The phone buzzed for the third time that morning.
"Ma'am," Ariana said as she stepped into my office, "you have a call from Grandpa."
I didn't look up from the papers on my desk. "Not today. Tell him I'm in a meeting."
"I did, ma. He said it's urgent."
I sighed. "Nothing is urgent. Decline the call. I'll call him back."
Anna paused, then nodded and left.
A few minutes later, I walked into the conference room.
"Sorry I'm late," I said as I took my seat. "Shall we begin?"
The meeting dragged on until evening. Slides turned into charts, charts into noise. By the time it ended, the sun was already setting, and exhaustion settled heavily in my body. All I wanted was to go home. I wanted quiet. I wanted to rest.
"Ma'am."
I stopped. "Yes, Ariana?"
"The next meeting is scheduled for ten."
Of course it was.
I nodded. That's what I always do, nod, accept it, move on. My heels echoed as I walked back to my office, the sound sharp in the empty hallway.
I didn't slow down. I never do.
Rest is a luxury I don't have. Work never ends, and the days blur together, ruled by deadlines and expectations.
The next meeting was set for the Monteros Club.
"Why?" I asked. "Wasn't it supposed to be at the restaurant?"
"Mr. Adams changed the venue last minute," Anna said. "He says he's more comfortable there."
Of course he was.
"That creepy puppet," I muttered. "Alright."
I flipped through my notepad during the drive. When we arrived, I stepped out of the car and saw him waiting outside. I would recognize those yellow teeth anywhere.
He rushed toward me. "Miss Leonora, how are you today? How was your day?"
I didn't answer. I didn't have the energy for greetings, especially not from him.
He cleared his throat. "Let's go inside. I've already reserved a spot for us. One of the best in the club. I knew you'd.. "
I tuned him out.
My focus returned to my notes as I walked past him, my steps steady. Whatever he was saying didn't matter. It never did. I was here to finish the meeting, not to entertain him.
Inside, he led me to the table.
He leaned back on the chair as we sat, a practiced smirk already on his face."So… get you a drink ? What's your poison?"
I leveled him with a calm, sharp stare letting the silence stretch long enough to wipe the smirk from his face. "It's what you would like, Miss.Vance,"my voice was all edge."And I'll have water".
He shifted, called the waiter over, and mumbled the order. The moment he was done, I looked up from my notepad.
"So, Mr. Adams. What does Mr. Montero have to say about the partnership?"
He cleared his throat. "Mr. Montero believes… after further consideration… that the capital you're offering isn't sufficient for the deal."
"Hmm." I let the sound hang, cold and flat. "Where was this 'further consideration' during our negotiations?" God, these outside pests are hard enough to deal with. Now the inner ones are getting bold, too.
"He's asking you to reconsider the offer," Adams pressed.
I offered a smile that didn't touch my eyes. "Let me repeat this back so you can hear how it sounds. You want me to invest more capital than the projected profit I would receive. He's not that stupid. He can't possibly be asking for that. Or is he?"
He swallowed, the sound audible. "It's not about short-term gain. He wants a true partnership. Something that benefits him in the long run."
I chuckled, a dry, mirthless sound. "Then the real question, Mr. Adams, is this: does he have enough to be worthy of being my partner?"
"But you were the one who reached out to us. You said you wanted goods from us," he said, a flicker of defiance in his voice.
"Hmm. I know that," I said, my tone glacial. "I want to purchase goods, the way any ordinary buyer would. That's exactly why I'm surprised. Where is this idea of a partnership coming from ?"
"The thing is, the amount of-"
I cut him off with a glance at my watch. "You know what? Tell Montero that my secretary will schedule another meeting. But do send him a message: this is a mere business transaction. It doesn't make us partners."
He looked at me, then nodded slowly. "Okay… I'll do that."
As I stood, he cleared his throat and smiled, an attempt at a charm that fell flat. "You're leaving already? I know the club still seems boring, but just give it time. Things will get interesting."
"It's 11 p.m., Mr. Adams. Your definition of 'early' is hilarious. Thank you for the offer, though," I said, offering a smile as empty as his.
Outside, the night air was a cold relief.
"Ahhh, this is exhausting," I exhaled as the car door closed. Ariana slid in beside me.
"Do I have anything early tomorrow morning?" I asked, already dreading the answer.
"Yes, ma'am. You have a board meeting at six a.m." She paused. "Also, Miss Rosa called. She said she's been trying to reach you, but you haven't been picking up."
Shit. Our outing tomorrow. I'd forgotten entirely. "Six a.m.? Reschedule it."
"Ma'am, I don't think that's a good idea. You've already postponed it twice."
"Have I?" I sighed, letting my head fall back against the seat. "Just let it be, then."
I pressed my thumb and forefinger into my temples. Rosa's incoming tantrum was already a siren blaring in the quiet of my thoughts.
"And lest I forget-we have a leak in the strategy team. Root it out."
Ariana didn't flinch. "Understood."
I pulled my phone from my purse and winced at the cascade of notifications: a torrent of messages and missed calls from Rosa, plus one stubborn, silent miss from Grandpa.
I'll deal with this tomorrow.
With a final sigh, I dropped the phone back into my bag.
We rode the rest of the way in silence, the city lights bleeding into one another past the window.