Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Uh, I’m actually headed to see my stepmother. I’m going to buy those trolls out once and for all,” I murmur.
“Oh,” she says. I lift my head as her words come out odd. I search her face. Ms. Randell fidgets and looks around the hall. “I’ll still take the ride with you. It’s good for my bones to get out of here sometimes.”
“Um. All right. Okay.”
I don’t know what else to say. She’s been checking on me every day. I know I’ve been gone a long time. She probably missed having someone to talk to.
I shake it off and wait for her to grab her things from her apartment. When she returns she proves me right. The woman talks all the way to my stepmother’s brownstone.
“Are you sure you want to do this, love,” she says.
I look into her brown eyes and think long and hard about it. I want what’s mine. Do I want to pay them for it? No, but it means something to me. I don’t want my family’s legacy in the hands of these ungrateful monsters.
“It’s not good for the brand. Yes, I own Beauty for Ashes Event Planning International, but they have their hands on my US company, and I won’t allow them to ruin that. This ends here,” I say firmly.
Ms. Randell stares at me and a small smile comes to her lips. Her eyes sparkle with pride. I find myself standing straighter. She looks down at her phone and her smile grows. She sends a text faster than I think her fingers should be able to.
“Yes, it does,” she says almost to herself before she rings the bell for me.
I furrow my brows at my neighbor. She reaches for my hand and gives it a firm squeeze. The gesture calms me. In this moment, I’m glad she’s here. I’ve been feeling so alone the last few days.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Glenda snarls when she tugs the front door open.
I bite back my retort and force a smile to my lips. “I’d like to talk to you guys about buying you out.”
“We don’t need shit from you—”
“Move out of the way, moron,” Bianca growls, pushing Glenda aside. She rolls her eyes at her daughter before turning her attention back to me. “Come in. We’re busy so let’s make this quick.”
I clench my teeth against all the things I want to say. Ms. Randell places a hand on my back as support. Again, I’m grateful to her.
“Wait, who’s this?” Bianca says when Ms. Randell enters with me.
“I’m her counsel,” Ms. Randell replies before I get a chance to.
I turn to her and she gives me a little smile. Looking back at Bianca, she has her eyes narrowed at the both of us. I shrug my shoulders.
“I’d like to settle this as soon as possible. I thought it would be better to bring her along,” I say.
“Yes, we’d like to get this all over with quickly as well,” she says and turns to lead the way to the living area.
The sound of Glenda and Rosa hissing at each other like cats enters the hallway. A grin comes to my lips as I overhear their words. Bianca picks up her pace. I’m sure it’s to shut them up.
“I still don’t get it. Why is she here?”
“Because she wants to buy the company. Duh,” Rosa says to Glenda like she’s so much smarter than her.
“She doesn’t know?” Glenda snickers. “She’s so stupid.”
“Well, we need the money before we’re out on the street so shut up,” Rosa snaps.
“If you two don’t shut the hell up,” Bianca seethes as she enters the room with her overgrown brats.
Ms. Randell has grabbed my hand to make sure we’re right on her heels. The look on all of their faces is priceless. Glenda and Rosa look like two sulking toddlers and Bianca looks like she wants to throttle them both.
Interesting. I take note of the desperation in the air. I know Megan quit weeks ago.
After I calmed down and thought about it, I didn’t want to leave my old clients hanging. So I had Megan flown out to the Milan office, where she could reach out and manage our New York clients without interference from these three.
“Have a seat, Cindy,” Bianca says coldly.
I clench my fist. I know she knows how much I hate that name. I have to talk myself out of mopping these floors with her.
Instead, I move to take a seat across from them all. I make a mental note that the price I plan to offer has dropped three times since we’ve walked into this room.
“You said you would like to buy our shares,” Bianca starts. “As we have worked so hard to grow the company after your father’s passing, I think it’s only fair that you pay us one million each.”