“All the more reason he doesn’t need more power. Write up a memo to all the executives explaining the decision. Make sure it sounds like DeValera’s current responsibilities are too important and that no one else can do his job.”
Sydney nodded, quickly taking a few notes for the memo she’d later write and send to Griffin for approval. As she did so, she couldn’t help being impressed by his light hand when it came to managing the executive staff.
Something of her surprise must have shown in her expression because Griffin asked, “You disagree with my decision?”
She finished writing her notes as she shook her head. “No. On the contrary, I think it’s a brilliant strategy.” Griffin looked at her with his eyebrows raised, like he wanted her to say more, so she kept talking. “DeValera is very much your father’s man. He’s a good COO but a bit of a narcissist.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I agree completely. And I don’t trust him. With Hollister’s health failing and this stupid quest of his—which, thankfully, no one outside the family knows about—the company was vulnerable enough before Dalton decided to step down. I don’t want DeValera getting any ideas.”
“That’s very smart.” She cringed a little, realizing she sounded like a yes-man.
“Then why do you look doubtful?”
She tilted her head, considering her next words. Just how honest did she want to be here? She never hesitated to give her opinion when Dalton asked for it, but he rarely asked.
“Out with it,” Griffin ordered, his playful grin never slipping from his face.
“I just didn’t expect you to have such insight into the inner workings of the company. That’s all.”
The smiled that twisted his lips suddenly looked just a little bitter. “Right.”
“The strategy is brilliant,” she hastened to reassure him.
“You just didn’t think I was capable of it.”
“It’s not—” But she fumbled, unsure how to finish her sentence. And feeling just a smidge annoyed at him. “Look, you give off an air of … privileged indolence. I’m not the only one in the company who thinks this. Anyone would tell you the same thing.” But suddenly she found she couldn’t quite look him in the eye. Disconcerted by the idea that she didn’t know him at all, she flipped the cover of her iPad closed, running her finger across the smooth blue leather. “But clearly you’re not that guy. Obviously you haven’t been ignoring the daily office politics of the company. Otherwise you wouldn’t have noticed that Merkins has amassed a really great team or that DeValera is a power-hungry narcissist.”
“Hey, narcissist is your word, not mine.”
Her gaze snapped back to his and she saw that his smile hadn’t changed at all. But perhaps his eyes were crinkling just a tad around the edges.
“All I’m saying—” her voice took on a defensive edge, but she didn’t try to hide it. It wasn’t her fault he was that good at hiding his true nature “—is that you can’t spend all that time and energy creating a persona to fool everyone and then be annoyed when you actually do fool everyone.”
Griffin knew Sydney was right. He also knew her annoyance with him was totally justified. He’d kept a lot of things from her. There were sides of himself he shared with almost no one. Things he hadn’t ever meant to share, even with her.
When he’d first started working for Cain Enterprises, he’d been pegged as the slacker in the family. At first, he hadn’t courted that image on purpose. He simply hadn’t wanted the job. But he had wanted the inheritance that would one day be his, and his father had made it clear that he’d never have one if he didn’t accept the other. As it turned out, being a piss-poor executive left him plenty of time to work for Hope2O. Being known as the lazy one had made his life easier. Everyone he knew thought him either incapable or unwilling to work, so no one ever expected jack from him. No one within Cain Enterprises, anyway.
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