Page 32 of The Jaded Notes

“Of course.” Natalie faces her. “I’ve wanted to work withCrowne Ventures International since I first learned of Mr. Crowne. He hired me right after I received my associate’s degree, but I had been reaching out to him since I was a junior in high school.”

“That’s wonderful for you.” Livianna shows her a genuine smile. “Why were you set on working here?”

Natalie shoots me a questioning glance. I give a nod of approval and sip my tea.

She answers Livianna. “Mr. Crowne built a multibillion-dollar empire without stepping into the spotlight. He won’t be interviewed by the press, and getting a photograph of him is impossible, but he’s written about daily. He’s always ten steps ahead of everyone. It’s fascinating to me. I wanted to be an insider and see how it all works.”

Livianna shakes her head. “How what works? There’s a lot you just mentioned.”

“Don’t you see? He doesn’t chase influence. He engineers it, and he does it by being a ghost no one can touch.” Natalie motions around the room. “You’re getting access to him like very few do. And I get to be a part of everything he does day in and day out. It’s intoxicating.”

Livianna tilts her head and seems to consider something. She scans the room, and something in her eyes shifts. Where she was curious before, she now seems to understand her surroundings better.

I place my cup down. “Livianna, Natalie’s one of the most important people in my business. She’s my organizer, gatekeeper, and so much more. I need her here as much as she wants to be here. But I almost lost her.”

“Why?” Livianna’s gaze moves between us.

“Because Natalie was afraid to ask for what she wanted.” I stand, round my desk, lean against it, and peer at Natalie. “Tell Livianna what I’m talking about.”

“But Mr. Crowne, I’ve signed an NDA.” Natalie rises. “Isthere another way you’d like me to explain without sharing the details?”

I study Livianna. Can she keep the information to herself? My intuition screams yes.

One thing I’ve figured out about Livianna is she has wounds and secrets. Likely, some she’s never spoken of. She can be trusted.

My instincts are never wrong about trust, so I address Natalie. “As a counterparty, I’m waiving confidentiality for this conversation only. I’ll draft an amendmentbefore day’s end. I want Livianna to understand that if she wants my help, she has to be completely honest with me. Otherwise, I won’t know how to guide her.”

“Okay.” Natalie returns to her chair. “I’ve worked at CVI for nine years. Two years in, I got pregnant. My boyfriend made more money than I did, and we didn’t have enough to pay for daycare. I tried to quit, but Mr. Crowne wouldn’t let me.”

Livianna leans forward, showing her interest. “What did he do to help?”

“He asked me how much money it would take to keep me.” Natalie laughs. “I was thinking about leaving my newborn with strangers and wanted to run for the hills. I was joking and said it would take at least a million dollars and three months of paid maternity leave.”

It takes Livianna a second for what Natalie’s implying to register.

She gasps. “You must be the highest-paid assistant I’ve ever met!”

Natalie explains more. “It became a retention package and a re-level to Executive Assistant with a child-care stipend. They even added a written parental leave policy for the whole operational team.”

Livianna’s shocked gaze flicks to mine.

“Livianna, Natalie is an executive assistant and the best.Her salary reflects that, but her why for the money was the reason she got the raise she wanted.” I reach for my tea. “Once she explained that, I made the changes and everything went back to normal for CVI.”

“Why did you want a million dollars?” Livianna’s genuine curiosity shines through.

“If I were going to continue to work, I wanted my boyfriend to be with the baby. He hated his job, so it wasn’t a stretch.” Natalie flashes me a grateful smile.

I return it. “Tell her the best part.”

Natalie’s entire demeanor lights up. “We’re married now with two kids, and he’s the best and happiest stay-at-home dad in the universe. When Mr. Crowne has us change headquarters or offices for a few months, my husband and kids can come with me. It’s perfect. I’m living my dream life.”

Livianna tightens her grip on her sketchbook and peeks up at me. “You did all that for her just because she told you her motivation?”

I nod. “And I’ll do the same for you if you can open up and tell me what you’re trying to build.”

Livianna swallows and scratches at her wrists. This time it’s more intense, and that makes my stomach knot. I give Natalie a look, telling her she’s excused. She leaves, closing the emotional perimeter down to just us.

I take Natalie’s seat and relax my stance. “Livianna, tell me what’s going on with you.”