RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 2

•SHAWN•

I woke up this morning still feeling pretty annoyed about what went down yesterday. Thankfully, I called the cops to deal with those protesters camping out in front of our company.

Dad found out when he strolled into the office yesterday and saw the commotion outside. He was steaming, but it was clear he was more ticked off at my sister since she was the one who orchestrated this mess.

After knotting my tie, I noticed my phone lighting up on the nightstand with Ange's name flashing on the screen.

I thought I'd made it crystal clear for her to lose my number.

I powered down my phone, slipped it into my suit jacket pocket, and headed out of my bedroom. But as luck would have it, my phone buzzed again. I paused in the hallway and fished it out. My irritation melted away when I saw Josh's name instead, so I picked up.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I'm at your office, but your secretary said you're not in yet."

I flashed a grin and started making my way downstairs, planning to grab some breakfast before work.

"I'm on my way."

There was a brief pause, followed by a sigh on Josh's end.

"Did your little sister go on another blind date yesterday, by any chance?"

He meant my youngest sister, Shay-Lina. Our parents never let her work or do much of anything related to the family business; it's their way of keeping a tight leash on her.

So, my mom took it upon herself to arrange these blind dates for her with her friend's sons, to keep her busy doing, well, nothing much.

"I think so. Why do you ask?" I inquired.

"I was at the same restaurant she was at, and she was with Chase Evans. You won't believe what he pulled, man."

I froze, my brows knitting in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Evans intentionally spilled a glass of water all over her. He embarrassed your sister right there in the restaurant, with everyone watching."

That son of a bitch. 

I'd met him a few times at business events, and I'd taken an instant dislike of him for two obvious reasons: he's obnoxiously arrogant and has a well-earned reputation as a womanizer.

What on earth possessed my mother to set Shay up with him of all people? And why hadn't Shay mentioned this to me?

She's the only sister I'm close to, and I always look out for her because she's the youngest, making her an easy target for the world.

I wasn't about to let Chase Evans get away with what he did.

After wrapping up the call with Josh, I descended the stairs. A shadow passed from the other hallway towards the front door, and I turned to see Shay. I quickened my pace, catching her just before she reached the door. She spun around, startled at first, then relaxed when she saw it was me.

"Morning," I greeted her with a soft smile.

"Morning. Why are you still here? I thought you left already."

I shrugged as we both headed for the front door.

"Nope, haven't had my coffee yet," I said, and she chuckled, glancing at her watch.

"You're running late, aren't you?" I asked in a hushed tone, and she sighed, meeting my eyes.

"Forgot to set my alarm again." I nodded in understanding and quickly scanned the house.

Our parents were nowhere to be seen, so they must have gone out. Shay was lucky no one was around to catch her leaving for work. That was our little secret. Our parents and siblings had no idea Shay had already started working elsewhere. She always wanted her independence, but with our family, it was a struggle.

Not when your life was planned out before you were born.

Shay never mentioned the company she worked for, and I understood why she kept it to herself. At least I knew she was working somewhere.

"You better get going before Mom gets back. I'll see you later." She smiled and hugged me, and I planted a kiss on her head.

That's how our relationship worked in this house. We looked out for each other, even if our relationship with our parents and other siblings wasn't great. At least we had each other.

We pulled away from the embrace, and I waved as she headed for the door.

"Shay?" I called out, and she turned, raising an eyebrow.

"What happened on that date Mom set up for you?"

Her eyes faltered, and she looked down, avoiding my gaze.

I walked up to her, arms folded.

"Nothing, really. He just realized I wasn't his type, so he canceled our second date. Honestly, it's for the best. I didn't want to see him again."

I studied her for a moment, and she shifted impatiently on her feet.

"I should go now—"

"Is that all that happened?" I pressed, my tone firm.

"Yes," she replied quickly. I pursed my lips and put my hands in my pockets.

"According to a friend of mine who happened to be at that restaurant, he saw Chase Evans deliberately spill a glass of water on you. Is that true? Did he do that to you?"

Her face went blank for a moment, then softened.

"Yes, but don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

I scowled.

"Not a big deal? That guy is going to pay for what he did. He humiliated you in public, in front of so many people."

"Shawn, I have to go. We'll talk about this later, okay?"

I tried to say more, but she turned and hurried out of the house. I clenched my fists and flexed my jaw, then dialed my secretary's number as I headed for the kitchen.

"Amber, get in touch with Chase Evans and tell him it's urgent. We need to have a little talk."