Page 2 of Serena
“Oh, we know,” Theo fires back.
I have to focus on work. Just then, the waiter arrives with a celebratory bottle of champagne. He opens it and leaves it on the table.
“How was date night with Xander?” I ask, trying to change the conversation, since my lack of relationships always seems to be a topic of discussion.
“It was fine. We ended up arguing about wedding invitations; it seems that we argue about everything wedding-related,” she says. Yuri and Xander have been engaged for a couple of months and have set a wedding date for next summer. “Maybe it’s the stress of everything going on, you know, with school, his teaching, the wedding,” she tells us, but I can see she’s trying to convince herself. I hate that she always makes excuses for him, but all I can do is be here for her in whatever way she needs me. She gives Theo and me one of her bright smiles, dismissing her frustrations.
Theo grabs the champagne bottle and begins to pour our flutes, changing the conversation. “Let’s raise our glasses. Congratulations, Serena, you are now Vice President of Finance for Kayde Investments,” he says. I smile and toast to that.
“Idon’t know how you got him to agree to the deal. The company has no liabilities that we need to worry about and is financially stable,” Gabe tells me through the screen.
“Money talks, little brother.” It’s true, money does talk. That much I can attest to, but for those who need an extra push, there are other means to get them to cooperate.
“He tried to play hardball. It didn’t last. He had no choice but to give in. Plus, when have I ever taken no for an answer?”
“Don’t I know it.” He laughs. “One thing about you, big brother, is that you always get your way.”
That’s true; there has never been anything or anyone that I couldn’t take for myself, whether it’s a business deal, women—you name it. I live by the code that if I want it, I take it. It’s that simple.
“So, do you want the pleasure of telling Dad the good news?”
“No, I’m sure you can handle that. Another asset for his empire.”
“You mean,yourempire, Ian,” he says, looking relieved.
“Make the call after this meeting.” He nods. Always my trusted soldier. I will continue the Kayde legacy as king of the empire, but every king needs his queen.
“I won’t be able to join the meeting in person, but I'll be on.” He doesn’t ask for more details because he knows there’s more to the story. I was supposed to be there in person. The weather had other plans. Owning a jet doesn't mean shit if you can’t land in a snowstorm. I blame my cousin for this. I should’ve said no to the last-minute trip, but I didn’t; he needed me. Caleb asked me to help negotiate a business deal, but when the meeting went sideways, we didn’t anticipate just how messy the situation and the cleanup would be.
Fuck, now I’m sitting here staring at a screen when I should be there. Sitting across from her, looking into those eyes. I should kill Caleb; better yet, I should just take his piece of the deal I negotiated. He owes me, and he knows I’ll collect.
The screen lights up, and I sit back and wait for the only part of this meeting I actually care about. The object of my obsession is about to walk in.
Acouple of months ago, I began seeking a career change and applied to various firms. I received offers from a couple, but then Penger was acquired, and new positions became available. Theo and Yuri encouraged me to apply for a middle manager position in accounting, so when I was called in for an interview, I was ecstatic. A couple of days later, the Vice President position was offered to me. I thought it was a mistake.
Now here I am. It’s been a couple of weeks since I started my new job, and although it means late nights and nonstop meetings and reports, it’s everything I have worked for. I think back to my junior year in college, when one of my professors recommended me for an internship. It was data entry and double-checking numbers, but I enjoyed it.
When I eventually graduated from college, I was offered an entry-level job at Penger Finance in their accounting department. It was in their West Coast office, which is the company's headquarters. So Yuri and I decided to make themove to Veridian Bay, where I’ve worked my way up to Junior Associate.
There’s a knock on my door. My office is huge, and the view is spectacular. Floor-to-ceiling glass behind me, and the city stretches out until it crashes into the ocean. I can’t help but smile at myself for how far I’ve come in such a short time. I’m only twenty-six years old and one of the youngest Vice Presidents this company’s ever had.
My assistant, Claudia, walks into my office. I still can’t believe I have an assistant. She’s a bit taller than me, in her late twenties, with short red hair, and very good at her job. When I hired her, I made a point of keeping things on a first-name basis. I also told her that I wouldn't need her on weekends. I am so used to doing things on my own that having an assistant will take some time for me to get used to. She has daily tasks that I’ve given her, but she knows not to work past five. She is a mother and has a child to care for. Although I don’t have kids or siblings, I grew up with a fair share of missed time without my parents around. Largely because of them having to work.
“The meeting is about to start, and we have the others joining us via video call. Their flight was delayed, so they won’t make it to the office in time,” she informs me. “I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell her, taking a moment to put on my confident persona.
When I walk into the conference room, the large, rectangular table in the center is filled with executives facing the big screen on the wall. Even though I’ve worked for this company for a couple of years, this setting is intimidating as fuck. They all look at me when I step into the room. Although the meeting hasn’t started, everyone is ready. I get a feeling that I’m being watched, which I quickly dismiss because, of course, everyone is looking at me. I’m the only one walking to my seat. I glance at the screen, but no one's camera is on. I shrug off the feeling and move to myseat next to Jacob, the head of accounting. “How are you doing in the new role?” he asks.
“It's going well. I’m keeping busy.” My response is short because I don’t like the guy.
“Let me know if you need any help. I’ve been here since long before you, and I’m happy to help,” he says. But I don’t miss the undertone in his voice. I know I worked hard to get this position. I’m also aware that finance is a male-dominated industry, and some may think I’m not equipped for this role.
“Water?” he offers, then grabs the water pitcher and pours a glass, sliding it to me. He didn’t even wait for my response. Idiota.
I push the water toward him. “No thank you.” I turn my head and glance at Claudia, who's walking in my direction with a water bottle. Jacob stares at me as I take the water from her. I don’t have to explain myself to him.
Jacob is a man who likes to get his way. I’ve seen him yell at his assistants for filing documents alphabetically, rather than numerically. He also likes to be the lead in big projects and is quick to throw others under the bus. He’s a major asshole who doesn’t take no for an answer. Well, until now. No way am I going to let him treat me like he’s better than me. I didn’t before, and I won’t start now.
The camera turns on, and we see Gabriel Kayde, the youngest son of Miguel Kayde, founder and, until recently, CEO of Kayde Investments, the company that recently acquired Penger Finance. Shortly after the acquisition was announced, a memo was sent informing employees that Miguel Kayde would be stepping down as CEO for personal reasons. The new CEO would be Ian Kayde, who is nowhere to be seen, either on the monitor or in the room.
