Page 105 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
I grinned. “I’m an event planner.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Emir mentioned it a few times. He’s very proud of you.”
“He is?”
Her lips curved. “Of course. You don’t already know that?”
He tells me all the time but I didn’t really read much into it.
“I do.”
“Okay, so is that all? Just an event planner?”
“Well… I work for someone now but I’m actually thinking about starting my own company.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, fidgeting with my plate. “I love what I do, but working under someone else has its limits. I want more control. More freedom to build something that reflects me, my vision.”
Elena studied me for a moment, then asked, “So what’s stopping you?”
“Everything.”
“Be specific.”
“The risks. The uncertainty. The idea of failing. What if I sink everything into this and it doesn’t work out?”
She leaned back, considering my words before speaking. “You ever think about what happens if it does work?”
I frowned and she shrugged. “Fear is real, but it’s also a choice. You can let it stop you or you can let it push you. If you spend too much time worrying about the what-ifs, you’ll wake up one day realizing you wasted time and opportunity.”
I sat with that for a second.
Her voice was steady but encouraging. “If you know this is what you want, start planning. Put things in place so that when the time comes, you’re ready.”
“And if I fail?”
She gave me a knowing look. “Then you get up, dust yourself off, and figure out your next step.”
Something about the way she said it made me relax. Like it really was that simple.
I smiled. “You give good advice, thank you.”
“I know.”
I laughed.
“You have an amazing opportunity as a Black woman, Baylyn. Don’t let fear stop you from going after it, whether it’s businessormy son.”
Her words settled over me, but in the best way.
“I won’t.”
Chapter
Twenty
Emir
