Page 40 of Angels Are Falling

“Kai Cavendish is my wife’s second husband.”

Everything came to a screeching halt. That was the power of his name. Until a few months ago, no one in Darster had heard of him. Now, you couldn’t cross the street without seeing his name on a billboard or a park bench. Everyone knew that he was trying to buy this town, and I meant that literally.

Darster was an unincorporated private town, currently owned by a board of trustees. They retained most of the real estate and businesses, which Kai had been systematically buying out. It was the big business deal he had been trying to close. Everyone knew it, too. It was why they called him the Prince of Darster. He was this town’s royalty.

Will cast aside the magnitude of my announcement. “Kai Cavendish is a part of your family? Your house makes so much more sense now. I always wondered where he lived, but I-I would’ve never imagined your wife… and him… and you.” He sat back with a pout. “You’re so lucky. Why don’t I have a wife married to Kai Cavendish?”

I burst out laughing. Will glared at me because he hadn’t meant it as a joke. He was stone-cold serious, and honestly, I understood the jealousy. It was difficult not to be proud of being Kai’s family. Will was right—I was lucky.

“Oh shit.” Matt frowned at Will with a pointed look. “That means Stefan’s the new president of Obsidian.”

It was my turn to be lost. “I think that’s a bit of a stretch, guys.”

“That’s right. He is!” Will exclaimed, ignoring me. “He’s the new president.”

I rolled my eyes. Had the drinks gone straight to their heads? I tried to stop the fake news from spiraling out of control. “Guys⁠—”

“You do know that Kai Cavendish owns Obsidian, right?” Marcus, the voice of reason, asked.

I reeled. I thought the editor in chief was doing Kai a favor by hiring me, not following the boss’s orders. Kai never expressed interest in the publishing industry. His businesses generally revolved around technology and real estate. Why would he embark on an entirely unrelated venture?

“I didn’t know he owned Obsidian.” I spoke slowly. “Either way, you guys misunderstand how this arrangement works. I don’t own Kai’s assets through this marriage.”

Marcus shook his head. “Maybe not, but you’re the new President of Obsidian. There have been rumors about one of Kai Cavendish’s family members taking over the role. I didn’t know who it was until I saw your paperwork. I didn’t say anything because I assumed you wanted to keep it under wraps until the official announcement. I didn’t realize it was being kept a secret from you.”

I blinked. I had no idea how to process this information. Me? President?

Everything turned into a blur after that. Will started cheering, shouting for someone to bring over a bottle of Champagne. Marcus patted me on the back. Matt was the only one subdued. It must have dawned on him that his formerly poor friend was now his boss. Despite my attempts at modesty, cool satisfaction ran through my veins. Amelie had once explained the term frenemy to me, and I believe Matt was mine. We rooted for each other while secretly competing and wishing for the other to fail.

Still, I didn’t celebrate the news, momentarily stupefied. It was too good to be true. I pulled out my phone because there was only one person whose word was worth gold.

Stefan: I’m the new president of Obsidian? What’s going on?

Kai: I was planning to tell you but then the furniture debacle happened… I assume your coworkers spilled the beans.

Stefan: How did I become the president?

Kai: Wasn’t it your dream to become a wildlife photographer and eventually own a travel magazine?

Holy shit.

Stefan: I don’t know what to say.

Stefan: Are you sure about this?

Stefan: I only started a few weeks ago and have no experience.

Kai: I’d rather trust you with Obsidian over a corpie I don’t know.

Or would you rather keep me busy and away from Amelie?

I know, I know. I should be grateful, but I couldn’t help it. Who gave away a twenty-million-dollar company to a family member with zero experience? Either Kai was a terrible businessman, or he had ulterior motives. And since Kai was a terrific businessman, I could only assume he meant to keep me busy.

If that were his intention, he was on the right trajectory. I had barely started at Obsidian and had already gained a reputation for being a workaholic. I spent all day on shoots. At night, I worked on edits. I never put in this much effort at my previous job. Why invest my time in a job I hate?

But this, this was my dream job. I could work all day for something I was passionate about.

Kai knew it, too.