Page 39 of Arranged Silverfox

I took the bag and opened it up. "Oatmeal scotchies." I inhaled the sweet scent and bit one of the cookies. The butterscotch and oatmeal blend perfectly. "These are perfect!" I finished the cookie in a couple of bites.

"I knew you'd like it,” Olivia beamed.

"Don't fill up on cookies," she said as I reached for another one. "There is this new place not too far from here that I want to try."

I left the rest of the cookies at my desk and followed my sister out of the office.

"Jonathan," I barked at my assistant, who was typing at his desk. He was a slight, soft-spoken man in his thirties with bright red hair. "Did you hear back from Mr. Quinn about our upcoming meeting?"

"No, sir." He stood up from his desk.

"If you hear from him, contact me immediately. If you are still waiting to hear from him by the end of the day, reach out to him. I'm away this weekend, and I don't want the issue with Mr. Quinn to interrupt my time," I explained.

"Yes, sir." Jonathan sat back down and resumed typing.

My sister cleared her throat and mouthed, “Please and thank you.”

"Oh, and Jonathan."

"Yes." He looked at me with trepidation.

“Thanks for everything,” I added. Jonathan looked at me as if I confessed I could fly.

“You’re welcome, sir,” he said hesitantly.

Olivia and I walked down the hall. She rolled her eyes, “You looked like you were about to throw up all over the carpet,” she scoffed.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” I said through gritted teeth.

Joey raised his arms again, and I freed him from his stroller.

“You can be a leader without being an ungrateful jerk,” Olivia noted.

Joey looked around and gurgled, free at last.

“You’re spoiling him,” Olivia insisted.

“I’m his uncle! That’s my job!” I swooped Joey up onto my shoulders, and he squealed with delight.

“Sebastian! Olivia!” My father’s voice boomed down the hall as he spotted us. I felt Olivia stiffen beside me.

“Long time no see, Liv,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Olivia gave him a stiff nod and a tight smile.

“Where are you off to?” he asked.

“Just a quick lunch,” I supplied.

He turned to Olivia. “I didn’t even know you were in town.”

My father glanced at Olivia with disdain, then glanced back at me.

“Rude.” my father muttered under his breath.

“So, you will talk to your brother, but you won’t talk to me?” my father prodded.

“Yeah, that’s what tends to happen when your dad cuts you off for marrying for love instead of convenience. We can’t all be pawns in your convoluted little schemes.”