Steven Barnett (Book Character)

Steven Barnett is a notable character in "The Heiresses", who had died five-years-ago in a tragic, yet suspicious, boating accident.

Biography
Steven Barnett was an intelligent and rich man, having graduated from Harvard and who surfed in the Galapagos. He met the impossibly rich Elizabeth Cole sometime in his twenties, and the pair were married shortly after that. They built a life together in New York. However, their marriage quickly fell apart as the years went by and Steven's loyalty to her started to fade. Elizabeth also became tired of Steven and stopped being attracted to him physically, as she claimed he wasn't great in bed. Steven started having many affairs and flings with whomever he wanted, and his relationship with his wife became strictly for appearances.

Steven, who wasn't related to the Saybrooks, was a hardworking man and Alfred Saybrook's protégé. Rumor has it that he was next in line for the job until Mason Saybrook, the new company CEO and his best friend, picked Poppy for president instead of him. Mason claimed he wanted to keep the company in the family, although still valued Steven as a friend and employee. Steven was happy for Poppy, but also insufferably jealous of her.

Steven was present at the Saybrooks’ end-of-summer party at Meriweather, which also celebrated Poppy’s promotion to President of the company. He met Aster, Mason's daughter, and the two hit it off. Aster had recently learned of her father's affair with Danielle and wanted to get back at Mason. Steven and Aster flirted heavily before they snuck off and made it out. They started to have sex on the beach when Mason found them mid-way through. Steven ran off to get dressed, apologizing profusely to Mason, who lashed out at Rowan. They fought on the beach, and he shoved her back and caused her to fall to the ground. He threatened that if Steven ever went near his daughter again, he would regret it. He would make them both sorry that they had ever done this.

The next morning, Jonathan York was going for a walk down by the shoals of the estate when he discovered a dead body. It wasn't long before a group of people emerged in shock, and Aster saw the body alongside her cousins and family. She was devastated that he had died and seen Mason off to the side angrily talking into his phone. At that moment, she suspected him of having killed Steven. However, weeks later, his cause of death was revealed, and Mason was cleared of the theory. According to the medical examiner, Steven had drowned in shallow water due to his blood-alcohol level being above the average limit, indicating it was a tragic accident due to his drunkenness at the time of his death. However, his excellent surfing and swimming abilities made everyone remain suspicious about what really happened that night.

Series
The Heiresses

Personality
Steven was efficient and brilliant, with a keen eye for business and negotiation/PR. He was always present at Saybrook family events, becoming almost part of the family and welcomed with happy arms.