Read The Chosen Heir (The Bolles Dynasty Book 3) Online
Authors: Susie Warren
The Chosen Heir (The Bolles Dynasty Book 3)
The Chosen Heir
Copyright 2015 by Susie Warren
Published by Susie Warren
ISBN:
978-0-9964898-0-5
Cover design by The Killion Group
Formatting by Quillfire Author Services
http://ericamonroe.com/va/
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews – without permission in writing from the author at [email protected] This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
For more information on the author and her works, please see
www.SusieWarren.com
.
Books by Susie Warren
The Rosa Legacy
The Convenient Wedding: Book 3
The Bolles Dynasty
Prologue
William Bolles discretely flexed his shoulders, feeling confined in his exquisitely tailored formal attire in the opulent London ballroom. He didn’t need the slim fit of the couture piece to draw the attention of the fashion elite, the innuendo surrounding his family and his reputation for adventure was enough.
He should be in Dublin dealing with the latest setback at his golf resort and not making small talk at a fundraiser. But he had promised his sisters, Olivia and Anna, he would attend and draw as many obscenely wealthy patrons as he could assemble. The cause was admirable and similar to one his father had started in New York decades ago. Was that what drew his sisters in? Did they want to honor their father and gloss over his questionable reputation?
He avoided public scenes of admiration as it only brought out his father’s enemies and naysayers. Given Oliver Bolles’s penchant for unscrupulous behavior before his tragic motorcycle accident, William had learned the difficult lesson of keeping his sentiments private.
Anna linked her arm in his and smiled up at him. “There you are. I’ve been searching everywhere.”
His sisters needed to process their emotions in a much more public forum. Maybe the fashion or event industries were more forgiving then the financial sector. The privileged took their wealth seriously.
Anna fidgeted with her necklace. It was an endearing habit she had when feeling nervous. He reminded her, “You have put together a brilliant event.”
“I had the perfect venue and a dream guest list but I’m not sure of the auction aspect to this event. What if a particular design doesn’t get any bids? A designer will be offended if there piece isn’t sought after.”
William glanced around the ballroom and watched the models showcase the gowns that would be bid on shortly. “It is up to the individual designers. They decided which gown to donate and were asked to invite their supporters.”
Anna scanned the room. “The elite fashion designers are well represented tonight.”
He was proud of both of his sisters. They each overcame many obstacles in their drive to be successful. “Olivia has an enormous following in her own right but it’s remarkable that she is able to encourage others in the industry to participate.”
He seldom saw Anna these days without her besotted husband at her side. “Where is Alistair?”
Anna flicked her hand. “He is helping sort out a mix-up with the wine. I should check on a few things. Don’t look so bored, William. Mingle.” She stepped away from him. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring a date.”
The last woman he dated had left him for an older politician who was interested in settling down. He didn’t blame her but had no desire to throw himself back in the dating arena yet. Tonight, with the entire concept of the evening being to bid on one-of-a-kind couture gowns, it was not the place to bring a first date. But then it wasn’t the type of evening that lent itself to being alone either.
He took a glass of chilled champagne from a passing waiter. Another forty-five minutes and he could slip away. He scanned the crowd for a few contacts he wanted to approach. At least he could take care of a few business objectives while he waited out the evening.
He caught sight of Alex and raised his glass. His business associate made his way over and they shook hands.
“Your sisters know how to put together a gala.”
William had added the names of his management team from Maglia Rose Investments to the guest list. Of the four men on his team, only Alex was expected to put in an appearance. It made sense; Alex was dating a model who loved social outings and if she was in London then he knew they would come.
“Apparently those interested in fashion have come out of the woodwork tonight.”
“It is for a good cause.” William relied heavily on Alex for his analytical insights and calm, logical thinking.
Alex said, “You weren’t able to convince Jeremy or Arlo to come? Merle is the only one with a decent excuse. With his wife about to give birth, there was no way for him to consider making the trip.”
He laughed. Merle was going to be a good father. Jeremy, the accountant on his team, was too careful with his money to agree to attend a fundraiser.
“No, Jeremy doesn’t believe in giving money away but that does has advantages for us.” He had built a team that he was proud of and he enjoyed close friendships with each of the men. “Arlo is riding in a bike race in northern Spain.”
“Lucky devil.”
Taking a sip of the chilled liquid, William allowed a feeling of satisfaction to cascade over him. He had let go of the old way of doing business, using autocratic leadership to demand results. Instead he had built a solid network of expertise and innovation to expand and rebuild small companies.
“William, you have a lot to be proud of. Maglia Rose Investments has a cycling company, an optometry business focused on athletics, and a golf resort.”
“If we are not careful that golf resort will be then end of us.” He took another sip of champagne.
“Things have a way of working out.” Alex disappeared across the room.
A woman in a couture gown caught his eye. She was speaking with his sister, Olivia, and he considered whether she was a runway model. She didn’t appear to be tall enough for the industry, but she had a high fashion look to her. Olivia nodded in his direction and the woman headed towards him. Did she work for his sister?
“William?” Her tone was neutral and he smiled to himself. Whoever this was didn’t idolize him.
“Have you been sent with a directive?” His sisters didn’t think twice about putting him to work.
Her tone was clear and definite. “Olivia was hoping that you would act as the master of ceremonies this evening? The nanny called to say Addy was running a fever so Fionn went home to check on her.”
She was stunning. Her fashion sense stood out in a roomful of fashion conscious individuals and her deep brown eyes drilled into his soul. “Wouldn’t it be better to have someone from the organization handle the bidding?”
She glanced away. “It would be impossible to pick one person and not offend the others. You are an outsider but a Bolles nonetheless.”
He could feel a physical pull between them. “I don’t think we have met before.” He had no interest in acting as the spokesman for the event, but he was drawn to her.
She stepped closer to him and held out her hand. “I’m Bridget North. I work as a marketing executive for Olivia’s Design House.”
He grasped her hand and his body tightened. “I’m not an insider to this industry.”
She looked bewildered for the briefest moment and then recovered. “Olivia went to fetch the script for you to review and the teleprompter will have the items listed on it.”
“I would hate to disappoint my sister but...”
Bridget interrupted him. “Mr. Bolles, I know this is sudden, but Olivia desperately needs your help. If the wrong person is put up there, the entire concept could fall apart.”
He avoided the spotlight for a reason. Others wanted to tarnish his image based on his father’s misdeeds. “Someone who is a known insider would be better.”
She touched his arm and he could feel his body harden. “Olivia asked me to show you the catwalk. Maybe you could decide after you take a look?”
Bridget led him past security and into the area that was set up for the auction and dinner. A few technicians approached him and explained the layout and order of events. They wired him for a microphone and he decided to allow it. It wasn’t often that his family asked for help. But still, he needed to push down a sense of dread. He hated being on stage, under the lights. He much preferred to be out on an athletic jaunt and not confined in a polite setting.
The beautiful Ms. North went over the event with him and tried to fill him in on all of the components. He was mesmerized by her and barely listened. He wanted to step forward and capture her lips with his. Would she taste as amazing as his mind predicted? It was almost worth it to agree to this farce to put her in his debt.
“Are you planning on assisting me up here?”
She shook her head. “No, I’ll be behind the scenes.”
Catching her gaze, he said, “I don’t know if that’s fair. I’d like your help at the podium.”
“It was conceived as a solo presentation. There isn’t enough time to re-create the flow.”