Page 131 of Discretion

Jasper held open the door and turned back to me. “Halle?”

I nodded, brushing past him as I walked through the doorway. He placed his hand on my lower back, and we didn’t speak as we headed back to the conference room.

When we entered the room, I couldn’t get a read on anyone. The air was charged with unspoken tension, and it felt as if we were witnessing the aftermath of an intense thunderstorm.

“Please,” Leith said. “Take a seat.”

Jasper held out a chair for me before sitting next to me. If he was nervous, he was doing a damn good job of not showing it. I straightened, lifting my chin and trying to let his confidence infuse me with courage I didn’t feel.

Leith shuffled some papers on the table, and my blood pressure ratcheted up a notch.

“Thank you for coming forward with this matter. This is a big decision and not something we take lightly. With that in mind, the board would like more time to determine whether your relationship is a conflict of interest. For now, we are tabling the question of promoting Halle to SVP permanently.And we think it would be best if Halle takes a leave of absence.”

What?My vision spun, and I gripped the table for support.

Jasper jolted upright. “No. Absolutely not.”

I tugged on his wrist, knowing that we needed to keep a clear head. Getting emotional wasn’t going to help the argument that we were professional and impartial. Nor would it improve relations with the board.

“Does this proposed leave of absence relate in any way to my performance, or is it purely for optics?” I asked.

“What do you think?” Jasper asked, clearly annoyed, though I knew his ire wasn’t directed at me. “It’s a punishment. But if they’re going to punish you, they should also punish me.”

Leith peered at him over the top of his glasses. “Would you prefer that we put you on a leave of absence?”

“I’d like to see you try. This is bullshit, and you know it,” Jasper said, growing more agitated.

“What’s bullshit,” Leith said, a bite to his tone, “is that you had an inappropriate relationship with an employee and now you want to promote her to the second-highest position in the company.”

“No,” Jasper gritted out, his anger scarcely contained. “Everyone knows the chief of staff position is a springboard, intentionally designed to be temporary. The temporary promotion showed what we already knew—Halle is ready to transition to an executive leadership role. Besides, I’m not the one who advocated for her temporary or permanent promotion. That was Halle’s direct supervisor—the person best positioned to know Halle’s skills and the role that would suit her.”

“Semantics,” Leith bit back. “Halle’s direct supervisor is your sister. It’s not a good look.”

Jasper shook his head, his nostrils flaring. “We are a family company. Of course my siblings are going to weigh in. That’s why my grandparents put us in charge.”

“It’s also why they created a board of directors,” Leith countered. “To settle any disputes. To keep things running smoothly.”

As much as I wanted to jump in and speak, I knew I needed to sit back and let Jasper handle this. If I butted in, I risked looking like I controlled him or was trying to control the company through him.

Jasper huffed. “Putting Halle on a leave of absence makes it look like she did something wrong.”

“It’s a paid leave of absence,” Leith said. “To give the board time to deliberate.”

“She might as well leave the company if you’re going to do that. It would be better for her future career prospects.”

“She’s free to do that if she so chooses.”

Well,that was disappointing. Were they really willing to let me go so easily?

Jasper shook his head. “This is wrong, and you know it. It’s an insult to Halle and everything she’s done for the brand. And it’s the opposite of what the company needs.”

“You’re not the only one responsible for deciding what the company needs. And it wasn’t until the past year or so that you actually seemed to give a damn about anything more than partying and having fun.”

I cringed.

Jasper’s fist landed on the table. “I have always cared about the brand. Its employees. Its standards. Our guests. I haven’t been CEO for long, but the Huxley is in my blood. My grandparents founded this company, and I am positive they would not agree with what you’re suggesting.”

“They elected to have a board of directors for a reason. And this scenario definitely qualifies as one of those reasons.Even if you wanted to override the board—which I would not advise—you lack the necessary votes.”