SWNOVELS : Chapter 54
Fiona
I was already standing in front of the TV, mouth agape in shock, watching one of the ads as it played live, when Nina called.
“Yeah, I’m looking at it now,” I answered, scoffing.
“How can they even air something like this? It’s totally baseless.”
Nina snorted. “You can put anything on TV. And on the internet. And people really do.”
I took a huge breath in and out, trying to calm myself.
But the voice on the commercial kept droning on, unnerving me more with each over-enunciated word.
It was basically a smear campaign against Crescent Ventures and our development partner, warning people against what the ad claimed was a dishonest business that would swindle them out of their hard-earned money.
My body suddenly felt shot, depleted of every ounce of energy.
If people really believed these ads, my project was going to tank. And I had already allocated every dollar in my operating budget, with a team preparing our new construction sites as we spoke. I suddenly regretted not budgeting for a contingency plan.
I turned the TV off and sat down on the bed, feeling queasy. I put my phone on speaker and set it on the pillow next to my head.
“You okay, Fiona?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I sounded breathless and exhausted all of a sudden.
Nina growled quietly. “You haven’t been doing what you told me you would, have you, Fi? You promised me you were gonna take care of yourself.”
“I know.” I groaned, frowning.
“When’s the last time you ate?” she asked. “When’s the last time you slept?”
“Not that long ago,” I answered honestly.
“Okay, well did you eat enough? Sleep enough?”
“Alright, you got me Nina. Yes, I need more food and more sleep. I’m lying down in bed right now if that helps you. What else do you want me to do?”
Nina paused, contemplating. “Can I come over?” she asked. “I know you’re busy, but I won’t stay long. Just want to drop in and give you a hug, and make sure that you eat something. Can I?”
“Let me guess. You’re already with Kayden as we speak.”
“Uh, no. I’ve put him on ice, actually. He was getting a little clingy.”
I laughed. “Oh, poor Kayden. How are you planning on getting here, then?”
“Oh, I’m gonna call him. I’ve been keeping him waiting for a few weeks, so I’m sure he’s thirsty. He’ll come running.”
“Nina,” I said with a tone of mock reprimand. “You are evil!”
She giggled innocently. “Nah. He likes it. Listen, I’ll call you back after I talk to him, okay? Don’t go falling asleep before you can eat anything.”
I got up and changed out of my work clothes while I waited for Nina, my body moving slowly while my mind raced. I could still hear the annoying voice from the TV commercial playing in my mind, warning people not to rent or buy our new properties.
But I could not give up on this project, even if it was dead in the water. I had put so much of my life force
Everything I told Gerald about my early successes with the project was completely true. I was working myself to the bone for this venture. I absolutely could not let all that effort be in vain.
When Conrad hired me, he gave me an initial salary offer that just about made my heart stop. It was far beyond what my father had ever paid me. But I swallowed my surprise and excitement and negotiated with Conrad for an even bigger number.
He would have been turned off if I didn’t.
I was proud of my salary, but the strangest part was that I didn’t even need the money. Not now, at least, while all my needs were taken care of at the palace.
So far, my income only ever went directly into my savings account, and nowhere else.
I headed into the bathroom to wash my face, trying to revive my energy before Nina came over, and thinking over the facts at hand.
The smear campaign was out there, wreaking havoc on our brand. It required a response. A response would cost money. And I had nothing left in the budget for new press and advertising. I could, of course, simply ask Conrad for an increase in the budget, but there was no telling how that would go over. At a minimum, it would give him a reason to doubt that I could handle unexpected obstacles on my own.
I finished touching up my makeup and brushed out my hair, then went back to sit in bed, where I opened my online banking app and checked the balances in my accounts. There was a substantial amount there to work with.
It was a gamble, throwing my own resources into fighting our competitor. But I had a feeling it was going to pay off, and betting on myself was the only move I had.
Alexander beat Nina to the palace, arriving a few minutes ahead of her. I told him I’d invited her over and he smiled in response.
“I’m glad you’re making time for something other than work. How long has it been since you’ve seen Nina?”
“A few weeks, I think. I miss her a lot.”
“Let me guess,” he said with a knowing smile. “My Beta is already on his way to retrieve her?”
I mumbled mm-hmm, pressing my lips closed tightly. I didn’t feel like I could speak to Alexander on this topic without revealing too much about my wild friend’s
gameplay with his second-in-command.
Alexander narrowed his eyes at me questioningly, looking like he was trying to hold back a smile as well.
I got the feeling that maybe Kayden had been confiding in Alexander about Nina, too. For whatever reason, thinking about this made me burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“I’m sorry,” I said, doubled over and trying to catch my breath.
“No, I get it.” Alexander never really laughed, but I heard in his voice a hint of a chuckle. “They’re quite a pair.”
“And you really don’t mind her joining us for dinner?”
Alexander shook his head, his brow furrowed. “Of course not. I’ll ask Kayden to stay and eat with us,
My phone chimed with a text from Nina, confirming they were at the palace already and heading through the West Wing now. I conveyed this to Alexander, and we took a few minutes to ready ourselves separately.
“Wait,” he said from behind me when I touched the doorknob, just about to leave.
“What?” I turned and found Alexander approaching with one hand outstretched. I placed my own into it and he pulled me in close, wrapping me up in a big hug. I let my face fall comfortably against his chest, breathing in his scent. His energy started flowing into my body immediately, reviving me.
Alexander bent to press his mouth and nose to my neck, sniffing my skin compulsively. His beard tickled, making me start giggling again.
“Sorry,” he said, pulling away with an amused smile.
He stroked my cheek lightly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Let’s get going. We probably should not leave those two alone and unsupervised for too long.”