Growth
788 Words
The wedding was postponed.
Not canceled.
Not called off.
Simply postponed.
That was the word everyone used.
The truth was far less romantic.
There weren't enough hours in the day.
Between Family obligations, expansion plans, international travel, and the endless demands that came with power, the wedding kept getting pushed further down the list.
Neither of us liked it.
Neither of us fought it.
The future wasn't going anywhere.
A date on a calendar could wait.
The Family couldn't.
Three months after Argentina, Jaxx and I found ourselves standing on a balcony overlooking the rolling hills outside Los Angeles.
The California sun painted everything gold.
Luxury estates dotted the landscape.
Private vineyards stretched across the hillsides.
Expensive cars wound through gated communities below.
Money lived here.
Old money.
New money.
Celebrity money.
The kind of wealth that spent millions without blinking.
The perfect place to disappear.
The perfect place to expand.
The perfect place to build something new.
"Well," Jaxx said.
I laughed immediately.
"There it is."
"What?"
"That damn word."
He grinned.
"I like that word."
I rolled my eyes.
Some things never changed.
Below us, construction crews moved across the property that would soon become headquarters for Fairbanks Luxury Estates.
Officially, we specialized in high-end residential properties.
Exclusive listings.
Private acquisitions.
Luxury developments.
The kind of company that catered to celebrities, athletes, executives, and foreign investors.
Unofficially?
It provided access.
Information.
Relationships.
Influence.
The same things every successful Family operation had always been built on.
My mother approved immediately.
Which should have concerned me.
A few miles away, Jaxx was building something of his own.
McCoy Motor Group.
A luxury dealership specializing in exotic and collector vehicles.
Ferraris.
Lamborghinis.
Bentleys.
Rare imports.
Custom commissions.
If wealthy people loved showing off their houses, they loved showing off their cars even more.
Within weeks his showroom had become a destination.
Within months it became a status symbol.
People wanted to buy from Jaxxon McCoy.
Not because of his last name.
Because they liked him.
Which somehow annoyed me.
"Nobody likes me that much."
"You threaten people."
"I do not."
"Babe."
I sighed.
"Fine."
His grin widened.
The move to California changed everything.
For the first time, we weren't simply representatives of the Family.
We weren't visiting.
We weren't touring.
We weren't observing.
We were building.
The newspapers loved us.
The magazines loved us.
Social media loved us.
Hope Fairbanks and Jaxxon McCoy.
Young.
Successful.
Beautiful.
Photogenic.
The power couple that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Every few weeks another article appeared.
Another interview request.
Another photograph.
Another rumor.
One publication called us California's New Royalty.
Jaxx nearly framed it.
I threatened to set it on fire.
He framed it anyway.
By the end of the summer, our names were everywhere.
At charity galas.
Fundraisers.
Business conferences.
Private events.
Exclusive parties.
The public saw two ambitious entrepreneurs.
The truth was considerably more complicated.
One afternoon, I stepped into Jaxx's dealership to find half a dozen customers wandering the showroom.
Sunlight gleamed off polished paint.
Salesmen moved between clients.
Business was booming.
Near the center of the floor stood Jaxx.
Laughing with a potential buyer.
The customer shook his hand enthusiastically.
A deal closed.
Another six-figure commission.
Typical Tuesday.
Jaxx spotted me approaching.
The smile on his face immediately changed.
Softened.
The businessman disappeared.
My fiancé returned.
"There she is."
I kissed his cheek.
"Busy?"
"Very."
"Good."
"You?"
I smirked.
"Closed a forty-two million dollar property sale."
His eyebrows rose.
"Damn."
"I know."
"Should I be intimidated?"
"Absolutely."
He laughed.
Then wrapped an arm around my waist.
For a few moments, we simply stood there.
Watching employees move around us.
Watching customers browse.
Watching the lives we'd built.
Not inherited.
Built.
The realization settled warmly in my chest.
For the first time, we weren't just preparing for the future.
We were creating it.
And somewhere, thousands of miles away, Destiny Fairbanks was undoubtedly watching.
Measuring.
Evaluating.
Waiting.
Because while California saw a glamorous power couple building legitimate empires, the Family saw something else entirely.
A test.
Hope Fairbanks had established herself.
Jaxxon McCoy had established himself.
Both were thriving.
Both were accumulating influence.
Both were gathering loyal people around them.
And with every successful deal, every new connection, every public appearance, the question first whispered in Buenos Aires only grew louder.
Could they rule together?
Or was one of them destined to stand alone at the head of the Family?
For now, neither of us cared.
The sun was shining.
Business was booming.
And as Jaxx pulled me close and kissed the side of my head, the future felt impossibly bright.
Neither of us noticed how many people had begun placing bets on what that future would look like.
- Writer
