Meant to Be

CHAPTER 27 - THE DYNASTIC PLAN

When Rory walked through the doors of the Plaza she was immediately ushered in to Claudette's office.

"Close the door Rory." Rory closed the door behind her and sat in the leather chair across from Claudette.

"What's going on?"

"I'm probably going to get fired," Claudette whimpered

"Why? What happened?" Rory questioned, not quite sure what her boss was talking about.

"We've lost the wedding. Poof! It's gone," Claudette intimated.

"Why would you be fired over losing a wedding?" Rory asked, still not following her boss.

"Not just any wedding! The Nichols-Hunztberger wedding is gone. The bride's mother called this morning and said our services were no longer needed." Claudette cried.

"They are moving the wedding or the wedding is off?" Rory asked desperately.

"Moving it. Probably to London. It doesn't matter though. I will never recover from this." Claudette stated.

"Claudette, it's not your fault. If anyone is to blame it's me. I should have told you about my past with Logan and maybe we could have avoided all of this. If anyone should be fired it should be me," Rory practically begged her boss.

Claudette took a deep breath, "No one is going to get fired. I am just being dramatic. I tend to think of the worst when things go horribly."

"Oh. Well then I take that back. Please don't fire me," Rory begged.

Claudette smiled for the first time, "We better get to work. We have to make up a lot of missed revenue and publicity that we won't be getting from their wedding. I knew I didn't like that girl ..." Claudette trailed off as Rory left her office and headed to her own.

Rory sat at her desk in shock. Based on Steph's information she had assumed that Logan and Katie were no more, but Claudette made her reconsider. The wedding was still on, just not set at the Plaza. She sat back in her chair and let out a deep sigh. This man is going to ruin me.

***

Logan always hated going to his parents' home, but on this day, he absolutely dreaded it. He had been summoned to their palatial estate to discuss the wedding (or lack thereof). As he approached the door, the maid answered before he could even knock, "Mr. Logan, they are waiting for you in the sitting room."

"Thanks," he offered as the maid took his coat from him and he slowly made his way to the sitting room. As he approached, his mother noticed him first, "Logan! You're here. Sit down." She smelled of cheap cigarettes as he passed by her. Clearly the news had reached her and she did what she does every time he disappoints the family, she chain-smokes in the backyard.

Upon taking a seat his father spoke up, "Logan, I'm sure you must know that we aware of what happened with you and Katie."

"I figured the news had made it's way to you." Logan replied bluntly.

"Logan, you must understand that we cannot allow this," his mother responded.

Logan looked at Shira with a puzzled look on his face. After all these years she still seemed to think he was not strong enough to stand up to them and their ridiculous plans for his life. Mitchum filled the silence that hung over the room like a cloud of smoke. 

"Your mother is right. This engagement will move forward. It would be an absolute embarrassment for the Huntzberger's and Nichols' to have this minor setback splashed across the front page of every newspaper I don't own. Whatever happened, and I don't care to know the details, you will go to her and make it right."

"I won't be doing that. There is nothing to 'make right' in this situation. In fact, the whole thing has been wrong from the start. I'm ashamed it took me so long to figure things out but I will not be marrying Katie." Logan put it bluntly to his parents.

"Mitchum! Tell him that he must apologize to Katie and beg for her to move forward with the wedding!" Shira cried.

"Logan, it is your responsibility as the heir to the Huntzberger empire to make this family proud. Katie is a fine young woman and we need her in this family. The Nichols vast finance empire is an added bonus as well." Mitchum argued.

"I understand that you believe that I owe this family and HPG my future, but I will not marry someone that I don't love and the fact that you would expect me to do so only further reinforces that you two really are stuck on this 'dynastic plan of yours."

"No, no no! Logan, you aren't thinking. Katie is the perfect bride. She's beautiful, intelligent, charming, and will no doubt be the ideal society wife. Not to mention the beautiful blonde haired children she will give you," Shira let out, practically begging Logan to reconsider.

"Katie will make a wonderful bride and wife ... just not mine." As far as Logan was concerned the conversation was over.

Mitchum stood from his chair and walked over to his defiant son. He waved off Shira who was ready to counter Logan's statement.

"Son, please understand that the dissolution of this engagement will have ramifications for HPG. We will lose the funding from Katie's father to purchase the digital media outlet we were looking in to. You should expect to find a suitable investment company to replace them immediately. You should also know that we expect that, after you take several months to let the dust settle and appear to be the broken hearted ex-fiance,  you will be required to move forward and find the future Mrs. Huntzberger and since that is apparently not Katie, then it should be someone of even greater stature in society." Mitchum said sternly.

Logan shook his head in understanding and walked towards the door with only one woman on his mind. He took the scenic route back to New York to give himself time alone to think and arrived at Colin and Steph's house just past 11:00PM. He found Colin still awake in the study and practically dropped himself on to the leather couch. "How'd your parents take the news?" Colin asked. Logan filled him in on his evening at the Hunztberger mansion and how irate his mother was over the end of the engagement.

"So, are you going to talk to Rory?" Colin questioned. 

"I was planning on it but I think I need to let things cool off a bit. My parents were very adamant about laying low for a while until someone else's scandal could take over the news cycle. The last thing I need is someone to catch me out with Rory and bring her in to this drama unnecessarily," Logan reasoned. 

When Colin had left the study to head to his bedroom, Logan opened up his text messages and started typing:

'Ace, sorry to reach out so late but I wanted to let you know that I won't be able to see you tomorrow as planned . There's a lot going on at work and personally for me right now and I need to see how things play out. Don't give up on me Rory. I just need time to get my life together first.' - Logan 

Logan re-read the text and pleased with it's contents closed out the message and headed to the guest room to get some sleep before the avalanche of media about his broken engagement hit the papers. 

What Logan hadn't realized was that in his haste to get to bed he never actually hit the 'SEND' button on the text to Rory. She would be expecting him to meet up with her and as far as she was concerned he was going to be standing her up.