Page 55 of Rival to the Billionaire

I convince myself that I'll talk to him again today.

I'm not sure what I want to know from Ryder.

Not too long ago, I’d told myself I couldn’t allow Ryder to go through with this app. That in the wrong hands, it could be devastating to Hare & Holeton’s bottom line, the legacy that we’re building for ourselves.

But the more I say it, the more it seems like I'm lying to myself.

I've been seduced, and I don't even know how.

Whether it's by the app itself or Ryder, I'm slowly realizing that I'm no longer sure what I want anymore.

Picking up on the sunshine that's coming through the glass in the gardens, I take a seat beneath one of the towering trees behind the fountain. I'm seconds from plugging my phone into its portal charger, when I stop, thinking. Wondering. Questioning. All sorts of things I've never asked myself before.

When's the last time I "unplugged"? The last time I "let go"? With everything that's been happening with getting Hare & Holeton ready to take the company public and put it on the stock market, I haven't had time. Or desire.

I'd forgotten what desire was.

But now…

The last few days have sparked something in me I've lost over the years.

Something I haven't seen or experienced on this scale since before I knew what "corporate" even was. Something I never expected to see again, at least not around a man like Ryder Anderson. I'm curious. I'm intrigued. I'm enchanted.

I'm distracted.

And I know it's not good for me. It's not good for business. And I can't afford to let myself forget it.

I need to talk to Ryder.

I need to find him.

And I need to figure out what I want.

I lift my gaze to stare into the fountains, debating if I should tell Carmina that I've been asking questions of myself. Her silence hasn't answered anything, but everything that I feel has.

As I stare up at the blue sky through the leaves, inhaling the crisp air and the warm sunshine for one final breath, I stand to my feet, ready to go back to the conference.

Back to the demands of corporate America.

The little life I've carved out for myself.

And the hard work that's waiting for me.

Except someone is currently standing in the way.

Distracted, I bump into a mass of thick hair and breasts. It takes a second before I realize it's Chastity Sanders, Ryder's former fling—and the woman who wants to ruin Hare & Holeton with a click of her overpriced heels.

"Jenny Forde." She smiles, looking like she's just stepped out of a photoshoot, her white smile bright. "I thought that was you. Haven't seen you around." She looks across the leaves and into the garden, the look in her eye suddenly calculating and cold. "Running from the press?"

She smiles as if she already knows the answer.

"No. Just…taking a walk. I'll be back in for the afternoon sessions later." I suck in a breath, standing only a few feet from her. "And you? Excited for the afternoon sessions?"

Her head tilts slightly, her blonde hair draping across her right shoulder. "I'm looking forward to the exhibitor show floor more. There's one keynote that I can't wait for. The one Ryder's giving tomorrow. It's going to be great; don't you think?"

"I think so," I say, keeping my cards close to my chest.

"I hope they're half as good as last night's reading session." Chastity's eyes dip down to my normal white blouse and dark skirt suit. "It's looking like a good day for the two of you. The rest of us might be left in your dust. That is, if Ryder ever comes back…"

---