Chapter 173: Separate Ways

Vincent had known for months that Alexander Vance might never return to the CEO’s office.

After the fire at Second Life Workshop, rumors had circulated that Alexander intended to rebuild the business from the ground up. Most people took those rumors at face value.

Vincent didn’t.

If you’d worked with Alexander Vance for as long as he had, reading between the lines wasn’t particularly difficult.

Alexander had started Second Life Workshop as part of his master’s program. Somewhere along the way, however, the business had stopped being merely an academic requirement. Even after the fire destroyed much of the workshop, Alexander hadn’t treated the incident as an opportunity to walk away.

He’d immediately started planning how to rebuild.

Vincent knew his former boss well enough to understand what that meant.

Still, knowing something was possible was considerably different from finally hearing that Alexander had made it official.

So when word reached the executive office that Alexander had requested a Board meeting, Vincent suspected there would soon be very little left to speculate about.

Five months ago, they’d already discussed what would happen.

Alexander would take his leave.

Vincent would remain at Vance Holdings.

Then, once Alexander finally knew what he intended to do with his life, they would talk again.

Apparently, that day had arrived a little earlier than expected.

Because the moment Alexander stepped into the executive office after the meeting, Vincent took one look at his former boss’s face and closed the folder in front of him.

"You decided."

Alexander stopped.

It wasn’t a question.

"Yes."

Vincent leaned back in his chair.

"And?"

"I’m not coming back as CEO."

Vincent was silent for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"All right."

Alexander frowned.

"That’s it?"

"What were you expecting?"

"I don’t know. More of a reaction."

"I’ve had five months to consider the possibility."

Right.

Of course he had.

Vincent had never been the type to wait until a problem landed directly in front of him before deciding what to do.

Alexander gestured toward him.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"I told you what I’m doing."

Vincent’s mouth twitched.

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"Five months ago, you told me that once I decided what I was doing, you’d tell me whether you wanted to work for me again."

"I remember."

"So?"

Vincent gestured toward the chair across from him.

"Sit down."

Alexander stared at him.

"You’re ordering me around in my own company now?"

"You’re not the CEO anymore."

"My resignation isn’t effective yet."

"Then sit down while I can still pretend I respect your authority."

Alexander pulled out the chair.

Some things, apparently, hadn’t changed at all.

The truth was, Vincent hadn’t exactly spent the last five months sitting around waiting for Alexander to make up his mind.

With the interim CEO already having his own executive assistant, Vincent had stayed in the executive office mainly because he knew Alexander’s administration. What had initially been a transitional assignment gradually expanded.

Board matters required historical context, executives needed information from Alexander’s administration, and Vincent understood procedures because he’d spent years making sure everything reached the right people at the right time.

Apparently, other people had noticed.

"They offered me Director of Executive Administration."

Alexander stared at him.

"When?"

"Last week."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

"You hadn’t told me what you were doing yet."

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"You were actually waiting."

"We had an agreement."

"You already knew I probably wasn’t coming back."

"I suspected."

"Same thing."

"No, sir. It really isn’t."

Alexander supposed that was fair.

He leaned back and considered the title.

Director of Executive Administration.

It was unquestionably a promotion. More importantly, it moved Vincent beyond being attached to one CEO. Instead of managing Alexander’s schedule and keeping his office functioning, Vincent would now have a broader role across the executive administration he’d spent years learning from the inside.

It suited him.

Annoyingly well.

"So you’re moving up."

"I prefer to think of it as Vance Holdings finally recognizing my extraordinary talents."

Alexander stared at him.

Vincent maintained a perfectly serious expression.

"What does Director of Executive Administration actually get you?"

"A broader scope of responsibility, greater involvement in executive coordination and administrative policy, and considerably more money."

"Anything important?"

"My own office."

Alexander nodded solemnly.

"There it is."

"And a coffee maker."

"Now you’re just bragging."

"I thought you should know what you’re giving up."

Alexander laughed.

Then, unexpectedly, something inside him tightened.

Five months ago, the possibility of returning to Vance Holdings without Vincent had bothered him more than he’d wanted to admit. He’d grown so accustomed to Vincent being there that imagining the CEO’s office without him had felt wrong.

Now neither of them would be returning to that arrangement.

Alexander wouldn’t be sitting behind the same desk.

Vincent wouldn’t be standing outside his office with a schedule, three folders, and some new problem Alexander hadn’t known existed yet.

They were moving in different directions.

And somehow, that was all right.

Vincent hadn’t needed Alexander to invent a position for him just because Alexander disliked the thought of losing him.

He’d built a career at Vance Holdings long before Alexander left. During the last five months, he’d proven that his value extended well beyond being Alexander Vance’s executive secretary.

Vance Holdings had found him somewhere to grow.

Exactly as Vincent had wanted.

Alexander nodded.

"Take it."

Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"That sounded suspiciously like permission."

"It wasn’t."

"Good."

"I mean it. It’s a good position for you."

"I think so too."

"And apparently it comes with a coffee maker."

"That was a major consideration."

Alexander smiled.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then Alexander looked around the executive office.

He’d spent years walking into this place expecting Vincent. For years, Vincent had known where Alexander needed to be before Alexander remembered it himself, intercepted problems before they reached his desk, and somehow tolerated a boss who occasionally seemed to believe executive assistants came with unlimited patience.

Apparently, that was the end of it.

Not their relationship.

Just this particular version of it.

"You know," Alexander said, "Second Life Workshop is growing."

Vincent immediately looked suspicious.

"Sir."

"I didn’t offer you anything."

"You were about to."

"I was making conversation."

"You don’t make conversation about staffing."

Alexander couldn’t argue with that.

Vincent shook his head.

"Five months ago, I told you that if you had something you were genuinely building and eventually needed someone with my experience, you could ask me."

"I remember."

"I also said I’d consider it."

"Yes."

"I’ve considered it."

Alexander waited.

Vincent glanced meaningfully around the office.

"I think you have your answer."

Alexander laughed.

"Fine."

There wasn’t even much disappointment left.

Vincent had chosen Vance Holdings.

Alexander had chosen something else.

Neither choice diminished what they’d accomplished together.

Alexander stood.

Vincent did the same.

For a moment, Alexander considered simply saying goodbye and leaving. That somehow felt inadequate after all the years Vincent had spent making his professional life considerably easier.

"Thank you for your service, Vincent."

The humor disappeared from Vincent’s expression.

He straightened slightly.

"The honor was mine, Sir Alex."

Alexander held out his hand.

Vincent looked at it for a second before taking it.

The handshake was brief, professional, and somehow carried considerably more weight than Alexander expected.

When they let go, Vincent glanced toward the door.

"Is Elias waiting downstairs?"

"Yes."

"Then you shouldn’t keep him waiting."

Alexander smiled.

Apparently, Vincent couldn’t resist managing his schedule one last time.

"Yes, Director."

Vincent’s eyebrows rose.

Alexander turned toward the door before he could respond.

Behind him, Vincent called, "Sir Alex?"

Alexander looked back.

Vincent smiled faintly.

"Good luck with Second Life Workshop."

Alexander returned the smile.

"Good luck with the coffee maker."

Then he walked out.

For the first time in years, Alexander left the executive office without expecting Vincent to follow.

And that was all right.

They both had somewhere else to go.