Page 35

Jade

T he wheels of the plane meet the tarmac with scarcely a bump. Still vigilant about my safety, Clear Security made arrangements to fly me home on someone’s private plane. I don’t even know whose, so hopefully that means no one else does either. One of their clients, I think.

I watch out the window as San Francisco’s private plane terminal comes into view. I’m home. Minutes later, the hatch pops open with a hiss, and I step down the stairs. I’ve done a lot of thinking while I packed up my mugs, and I have a plan now. It’s time to set it in motion.

“Ms. Allerton.” A familiar voice greets me as I reach the ground. Jim Adelson, a man built like a fortress, is dressed in a suit and manages to look both expensive and ready for a brawl. “Welcome back.”

“What have I done to deserve such an important welcoming committee?” I ask, my attempt at lightness. I hope there hasn’t been another threat.

“Your father and Alexis are expecting us,” he says, scanning our surroundings—an ever-vigilant guardian. “We have a meeting in an hour.”

I tense. “This matter is between Alexis and my father. I don’t need to be there.” Not to mention, an hour is not nearly enough time to prepare to face my father and whatever this meeting will dredge up from the depths of our family’s dysfunction.

“It’s important that you’re there,” Jim says. “Your father needs to understand how Alan approached you and gave you the information.”

My heart sinks. I know why Alexis didn’t tell me about this. She knew I’d find an excuse to miss the plane or divert to somewhere else. But now, there’s no avoiding it. With a sigh, I nod. “All right. Let’s go.”

Jim leads the way to a sleek black Escalade idling nearby, and we drive toward my parents’ home. Evidently, that’s where we’ll be meeting. That, at least, is better than going to Allerton Mining’s offices.

My parents live in Hillsboro, a community just south of the airport, so it doesn’t take long to arrive. Soon their colonial mansion looms ahead. We pull into the driveway, and my stomach knots as we step out of the car. I straighten my jacket, trying to brace myself for the inevitable.

“Jade, darling!” My mother’s voice floats from the doorway as we approach. Candi Allerton is all grace on the outside, but inside, I know her brain is churning with every possible outcome to make sure she’s going to end up okay. No matter what.

“Mom,” I say, embracing her briefly before stepping back to introduce Jim. “This is Jim Adelson from Clear Security.”

“Charmed,” she says, extending her hand with the poise of a diplomat.

Jim takes it, giving a respectful nod. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Allerton.”

As we exchange pleasantries, my father steps into view, his sharp gaze arresting. As usual, Gordon Allerton commands attention without uttering a word.

“Father,” I begin, “this is Jim—”

“Jade!” I’m cut off by the timely arrival of my sister, who breezes past me and through the entrance with authority and purpose. “Sorry I’m late,” she says, though her tone suggests anything but. “Why don’t we take this to the sitting room?”

Mom leans into me as we move to follow. “What is this about?”

“Watch your daughter shine,” I tell her.

Father and Jim sit in the wingback chairs. Mom finds a spot just out of Dad’s sight. Alexis hands Father a bound stack of documents, and he looks down at them, seeming bewildered.

“Would someone care to enlighten me?” he rumbles, leafing through the pages without really seeing them.

“Jade, why don’t you start us off?” Alexis suggests.

I clear my throat and stand. “Dad, a few months ago, Alan Frasier introduced himself to me outside the bank. He used to work at Allerton Mining and reported to JP. He was in a bad way, had lost everything and was begging for money.” Alan’s desperate eyes flash in my mind. “We shared lunch, and he told me he was being watched but had important information for me.”

My father’s brows knit together, concern flickering in his eyes before he masks it with his usual stoicism. “All of this?” he prompts. “This is company property. I’m going to call my lawyer and have him prosecuted.”

Alexis nods. “You can do that,” she interjects. “But maybe you should wait.”

“Alan didn’t have the information on him,” I continue, “but I gave him my card, and a little while later he left a thumb drive at my studio. I didn’t know what could be on it, and I worried it had some sort of virus or maybe a trojan horse, so I turned it over to Jim and his team at Clear Security. They’ve taken some time to review it, verifying its authenticity.”

The air in the room feels charged as Jim sits up straighter. “I’m Jim Adelson, owner of Clear Security,” he begins. “The documents Alan Frasier provided are legitimate, including emails and records from your servers.”

“How did you get access to our servers?” Dad asks.

“If you’d like help improving your cybersecurity, Clear Security can assist.” He pauses, letting that sink in for a moment.

Dad starts looking through the materials more closely.

“Mr. Allerton,” Jim continues, “your company’s private servers weren’t particularly challenging to access.”

I watch as my father’s complexion turns a shade darker, his nostrils flaring slightly, a sure sign of his brewing temper. It’s the kind of reaction that once would have sent me shrinking, but not anymore. I don’t play his games, so I don’t care what he does.

Before he can blow up, Alexis moves closer to Dad, smoothly flipping open the bound documents to a marked page. “First, let’s start with what got Alan fired and then blacklisted so he’s unable to find work anywhere else. Did you know the Reno mine had two serious injuries last year, and JP paid people to keep it quiet? And did you know that several more of our mines have ongoing health and safety violations?”

Dad flips through the book, taking in the paper trail of emails and checks.

When he finally looks up, Alexis’s eyes narrow. “This,” she says, holding up her copy of the bound volume as though it were a shield. “Did you know about this? Or is JP acting on his own?”

Father bristles, his posture stiffening as if he’s girding himself for battle. But Alexis doesn’t relent. “Did you know, Dad?” she asks again.

Watching Father grapple with this, I feel a pang of sympathy. For all his flaws, he still clings to the idea of family, no matter how twisted that loyalty has become. It’s a shame because real family, real connection can mean so much more. I know that now. Alexis has always shown me that, and maybe that’s why I can’t let go of Rhys. He made me believe in the possibility of love without conditions, of loyalty without manipulation. And even when he left, I know he wanted what was best for me, even if he was wrong about what that was.

Father exhales sharply, a gust of concession. “Health and safety protocols have always been a priority,” he says. “Of course I wasn’t aware of any neglect in the mines, and certainly not of any failure to correct them. I would have acted immediately. All that is JP’s department.”

I sense the weight of his admission, a crack in the foundation we’ve never seen before. Without missing a beat, Alexis flips through the pages of the bound report, stopping at a screen capture from the accounting software. She points to a list of vendors, her finger tracing down the column as she speaks.

“Jim’s team did some digging,” she says. “These vendors, as you can see—our company paid them significant amounts. But they’re not just any vendors. They stand out in two ways. First, they are compensated at just under the amount you would need to sign off on. And second, they can all be traced back to JP.”

The revelation hits like a physical blow, not because the work hasn’t been done—the worry clear in Dad’s sudden attentiveness—but because this sneaky payment system is a betrayal of a different sort, one that picks at the threads of trust woven through our family’s company.

“Also, JP paid himself nearly a million dollars beyond his regular salary,” Alexis notes.

Father’s hands, resting on the arms of his chair, tighten into fists. He doesn’t speak, but I see the storm brewing in his eyes. This isn’t just a business misstep. This is a personal crack in the armor of family loyalty. Watching the man who grew his family’s business into an empire with grit and determination grapple with betrayal from within his own ranks, I realize the ground beneath us has shifted.

“There’s just one more thing,” Alexis adds, taking a deep breath. “The last item on the thumb drive was the land contract for the Waldorf’s Sacramento property. As you know, it includes a clause that dictates right of first refusal for future Waldorf land sales, but it’s worded differently than previously agreed on.” Alexis traces the lines of text as if to ward off any disputes about their validity.

I lean forward to see, and there it is in black and white. JP Allerton has first right of refusal on all future land sales.

“As you can see, it’s not Allerton Mining, but JP.” Alexis allows Dad to read a minute. “And then when you flip to the email chain between JP and Cooper, you’ll see their plan to convert the acreage from wine grapes to cannabis.”

My father’s frown deepens.

“Think about it, Dad,” Alexis interjects. “Converting the vineyards would mean a massive financial investment, and it’d take years before seeing any return—and no return is guaranteed. Not to mention, the moment you make that switch, the federal contracts for our mining materials will evaporate. Especially if JP is running Allerton Mining.”

The silence that follows Alexis’s revelation is a heavy blanket on the room. Dad’s beloved son has robbed him, endangered our employees, and is working to disregard everything eight generations of Allertons have built. Yet Father’s gaze feels like it’s boring into me, his eyes asking a question he hasn’t quite formed into words yet. I shift uncomfortably, my hands clasped in front of me.

“Jade,” he says, his voice gruff, “are you ready to step back into the company?”

This again? It’s ludicrous. I’m not surprised by the question, and my answer has been clear in my mind for years now. It should be clear to him too. “No, Father,” I reply firmly. “I’m very content running my own business. I’m here solely for support. You’re still my family.”

He swears softly, and I can tell he’s disappointed. But I push on, for the good of the company and our family. “If you’re thinking about retirement,” I continue, “Alexis is the right person to lead Allerton Mining. Her time in human resources has acquainted her with every facet of the company, and she’s grown up learning from you. She understands how the business works, and she cares about its reputation and future success. She also has Bryant as her partner, who’s already a brilliant chief legal officer.”

There’s a flicker of surprise on Alexis’s face, a softening around her eyes that tells me she hadn’t expected my endorsement in quite this way. Mother, standing off to the side, is radiant, her smile wide and proud.

“Augustus isn’t ready, and you’ve already said you don’t think he’ll ever be,” Mom says gently.

“Alexis has the same tenacity as you do, Dad, but tempered with empathy,” I add. “And I know you’re not retiring anytime soon, so you have some time to think about it.”

Father’s fingers move methodically through the pages, his brows knitting tighter with each leaf turned. He pauses and looks up at Alexis. “Despite all this, you must understand, women aren’t taken seriously in male-dominated industries, especially mining.”

Frustration sparks within me. His words, meant as caution perhaps, feel like chains trying to hold us back. “Are you sure, Dad? Or is that just how you feel? Northern Copper didn’t think twice about it. They just named Blake Jarvis as their CEO, and she’s not only capable, but she just delivered twins. It’s not about gender. It’s about leadership and vision.”

I can sense Alexis’s gaze on me. A silent thank you for standing up, not just for her, but for the capability of women in any industry. Mother’s eyes are watchful, hopeful even, as if my words could carve out a new era for our family business, one led by competence, not convention.

Father’s jaw sets as he closes the book. “I need time to process this,” he murmurs. His eyes lift, meeting mine and then Alexis’s in turn. “And I need to speak with JP.”

He stands and turns to Jim with a look of stern expectation. “Would you be willing to attend that discussion? Your insight could prove valuable.”

Jim nods, the corners of his mouth tilting up. He extends his hand, broad and confident. “I’m happy to do that.”

“Allerton Mining offices downtown, nine a.m. sharp tomorrow morning.” They seal the agreement with their handshake.

Alexis clasps her hands in front of her, her posture straight, every inch the successor she deserves to become. “While you’re thinking all this over, you should know I’m pregnant,” she adds. “Twelve weeks along. Bryant and I are hoping for a few children, but that doesn’t change my commitment to Allerton Mining.”

Her words are confident, but there’s a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She knows what this family is capable of, the ways they might use this news against her.

Mom streaks across the room and holds her tight. “Isn’t this wonderful, Gordie? We’ll be grandparents.”

“Congratulations,” Dad says.

“Thank you.” Alexis nods.

With that, we say our goodbyes, and Jim and Alexis exit the sitting room as I follow. We move back through the house in silence. Jim is heading into the office, but he assures me that Lee will get me and Alexis home. It’s only when we settle into the plush leather seats of the car, Lee’s steady hands at the wheel, that Alexis finally exhales.

I look over at her. “I can’t believe you told him you were pregnant.”

She shrugs. “My clothes aren’t fitting so well right now, so it’s going to be obvious pretty soon. He needed to know. Better to get everything on the table at once than have to do this all over again.” She squeezes my hand. “Thank you so much for everything, for making sure Dad could see me as the next CEO.”

I offer her a quiet nod. “I only wish I could be certain he heard what we had to say,” I murmur. “JP may find his way back into Father’s good graces sooner than we think. History does love to repeat itself.”

“True,” Alexis admits, a shadow crossing her features. “But what we presented was very damaging. And it’s not going away. At the very least, I hope Dad will move to correct those issues, and after all that work, I would hope it would be difficult to trust JP again. But at least we’ve planted the seed. That’s a start.”

We drop Alexis at the Allerton Mining offices, and Lee takes me on to my loft to help me unload. He introduces me to Sam Rockwell, who meets us there and will stick around with me until whenever Clear Security decides that’s no longer necessary. I need to ask Jim for an update on Rhys’s situation.

I step into the loft, and find it transformed by the minimalist furniture Alexis has selected for me. It’s beautiful—undoubtedly chic with its monochromatic palette and sleek lines—but it feels sterile, like a showroom untouched by human warmth.

The couch is my favorite shade of deep plum, but when I sit on it, it feels like a concrete bench. You can’t fall asleep on this while watching television. I look around and sigh. I love working here, but this isn’t home. All I can think about is how much I’d rather be somewhere else.

And I know exactly where. I dig in my bag and pull out the key to Rhys’s place, feeling a sense of clarity. Rhys isn’t just part of my plan for the future. He’s the reason I want to rebuild, to fight for something better. I’m done running, done following other people’s orders. It’s time to show him I’m all in.