.”

“Is their estate part of the business?”

Her eyes flew open and she tried to focus on her surroundings. “I don’t know. I hope not. Other things have been mentioned; their car service and entertainment expenses will need to be cut.”

“It may be better to close it down and start your own company without any of the issues looming in the background.”

Emma took a sip of water. “No, I’ve got to see this through. I’ve made assurances to the employees that are remaining and when dad recovers, he may want to return.”

There was silence for a moment then Jeremy said, “He shouldn’t return. He was handed Francis Bolles by our grandparents, but I don’t think he ever wanted to take it on.”

“Fashion is part of him.”

“I don’t agree, Emma.”

Her throat tightened. She didn’t want to be having this conversation. “I had a difficult day. Let’s talk more in person.”

“Fair enough. I’ll see you in the next couple of days.”

After a few pleasantries, Emma ended the call.

She thought about her decision to join Francis Bolles. Had she made a conscious choice? It was in her blood. She loved fabrics and designing clothing. She had been sewing designs her entire childhood until she went to art and design school in Paris. Coming back with new ideas and skills, she had delved into the work. Her grandmother died within a few months of her finishing her studies and hadn’t been able to see her first show.

Looking around her father’s office, most of the memories here were negative. She only stopped in his office if there was a problem, and he would react with anger. Those around him knew to avoid telling him things. Had she been doing that by staying in the studio?

Emma walked out to the lobby and waited for Leo. The security guard nodded to her, but didn’t say anything.

A few minutes later, Leo came up the stairs and asked her, “Are you okay?”

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