She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 156

(Mason)

So far the view from the corner office at Warren Global has been the best thing about this job.

I have a vice president whose chief qualification appears to be not having been fired yet.

I’m allowing him to continue to pretend being useful for the time being, because firing him in my first week here would create exactly the kind of small drama I don’t have time for.

I’ve been in this chair for three working days and I’ve already fired a head of communications who I caught lying to me.

I’ve also killed two of Chase’s pet projects and given the go-ahead on a presentation Natasha gave when she was still working here.

I don’t think I’m generally well-liked at this point.

On the plus side, I’ve discovered that the Warren Global executive bathroom has heated floors.

So far that’s the best part of my new job.

The phone on my desk rings.

"Mr Stein. Mrs Warren is in reception."

I stop typing.

I know they’re not talking about Natasha, but I check anyway, hoping I’m wrong.

"Eleanor Warren?"

"Yes, sir."

Ah, fuck.

"Send her up."

I have approximately ninety seconds to remember whether I’ve done anything in the last three days that would justify Chase's mother flying back from Italy to deal with me personally.

I land on no.

I amend that to probably no.

I amend it again to probably-no-but-she-could-find-something-if-she-wanted-to, and I stand up to button my jacket.

She comes through the door without knocking.

She’s in a cream coat and pearls and the kind of subtle tan that does not come from being in the sun.

"Mason."

"Mrs. Warren."

"I have come here directly from the airport."

"You look wonderful."

She narrows her eyes at me, looking for impertinence, but I’m being completely sincere.

Nobody would know she’d been in the air for thirteen hours. She’s perfectly put together.

"I would like a coffee. Black."

"Of course. Please take a seat."

I send for the coffee and sit down on the other side of the desk.

We make small-talk about Italy while I wait for the coffees and to find out why she’s here.

I assume it’s going to be either a polite resignation request or a thirty-minute lecture about the Warren name.

I’m wrong about both.

"How is my son?"

I blink in surprise.

Chase and I are hardly close.

The only information I have about his state of mind is what Natasha is passing along.

“He’s spending quite a bit of time with Lily and Natasha. And I believe he’s staying at the Estate when Lily isn’t with him.”

She nods once.

The coffee arrives.

She takes it without thanking the assistant who brings it, which is the first thing about her that’s been Eleanor-shaped in this conversation.

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