The Rise of the House of Stone

Chapter 1--Sydney

Sydney Stone Roberts was angry. After enduring years of an outsider occupying the position that was rightfully hers, she wasn’t about to watch another person take it away from her again. If Kendall thought he was about to be president of her family’s hotel empire, he had another think coming.  It would be over her dead body if he ever set foot in House of Stone headquarters.

She knew from the day Kailyn brought him home to meet the family that he was a gold-digging gigolo.  His outer appearance screamed acceptable.  He was charming, handsome and articulate — the exact type of man people thought Kailyn should be with.  Sydney, though, wasn’t fooled.  She saw right through his façade and pegged him for the type of man he was — a loser.

“Sydney, Sydney,” Donovan snapped his fingers in front of her face.  “Where were you just then?”  Sydney came back to reality.  The noise of the televisions and side conversations filled her ears.

“Oh, sorry,” she shook her head trying to clear it.  “I was just thinking about something.”

“So, Kailyn wants to be spokesperson huh?  That’s great.” Donovan sat down and began doing lat pull downs.

Sydney stared at her husband in disbelief. He knew good and well she didn’t want her sisters involved.  She liked things just the way they were.  Ari was at that not-for-profit place and Kailyn was in Hollywood.  They both had nothing to do with the business and that’s the way Sydney wanted to keep it. Kendall on the other hand was a whole other story.  She wanted to get him out of the family business as quick as possible.