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“A vacation,” Derrick said.
Taylor’s eye lit up, and Derrick knew she liked the idea. When she got into something, when she started piecing things together and getting it perfect, she was alive; she just glowed. At least she had when she was a kid, and he was glad to see that hadn’t changed.
“Yes! Exactly!” she clapped her hands in the air. “It will be like we went away, to get away from it all. We’re feeling cocky that we had hid it for so long, and we get spotted. Perfect.”
She furrowed her brow in thought. “But where and how?” She rested her chin in her hand. Then suddenly she was up and snapped her fingers, pointing in success, “A yacht! We can go out on a yacht. You’ve got a yacht, right?” she said, turning to Simon.
Good plan. But it needed adjusting, Derrick thought.
“Taylor, a yacht takes a crew, takes plans. You have to get it in the proper channels. It’s pretty time consuming,” he reminded her.
Taylor turned back to him, “You’re right. Damn. Well, now what?” she said to Charlie.
“I have the sailboat, and I can man it myself. We would be seen taking it out of the marina, and if we leave at night, it will spark lots of talk. Especially if I try to pay someone off,” Derrick said it casually, but inside he was hoping she would bite.
Derrick knew Taylor was not his biggest fan, and it was his fault too. He could tell by the way she avoided him and only looked at him when she had to that she was still mad. He needed time with her, time alone. If he could just get her to listen, he was sure he could repair the damage.
“That could work,” Charlie said slowly. “Yes, that would be perfect,” he finished jovially, his expression saying everything seemed to be clicking into place.
“I think it could work,” Simon said, nodding his approval and looking between Taylor and his son.
“Okay, great. It’s settled,” Taylor said. “We get spotted, the relationship makes news headlines around the world, and we go from there.” She turned to Charlie and Todd. “Meanwhile, these guys will get you a list of the first must-haves we need done and the costs of them, and you hold up your end.”
Simon started to argue, brows drawn in discontent, but Taylor interrupted before he could speak. “This is a process, Simon, just like rebuilding the company will be,” she explained, her tone soothing. “It will take time. I don’t expect the money all at once, just like you shouldn’t expect me to just marry your son tomorrow. He didn’t ruin his rep in one day,” she said, pointing to Derrick. But her eyes never left Simon’s. “And Cedric didn’t ruin an empire that quick either, so I won’t be married overnight. It is bad business to move too quickly.”
“Now, you two,” she said to Todd and Charlie, “need to get all the chaos surrounding Cedric’s lack of leadership to look like a leadership shakeup. Leak it somehow. Start a rumor, plant a seed—whatever it takes—and make sure it gets going fast. And I want all the needs for the entire corporation by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Taylor, we can’t—” Todd started.
“Oh, you can,” she chastised him, “and you will.” Then she turned and peered out a window.
“Taylor,” Charlie interjected, “we can handle running the corporation, we just need—”
Taylor’s head whipped back. “Excuse me?” Her voice was quiet and frosty. “Are you telling me you want me to be just a pretty face, a symbol, and not actually be involved in running the corporation thatmyfamily created?”
No one said anything.
“Because that sounds ridiculous,” Taylor clarified softly.
It totally came through as a threat, which Derrick saw Todd, Charlie, and even his dad take in as they swallowed uncomfortably.
“I will be running this ‘show’ from now on. So you two,” she said, pointing at Todd and Charlie, “get me the needs list. By tomorrow.”
Todd gave a curt nod; Charlie was just frozen in place.
“Now, where is this house-in-the-air going?”
“L.A. We are taking you home, Taylor, to Preston Manor,” Charlie said.
Taylor stiffened. “The hell you are,” she said in a harsh whisper, her breathing picking up pace. “I will not step foot in that house,” she said, shaking her head quickly.
“Taylor, it’s the best place for—”
“I. Will. Not. Go. There!” she shouted.
“She can come with me,” Derrick interjected, “she can come home with me.”
Derrick felt every eye turn to stare at him. It was really quiet for a few seconds, and then every other man spoke at once.