Page 17 of Thorns of Malice

Michelle's the biggest ditz ever, but I don't have time to train anyone. Katrina assured me Michelle was ready, but the girl has serious common-sense issues.

My phone beeps, and I pick it up. Michelle boasts, "I hit send. It should be there."

"You want a bonus check for that?" I mutter and hang up.

I hit refresh again, and her email pops up. I open it, download the attached spreadsheet, then scan the numbers.

It's the first week that Seducing Ivy perfume has been out, and Avery's company's done well. It's not a surprise. The new hybrid's a winner in so many different ways.

So far, the perfume has grossed $15 million in sales. It cost Avery more than that to develop it, so she's still in the hole. I made her fund the company with her personal money, refusing to give her any of Carrington Enterprises' funds. She wanted to get a loan, but I once again vetoed that idea, quickly showing her who has the power.

Avery had a fit. Yet there was nothing she could do. For reasons I have yet to figure out, Avery wanted it under Carrington Enterprises. It was her mistake. I control Carrington Enterprises and all entities under it. So she couldn't get funding without my approval. Her perfume deal would only happen if she used her own money, so that's what she did.

It's my sister's dumbest move ever.

I have her by the balls, and she's going to experience the pain.

I type in the web address for another business I created a few years ago, Carrington Banking and Securities.

The website login page appears, and I type in the usernameSeducing Ivy. Then I type in my password, MyForeverLove.

The Ivy Ford Trust account pops up. Below that are the Carrington Enterprises, Avery Carrington Scents, and all my other business accounts.

I sweep $14 million from the Avery Carrington Scents account into the Carrington Enterprises main account. I leave Avery $1 million to keep running the operation.

For now, at least.

I continue looking through the spreadsheet at all of my businesses, but there are only two other companies I'm interested in. It's the orders for Seducing Ivy flowers.

Our entire stock sold out within minutes. It was $42 million worth of flowers. I increased the price, and pre-orders arecoming in for the next season. It's already at $87 million, proving that they'll sell as fast as we can grow them.

I tap my finger on the table, staring at the sheet, then glance at the pharmaceutical numbers.

I'm not interested in the profits on that. That was created for other reasons, and I'll be in the hole for a while based on all the money I've pumped into research and development.

Plus, unlike Avery, I utilized the bank and risked very little of my personal funds.

Michelle's voice tears me away from studying the numbers. "Mr. Winston, you can't go in there."

"Fuck if I can't," Bobby shouts, and my door flies open.

I sit back in my chair, press the pads of my fingers together, and arch my eyebrows. "No need to be rude to Michelle."

"What the fuck have you done, Dax?"

"Mr. Carrington, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop him. I did. I really did," Michelle frets.

I briefly look at her. "It's fine. Shut the door."

"I really am sorry."

"He said, shut the door. Now get the fuck out," Bobby orders.

"Don't talk to my assistant like that," I reprimand.

He turns back toward me, seething.

Michelle glares at him, then shuts the door.

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