Chapter 108

After Alex fell asleep, I still hadn’t heard from Victor, so I texted him. There was no way I could sleep tonight until I spoke to him.

Could those men really stop me from running the company?

I couldn’t sit still, so I left Alex’s bedroom to walk the halls of the mansion.

I ended up in the ballroom, looking at the portraits of my ancestors that hung in gilded frames in a long row across one wall.

I stopped in front of the portrait of my great-grandfather, Blake Colby Wilson.

Earlier, Alex had compared me to this serious, professional-looking man who was his grandfather.

He had to be teasing. How could I fill the shoes of this man?

Maybe those men from the Board of Directors were right about me. But even if I could run the business, they may not let me try because I’m a young woman.

I walked across the room to the portrait of my parents and looked up at my mother’s face.

From everything I’ve been told about her, she was more than beautiful. She was caring, intelligent, and incredibly stubborn.

She wouldn’t allow those men to stop her from doing anything she wanted to do, and I couldn’t, either.

I left the ballroom and wandered through the mansion's west wing until I heard someone speaking to Benson in the foyer.

Ugh. Please don’t be the rich Alphas from the Board of Directors again.

I crept closer to see who had arrived and felt a wave of relief wash over me.

It was Victor.

I hurried to his side. “You got my message. I’m glad to see you.”

“Let’s go to the living room, and you can tell me everything they said,” he suggested.

I agreed and led the way.

We sat on the couch while Benson got us something to drink.

“I was with Alex when Benson called me into the hallway to tell me several gentlemen were here to speak to Alex,” I began.

“Who were they?” Victor asked.

“I’ve seen some of them at the office, but a man named John Cameron said some were on the Board of Directors.”

Victor grimaced. “I know John Cameron. He’s one of the worst of the old Alphas. He can be a disrespectful creep to anybody he thinks isn’t as good as him. And that’s almost everybody.”

“That’s him,” I said. “He was being a total jerk and demanding to see Alex even though he knew he just got out of the hospital.”

Victor rubbed the beard stubble on his chin. “He’s up to something. He and the others must think they can take over the company.”

“I don’t think they like that I’m young and a woman.” I threw up my hands. “What am I going to do?”

“That’s true, but try to calm down,” Victor advised. “Alex has controlling interest in the company, and I’m sure he has planted some trap doors in case something like this happened.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds good,” I said.

“It means it’s going to be much more difficult for John Cameron and his ilk to take over Wilson, Inc than they realize.”

Listening to Victor, I breathed a little easier.

“But we need to ensure you know what you’re doing,” Victor continued. “You’re going to need to work hard to learn everything you need to know.”

I put a hand over my eyes. “I hate this. What if I let you and Alex down?”

“You won’t,” Victor assured me. “I’ve gotten to know you very well, Daisy, and I know you can do it. And I’ll do everything possible to help you.”

“Thank you. I told them that you were helping me learn. They think you’re fully capable of running a company, but no matter what, I’m not.”

Victor flashed me a grin. “Imagine their faces when you show them how capable you are.”

I gave him a weak smile in return. “I badly want to make them eat their words.”

“That’ll give us something fun to aim for,” Victor said. The mood was lighter now. It was hard to be nervous and afraid when I was with him.

But it was soon time for him to leave, and I walked him to the front door.

“I’ll pick you up after school,” Victor reminded me.

“See you then.” I watched Victor jump into the Lamborghini without using the door.

“Get some sleep,” he called before starting the engine.

I waved as he started down the driveway and went upstairs to my room.

I took a shower, put on a soft nightgown, and climbed into my bed. But I tossed and turned as my mind replayed some of the day’s unnerving events.

The misogyny of those old Alpha males was infuriating. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about right now, they had to come along and try to steal my family’s company because I’m a young female.

If that happened because of me, I would be ashamed. Alex was depending on me. I couldn’t let him down.

I got up and paced the room. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep. What I needed was a run.

I went onto my balcony and stared at the soft velvety sky, with a nearly half moon on the eastern horizon.

If only I didn’t have to get dressed and go downstairs through the house to go outside. Benson probably had all the doors locked by now, and I was afraid of tripping an alarm that would wake up the whole house.

“You don’t have to go downstairs if you want to run,” Diana said.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember the night Victor and Adam were here on your balcony?”

I looked over the railing. The ground sloped slightly upward from the house. It was only about a ten-foot drop.

“Are you sure I can jump down and then back up after we run?” I asked Diana.

“Of course, you can… or rather, I can,” Diana replied. “Trust me.”

Diana would know what our wolf self can do better than me. If I got hurt, she got hurt, and vice versa.

“You know you want to go,” Diana said. “It will be better than tossing and turning all night.”

“All right, let’s go.”

I pulled the nightgown over my head and released Diana. We paced the balcony for a moment, and then we were airborne.

We cleared the balcony railing and landed perfectly on the soft ground.

“All right! We made it,” I crowed.

“There was never any doubt in my mind,” Diana said with a snicker. “Now, let’s run.”

I ran along the side of the house and out into the open field. It took three full laps around the edge of Alex’s property before I felt like stopping.

Diana and I sat in the grass to watch the moon drift across the night sky.

“There have always been men like the ones that visited you this evening,” Diana said.

“They don’t think I’m smart enough to do the job because I’m young and a female.”

“Males like them need to believe they are superior to someone,” Diana stated. “The thought that a young woman like you could do a high-level job frightens them.”

“Do you believe I will be able to prove to them that I can run the company?”

“They will make it as difficult as possible, but yes,” Diana replied. “You are smarter and stronger than you realize. And Victor will help you. Do anything he asks.”

“I’m afraid my father could die before I’m ready,” I revealed.

“It’s possible,” Diana agreed. “But worrying about it won’t help you learn any faster.”

“I feel like running some more,” I said.

Diana and I made several more laps before returning to the grassy spot under my balcony.

“Why do I feel that going up is more difficult than going down?” I said.

“Because it is,” Diana giggled.“But we can do it. Trust me.”

I allowed her to control my wolf self entirely and was amazed at the powerful jump she performed that took us back onto the balcony.

“Thank you, Diana,” I said. “I believe I can sleep now.” I shifted back into my human form and returned to my bed.

“Good night, Daisy. You need your rest,” Diana said. “I sense there are more difficult times ahead. But you will do great. You are as strong and capable as your mother.”

The run had taken away my anxiety, and Diana’s words lulled me to sleep.

Tomorrow I would double my efforts to become the businesswoman my father and Victor believe I can be.