RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 4

•SHAWN•

I walked into my dad's office, but he didn't even glance up. He was busy scribbling away with a pen in his hand, jotting things down on the paper spread across his desk. I approached him slowly until he finally looked up at me.

"Did you know Shelby's been siphoning cash from the company's slush fund?"

I was totally caught off guard by his question. I was planning to talk to him about it, but it looks like he already knows.

"Yeah, I just found out not long ago, which is why I'm here," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

He stared right into my eyes and folded his hands on the desk.

"This isn't a problem we should be discussing here. It's rather something you should be fixing on your own."

I clenched my jaw as I sensed his disappointment. My father had never really been proud of me for anything, but being the oldest and his only son, it was my responsibility to keep things on track with the family business.

"Shelby's been causing a lot of trouble lately, and she was also behind the reason why those protesters showed up yesterday," I said, my irritation with her seeping through.

"I know what your sister's up to. Although, it does surprise me that you don't seem to realize that she's doing all these to get your position."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. I had no idea my father knew Shelby was eyeing my CEO seat. But I was certain she had bigger motives behind all the chaos.

"Did she talk to you about this?"

Dad leaned back in his chair and let out a small sigh.

"A few times. Beyond all the problems she's causing, she's actually proving herself. You, on the other hand, have been slacking off, giving her an opening to switch your roles in this company, just to see if something good comes out of it."

Annoyance coursed through me, and I clenched my fists. So I was right; Shelby had been scheming with him behind my back.

"There's no need for that. I've got everything under control," I quickly reassured him. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I know you do. But most of the time, I see you walking through that door to tell me about a problem instead of fixing it. I put you in charge because I believed you could handle things here on your own. But if you can't, that's enough reason to consider giving your sister a shot."

He went back to his work, and I stood there, my throat tight with frustration. After a while, I decided to leave, but just as I reached the door, he spoke again, causing me to pause.

"Your mom's returning from her trip to New Jersey. She wants you to pick her up at the airport and take her home."

I nodded and left the room.

OoO

I saw my mother walking down the aisle with her security team, lugging her bags. Her face lit up when she spotted me.

"Hey there, Mom."

"Hi, sweetie." She hugged me, and we strolled out of the airport together.

"Did you go to work today?"

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "Dad told me you were flying in today, so I rushed over to pick you up."

She smiled and linked her arm with mine.

"That's sweet, I did tell your father to send you instead of one of your sisters. I know they're all busy these days."

I glanced at her and saw her smile fade a bit after she mentioned my sisters.

"What about Shanelle?"

She playfully rolled her eyes at the mention of my other sister, the supermodel.

Shay liked to call her 'The lucky sibling who got away' because Shanelle was the only one in the family with a career unrelated to the family business.

"That girl rarely answers my calls. The last time we spoke, she was in Rome for an event. I'd rather not bother her anymore; she'll just give me excuses. Who knows? Next time I ask, she might say she's traveling to the moon for another fashion show."

I burst out laughing at her joke, and she leaned closer to my side.

Shanelle had her own place and traveled the world extensively due to her busy schedule. We understood and let her do her thing.

But my parents liked to keep tabs on her for peace of mind, making sure she wasn't kidnapped by Russian mobs in Kazakhstan or Paris during her fashion shows.

The car was waiting outside, and I opened the door for my mom. After she settled in comfortably, she smiled at me.

"Aren't you coming home with me?" I shook my head slowly.

"I've got to head back to the office and wrap up a few things. I promise I'll be home for dinner."

She nodded and waved as I closed the door. I watched the car drive off, and suddenly, my phone started ringing.

I scowled when I saw Ange's name and let out a sigh.

I had made it clear that we were breaking up that day, so why was she still bothering me?

I checked the time and glanced at Ange's name again as the phone continued to ring in my hand.

I guess I could spare a few minutes to sort this out before heading back to the office.

At least this wasn't a problem I needed to bring to my father's attention; it was something I could handle on my own without anyone knowing.