Page 9 of Shadowed Obsession

I heart react to her message. This is going better than I anticipated. She’s quick-witted; everything I toss her way is served back, and I can’t help but feel as if I’m no longer the one in control here.

I could see myself becoming addicted to her conversation and humor. My observation of her needing to feel in control before acting on something was accurate, though I threw out a line with a baited hook, and she found a way to reel me in instead.

I already spend my days monitoring her, but this is who she is when she’s alone. Something you can’t view through a lens, but by invitation. If I’m not careful, I could stay up all night learning the ways her mind works, but I shouldn’t. I type and delete several responses before settling on one.

We should probably get some rest. Thanks for talking to me tonight.

DK

No, thank YOU. Goodnight, Scar.

Me

Sweet Dreams, Doe.

4/

uninvited guests

Deirdre

19 days before ‘the incident’

Nothing irritates me more than uninvited guests, and sure enough that’s what I was faced with when I stepped into my meeting today. I prefer to be notified before I have visitors, but my family tends to show up unexpectedly, giving me no time to mentally prepare myself and my staff for their arrival. While I should be used to their random pop-ups, I’m not, and it only adds to my anxiety.

My brother and cousin flew in without so much as a phone call. They then viewed the property we’re bidding on without me before deciding to grace us with their presence at the debriefing with my staff this afternoon.

Darius was on time and would typically be focused, but he’s being fidgety and skirting around every question I ask.

Regina arrives late, sucking the energy from the room once the door shuts behind her. She chooses an empty seat beside Pilar, my head of marketing, who stiffens. Of course there are rumors about my cousin, but none that can be proven.

Regina notices Pilar’s reaction, greeting her with a smile as she settles in. She removes the gun tucked in her waistband,setting it on the boardroom table with a soft thud, and everyone stifles their reaction as Pilar’s eyes widen. Regina whips her head around with a smirk, and I narrow my eyes at her.

“What? It was digging into my side,” she responds innocently with a shrug. Even though the rumors can’t be proven, she does her damndest to make sure people have reason to believe them.

My nostrils flare at her behavior, but I proceed.

Thankfully, she sits poised throughout the hour, reacting accordingly, while Darius continues to glance out the window whenever his eyes aren't glued to his phone.

I reach for my Hydro Flask, asking if there are any questions before we conclude, and heads shake in unison around the table.

A weighted silence settles in the boardroom, and the energy is palpable. My staff remains seated, avoiding eye contact and clutching their belongings as they wait impatiently to be dismissed. They aren’t usually this quiet, and it has everything to do with my cousin.

It’s no secret who Regina Delvecchio is, and by the looks on everyone’s faces, they’re aware. She has made quite the name for herself over the years and is proud of it. It reminds me of what it was like growing up with my father, a man everyone loved and feared. I’ll admit him showing up would’ve been worse. I dismiss everyone but Regina and Darius. Brian, my assistant, stays back to gather all the meeting notes.

Regina stares daggers at my brother as his unsuspecting ass doesn’t even look up from his phone. He danced around my questions the entire meeting, delivering short responses and clenching his jaw as if I was bothering him.

He gets on my fucking nerves. It irritates me how much he acts like Dad, completely disinterested in anything that isn’thisway. He knows how important this project is to me and couldn’t care less. You’d think my own twin would have my back, but atthe end of the day, it’s our parents’ approval he seeks, and I can’t say that I blame him.

I have my father to thank for their impromptu visit since he doesn’t trust me to handle this deal on my own after what happened last time. So he sent babysitters in his place to “check” on me. I’m just as capable of running this business as they are, and I’ll prove it without getting anyone else’s blood on my hands. There’s gotta be a better way than the Klarke way, and I plan to find it.

Our family owns whiskey and cognac distilleries, several stateside and one in France. I oversee multiple plants but recently moved from Brooklyn to spearhead our Austin location with plans of expanding. So when my realtor mentioned a vacant distillery nearby, I made a bid.

While I’m hopeful, one of our biggest competitors caught wind and we’re now in a bidding war, making what should’ve been a relatively easy deal an absolute nightmare. These fucking trust fund babies have more than enough money to set up shop anywhere else, but for some reason, they just had to come here and fuck with me. I have too much riding on this to back down without a fight, and I’ll be damned if my family swoops in to save the day.This will be my win.

I’m confident but would be lying if I said I didn’t have any concerns doing business here as a Black woman. While Texas is diverse, it’sstillthe south, and it’s been a culture shock. But my eye remains on the prize.

Darius is handling a merger back home with a company that’s been a challenge to work with, all while overseeing our marijuana farms in the tristate area. While it’s mostly legal in the United States, our business dealings aren’t entirely ethical.

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