That headline came as no shock when he told us that Brent was going to take over. It shocked Brent, but not me. Augustus looked like he had tricks up his sleeve.

You didn’t get to the top without tricks up your sleeve.

“It’s not my company,” I scoffed.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he whispered, getting closer.

Damn him for giving me goosebumps.

“Trust me, we’re working around the clock to figure things out in just a few short days until I’m twenty-one. My birthday is a meeting day. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

I pushed away from the bar, deciding that I was done.

Done with playing nice.

Done with these fake friends.

Done with the parties.

It was time I learned how my mom took over the world.

​Chapter 47

Fallon

​One Week Later

Tucked away in a discreet location, a few trusted men gathered with me for a meeting about what had been going on in the company since Sylvia waltzed in and claimed it all as hers.

“Before we get to chatting, I want to say happy birthday to Miss Montgomery. You’ve come a long way, and you will take the world by storm, like your mother did. We are excited to see what you can do.” Evans led the secret meeting we were holding.

He offered a small box to me. “As a birthday present, this was released from your mother's will to be given to you today. When you go home, open it. Maybe it will give some insight into what you should do in coming weeks.”

Someone popped open a bottle and passed glasses around for everyone to take a shot with me as a newly donned twenty-one-year-old.

The energy was lighter despite the dark cloud that loomed over us. What Syliva would do, or had done was in the back of all our minds. Still, we took a day to celebrate my birthday in a final hurrah of how far we had come until we couldn’t continue.

“To Fallon!” Mr. Caldwell raised his glass.

“To Fallon!” The rest of them followed.

We drank up.

I kicked my feet up in the chair next to me. “You all have been great. I couldn’t have asked for better people to have my back. Despite this being an odd year, thanks for ringing in my birthday with me.”

A sudden boom near us went off.

Wasn’t it too early for thunderstorms? Odd weather.

It happened again.

Boom!

“What the fuck?” James stood to begin investigating, checking himself to ensure he had a gun on his hip.

He became more vigilant than ever around me. Life or death and all.

More commotion came from just outside the doors before they burst open with masked men with handguns running through the doors.

“Hands up! This is a robbery!”

Evans stood with his hands up. “Guys, I think–”

Bang!