CHAPTER 4
VICTORIA
Victoria shut down her computer and slid the file that she was working on into her desk drawer. It was almost noon, and she wanted to see Jack before she left. She exited her office and entered the outer office where Tyra worked. Tyra was Victoria’s PA, but she was dangerously close to becoming a friend. Dangerously, Victoria surmised, because her friends had been through the “Storm, ” and they'd proven that they’d been built “Ford Tough.” For that reason alone, Victoria did her best to limit their relationship to a professional basis. Tyra didn't deserve the drama that came with being an associate of the Storm and Savelli family.
“I’m cutting out early. If you need me, hit my cell,” she said as she walked past Tyra’s desk.
“Okay, Vic. Have a good day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Victoria confirmed before leaving.
Halfway to Jack’s office, she ran into Aaron. Aaron was the head of Storm Enterprise’s IT department. His tech skills had been instrumental in saving her life—twice. Aaron had become more like family than an employee. However, due to a little crush that he’d had on Victoria when she first started to work for Storm Enterprises, Jack kept a watchful eye.
“Hey, Vic. You headed to Jack’s office?”
“Yep.”
“He’s in a mood,” Aaron warned.
“Yeah, I know. He’s exhausted. Last night was his turn to get up with Jack Jr.”
“Ahh…the joy of parenthood,” he said with a chuckle.
Victoria sighed. “A joy indeed, Aaron. Maybe you should give it a shot?”
“Nah. I’ll just live vicariously through you guys.”
Victoria laughed and turned down the hall that led to Jack’s office.
“Later,” she said over her shoulder.
She walked past his smiling receptionist. Victoria smiled in return. She was a temp, so Victoria couldn’t remember her name. Unlike Jack, she was the worst with names. But Jack remembered the names of every employee he came in contact with.
When Katlin, his new PA, rushed out of her office to block Victoria’s path, Victoria took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head. Jack’s assistant took a lot of liberties, fancying herself Jack’s protector.
“I’m sorry, Victoria, Mr. Storm is taking a nap right now. He’s exhausted.”
The bitch had the nerve to look at Victoria like it was her fault that Jack was tired. She couldn’t have known that her face was about six seconds from being slammed into a wall.
Katlin stood in front of her wearing a too tight dress, too much makeup, and a pair of “please fuck me” heels. Little did the woman know, Victoria was conducting a, “please don’t slap this bitch” countdown in her head.
“Miss Greene, you refer to me as Victoria as if we’re girlfriends. We are not. Mrs. Storm is how you will address me from now on.”
The smug look on Katlin’s pretty, caramel-colored face remained intact even as she responded with, “Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Storm it is. Please accept my apologies.”
Victoria didn’t.
“Hey, Vic,” Amy’s assistant called out as she walked past them.
“Hey, Pam,” Victoria responded.
Katlin’s eyes narrowed at Victoria. It was now clear that Victoria didn’t mind being addressed informally. She just wasn’t having it from her stank ass.
Victoria closed the gap between them. She smiled sweetly and whispered, “Miss Greene, if you ever stand between me and my husband again, you’re gonna lose more than your job.”
Katlin’s eyes went buck. “Mrs. Storm, did you just threaten me?”
“Yes,” Victoria confirmed before pushing past the insubordinate assistant.
