And that started with nailing this presentation.
By noon,the executive members of Ravencrest Global were gathered in the boardroom.
Dimitri sat at the head—CEO and Alpha-in-waiting. Edmund Bancroft to his right. He was the pack’s Beta, Uncle Asher’s best friend, and a gift from the Moon Goddess to me, because he’d ensured I had all the resources I needed to thrive in high school and college. He was also the one who secured my internship at Ravencrest Global—and the only person who didn’t look at me like I was the epitome of hatred.
Maia was there too, because she held shares in the company and would never miss an opportunity to watch me crumble. Other pack members filled the remaining seats, all watching me with varying degrees of hostility.
And finally,Marcus Chen, who’d made the impossible choice this morning: he’d assigned me, an intern, to lead the full due-diligence report for the Castellanos acquisition in Texas. A reportthat would determine whether the company moved forward with a deal worth tens of millions—work normally reserved for senior analysts.
And he’d given me two weeks.
It was a setup. I knew it. Marcus never forgave me for pointing out an error in one of his reports during a partner review, even though I’d meant it as a way to help, not embarrass him.
Since then, he’s made it his mission to prove I’m unworthy of the position I was “handed”. The Castellanos deal was just another setup to watch me crash and burn so spectacularly that even Edmund couldn’t save me.
And Dimitri would see. Dimitri would witness my failure and confirm what everyone already believed: that I was dead weight, a charity case who didn’t belong.
I had two choices. Prove them wrong. Or prove them right.
With unsteady hands, I set up my laptop and the projector. Every sleepless night and sacrificed weekend had led to this moment—countless hours dissecting financial records and running scenarios until the numbers became as familiar as my own reflection.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” My voice was steadier than I felt. “I’m here to present the revised terms of the Castellanos merger.”
I watched their expressions shift as I laid out my findings—the hidden debts buried in their books, the toxic assets we would have absorbed, the restructured terms that would protect Ravencrest Global while still offering the Castellanos a lifeline.
My projections showed how my version would save the company millions.
When I finished, silence hung in the air.
Oh God. Had I miscalculated? Missed something obvious? My palms were sweating, my heart hammering so loud I was certain everyone could hear it.
I forced a breath and steadied myself with the thought of Mama’s voice, soft and fierce on a night that she tucked me in after a rough school day when kids mocked me for having no dad.
“You’re tougher than they know, baby girl. They’ll try to shrink you, but you keep growing.”
I wasn’t that scared kid anymore. I had grown. And I had just proved it.
Dimitri leaned forward, his dark eyes locked on mine. Not impressed, not pleased—just intense, calculating.
“You’re saying the original deal would have cost us eight million in the first quarter alone?”
“Yes, sir.” My voice didn’t waver. “I have the documentation if you’d like to review—”
“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Garrett.” He cut me off smoothly. “And who was it that brought the Castellanos deal to Ravencrest?”
Marcus shifted in his seat. “I-it was me, sir.”
Dimitri’s gaze swung to him like a weapon. “And was it also you who thought it was a smart idea to give this deal to an intern?”
Marcus’s head snapped up, immediately defensive. “She said she could do it, sir. She said she wanted—”
“I don’t care what she said.” Dimitri’s voice cut through the room like a blade, and a hushed silence fell. “You’re the head of an important department in this company, and you’ve just proven you’re not worth that position. Or any position, for that matter, at Ravencrest Global.”
Marcus looked like he wanted to disappear. He was practically shaking. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t.” Dimitri leaned back in his chair. “Because this is the last time you’ll ever set foot in Ravencrest Global. Clear out your office in the next five minutes, or I’ll have security drag you out. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that.”
Marcus looked stricken, but he knew better than to beg. Dejected, he grabbed his laptop and walked out of the conference room—but not before shooting me a look filled with pure venom.
