Page 96 of Power Move

“I am bringing my very capable BISO with me—Daphne’s protege—on the road to buy a company. If anyone says anything aboutusall it will be is an assumption that I decided to stick my hand in the cookie jar and hook up with one of my sister’s very hot direct reports. And oops! No one will judge me for that. It’s a tale as old as time.”

“ButmeDavey?” I asked, annoyed.

“Eva, your qualifications speak for themselves. We decided to do this. If you didn’t want to be associated with me—and all that goeswithme, my love—then you’re SOL.”

He was right. I hated the gossip.

“Then, go out there and announce it,” I said.

“What?”

“If you’re not afraid of everyone knowing what we did andwhat is going on, you need to tell everyone that you’re the father of these babies.”

“Eva, how would I do that? Send an all-employees email?”

“You’re the CEO. Figure it out. We’re roommates now, right? We show up at work together. It’s on you to do something else and fix it.”

“I would like to think we aremorethan roommates, Eva,” Davey said.

“Well, prove it,” I stormed out.

The ball was in his court. I couldn’t do his job. And even if I could, I refused.

Davey

“Prove it.”

Eva rushed out. Due to my plate glass windows and open door, everyone milling on the c-suite floor heard our argument. Meg entered as if trying to protect me or stop the fallout. Yes, if Eva were any other employee, I would have gone to her direct supervisor and told them to handle it. Instead, I couldn’t exactlydothat.

“Sir, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Would you like me to call Ms. Ngyuen?”

“No.” I shook my head and massaged my temples.

Prove it. This wasn’t about disguising things or trying to divert attention. Eva only grew more pregnant by the day. Meg knew what was happening—I suspected many people thought they did, too—but it was time to be abundantly clear.

“Meg, can you close the door and take a seat?” I asked.

Though concerned, she followed orders.

I cleared my throat, preparing for this uncomfortable conversation. “The situation with Miss Pavlak may be confusingsometimes. For that, I apologize, but… she is a valued employee here. As she and Claire fill in on the operations side for Daphne, I would ask you treat her as you would my sister. I don’t know why you argued with her earlier, but that cannot happen.”

Meg shook her head. “I worry for you. Mixing home and work like this… while she galivants around… it’s not good.”

“Galivants?” I snickered. “Eva is least likely to galivant. She’s quite calm and laid-back in real life. She doesn’t put on airs.”

“She isdemanding. She speaks out of turn and defies authority.”

“Only with me. And she has every right to question me right now,” I said. “On the personal side, Eva and the twins take priority and always will.”

“I don’t like how she mixes the two and expects you to drop everything. It’s not proper behavior.”

“For whom?” I chuckled. “Mum would have marched in here and demanded Dad immediately pack up if she needed him to attend a band concert for Derrick or a play for Lanie. I don’t think I’ve met a more demanding woman than my mother.”

“Your parents were married. I do not understand this at all. This is… it’s highway robbery!”