After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 109

“I knew you wouldn’t just let this go, Waldo. Honestly, Lawrence isn’t even good enough to be part of the Blair family.”

Waldo sounded tense on the other end. “Let’s wait for your dad to weigh in.”

“I’ll call him now. He usually listens to what I say,” Shirley replied, her confidence shining through.

“Alright,” Waldo said, then hung up.

The moment the call ended, Shirley’s smile disappeared. Her face grew serious. She’d always been the calculating type, even as a kid.

There was no way she’d let anyone threaten her place in the Blair family, or her shot at inheriting everything. Especially not Catherine. Especially not Lawrence.

She took a steadying breath and called Nestor.

After a few rings, her father picked up. “Shirley, how are you settling in at Harrisburg?”

“Dad, I’m doing well, and so is Catherine. But I heard something strange… Did you really ask Lawrence to help out at the company?” Shirley kept her tone light and curious, putting on her usual good-girl act.

“Yeah, the company’s been a bit hectic lately, so I brought him in to help,” Nestor replied, straightforward as ever.

“You really work hard for our family, Dad. But… does Lawrence even know how to run a company? I mean, he doesn’t have any real experience, does he?” She tried to sound casual, but she was fishing for details. Was Lawrence in management, or just technical support?

Nestor didn’t pick up on her real meaning. He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think he’d be much help either, but he surprised me today. Oh, and I have some good news. We just reached a preliminary agreement to work with Nexus Dynamics.”

Shirley’s heart skipped a beat. Since when did her dad’s company land a deal with Nexus Dynamics? Wasn’t he always working with The James Group? How did he even get this new order?

“Are you serious, Dad? Getting a contract with Nexus Dynamics isn’t easy,” Shirley said, faking a laugh.

“It’s true. I’m heading there tomorrow to sign the paperwork. They seem very interested in working with us. You and Catherine should take care of each other in Harrisburg,” Nestor said warmly.

“Dad, I know you want to help Lawrence grow, but he really doesn’t have the experience. Plus, I heard Waldo’s not too happy about this,” Shirley added, mentioning Waldo on purpose. She knew Nestor valued his relationship with The James Group, and he wouldn’t want to mess that up.

“You’re absolutely right. I’ll call Malloy right now,” Alice replied, totally on board.

***

In the next room, Catherine finished typing out some code, then grabbed her phone, eager to text.

What are you up to? she sent, tossing in a cute emoji.

On my way home. I went to your dad’s company today, Lawrence answered right away.

That sounds exhausting. Was my dad nice to you?

Your dad and I got along pretty well.

Catherine let out a sigh of relief. She’d been worried Nestor might give him a hard time.