“Which part are you struggling to understand?”
“With all due respect, Mr. Hudson, this is all moving extremely fast,” I said. “People typically get some type of introduction, a tour, and a bit more whenever they start a new job.”
“This new job already paid you, so let’s stop pretending like it’s anything typical at all.”
He has a point…
“Answer your phone—yournewphone—whenever I call,” he said, his voice low. “Answer my emails, attend the meetings I tell you to, and don’t show up to my floor unless I send for you.”
I blinked.
“If you see me walking toward you, kindly turn around and go the other way.” He slowly slid his blazer off my shoulders, his knuckles brushing my bare skin just long enough to make my breath catch. “And you need to wear pantsuits—every single day—until you work your last hour here.”
“There’s a dress code here?”
“There is foryou.” His gaze dragged slowly from my heels to my mouth before settling back on my eyes. “Clear?”
He didn’t wait for my answer.
He returned to the elevator, leaving me standing in the hallway confused, annoyed, and with soaking wet panties all at once.
THE CEO
DANTE
“You want me to dowhat, Mr. Hudson?” My lead building engineer, Paul, looked at me like I’d grown two heads.
“I want you to install miniature hot water spouts on the side of every alley-facing building that I own,” I said. “And then, the moment someone starts pissing on my property, I want the spouts to blast them so hard that they nearly lose a limb and never think about disrespecting me again.”
“There’s no legal way for me to do that, sir.”
“There is if you install cameras,” I said. “I can have security monitor things 24/7, and they can press the buttons to soak the offenders.”
“Sir…” He clasped his hands together and took a deep breath. “On top of your request being one-hundred-percent illegal, it would cost you tens of millions of dollars per building.”
“Have I ever been worried about a price tag?”
“Not to mention the water main issues this would cause in the winter months,” he said, “it’s. just. not. possible.”
“Okay, fine.” I shrugged. “Let’s go with the sudden-death bear traps that swoop down the moment someone unzips their pants.”
He gave me a blank stare.
“What’s illegal aboutthat?”
“That’s it,” he said, pushing up from his chair. “I’m going to go discuss this with Mr. Anthony now, sir.”
“There’s no need to involve him in anything,” I said. “Sit back down and suggest some goddamn alternatives instead of giving up.”
He left my office without another word, forcing me to consider calling in another engineer.
Since Chloe had left behind the “Anti-Dante Hudson” binder in my car, I’d been spiraling over all their strategies to block me. On the one hand, I was somewhat impressed by how organized and dedicated they were to hating me and my properties. On the other, I was livid that they had the audacity to go against me.
There has to be a decent way to make these people pay…
I flipped to the page titled “100 Other Things Mr. Hudson Could Do with His Money,” and shut it.
I spent my money exactly howIwanted, and that would never change.
