Page 5 of Forty, Flirty & Fired

"Actually, I was going to say we get successful," Mama corrects them. "But in this case... maybe a little even too."

I hug her tight, breathing in the familiar scent of basil and love. "Thanks, Mama."

"Just promise me one thing?" She pulls back, cupping my face. "Whatever you do tonight, make it count."

I think about my social post from earlier, sitting there in the digital ether. About the gala that's supposed to celebrate "community" while destroying mine. About Alexander Drake's perfectly pressed suit and perfectly practiced corporate smile in the lobby earlier.

"Oh," I grab my clutch and check my lipstick one last time in the mirror behind the bar. In the reflection, I can see Marco and Luna peeking around the corner again, giving me thumbs up. Even my niece and nephew are on Team Revenge. "I plan to make it count all right."

After all, revenge, like the best recipes, is all about timing.

And tonight? Tonight, I'm feeling inspired.

"Nonna," I turn to my grandmother, who's been suspiciously quiet while aggressively kneading dough. "Any last advice?"

She looks up, flour dusting her silver hair like a halo. "Me? I would never tell you to throw champagne in some stronzo's face." She pauses, a sly smile crossing her face. "But if you did, make sure to get the expensive stuff. No sense wasting bad champagne on bad people."

"NONNA!" Sofia looks scandalized.

"What? I'm old, not dead. And nobody messes with my nipote on her birthday."

And with my family's blessing – and possibly slightly impaired judgment from Lucia's wine pours – I head out to crash a gala.

What's the worst that could happen?

(Note to self: Never ask that question again.)

3

NOT YOUR AVERAGE HOSTILE TAKEOVER

ALEX

Here's what they don't tell you in ‘CEO school:’ being right doesn't mean a damn thing when your board members have their heads so far up their spreadsheets they can't see the company burning down around them.

"Our acquisition strategy is working perfectly," Gerald Matthews, head of the board, gestures with his martini glass. "The numbers don't lie, Drake."

I resist the urge to loosen my bow tie. The ballroom of the Four Seasons is packed with Seattle's tech elite, all here to celebrate "innovation and community" – which apparently means watching a bunch of billionaires pat themselves on the back while drinking thousand-dollar champagne.

"The numbers might not lie, Gerald, but they don't tell the whole truth either." I scan the room, nodding at various industry players while keeping my voice low. "We've lost sixty percent of Innovatech's senior developers since the takeover. Sixty percent. In one day."

"Dead weight," Barbara Cho, another board member, shrugsher thin shoulders. "We need fresh blood anyway. Young talent. Hungry talent."

Young talent who'll work eighty-hour weeks without questioning our methods, she means.

I take a careful sip of scotch, thinking about the file still open on my desk. Mackenzie Gallo's file. The one showing her remarkable talent retention rates at Innovatech, which my board had completely ignored this morning when they overruled me on keeping her as our Director of Innovation Strategy.

"Speaking of talent," Gerald's voice drops, "did you handle that situation from this afternoon?"

By 'situation,' he means the mass firing of Innovatech's leadership team. Including Mackenzie Gallo, whose scathing comment in the lobby is still ringing in my ears.

Soul-sucking corporate wasteland, indeed.

"It's handled." Technically true. Security handled it. I just happened to be there to witness it.

"Good, good." Gerald claps my shoulder. "Can't have any dissenting voices during the integration. Bad for morale."

You know what's worse for morale? Watching your entire senior leadership team get escorted out by security. But sure, let's worry about "dissenting voices."

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