“Oh, come on, Fletcher, we’re talking about a fucking US senator. You don’t think he’ll play even dirtier when we uncover whatever the fuck this is?”
Fletcher shook his head.
“You think Dad is tied up in something?” Hunter asked.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Daniel said. “But, and Olivia, fucking classified all right. If he’s a liability to the security of this company, then it could be time he stood down.”
“Fuck,” Hunter cursed.
“Jesus, Daniel,” Fletcher said, standing up and pacing.
Yeah, that.
He realized what he was saying was huge, but they all knew his father wouldn’t stand down. He’d built the Dufort Dynasty with his bare hands and Daniel respected the hell out of him for it, but he would not stand by and let him destroy it.
Or his damn life.
His father had been willing to marry him off because he’d fucked up by not keeping his cock in his pants. Just like he’d fucked up his marriage and nearly destroyed their mother. Daniel was done. He’d show his father just how fucking powerful his son, the CEO, was.
“It’s my job to protect Dufort Hotels, and that’s what I’m doing. He’d do the same if he were in my shoes again. Or at least he fucking should,” Daniel said, shaking his head.
Hunter sat shaking his head, but he could tell his little brother knew he was right. He was pragmatic but also incredibly loyal. They all were—none of this was going to sit right with any of them.
Fletch sat back down and flung his arm on the back of the sofa behind Olivia. Her eyes darted to him briefly and then lowered.
What the hell?
Fletcher glanced down at Olivia, then back to Daniel. “Do we need to talk this out? I can see Olivia out.”
The doorbell rang, and Hunter went to collect the pizza.
“No. Until I have more information, there’s not a lot more to add to that. Olivia, where are we with the media?” Daniel asked, sitting down once more.
She took a slice of pizza and licked her thumb. “Well, if you confirm the engagement, then you’ll always have a broken engagement on your record. They’ll bring it up forever,” she said, taking a bite and chewing it hungrily.
Hell, had any of them eaten?
God, he was so consumed with this mess he’d kept them working all damn evening. Still, they were grown ass adults.
“I could talk to my contacts and tell them the other camp had jumped the gun. Then promise exclusivity once you’re ready. Which we won’t, of course, but it will buy us time.”
“Will it work?”
“Yes, but only for a short time. Like a day. You need to know it will damage our relationships with them,” Olivia added.
“Which is not ideal, but we need to weigh up the risks here,” Fletcher said. Ultimately, the decision was Daniel’s, but Fletcher was the head of marking for Dufort Hotels, so he also had a play in the decision.
Not to mention his brothers were shareholders.
“Board members have been emailing,” Hunter added
Daniel pressed his lips together. “Yeah, I’ve had a couple of emails. I’m not responding, obviously.” Daniel swirled his whisky again, thinking. “The broken engagement. Do we care? From a brand reputation perspective?”
“The company doesn’t. Frankly, it’s just gossip,” Fletcher answered. “Your love life is constantly in the news, so it’s a big deal, but it’s not going to bump share prices either way.”
“It’s not just his love life in the news, Romeo,” Hunter laughed.
Daniel actually felt his face crack when he smirked. That’s how long it had been since he’d smiled.