AN: Hello! I apologize for missing a few weeks. But bar anything before I move I should be able to finish this fic in the next couple of weeks as there are only 2 chapters left. But don't worry there will be more of Anthony and Kitty, I'm just not sure when the next book in this series will be posted. Thanks so much for all the love and happy reading!
The moment Colin returned with the proof, Katherine couldn't keep the smile off her face. She thought she would have been done with Luca all those years ago with how he left but now this was her chance to end things on her terms. Walking into the office, she kept her head held high and her tablet clutched close. Legal was on standby. Katherine wasn't only going to shut her ex down but she was going to take her rightful place as head of the family company. Gibbs Communication was about to get a makeover.
"Oh good, just the people I wanted to speak to." She said as she walked into her father's office. Sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk was Luca.
"Kitty!" Luca exclaimed. "I was hoping I would be able to run into you today. Your dad and I were just talking about last night and plans for our wedding." He reached out for her but she took a step to the side to make sure there was plenty of distance between them.
"Oh, were you at the concert last night?"
Luca cleared his throat. "Uh, no. I just heard about the stunt you pulled in trying to not marry me. Anthony, Kitty, really? Was it because you knew we were already on to your plan with Simon?"
Katherine smirked as she pulled up the files that Colin had sent her last night. She brought up one of the photos he had taken near the theatre. "Really, are you sure you weren't there? Because it sure does look like it. You even brought a date." She turned the tablet around to show her father.
She gasped for a bit of a dramatic effect as she swiped to the next picture, showing that the girl Luca was with was pregnant. "And what is this? You guys are expecting. Were you planning on leaving her, Luca? Were you planning on breaking up another family?"
He started to make excuses but she held up a finger to get him to stop before swiping once more to reveal the video. Howard Gibb's face dropped in horror before anger took over. Turning to look at the bumbling idiot Luca had become in trying to make up excuses, Howard yelled, "Get out of my office now! And don't ever ask me for any money again or come anywhere near this building or my daughter you poor disgrace of a man."
Luca looked up to Katherine, hoping she would say something, anything to allow him to stay. "Kitty, you can't really think that's the truth. She's, she's my sister."
Wrinkling her nose at the implications, Katherine pointed towards the door. "That's really not a good look if you're loving on your sister like that. You better go before we call security. I'm not that same girl you screwed over before. You can't pull one over on me. I fight back and I win. Now get out of here and stay out of my life as you should have done all those years ago."
"But, what about -"
"She's in a far better home than I could ever provide. She can find me when she wants to."
With one last look towards Howard, who just glared and pointed towards the door as his hand hovered over his phone, Luca finally left.
Once his office door was closed, Howard's father let out a sigh. "Kitty, I am so sorry."
"No." She said, whirling back around to face her father. "I'm not done with you yet." Stepping forward, she waved her tablet around. "I shouldn't have had to do this. I shouldn't have had to dig up proof for you to believe me that he was a liar. Matter of fact you should have gotten all of this before you sent him any sort of money and skimmed off from Hastings. You owe Simon an apology and the only way to make things right with me is to make me the head of Gibbs Communication without this marriage clause. I am in a happy relationship. We will see where it goes but I am more than ready to take over. You were counting down the days until retirement, were you not?"
"Now, Katherine -"
"Everything's already prepped with legal. All we have to do is sign a few documents and let King know that you're finally retiring. There are only a couple more events including the Basset's ball which I plan to attend to show you that I can hold up an end of a deal but this is just too big to try and cover-up. So Simon's probably going to ask you to help pay back what you took. And to apologize to his employees. It just doesn't look good for you, dad."
Howard sighed, lowering his head. "I taught you too well. I forget that sometimes, keeping you as my little girl who looked at the world in wonder. I knew this day would come, just never like this."
"It wouldn't have had to if you just listened to me."
He just nodded, finally looking back up at her. "Let's get you in the captain's chair, hmm?"
"I always knew this day would come. You've done a fine job, Howard. Once you finish signing, please leave Miss Gibbs and me to discuss matters privately." Charlotte said as she signed her own documents. The call from the Gibbs Communication's legal team was much welcomed after the night she had. She didn't want her husband to die but she also didn't know how much more heartbreak she could handle seeing him in the state that he was in.
Katherine hadn't expected the boss of the crime ring to actually make a physical appearance. A call, sure. Perhaps even a request for a meeting but here she was sitting in their conference room. There was a sadness in her eyes that was more prominent than before. She didn't look bored or unbothered but as if she was doing her best to keep her emotions at bay.
After all of the documents were signed marking Katherine as the new CEO of Gibbs Communication and the new chief advisor for the King Enterprise, the two women were left alone in the conference room. "Mrs. King before we begin, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but is everything alright?"
Charlotte flashed a brief smile that she struggled to keep in place before glancing to the side to compose herself. "My nephew did warn me about your keen eye and the kind heart that usually follows. I just didn't expect to experience it so soon."
"As I said, you don't have to tell me. But can I get you anything?" She made to stand up but the other woman waved her hand, motioning for her to sit back down.
"You've given me enough already. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
Katherine looked on in a bit of awe. "You've been waiting for me to take over?"
"Miss Gibbs, believe it or not, I do know everything that goes on in my organization. Before you even finished your education, you and Mr. Bridgerton created one of the most lucrative contracts that we've ever had with one of our ports. And then after hardly any time after you completed your degree, you were practically running the international section of your company, official and for the organization. Now only after a few short months of your return to the ton, you have taken over your company completely. Surely you can see why I've been counting down the days until you replace your father."
With a bit of a laugh, she nodded. "Well, when you put it that way."
"You have ambition and drive that reminds me a lot of myself. The moment you walked into that hall in a jumpsuit instead of a dress and your head held high, I knew that this season would prove to be interesting. I saw how the young girls watched in admiration and how only one of the men in the room didn't keep his eyes off of you. I need that by my side, helping me run all of this. I have a good feeling that with you now in the position that you are in, we will all thrive more than we have before and continue to do so long after my nephew takes my place."
"Thank you, Mrs. King. I won't let you down."
"Then start calling me Charlotte, in private at least."
"As long as you call me Kitty."
Charlotte stood, picking up her purse to head out. She needed to go into the office and prepare for the transition between her chief advisors. "Very well, Kitty. Expect to see a meeting from me come through soon."
"I look forward to it, Charlotte."
Katherine just stepped into her office when her phone rang. The day just seemed to be full of surprises. "Good morning, Daphne. What can I do for you?"
The eldest Bridgerton daughter sighed. "I know, I know. Even though I apologized, we've barely spoken but I'm calling on behalf of Miss Thompson. You need to get to the Featherington's right away. They have a visitor."
"Is it the father?"
"No, the brother."
"I'm on my way."
Thankful for Eddie's haste, Katherine arrived at the Featherington's in no time. Hurrying inside, she found them all in the drawing room staring down the poor gentleman Katherine assumed was George's brother. "Who invited Miss Gibbs?" Portia asked with a sigh.
"I did," Daphne spoke up. "I thought it important that she be present, especially since she's been the one taking more care of Miss Thompson."
Portia went to respond but Katherine cut her off. "Alright, we won't be getting into things with a guest present." She gave a pointed look to each of the two women before moving over to sit on the other side of Marina, who immediately took her hand in a death grip.
"I apologize for keeping everyone waiting." Katherine started. "Are you perhaps George?"
He shook his head as well as Marina who leaned over and whispered. "No, that's his brother."
"I'm his brother." He said at the same time. "And I'm afraid I have some not-so-good news to share but I hope my offer can provide some comfort." He paused and Katherine motioned for him to carry on. "We received word that George had died in battle."
Marina teared up but tried her best to not let anyone know how her heart was breaking all over again. This was far worse than thinking that he had fallen out of love with her. Losing a love like theirs before it could even truly start. Her free hand moved to rest over her stomach.
"They gave us a box full of his things," he continued. "And to honor him, I would like to take care of you, Marina."
"That's your idea of comfort?" Marina snapped. "I decline. You can go home." She stood and ran to her room.
"Miss Thompson!" Portia called out starting to go after the girl but Katherine quickly stood.
"I'll go after her. We appreciate you coming. Daphne, if you could give him my number and possibly even set him up with our hotel that would be great." She said as she chased after Marina.
She knocked softly on the young woman's door before making her way inside. Marina was face down on her bed using her pillow to muffle her sobs. Katherine gathered the girl in her arms and held her as she cried.
"What am I supposed to do now?" Marina asked once her sobs settled down.
"Can I tell you a secret?"
Marina nodded.
"Do you remember when we first met and I told you I had dealt with this before?"
Once more she nodded.
"The other person was me."
Marina sat up and looked at Katherine with wide eyes. "What? How did no one find out? You're like known by everyone."
Katherine chuckled. "I was actually around your age when it happened and my two best friends helped me out. You see, after I told my now ex-boyfriend that I was pregnant, he bailed on me. I had already made up my mind about keeping the baby so I went the adoption route even after one of my friends told me that he'd be willing to help me take care of my daughter."
"Is your daughter okay? Do you ever see her?"
"My daughter is okay. She is living her best life with the woman who adopted her. I haven't seen her and don't plan to do so. If she ever wants to find me, she can, but I'm keeping my distance so that she remains safe and that she can continue to live the life that she knows, the life I couldn't give her."
"I knew you had to have some motherly instincts in you."
"I was trying to go for a cool aunt or older sister but apparently I didn't do so well."
Marina hugged her, resting her head on her shoulder. "No, you did just fine. Thank you for coming today. I really do appreciate all of your help. I guess I have another decision to make."
Katherine nodded. "But you don't have to make it today. Take as much time as you need."
She stayed until Marina fell asleep. Carefully moving from the bed she made her way downstairs and informed Portia what was going to happen all the while texting Anthony to see if he was at home or if he was in the office. When the matron of the Featherington household finally let her go, Katherine snuck into the Bridgerton house and headed straight for the office.
"Because I wanted to stop by to say hello." She said, answering Anthony's text asking her why she wanted to know where he was.
Looking up from his computer, he smiled at her. "Hello. How'd things go today?"
She returned his smile with a wide, beaming grin. "You are now looking at the new CEO of Gibbs Communication and the new chief advisor to Charlotte King!"
"Kitty!" He exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair. "Kitty, that's fantastic news!" He spun her around, their laughter filling the room before he set her back on the ground and gave her a kiss. "And Luca?"
"Will not be bothering us ever again."
Anthony grinned, resting his forehead against hers. "We're going out tonight."
"Oh, we are?"
"We have to celebrate."
"Then pick me up at the office at six and we'll go out."
He kissed her to seal the deal. "I'll see you at six." He said as he slowly let her go.
She started with the accounts that were tied to the organization. With her gaining King Realty, which held both Charlotte King and Lydia Danbury, she needed to offload Cowper and Trowbridge. Not to mention the international sites she had created during her sabbatical away from London. She quickly jotted down on her ever-growing to-do list that she needed to call Frederich to let him know of this new development.
As she started to go through the employee list of those that double dipped, her phone began to ring. "Simon! I'm assuming my father called."
"He did but that's not why I'm calling."
She could hear a crowd in the background. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember if there was an event that she was supposed to attend. "Is everything alright? How about Daphne? Do you guys need help with organizing the ball?"
"Kitty," he interrupted her rambling, "stop trying to anticipate our needs. I'm calling to help you out with your Featherington problem."
With a groan, Katherine leaned forward and rested her head on her desk. "Where are you? Because you can't be at the casino. It sounds too busy for you to be there."
"No, I'm at the arena. Will's match was today."
"Please tell me you're not about to say Archie Featherington and Loan Sharks in the same sentence."
"Will threw the match because of some deal he made with Featherington. I'm not sure of the sharks' name but one had a scar along his cheek."
"Fuck!" She exclaimed, sitting back in her chair hard enough she rolled a bit from her desk.
"Is Will going to be okay?"
"Yes, they won't touch him," she sighed, "Archie on the other hand."
"I thought so. That's why I wanted to call."
"Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"You've got some calls to make but we're going to celebrate your promotion later. Congratulations, Kitty."
"Thanks. I'll see you later." She said with a laugh before hanging up.
Rolling back to her desk, Katherine picked up her office phone and began calling Archie. By the third time he didn't answer, she decided to actually leave a voicemail. "Mr. Featherington, I know you must be feeling high and mighty with you finally winning a bet but you have done it in the worst way possible. I need you to call me back immediately."
By the eighth time of a failed attempt at getting ahold of him, Anthony walked into her office just as she slammed the phone back into the receiver. "Well, that doesn't look good."
Her head shot up from where she was pinching the bridge of her nose at the sound of his voice. "Is it really six already?"
"It is. Rough first day?"
"You could say that." She laughed a bit as she tried to straighten up her desk. "More like a previous issue decided to come to a head today as well."
"Anything I can do to help?"
She shook her head. "No. I've done all I can do. I just hope that no one gets hurt before I get the chance to talk to King."
"That bad?"
"To be honest I've been putting off going to King for too long. But can we not talk about it anymore?" She asked as she walked over and draped her arms around his neck.
He instantly wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. "Are you asking for a distraction?"
"I am indeed."
"I think I can manage that." He whispered just before giving her a passionate kiss full of promise for what was in store when they returned home. "But for now, let's go enjoy pasta and cheesecake."
"You're the best!"
He smirked, taking her hand. "I know."