And that was only the beginning of the changes.
Shelf after shelf of knickknacks and memorabilia had been removed. On Friday, every key moment in Samuel’s life had been memorialized in some way, from newspaper clippings to trophies, certificates to awards.
And now… The bookcases had been ripped out. The cozy, inviting leather guest chairs facing the desk had vanished. A pair of low-slung, modernistic ones were wedged against a far wall, clearly not inviting visitors to linger.
The blinds had been replaced by a privacy screen, and a minimalistic terrarium filled with cacti sat on the window ledge. Somehow, even the scent of cigar smoke had been obliterated.
The homey green walls had been covered in a no-nonsense steel-gray paint. And the words Donovan Logistics had been stenciled on the wall in bold, black lettering.
Every trace of Samuel Newman and his caring, effervescent personality had vanished.
Nathan pulled over a chair for her. “Please. Have a seat.”
She remained standing. That didn’t stop him from sinking into a space-age-looking chair, crafted of steel and covered in a breathable mesh fabric. His desk and matching credenza dominated the room. And that was the only word for it. Dominated. The pieces were massive. Nathan had dual, oversize flat screen monitors, all bearing the Bonds Electronics logo. His cell phone was propped on a phone stand so he didn’t even have to glance down at it when it rang.
This looked like a place from which Nathan Donovan could rule an empire.
He leaned back, silent, waiting for her decision.
Eventually, she sat. The chair wasn’t as uncomfortable as it looked.
She noticed the pile of manila folders on his desk. The top one was open, and she glanced at it. Her personnel record.
Her pulse skidded to a standstill. Until now, she’d only been concerned about Samuel. But she realized Nathan probably intended to replace her, as well. Of course, her résumé wasn’t up to date. She’d invested years into her current job, building the company and relationships. If she were honest, she’d probably sacrificed too much in terms of her personal life as well.
“There have already been a lot of changes,” he said when she met his resolute gaze. “And Samuel impressed on Donovan Worldwide how important you will be to the success of the takeover.”
He hadn’t said merger. Which meant things weren’t friendly. She exhaled.
“If you’d like to continue your employment, Ms. Lane, you’re my new assistant.”
“Your…” Kelsey wasn’t often at a loss for words, so she took a drink of her mocha to buy some time. “Mr. Newman is more than a boss to me. He’s a mentor. I interned here during my undergrad studies, and he hired me after I received my master’s degree. I owe him a great deal.”
“And you can repay it by staying on, at least temporarily.”
She crossed her legs then recrossed them in the opposite direction. “I can’t make any promises until after I talk to Mr. Newman.”
“Of course.”
Her mind raced. If she didn’t know what had happened, it was likely that no one did. She had only another forty-five minutes until the rest of the employees began arriving.
“Why don’t you try him again?”
It wasn’t like Mr. Newman to ignore her calls. Then again, everything in the last ten minutes had been surreal. She dialed his number. This time, it rang.
Just when she was certain she would get his voice mail, he answered.
“Kelsey.” His voice sounded weakened, dejected.
She knew without hearing anything else that everything Nathan had told her was true. The reality she’d been trying to deny crashed into her.
Unable to have the conversation with Nathan watching her, she returned to her desk and slumped into her chair.
“I’m a coward,” he told her.
A coward?
“I meant to call you yesterday. But…” He let out a ragged breath. “Forgive me.”
Betrayal and confusion rocked her. How could he do this? Not just to her, but to the entire company, hundreds of people.
“I need your help.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. In no way was she prepared for this.
“Kelsey…”
Her business instincts kicked in, and she shoved aside her personal feelings. “Is there—was there—a plan to tell the company?”
“It was supposed to be different…” He paused. “I was going to come in and meet with the top management and introduce Nathan. We were going to go to the docks so he could meet the people formally. He’s been out there before, a couple of weekends ago.”
“Okay. And what’s the new strategy?”
She heard jostling and a woman’s voice. Then, “Kelsey?”