Chapter 96 Reasserting Control
The glass doors of the office suite slid open with a soft hiss, and the murmur of activity in the open-plan workspace faltered. Heads fixed with a startled expression turned toward her and followed her as Sierra strode into the space, her Prada heels clicking against the marble floor like a metronome of defiance. Tea cups stilled mid-sip. Her assistant, Clara, stood frozen at her desk, her phone still clutched in her hand, the glow of the screen betraying the call she’d just ended.
“Mr. Rossi called in this morning,” Clara said, her voice tight, as if Julian’s name alone were a deadly virus. “He said you weren’t feeling well. That you’d be staying home today.”
Sierra’s lips thinned. The scent of her jasmine perfume, a faint, deliberate contrast to the sterile air of the office, hung between them. “Julian Rossi doesn’t run my schedule,” she replied, the words cold enough to frost glass. She adjusted the cobalt-blue sleeveless blazer she wore over a silk camisole, her carefully curated image of poised detachment masking the storm beneath. “Call a staff meeting. Ten minutes. I want everybody in there.”
Clara blinked, then nodded, her usual composure fraying at the edges. “Yes, Ms. Quinn. Right away.”
The conference room buzzed with uneasy energy by the time Sierra settled into the head of the table. The nameplate in front of her felt like a sword she intended to wield. The team had assembled quickly, a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh-faced hires, all of them casting furtive glances toward Jonathan Hale, who was something of a newcomer and seemed to wield an unspoken authority. He lingered near the corner, his posture too rigid, his hands clasped too tightly behind his back, before he moved to his seat.
Sierra leaned forward, her blue eyes sweeping the room. “Sterling, Quinn & Spencer isn’t just a name on a letterhead,” she began, her voice smooth but edged with steel. “It’s a legacy. One built by William Sterling. I began to thrive when the name Quinn was added. It is a legacy I helped build and one I intend to protect. As many of you know, Julian Rossi has bought an interest into this company.” A pause. Her gaze lingered on Jonathan. “But let me be clear: none of you report to him. His board suggestions are just that, suggestions. This branch of the firm, Sterling, QUINN & Spencer, operates under my leadership, and it will continue to do so unless and until someone other than Mister Sterling secures a controlling stake.”
A beat of silence. Someone shifted in their seat.
Sierra straightened, letting the weight of her words settle. “I’ve seen what happens to businesses that lose their identity. This one has been dangling over that same precipice. I won’t let this office become another casualty.” She smiled, cool and sharp as a blade. “If you’re not willing to follow my directives, you can pack your things and head out the door. Don’t even wait for the end of the day.”
The room went unnervingly quiet. No one moved.
“Good,” she said. “Since you’re all on board, we’ve got work to do.”
As the meeting dissolved into a whirlwind of spreadsheets and quarterly projections, Sierra retreated to her office, her pulse still thrumming. The view of London’s gray skyline from her window offered no solace. She’d expected resistance, maybe even support from some, but what she hadn’t anticipated was the way Jonathan Hale’s shoulders had tensed when she’d mentioned Julian’s name.
She caught him in the hallway as he passed, a stack of files in his arms. “Mr. Hale,” she said, her tone light but her voice sharp enough to cut.
He turned, eyes widening. “Yes, Ms. Quinn?”
“Make sure you get the facts right when you report to Julian,” she said, watching his face closely.
Confusion washed over his face. “I… I don’t understand. I don’t report to him directly. My line is through you. Mister Sterling made that very clear.”
She took a step closer and spoke in a low tone. “And yet, somehow, he always seems to know more than he should.” She studied him, searching for the lie. But his brow was furrowed in genuine bewilderment, his hands fluttering helplessly with the files.
She let him go.
Alone in her office, Sierra sank into her desk chair and stared at her phone. The Scotsman’s SIM card sat on her desk, inert and useless without a call to make. Who was watching her? It wasn’t Jonathan Hale.
The texts, the tapped call with Ryder, Julian’s reach was supposed to be vast, but this felt… too clean, like a shadow cast by an unseen light.
Her fingers brushed her laptop keyboard. Maybe it was time to dig into Nexora’s surveillance systems herself.
A soft chime interrupted her. A message from an unknown number.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Sierra..”
She froze. Not Hale. Not Julian. Someone else.
She slumped in her chair for a moment, considering each member of the staff. Whoever was Julian’s spy was very good at covering their tracks and acting normal. “William,” she murmured as she took out her phone and pressed his contact button.
“Sierra.” His voice was as it had always been, a mixture of stern businessman and proud father. “How are things on your side of the pond?”
“Smashing, but overcast,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “How are things in Manhattan?”
“Sunny and Outstanding,” he responded. “What’s on your mind this morning? Actually, you’re already into the afternoon, aren’t you?”
“Mid-afternoon,” she agreed. There was a brief pause while she chose her next words. “What can you tell me about Jonathan Hale?”
“Jonathan,” his voice took on a cheerful tone. “How’s he doing? Give me the straight truth. I hired him on the recommendation of a friend. Is he working out alright?”
Sierra considered her concerns for a moment. Did she really have any proof that Jonathan Hale was anything but a consummate professional? His work had been spot on. She really couldn’t complain about him.
“He seems to know his stuff.” Her tone was less than enthusiastic.
“You don’t sound impressed,” Sterling responded. “That’s too bad, I was hoping he would work out as the branch manager over there so you could come home.”
Branch manager, so she could come home? Is that why he was watching her so closely? Was that why he was so confused when she accused him of being a spy? Was that the reason he kept himself a little apart from the others?
“Actually, William,” Sierra responded. “You just cleared something up for me.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” he responded.
Sierra let out a long sigh. Should she confide in William? Could she? Of course, she could. William had always been like a second father to her.
“Julian is having me watched,” she said. Once the subject was breached, she rushed forward with her explanation. “He’s planted a spy in this office and the timing of Jonathan Hale’s arrival…”
“Made you believe it was him,” William interrupted. “I can assure you that Jonathan checks out.”
“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that,” Sierra sighed.
“Though I am happy that I’ve provided you with some relief,” William responded. “I have some new concerns.”
There was a long pause.
“Disregarding your original suspicions about him,” William began. “Is Jonathan ready to take the reins?”
“He… actually, he probably is,” she said.
“But he doesn’t know Sterling, Quinn & Spencer,” he mused. There was another long pause. “However, thanks to your excellent job of mentoring, I have another ace up my sleeve.”
“I’m not following you.”
“I’m sending Chloe,” he said. “She’ll get Jonathan on track.”
“As soon as you pass the baton, I want you on a plane to Arizona. Don’t even stop off in Manhattan.”
“Why Arizona, sir?”
“Because I want to rattle Julian Rossi’s cage a bit. Take you out of play.”
“Are you sure you can do that?”
“I’m not going to allow Rossi to think that he owns Sterling, Quinn & Spencer. Moreover, I’ll be damned if he is going to mess with my girl!” His voice rose into a booming tone of authority. “Get your bags packed, Sierra, you’re going home for a while.”
When the call disconnected, Sierra felt a level of relief wash over her that she’d never felt before. She pressed the intercom button. “Clara, have Jonathan Hale come to my office, please.”