Chapter 11

Julian exited Dominick’s office when his phone blared. He saw Brittany Sullivan’s name, a frown twisting his lips. The incessant ringing grated. Finally, he answered, his voice smooth, a stark contrast to the disgust in his eyes. “Ms. Sullivan?”

“Mr. Hale,” Brittany purred, “I wanted to thank Mr. Vanderbilt for the film role. I’d love to show my gratitude with dinner. Could you pass that along?”

Julian’s eyebrows shot up. He’d known this was coming. “Mr. Vanderbilt’s quite busy, Ms. Sullivan,” he said, his disapproval thinly veiled.

A pause. “When will he be free? I’m flexible… or, my whole family wants to thank him for his generosity.” Her desperation was palpable.

Julian’s distaste deepened. “I’ll pass the message. If Mr. Vanderbilt has time, I’ll contact you.”

Brittany, relieved he hadn’t dismissed her entirely, gushed her thanks and hung up. Julian’s scowl remained. Paisley’s lot, he thought, all cut from the same cloth. He cared little for Paisley, even less for the Sullivans. Paisley’s return had clearly rekindled family ties.

At Sullivan Villa, Christina leaned toward Brittany, eyes gleaming. “So? Did he agree?”

Brittany forced a smile. “Mr. Hale said Mr. Vanderbilt’s busy, but he’ll pass on my message.” Her voice wavered. She’d hoped for more. I need to see him now.

In the past few months, she’d seen Dominick twice, briefly, surrounded by others. No meaningful conversation.

“Not a rejection,” Christina soothed.

Brittany nodded, a reluctant calm settling in. “Mom, could we have misunderstood? Whether Mr. Vanderbilt has any interest in me…”

Doubt gnawed at her. If he was interested, why hasn’t he called? Why hasn’t he asked to meet? Months of waiting, of being met with excuses. She didn’t even have his number, always forced to go through Julian. It felt like a constant barrier.

Christina frowned. “But if he wasn’t interested, why help you so much? Why support our business?”

They all knew the truth: Sullivan Group’s survival depended entirely on Vanderbilt Group’s orders. Becoming a Vanderbilt partner had been a pipe dream. Yet, here they were.

“There’s no such thing as unprovoked kindness,” Gregory Sullivan, Brittany’s foster father, said calmly. “If Mr. Vanderbilt’s going to this much trouble, he must have a reason.”

Christina and Brittany agreed. Businessmen were driven by profit. The Sullivan and Vanderbilt families had no prior connection. The sudden generosity was inexplicable unless… Brittany. And the Sullivans knew their company offered nothing Vanderbilt Group would want. The only logical explanation was Brittany.