Aaron drummed his fingers impatiently on his thigh during the board meeting. This financial data was old news; he had better things to do, like planning his "coincidental" encounter with Keeley later.

The time had come to reconnect. He'd been vice president for almost two years and owned 24% of the company shares—a fact his father believed to be only the original 10%. Keeping his father in the dark was supremely satisfying.

Cameron Singleton's gambling prowess had been instrumental in building his empire. As promised, Aaron secured him a job after graduation and still sent him on all-expenses-paid trips to gambling hotspots on weekends.

Cameron, a financial analyst at Hale Investments, held 5% of Aaron's shares and served on the board. He was the first of four "dummy" shareholders.

Aaron immediately gave Cameron the shares acquired from Maria, then patiently waited for the 2008 recession. Having weathered it once, he knew Hale Investments would survive the stock market crash, a fact unknown to the other shareholders. He spread rumors that the stock was worthless, prompting several to panic and sell. He bought their shares immediately. The challenge was what to do with them. Giving Cameron too many would be suspicious; he needed more board members on his side.

He approached two Harvard classmates with decent backgrounds, though not on the Hales' level: Roger Clark and Kyle Griffith, who were both smart and loyal. Harvard graduates were common at the company, so their board appointments weren't suspicious.

His final dummy shareholder was his old prom date, Alice Wheatley (now Kelly). Her husband's family owned a prestigious law firm, so her shareholding presented no conflict of interest. Convincing her required effort; Aaron argued that independent influence would benefit her, particularly if the Kellys proved untrustworthy. A Hale ally would be invaluable.

Each dummy shareholder, except Cameron, held 3% of the shares. Alistair's loyalists held 54%; the remaining 22% were wild cards. Aaron needed to secure the neutral party. How? He wasn't sure.

Around the boardroom table, his "chess pieces" reacted differently to the presentation. Alice was as bored as he was; Cameron maintained his poker face; while Roger and Kyle, finance enthusiasts, absorbed the information avidly.

The meeting adjourned, and everyone dispersed. Back in his office, Aaron found an unpleasant surprise: Aiden Quinn, sitting in his backward desk chair, fingers steepled under his chin like a mob boss. He grinned maniacally.

"I've always wanted to do that," he said.

Aaron sighed. "What are you doing here? IT is six floors down."

Aiden ignored him. "Is today the day? Will you talk to her? Should I give you a pep talk? We have no idea how she feels about you."

After Keeley moved to an unsafe neighborhood after graduation, Aaron's protectiveness kicked in. He provided the building owner with a top-of-the-line security system and installed Aiden in the apartment across the hall.

Aiden didn't mind; he considered Keeley a friend, often using surveillance cameras to check on her. They were friendly, chatting when they met. He liked her spunk but couldn't fathom how she attracted his uptight boss.

"I want to, but as you said, I don't know what she's thinking," Aaron admitted. "I'm trying to figure out how to approach her."

"What does she like? Offering something she enjoys might help."

Aaron hadn't paid attention to Keeley's preferences in his past life, a regret he deeply felt. He'd observed her Skittles preference in college, but knew little about her current tastes.

He checked her Instagram (following her anonymously). She rarely posted, usually pictures of friends, food, or a fluffy orange and white cat. He didn't even know she liked cats. Maybe he should learn about cats.

"I know something she likes," Aiden said.

The room temperature plummeted. "Why didn't you say that before I checked my phone?"

Aiden feigned innocence. "I just thought of it."

Aaron rubbed his temples. "Get to the point."

Aiden, undeterred, spun in the chair. "Her credit card purchases show she frequents a coffee shop near NYU. Showing up and offering her a pastry might work."

It wouldn't be hard to feign a coincidence. Aiden might be right.

"I'll consider it."

Aiden smiled knowingly. He understood.

He wished Aaron luck; Keeley Hall wasn't easily won over.

(Note: I removed the website promotion.)