The Still CEO: Forged Succession

Chapter 2 - Muffled moans

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Weeks Earlier

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Kyra

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I take a deep breath, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I approach the waiting bench where Mom and Kay sit. I had to quickly run to the ladies' before I could do anything else.

"I'm going to meet the manager now. I'll be back soon," I tell my mother, and she nods, saying they’ll be right here.

With a nervous smile, I walk over to the reception area, where a friendly staff member welcomes me and leads me on a tour of the daycare center. I called and made an appointment, so they knew I was coming. The center itself is impressive, and the vibrant and educational environment has my heart swelling with hope for Kay's future experiences here.

But it is the security features that truly caught my attention—a fingerprint-based entry system and carefully monitored play areas ease my worries about his safety.

Finally, the tour concludes, and we head to the office. The daycare manager hands me a price brochure, and as I scan through the options, my eyes widen in disbelief.

The costs are higher than I had anticipated. The cheapest option, at $2044 per month, makes me gulp, even though I shouldn’t since it covers a full week including weekends, there's even an option to add sleepovers for no extra cost. Which is something the others didn't offer.

I suppose it is crazy of me to expect anything less than this much here, considering this is an expensive neighborhood.

The manager gives me a moment to decide, and I glance back and forth at the prices as if staring at them intently might magically alter the figures. Even though my boss has given me a $1000 allowance for Kay's daycare costs, it's still too much to add the additional $1000.

I am going to have to dip into my savings for sure, especially since I am required to pay three months upfront before Kay can be enrolled in their system. But at the same time, it's about making the right choice for my baby’s well-being and development, even if the financial strain is real.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity of internal debate, I make my decision. I choose the cheaper option, and the daycare manager smiles warmly, her understanding gaze offering a sense of relief. At least she isn’t as prudish as the last lady I met.

"They don't charge extra for sleepovers," I mutter to myself, grateful for that small silver lining as I diligently fill in all the necessary information before making the required p*****t. When the paperwork is concluded, I thank the daycare manager and head toward the exit.

"How did it go?" my mother asks, and I hand her the brochure. Her eyes widen as I take Kay, and she looks at me, appalled by the prices. We didn't even pay half of this where we previously lived.

We head out of the building and proceed to our car. I am hungry, so I suggest that we get something to eat before going home and maybe do some groceries since we haven’t yet.

This is day two for us here in Los Angeles, and I only have five days left of the seven days of leave I was given before I am required to start work. So, I had to hit the ground running and find a place to look after Kay. My mother and I spent the whole day comparing prices and standards.

After securing my baby in his seat, I move to the driver’s seat and start the car. But just as it starts to move, I hear my mother saying she’s sorry. I ask her for what, and she says she’s sorry that she can't be of much help, and I feel a pang in my chest at that.

It’s not like she's doing it purposely; she does a lot for Kay and me, even if she can’t look after him. My mother suffers from epilepsy, so I couldn’t leave her with a child. She's taking her medication, and it's as under control as it can be, but it’s still not safe for her to look after a child. I feel horrible for leaving her alone as it is. She feels bad about it, but it’s just how it is, and there's nothing she can do about it.

The move here was sudden. My boss only let me know two weeks ago. He bought a new club here, and he wanted someone he could trust among the new staff, someone to show them how things are done. So, he sent me over here with my manager.

The offer came with a substantial increase and an accommodation allowance in an expensive neighborhood, which was a big upgrade from my previous living conditions.

He also gave me a company car and an extra $1000 to pay for daycare for Kay, which was very generous of him. When he told me where he had secured an apartment for me, I was so excited and I forgot that higher living means a higher cost of living. Kay’s daycare has just reminded me of that.

Last night before bedtime, I did a little search to see how much more or less I could expect to pay, and when I showed Mom, she brought up what she had been bringing up lately. She asked me about reaching out to Kay’s father, but that’s out of the question. Who would I even say I was?

I keep one hand on the steering wheel and reach out to my mother with the other, and I tell her that I appreciate her so much. I remind her of all the other things she does for us, and she smiles at me.

"Let’s go get some food, Momma."

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Chase

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The crisp winter air embraces me, sending a shiver down my spine as I stand, watching eagerly as the people from the car dealership carefully lower the brand-new car onto the driveway. As the tires gently kiss the ground, the team goes to work, inspecting every detail to ensure everything is in order. Clutching my warm cup of coffee in my hands, still clad in my pajamas, I marvel at the sleek lines of the car while taking another sip of my coffee.

Finally, the driver approaches me with a small electronic device to sign for the delivery, and I scribble my signature on the screen, expressing my gratitude to them for their efforts. With the paperwork complete, they hop back into their vehicle, and I press the remote for the gate to let them leave. As the gate opens, I offer one last thank you to the crew, wishing them a good day. They pull away, and I walk toward my new acquisition, an unmistakable smile stretching across my face. The car looks even more stunning up close, and I can't wait for her to see it.

Feeling satisfied, I glance at the time and head back inside. Today feels like a rare treat—it's my day off, the first one in six long months.

A year ago, my father's battle with COVID changed everything. He contracted the virus during a business trip, and we all feared for his life. Thankfully, he seemed to recover, but little did we know that the virus would return in the form of long-term COVID, bringing with it a relentless and debilitating struggle. It was heart-wrenching to witness his decline, and seven months ago, when it became evident that he needed to focus solely on his health, we made the difficult decision for him to take time off from work.

My father had built our family empire from scratch, working tirelessly to achieve his success, and even now, when he should be enjoying the fruits of his labor, he finds it hard to step back and let go. His determination drove him to push forward, even in his weakened state. And as his appointed successor, I felt the immense weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I knew I had to ensure the smooth running of the business and close all the deals, just like he had never failed to do for years.

For the past six months, I have practically lived in the office. And in doing so, I neglected the other important aspect of my life—my relationship with Liv. We had been through so much together, and her unwavering support during these tough times has been a pillar of strength for me.

Today is a big day, as I have finally worked up the courage to ask Liv to marry me. She means the world to me, and I'm ready to take the next big step in our relationship and hope she's ready too. If not, I’m willing to wait until she is, however long that may be. She’s my world, and she’s the only one I see myself doing this life thing with.

I begin to head to my bedroom to shower, but just then, the doorbell rings, and I head back to the front to get it. I open the door to meet my mother's warm and welcoming smile. It is a pleasant surprise to see her, as she usually calls before coming over. We share a heartfelt hug before I invite her inside.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, and she reassures me with a smile, saying that everything is fine. But then she pauses, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and it reminds me that I have a surprise of my own for her.

I haven’t told her about my plan to propose to Liv. Liv and I have been dating for four years now, but my mother has never really warmed up to her, and it bothers me because I want them to have a genuine relationship. I spoke to her about it, and she denied that she didn’t like her for me, but I can still see through her.

Still beaming, she hands me a bag, and as I peek inside the bag, my eyes widen in surprise, seeing a bottle of GlenDronach 18-Year-Old Allardice.

"What did I do to deserve this?" I ask, carefully taking out the bottle and noticing that there’s something still left inside the bag. Instead of answering, she tells me to take out the square box, the mysterious smile still on her face.

I reach for the box and lift its lid to find a beautiful Patek Philippe timepiece lying inside. "Wow, it's incredible!" I compliment it, carefully taking the watch in my hands, and Mom tells me to turn it over. I do and find my initials carved elegantly in sparkling diamonds, and my heart swells with emotions as I look up at her. "This is amazing. Thank you, Mom," I whisper, pulling her into a hug, and she replies to my earlier question in the hug, saying she doesn’t need a special occasion to spoil her son.

As we pull back after a long moment, I invite her to sit down, and she accepts the offer. "Would you like some coffee?" I ask, and she says that would be lovely. I quickly make it for us.

"So, you bought yourself a new car?" she asks about the car she saw in front, and I smile at that, realizing that it’s now or never. I tell her that it is a surprise for Liv, and there is silence for a moment after that, the air suddenly heavy with unspoken judgment, before I break the silence and speak again.

I tell her that I haven’t been present for Liv during these past six months and that I just want to do something special for her to remind her of how much I appreciate how patient and understanding she’s been. But my mother cuts me off before I'm finished.

"As your partner, she has to be supportive of you. It's not like you've been out partying. You’ve been working hard, so she could have her diamond ruby facials and her Evian Water Baths," she says, and I explain that that is not what I meant. I wasn’t paying her for her support. But she interjects again, reaching across the counter and taking my hands in hers.

"I’m sorry, that's not what I meant," she says before saying I have a kind heart and she just wants me to be happy. I tell her that I am happy and that Liv makes me happy, and she nods, saying she knows. I tell her I love her, raising her hand to my lips and placing a kiss atop it before deciding to finally drop the other bomb on her.

"I have something to tell you, and your support will mean a lot, Mom," I add the last part, feeling the tension from our last conversation still thick in the air, and she nods. "I’m going to propose to Liv this evening," I tell her and watch her face flush before she lets out a breath and wills a smile onto her face, and I feel that familiar pang in my chest.

She congratulates me, tearing up, and we get up and share a long hug while I pray that she now puts behind whatever doubts she has about Liv and gives her a chance. She wants to see the ring, but I tell her I’m about to fetch it now from the jeweler. I had some details I wanted added, so they sent it to one of their overseas branches, and it took a little longer than expected to get it done, but it arrived a few hours ago, and I was about head there to get it.

They wanted to deliver it, but I wanted to stop by the company and surprise Liv with lunch. I want to spoil my girl all day today, and I’m hoping she can make time so we can go away for the weekend.

We sit down, and Mom asks me how I planned to propose, and I tell her what I’ve got planned. She’s impressed, and after she congratulates me again, she says she’s going to leave me to it, seeing as I have a long day ahead of me.

She tells me to let her know if I need any help, and I tell her I will. We share a hug again, and she leaves after that. After a quick rinse of the cups, I put the bottle with the others and take my timepiece with me to the bedroom.

I put it with my other watches, a smile making its way onto my face as I look at the initials and the little heart next to them. Walking out of the closet, I head to the bathroom for a quick shower. When I’m done getting ready, I grab my car keys and head out to the jeweler. I will stop by Liv’s office on my way back.

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One Hour Later

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I stop in front of the company, grab the takeout bag, and exit the vehicle before rushing inside. The receptionist greets me with a polite smile, and I ask if Liv is in, just to make sure because I did see her car downstairs. She says she is, and I head to the elevator.

After a moment, the doors part, and I step out and stride down the corridor to Liv's office. I knock, reminding myself to calm down and not let her know that I have a surprise for her tonight. But after the third knock, I realize she’s not in.

Just then, I see one of the guys who work on her floor and ask if he’s seen her. He says she said something about a conference call with my brother about an hour ago; he’s not sure if she’s still there or if she and my brother are done with the call.

I enter her office, place our food down, and rush down the corridor to my brother’s office with his takeout. I bought for him too. I raise my fist to knock but decide against it since Jason said he might be on call. I slowly open the door. But just then, heavy breaths and muffled moans fill my ears, and I freeze before hearing my brother groan.

"He’s f*****g? I thought he was on a call." My hand instinctively shuts the door quietly, and I retrace my steps back to Liv's office. Settling into her chair, I take out my phone and call her since it’s obvious she’s not with Tyson. But her phone rings on the sofa. On that note, I decide to eat since I’m starving. Just as I'm about to finish, the door swings open, and I look up to lock eyes with a wide-eyed Liv.

"Chase," she breathes, her voice tinged with shock, and my eyes mirror hers as I take in her disheveled state.

"What in the world happened to you?"