“What girl meets her boyfriend with her bodyguard by her side?”
Dorran and I haven’t exactly established titles for each other, let alone our relationship. But I do like the sound of being his girlfriend, and even though it’s a new experience for me, I have to say: I’m not mad about it.
“The girl whose boyfriend is a contract killer, and has all but invited her to join him while he conducts a goddamnmurder,” Mave states the obvious.
I exhale. “Can I fire you for one night?” I ask.
He chuckles. “As if. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
I pout, which is quite unlike me, and then I frown, because I can’t think of anything else to say to him.
“Let’s just get through this meeting,” I say, and make to turn around, but Mave grabs my wrist and stops me.
“Fine, you win,” he relents. “But only if you promise to call me if something goes wrong.”
I grin at him, then rise on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. “I promise.”
He smiles and shakes his head, then nods in the conference room’s direction. “Let’s get to that meeting, then. You’ve got a murder to witness later on, after all.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “And you callmea menace,” I say, then swivel on my feet, fix my beige pencil skirt, and start walking down the hall. With Mave right behind me, of course.
43.
Ienter the chilly room to a chorus of ‘Good Afternoon, Miss Adler’, and look at the people gathered around the massive glass table in the conference room. Each an expert at marketing and finance, these people know exactly what they’re doing, and how to bringLureback on top, because by the looks of it, the brand is seriously suffering. Despite the investors, sponsors, and donations.
My team and I discussed potential promotional methods earlier today, but until and unless we have a full grasp on the amount of damageLurehas recently seen, we can’t move forward with our plans. That, and I need proper financial guidance from the marketing team to better understand what I’m dealing with.
Sunlight reflects against the wide floor-to-ceiling glass windows around the room, showcasing iridescent prisms throughout the space.
As I take a seat at the head of the table and set my purse on it, Raj and the rest of my social media team nod at me from where they’re gathered to my left.
I nod back at them, and when Mave steps away from me, I quickly look up at him and whisper, “Sit next to me.”
He gives me an incredulous look. “What?” he mouths.
I glance at the chair to my right, then at him. He seems hesitant, but swallows and does as I’ve asked.
I sigh, because it’s good to have him here, then clear my throat and face the crowd. “Whenever you guys are ready,” I address the marketing team.
A few of them look at Mave with skeptical and unsure gazes, but I pay them no heed. Mave does, though, so I place a hand over his knee from under the table, and when he looks at me, I give him a smile, which makes him relax a little.
“Our sales have gone down by a minimum of 17% since last year,” a member of the marketing team announces, and when I look ahead, I notice that he’s opened a file in front of him and is gesturing at a PowerPoint presentation on the screen behind him.
“Minimum?” I say.
“Just the online sales,” he clarifies. “Offline sales have been next to non-existent, especially since the summer of 2022.”
“The reason?”
“A massive increase in our prices,” another member – Erin, I believe – says. “Lurehas been focused on limited edition and seasonal wears for the last few months, and we’ve noticed that it’s since then our margins have dropped significantly.”
The conference room’s door opens, and every single person at the table gets to their feet. Mave included, although he does so reluctantly. I remain seated, and try not to cringe when the smell ofJ’adore, byDior, fills the air, making the hair on the back of my neck stand, and goosebumps to prick my skin. Her heels click against the Oakwood floor, and a second later, she enters my peripheral, which leaves me with no other option but to face her.
Her white blazer dress washes out her complexion, making her look distasteful, and her fully-done makeup only adds to her lack of sense in decorum.
“Mom,” I make myself say.
Her vacant eyes narrow. “Cignette.”
