“Andrea, come here. I would like to have a word with you.” Veronica’s sharp voice slices through my daze like a whip crack. I blink, dragged back to the present. She stands in the middle of the office with arms crossed and a scowl on her face. How in the hell she can’t remember a single name is beyond me.
“You have no idea how much you embarrassed me from that stunt you pulled earlier,” she hollers, her voice echoing through the office.
“Stunt?” Annalise furrows her brows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh! Don’t act stupid. I know you loosened that lid on purpose so the coffee would spill on him,” Veronica snaps, eyes blazing with fury. “You said having your ex here wouldn’t be a problem, but it clearly is.”
“I swear, I—I didn’t!” Annalise’s hands fly up, palms out. “It was an accident.”
“Cut the bullshit!” Veronica snaps, losing the grip on her professionalism. “You obviously don’t know how to separate your personal life from your work life.”
Annalise’s eyes widen, her voice trembling as she speaks. “But Ms. Zhang?—”
“Save it,” she shouts, cutting Annalise off. There’s venom dripping from her every word as she nonchalantly brushes a hand down her front and says, “You’re fired. Effective immediately.”
Annalise stands there frozen, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as she stares at her boss.
“Well? What are you waiting for? I said you’re fired,” Veronica articulates, her voice shrill. “Pack up your stuff and go.”
I’m pissed about the encounter with Annalise, sure, but I can’t stand here and watch this vile woman continue to disrespect her.
Excusing myself from Trang, I march over to Annalise’s side. “Ms. Zhang, this really isn’t necessary. It was an accident, and it’s just a shirt. Firing her over that is hardly justified.”
“Just a shirt?” She places a hand on her chest, clearly appalled by my nonchalance.
So what if it’s a five-thousand-dollar custom shirt? Annalise was right—bouncing balls for a living earns me a fuck-ton of money. I could buy one for every day of the year and still have more money than I know what to do with.
“You’re saying that as if you bought that from a thrift shop.” Her gaze shifts to Annalise and I don’t miss the way she looks her up and down like she’s scum. “I’m sure you know all about those, don’t you, dear? I can spot that cheap fabric from a mile away.”
Annalise shoots her a glare but remains silent, her lips pressed in a tight line.
“Mr. Kamado, consider this a favor. You’ll no longer have to see your ex here,” Veronica says.
“I have no problem having her here. My problem is withyou,” I snap.
Veronica stumbles back, startled by the sharp edge in my tone.
Bringing myself to my full height, I stare down at her, and she shrinks beneath the weight of my gaze. “With all due respect, Ms. Zhang, you’re an extremely talented woman, but how you treat your employees is downright repulsive.”
Her mouth pops open as she stares at me, dumbfounded. I can tell she’s about to say something else offensive about Annalise, or any of the other people that work for her, so I start instead. “I was looking forward to working together, but I think I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.” Pausing for a moment, I let the words hang in the air before adding, “Maybe I should call Velocity back. They offered me a much better deal.”
With that, I turn on my heel, walking toward the exit.
“Mr. Kamado, please wait!” Veronica chases after me and nearly trips in the process.
Standing there with my arms crossed, I wait to see what she has to say.
She closes her eyes, inhaling deeply before looking at Annalise. “Arya, I?—”
“Annalise,” I practically growl.
Veronica clears her throat, her cheeks flushing. “Annalise,I apologize for lashing out at you. It was very out of character for me.”
“Out of character, my ass,” Annalise mumbles under her breath, and I can’t help the silent chuckle that shakes my shoulders. Everyone here knows that’s a load of crap.
“You are no longer fired. As a matter of fact, why don’t you take an early lunch break?” Veronica plasters on a smile. “It’ll be my treat. You can order whatever you like. You can even take two hours!”
“Wow, that’s so thoughtful of you. You’re sure you wouldn’tmind if I treated myself to the wagyu from Roka Akor?” Annalise asks, arching a brow.
