SWNOVELS Chapter My CEO 296
296 Choices (Winona)
Jayden's pacing again. It's become his thing this past week, pacing the floor when his mind is in overdrive. He's in the living room now, his eyes darting to the view outside, but I know he's not really seeing any of it. "Maybe come sit down?" I ask, trying to break the silence.
He stops, glances at me, and shakes his head. "I can't sit. I've got too much shit spinning around in my head."
I let out a slow breath, watching him pace again. "This is about Nexus Global again, isn't it?"
Jayden stops in his tracks, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. It's about Nexus Global. It's about Gus. It's about the fact that my so-called father, the man I barely know, has handed me control of one of the biggest companies in the world." I get off the couch and walk toward him, keeping my voice calm. "Jayden, whatever Gus was involved in isn't a part for Nexus Global, is it? Nexus Global is a legitimate business. It's not tainted by what he was doing behind the scenes?"
"It isn't," he says, but there's a tension in his voice that doesn't match the words. "But it's not just about the business. It's about everything else. It's about who Gus was, the life he lived. Now he is in jail because of the life he lived." 1 fold my arms, leaning against the wall, watching him struggle. "Then just sell it, you know how I feel about it anyway.
"But that's the thing," he says, throwing his hands up in frustration. "It's not just about me. It's about families. It's about so many others. What kind of person am I if I just walk away from this?"
"A good father," I say simply. "Because it's not about the money or the power. It's about being there for your family. And you've already proven you can do that. Why complicate things?"
"Because maybe I want to be able to do it, for myself? Maybe I need more to make me happy."
"You were the one who walked away from Brennan Industries and said it was the best decision of your life. You wanted to stay at home with the kids for a while. I don't get why you're second-guessing this all now."
Jayden looks at me, his eyes dark with frustration. "That's because you've never had this kind of pressure on you."
I blink, taken aback. "Really? You think I don't know pressure? Jayden, I raised Abby, ran a successful business and dealt with all the fallout from Judy's crap-"
"And you ran off to Mexico without telling me!" His words cut through the air like a knife.
I freeze. There it is. The thing we've been avoiding. The fact that I left him at the altar.
"I told you why I had to go alone," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
"And I get it. I do. But, Winona, this is what I mean. You made that decision without me. A massive
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296 Choices
decision. You left me out."
My heart races. "I had to act fast. I had to save Cass."
"And what about us? What about our family? You could have married me, told me what was happening, and we could've made that decision together."
I bite my lip, feeling the sting of his words. "Well, hindsight is a wonderful thing. I was trying to protect us."
"By running away?"
"I wasn't running away!" I snap, my frustration boiling over. "I went to save my sister!"
Jayden throws his hands up again, pacing the room like a caged animal. "It's always something. It's like we're never on the same page."
"We are on the same page," I argue, stepping closer. "We want the same things."
"Do we?" His voice is quieter now, but the pain is there. "You want some house in the suburbs with at garden and chores for the kids. You want to raise them down to earth'-whatever the hell that means. Well, not like me, I guess. Being rich is evil." I fold my arms across my chest. "Yeah, I do. I want them to know what hard work is. I want them to grow up with some sense of responsibility."
"And what's wrong with how I grew up?" Jayden asks, his voice sharp.
"Nothing," I say quickly. "I'm not saying it's wrong. Just want something different. Not to raise our kids in
bubble of niceness and getting everything they want, Isolated from reality."
His jaw clenches. "This is our reality, Win. We have money. Why not use it? Why do they need to grow up pretending we're something we're not? I won't be shamed for being born into money. It's ridiculous."
I sigh, feeling the frustration rise again. "Because money isn't everything. I don't want our kids to think they can buy their way out of every situation."
Jayden's eyes flash with something-hurt, maybe. "You think that's how I grew up? Buying my way out of things?"
""No," I say softly, my voice faltering. "That's not what I mean."
"It sure sounds like it." He turns away again, staring out the window.
Silence stretches between us, thick and heavy.
Finally, I step forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Jayden, I love you. And I love our life. But we need to figure out how to make this work together. Why are we suddenly fighting so much?"
He turns back to me, his eyes softening a little. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing picking arguments. I'm trying to figure it all out-the company, the family, everything. And it feels like I'm just... out of my depth."
"I don't think you are. I'll try and understand about Nexus Global while you're working it all out. Maybe a family honeymoon is in order. Once you know that all the smaller companies and the workers will be safe when you sell, then maybe you can be at peace." 296 Choices
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He sighs, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I really just want us to be okay but I also need to know my decisions don't disadvantage others. I'm not a hypocrite."
"You've always been a tough businessman, but honorable." I tell him. "You'll make the right choices."
"It's the hard choices I'm worried about."
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