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"Oh, I’m sure you can. If not, my sister wouldn’t have hired you."
"I took her on because Abby showed a lot of potential. In fact—"I turn to Abby. "I see something of me in you."
Abby’s features light up. "You do?"
I nod. "You have the same hunger, the need to prove yourself. That thirst for success that pushes you to try harder, to go that extra mile—"
"Which is why I think you’ll be perfect for the role of my new Communications Manager," Cade steps in smoothly.
Abby jerks her chin in his direction. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I need help managing my social media profiles, as well as my PR, and you heard my sister, you’re among the best on her team. So, I’ve decided you can come work for me.”
Abby stiffens. She folds her arms across her chest, mirroring Cade’s earlier body language. "And if I refuse?"
To find out what happens next read Cade and Abby’s story HERE
Want a bonus scene featuring Zara and Hunter and their baby? Click HERE
Read an excerpt from Cade and Abby’s story
Abby
"Oh, hope I’m not interrupting?" I squeeze my fingers around the vase of flowers and peek inside the hospital room.
The woman with the newborn in her arms and the tall handsome man next to her—who happens to be her husband, as well as the leader of the country— glance up at me. I shuffle my feet, hunch my shoulders, and glance away then back at them.Why do I have to be so shy? Why can’t I feel half as confident as the dark-haired woman who fixes me with her unblinking gaze? Don’t flush now, you didn’t do anything wrong. You’re only here to update them on the new campaign you are working on. Why can’t I find it in me to be courageous? To hold my own and face the world head on?The silence lengthens. My cheeks turn fiery. "I could come back
"You weren’t interrupting." Hunter rises to his feet. "Actually, I’d be reassured if you kept Zara company while I make a few calls." He kisses the woman on her forehead then prowls past me.
"Come on in." Zara, who’s also my boss, gestures to me.
I walk over to the table pushed up against the wall and place my flowers amongst the many bouquets and toys scattered there. The scent of roses, lilies and other flowers meshes together to form a heady floral perfume that embraces me. No hint of antiseptic or any of the smells one would associate with a hospital dare intrude here. After all, Zara is the wife of the Prime Minister, who also happens to be one of the richest men in the country. "Wow, this room smells like a garden!" I can’t stop the words from escaping.Gosh, did that make me sound gauche? Hope not.
"All the Seven and the Sovranos, and of course, their wives, sent me flowers and toys for the baby," Zara says in a soft voice.
I turn to face her. Not only because I’ve never heard my boss sound so…feminine, so womanly, so…gentle. Not that she isn’t all three of those. It’s just, she’s the woman who recruited me to her company when no one else would give me a chance and for that, I’ll always be grateful. It also means I’m in awe of her.
She’s the hardest working person I know, and definitely the cleverest. If only I had a quarter of her talent and confidence, I’d be so much more successful. Yeah, I may have a bit of a girl-crush on Zara Chopra Whittington. Which means I should be tongue-tied in her presence, which would be more in keeping with my character. Only, I’ve gotten to know Zara well over the last few months. Besides, my curiosity is riding me hard. Enough that I can’t stop myself from asking: "You mean the Seven who run the 7A company—"
"And the Sovranos." She nods.
I stare. "The Sovranos. As in, the Italian Mafia?"
"As in the Cosa Nostra."
I widen my gaze. "Aren’t they criminals of sorts?" I whisper.
"Doesn’t everyone have skeletons in their closet?" She raises a shoulder.
The flush which had receded comes back with a vengeance. This time it’s accompanied by the flip-flop of my stomach. My guts churn.Stop feeling guilty, you have nothing to be afraid of.I glance away then back at Zara.
"You’re not good at hiding your thoughts, are you?" She tilts her head.
My cheeks burn, and I lock my fingers together in front of me. "It’s the curse of having such fair skin," I mumble.
"Or a pure mind." She half smiles. "It’s okay to be innocent. In fact, it’s preferable that one retains a core of innocence at heart. Just don’t be naive when it comes to making decisions, okay?"
If she only knew of the decisions I had to make to get here, she wouldn’t think I’m that innocent. Guess I’m a better actress than I gave myself credit for. I bite the inside of my cheek. "Thanks, Zara. I really appreciate you taking me under your wing."
