Contemptous CEO Read online

  Contemptous CEO

  K.L. Myers

  Contents

  Cocky Hero Club

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  Epilogue Two

  Cocky Hero Club

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Cocky Hero Club

  Contemptuous CEO is a standalone story inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s Park Avenue Player. It's published as part of the Cocky Hero Club world, a series of original works, written by various authors, and inspired by Keeland and Ward's New York Times bestselling series.

  Copyright © 2020 by K.L. Myers and Cocky Hero Club, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the authors’ imaginations. Any resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Editor: Christina Kaye - Top Shelf Editing

  Proofreading by: Autumn Blevins Proofing

  Cover Designer: Designs by Dana

  Formatter: Small Town Girl Formatting

  Chapter 1

  Xander

  Twelve Years Earlier

  The bluish-grey sky told me that rain would be soon coming our way. Graduation was in just a couple of weeks, and Maddison and I were ready to begin our future together. My phone vibrated in my hand. When I looked down at the screen, I saw Uncle Malcolm's name flash, and I knew I needed to answer it.

  “Xander, my boy, are you ready for graduation?”

  “Hello to you, Uncle Malcolm.”

  “Don’t waste your time on formalities, boy. Keep it short and sweet, and get to the point. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “Fine. What the hell do you want, Uncle Mal? Is that direct enough for you?”

  I heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. He was never one to say hello or goodbye whenever we spoke.

  “You’re learning, boy. I’ve got a proposition for you. Scratch that. It’s not a proposition. I’m calling in a debt you owe me.”

  A debt?

  I wasn’t aware I owed him anything, so my curiosity was getting the better of me. Keeping with his demand to be direct, short, and sweet, I knew my response would come across as being a dick.

  “Owe you? Don’t think so. Spit it out, old man. What do you want from me?”

  “Oh, but you do, my boy. I’ve paid for your college tuition all these years, so now you’re going to repay me. It’s time you came to New York so I can show you the ropes. Don’t forget, Livingston Technologies will be yours one day. I need to be sure you won’t destroy everything I’ve built by not knowing my company inside and out.”

  This had always been the plan, but I’d thought there’d be more time. I was supposed to graduate, get my feet wet working for a local company in California, and then, when the time was right, I’d move to New York and take over. I hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon.

  “Boy, you still there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You graduate in two weeks. That’s June 14th. My jet will be waiting for you on June 15th. Be on it. I’ll send someone to collect all your other belongings once you get here.”

  Abruptly I stopped walking. Had I heard him, right? Surely, there is no way he expected me to leave so soon. I shook my head before letting out a huff and rolled my eyes.

  “Uncle Mal, you’re talking about uprooting my entire life. It’s not as simple as you want it to be. I’m not sure I can be ready by the 15th.”

  “Boy, don’t argue with me. You will be ready, or you won’t be able to find a job anywhere. I’ll make sure of it.”

  Uncle Malcolm wasn’t kidding. He had the power and the loyalty of all the tech companies to make that happen. If I didn’t show up on the 15th, I’d never be able to find a job.

  “You’d do that to your only nephew?”

  “Damn straight, I would. I’ve got a plan, and if you don’t show up, you’ll be fucking with it.”

  “Fine. I’ll fucking be there on the 15th.”

  Without allowing my uncle to respond, I hung up the phone. Direct and to the point. But as my phone rang again, I knew if I answered it, he’d give me an earful for my lack of respect. It didn’t matter that, when he was done with a conversation, he’d hang up. But God forbid someone did it to him—it would set his blood boiling.

  I glanced down just to confirm it was, in fact, my uncle. But instead, I saw Maddie’s name.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Are you almost home? I’ve got a surprise for you.” Maddie’s voice rose with excitement.

  “I’ll be home in an hour. How about you give me a heads up on what this surprise is?”

  “If I did that, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

  I heard her giggle through the phone. “Well, I could use something good in my life right now. I just got off the phone with Uncle Malcolm. He’s demanding I leave for New York in two weeks. He wants to groom me to take over the business.”

  “Oh, that sounds exciting.” Maddie’s once cheery voice seemed to fade away. Her response was no longer light and flowing. Instead, she drew her words out as if they were painful to speak.

  “See you in a bit, beautiful. I love you.”

  “Okay.”

  Maddie hung up the phone without saying the words “I love you” back. The only time she didn’t say it back was when we were fighting. But we weren’t fighting now, so I wasn’t sure what to make of what had just happened. We both knew that, one day, I’d have to move to New York, but neither of us anticipated it would be so soon. Maybe this was the reason for her mood change. Regardless, I had some planning to do. I always thought we’d be married by the time I had to move, so now what was I supposed to do?

  My keys shook in my hand as I unlocked the door. I’d spent the last fifteen minutes walking on the beach replaying in my mind how I’d thought tonight would go. I’d imagined every response she’d give me and planned every reply so things would work in my favor. It was the moment of truth.

  She loves you. She won’t say no.

  At least, I hoped she wouldn’t.

  The first thing I noticed when I entered our apartment was the bottle of wine on the kitchen counter. The next was Maddie leaning against the balcony railing and watching the waves crash again
st the barrier wall that rested several feet out, separating the sand and the water. The sound of the surf was the one thing that eased my girl’s tension whenever she was sad, so I knew, without a doubt, the happy girl who had called me earlier was gone.

  “Hey, what's out there?” I called out to her with a half-smile as I closed the distance between us.

  “Nothing. Just a few waves.”

  When I reached her, I pulled her to me and held her close, kissing the top of her head. “So, what’s the good news you wanted to share with me?”

  She shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. “It’s not important. Let’s talk about your awesome news.”

  Maddie attempted to avoid my question about her earlier mention of a surprise. I knew she was lying to me, but I didn’t want to press the issue. There were more important things to talk about, and they didn’t include discussing her dishonesty. Instead, I decided to share my conversation with my uncle.

  “So, what do you think? Are you ready to move to New York with me?”

  She pulled away and walked toward the kitchen. With a tug, the fridge door opened, and her hand grasped two water bottles. She handed me one before she twisted the top off hers and took a long swallow.

  “I know it’s sooner than we planned, but it’s always been the end game for us, Maddie.”

  “About that,” she took another swig of her water. “I think it would be best for you to go ahead of me. I can come later.”

  “No. That’s not an option. We’re a team, remember? Where I go, you go and vice versa.”

  “I know what we said, Xander, but I can’t go. I just can’t right now.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Won’t. New York is your dream, not mine. I’m a sun and surf girl, born and raised. California is my home.”

  Her words slay me. I hadn’t played out a scenario like this in my mind earlier, and it caught me off-guard. My heart began to beat faster. My chest rose and fell quickly as I stood there, frustrated at myself for not even anticipating this possibility.

  “I thought your home was with me. Or was that all bullshit to ride on my uncle's coattails and live in this amazing apartment? We both know you’d be in a shit hole apartment if it weren’t for me.”

  I saw her flinch the second I said the words. They weren’t true, and I hurt her with them. In my haste to fight off my hurt, I let the first vile words I could think of spew. But I couldn’t stop myself. I just kept sending one zinger after another toward her.

  “What? Cat got your tongue? Or did I hit the nail on the head? You’ve been using me all these years?”

  “I’m sorry, Xander. I am.”

  Tears fell from Maddie's eyes when she said the words. Inside, I knew the next words I chose would determine if I could salvage our relationship and the evening. The only problem was, they never came. I opened my mouth and tried to force myself to speak, but I couldn’t. I was angry and hurt, and I had no one but myself to blame.

  When I just stood there with my mouth open like a fish out of water, Maddie shook her head, placed her bottle on the countertop, and reached for her purse. She stopped briefly to look back at me when she pulled the door open, but I didn’t try to stop her. I wanted to, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I feared her tear-filled eyes and red-streaked face would be the last vision I’d have of her. I hoped I was wrong, but I knew her pride and the words I had said would keep her from wanting to speak to me again.

  I spent the next two weeks debating whether to text or call her. I didn’t know if she was dead in a ditch somewhere. All I was certain of was that she had walked out on me. Us. She’d written our life together off like she hadn’t loved me for the last four years, and that decimated me. At least, that was the version I kept telling myself. I didn’t take any responsibility for my actions or how they affected her responses.

  Graduation day came. I watched as Maddie walked to the front and received her diploma. She did not even bother to look my way or make eye contact with me as she passed right beside me. I knew this was probably the last time I would ever see her again.

  Chapter 2

  Xander

  Present Day

  Park Avenue had been my home for the last twelve years. My uncle lived in the penthouse, and my apartment was twelve floors below him on the seventy-sixth floor. It was a gift from my uncle the day I had arrived. The only things that followed after my arrival were my clothes and a few pictures of Maddie and me. It took me a month to reach out to her once I arrived. I apologized relentlessly for my behavior, and eventually, I either wore her down or she just stopped fighting me, and we agreed to at least remain friends.

  I stood at the curb, waiting for my Town Car to pull up. My friend Lucas, and I were having dinner today. It had been a few months since we’d gotten together, and I needed to talk to someone about Malcolm’s deteriorating health. As I looked up at the massive building behind me, I was reminiscent of the first day I arrived here.

  I stepped out of the limo my uncle had sent. My black Oxford landed firmly on the concrete in front of me. Malcolm always said to dress for success. “You only get one impression, so make it a good one,” he’d say in his deep voice. So when I dressed this morning, I opened the gift box good old unc had sent me to find an Armani suit and Amadeo Testoni shoes. They weren’t as lavish as his Brioni’s or his Berluti loafers. Someday, I’d be able to afford those items. But for now, I had to settle on the outfit he’d bought me as a graduation present.

  I took two steps toward the entrance of the building and stopped to breathe in the air of my new city. One inhale, and the smell of car exhaust and cigarettes vanquished the smell of the sea air and saltwater from my nostrils. I felt claustrophobic from all the tall buildings around me. I’d visited my uncle as a kid, but it wasn’t until today that I noticed how confined everything around me was.

  Now, twelve years later, I stood in that same spot wearing Brioni and Berluti, just as my uncle had. I was now the CEO of Livingston Technology, and as of yesterday's board meeting, I now held the prestigious title of Chairman of the Board. Never in my wildest dreams had I envisioned myself as the CEO and Chairman. Malcolm didn’t have very many days left before him. His cancer was progressing quickly, and his days were numbered.

  A chill ran up my spine, not from the cold wind blowing, but from the realization that, soon, I’d be the one in power. As I waited for my car, a horse-drawn carriage pulled alongside the curb.

  What the hell? How odd.

  Usually, I only saw them around Central Park.

  My sleek black Lincoln pulled up, stopping in front of the carriage. My chauffer, Austin, stepped out to open my door for me when the doors to my building opened, exposing Hollis LaCroix and his girlfriend. Hollis handled many of my uncle’s investments and lived in the building several floors above mine. Over the years we’ve become friends and collogues as well.

  “LaCroix,” I greeted him.

  “Livingston,” he called back at me as he walked toward the carriage. Of course, I should have known this was his. I had run into him a few days ago at a bar where I met a date for drinks. He had been stinking drunk and mumbling on about how he had to make it right with his girlfriend and asking me for advice. When I told him I was the last person he needed dating advice from, he called me a dumbass and stumbled past me.

  He was correct, though. I was a dumbass. I’d let the best thing that had ever happened to me go. Now, with the looming death of my uncle, Lucas was my go-to person when I needed to talk about it. Yes, Maddie was only a phone call away, but what I really wished was for her to be here by my side when the time came.

  After all these years, I had never been able to forgive myself for not insisting Maddie come with me. For not going after her once I settled. But most of all, I had never been able to let myself love again. I could never replace her. I guess that’s why I had a standing list of hookups. They all knew the score—no attachments, just sex.

  Don’t call me. I’ll call you.


  Once I settled inside my car, Austin climbed into the driver's seat. “Bryant Park Grill, Mr. Livingston?”

  My eyes caught his in the rearview mirror, so I nodded to acknowledge our destination. Looking at my watch, I had a few moments to spare, so I pulled out my phone and dialed Maddie. Every few months, I reached out to her to catch up on what was new in her life. In the beginning, I’d beg her to come out here, but after a year of being shot down every time I asked, I gave up and settled for keeping in touch, and that’s exactly what we did. The phone rang several times, and just when I thought I’d leave a message on her voicemail, she picked up.

  “Xander, is everything okay?”

  “Malcolm isn’t doing so well.”

  “I’m so sorry. You said in our last conversation that you found out your uncle's cancer was progressing fast. I take it things are worse than you thought?”

  The car came to a stop at a red light. I looked out the window to my right and saw a woman dressed in an elegant black suit carrying a briefcase place two fingers in her mouth and whistle for a cab.

  Now that’s professional behavior.

  Holy shit. I’ve become my uncle.

  I was judging others based on my first impression.

  “Xander, did you hang up on me?”