36

NEW YORK CITY

It was a curious thing. Will had spent most of his adult life believing that everything he’d ever worked for would logically culminate in attaining one goal—being the CEO of the world’s largest company at a great time of need. He’d been so certain of that path. He’d almost come to believe there was a measure of fate or destiny involved.

He’d spent so much of his life looking over his shoulder, worrying and wondering if what he was doing was good enough, or if he was doing everything that was required of him because so much had been given to him.

And then it all had changed in one blindingly clear moment. As Will had worked to put the puzzle pieces of his life together, the still small voice had spoken. He now knew precisely what he had to do, and what that looked like.

He called Kiki Estrada back first. He already knew which direction the AF fight would go, so he might as well get the ball rolling on the Senate campaign.

“I’m in,” he told her. “But hold off on announcing it or saying anything yet. I have a public fight I need to start first, and then we can get to an announcement about the Senate race.”

“Great!” she said. “You’ve made my year. So you’re definite?”

“I’m definite.”

“I’ll get one of our attorneys working on filing papers, and some staff to help with signatures,” Kiki promised. “Just remember. There isn’t much time before the primary.”

“I’ll be ready. And we both know that I don’t need to worry about raising money. I’ll loan my campaign what I need for the primary.”

Next he called Drew and asked him to start pulling together all of the information on the Worthington Shares holdings in AF—just in case.

“Do you need to talk to your father about any of this first?” Drew asked.

“Maybe. But he’ll support this. He’s actually gotten more progressive, not less so, as he’s gotten older. He’ll think of it like our own personal divestment campaign in fossil fuel industries. I have no doubt he’ll think this is a good idea.”

“And what about you? Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?” Drew pressed. “I mean, this could blow up in our faces. The financial press will see this as a power struggle. It’ll be a donnybrook.”

“Good,” Will said firmly. “It needs to be. We should never have drilled in deep water in the Arctic. It was a colossally stupid thing to do, and I should have fought much, much harder against it at the board level. I can’t believe it’s taken me all this time to see it so clearly. Now the whole thing is a huge mess. If Worthington can’t use its shares as leverage to force the right decision—to get out until we have more answers about the risks involved—then we walk. No matter the consequences. We don’t need to hold on to American Frontier stock because it’s made us money. There are plenty of other ways to make money in New York.”

“And the CEO job?” Drew asked, his concern clear.

“It will take care of itself,” Will answered with more conviction than he’d felt in some time. “Eric Sandstrom was never going to walk away without a fight. So now he’ll get it, and the board will decide whatever it’s going to decide.”

“Understood,” Drew said simply. Will could hear the relief.

Finally, Will called his little sister. “I’m heading over to your office right now, if you’re around. I want to talk about the shareholder lawsuit—and the criminal negligence case, if you’re able.”

“I’m here, Will,” she said. “And let’s talk. It’s proceeding.”

“Good. I intend to help. Worthington Shares will help.”

Sarah had never seen her older brother like this. He had always been such a people pleaser, not a fighter. “So you want Worthington in the shareholder lawsuit? That will change the dynamics quite a bit. It will get the Street’s attention, the financial press too. It will become an awfully public fight—you against Sandstrom.”

Will’s chin firmed in determination. She knew what that look meant.

“It will also get the board’s attention,” he said. “They’ll be forced to make a decision one way or another. They sort of drifted onto this path because Sandstrom and the executive team kept pressing, and they didn’t say no. Now they’ll have to make a firm decision.”

“And if it goes against you?”

“Actually, I assume that it will, but we still have to try. Sandstrom is in too deep on this, and he’s dragged the White House into it as well. They have no choice but to defend this position, no matter the consequences. They’ll do everything they can to stay the course. So I’ve already told Drew to get the paperwork ready in case we need to sell our shares in AF.”

Sarah’s heart ached for him. For all their differences, he’d always been there for her, backing her up. Now, for the first time ever, it was her turn to support him. “So then what—for you, I mean?”

Will paused. “You know how we’ve always talked about the Worthingtons getting into politics over the years, during those family vacations at Chautauqua?”

She nodded. “I remember them well. I’ve wondered when you’d get around to asking this question, honestly.”

“Well, it’s time. I’m getting into the Senate race against James Loughlin. And if you thought the fight with Sandstrom was bad, well, buckle up. This could be a whole lot more interesting and a lot more public.”