Page 24 of Entwined
I took a seat opposite him, carefully arranging my notes in front of me. “Good morning,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. The room offered a chorus of greetings in return, but Vaughn stayed silent, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me.
“So,” Vaughn began, his tone clipped. “Let’s get to it. We have a lot to cover, and I don’t want to waste time.”
He launched into the agenda with the precision of someone looking to prove a point. Every word out of his mouth was a veiled jab, an attempt to undermine me in front of the team. He questioned decisions I’d made, insinuated that I was out of touch, and made sure to emphasize every mistake I’d ever made.
But I didn’t take the bait. Instead, I responded with calm, measured answers, refusing to let his barbs rattle me.
Vaughn’s frustration grew with each passing minute. “Josephine,” he finally snapped, his voice louder than necessary. “Maybe you’d like to explain to the team why our Q2 projections are falling short. Or is that beyond your capabilities?”
I met his glare head-on, my voice cool. “The projections are short because we had to pivot our strategy after losing a majorclient—something we all agreed was necessary to protect our reputation. We’re already seeing positive results from the new approach, and I’m confident we’ll meet our targets by Q3.”
Vaughn scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Confident? That’s cute. But confidence doesn’t pay dividends, Josephine. Competence does. Maybe if you’d spent more time on the numbers instead of decorating your triplex, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
The room went silent, all eyes shifting nervously between us. Vaughn’s words were designed to provoke, to humiliate me in front of the others.
But I wasn’t going to let him win. Not like this.
I leaned forward, my voice low but firm. “If you have an issue with the way I’m handling things, Vaughn, we can discuss it. But we’re not going to do it in front of the team. So, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a private discussion.”
Vaughn’s eyes flashed with anger, his jaw tightening. He hadn’t expected me to stand my ground, especially not in front of everyone. But I saw the flicker of uncertainty in his expression. He knew he was pushing too far, and now he was caught.
The executives exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. Vaughn looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew better than to make a scene.
“Fine,” he bit out, his voice dripping with disdain. “Everyone out. Now.”
Chairs scraped against the floor as the executives hurriedly gathered their things and made for the door. No one dared tolook at either of us as they filed out. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving me alone with Vaughn in the cavernous room.
He was on his feet the moment they were gone, pacing behind his chair like a caged animal. “You think you can come in here and tell me how to run my own company? You’re delusional, Josephine.”
I stood as well, keeping my posture calm and collected. “This is OUR company, Vaughn. Colson made sure of that. I’m not here to undermine you, but I won’t let you treat me like an outsider.”
“You are an outsider!” he shouted, his face red with fury. “You don’t belong here, you never did! You’re just some charity case my father took pity on, and now you think you can play CEO? You’re pathetic.”
The words stung, but I refused to let them show. “I’m here because I’ve earned my place, Vaughn. And whether you like it or not, I’m not going anywhere.”
He stopped pacing, turning to face me with a look of pure venom. “You’re a fucking joke, Josephine. Everyone knows it. They’re just waiting for you to fail.”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Maybe they are. But I’m not going to fail, Vaughn. And neither will this company. Not if we work together.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his chest rising and falling with barely restrained rage. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the war between his resentment and his fear of losing control.
Finally, he turned away, running a hand through his hair. “Get out,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Just get out.”
I didn’t move right away, watching him struggle with his emotions. “Vaughn,” I said softly, “this doesn’t have to be a battle. We’re on the same side.”
He didn’t respond, his back to me, his shoulders tense. I knew better than to push him any further. So, without another word, I turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind me.
As I walked down the hallway, my heart pounded in my chest. I had held my ground, but I knew this was only the beginning. Vaughn was determined to make my life a living hell, and I would have to be ready.
I spent the rest of the day holed up in my office, my focus waning as the hours ticked by. I nibbled on a protein bar I found in my drawer, too drained to venture out for anything more substantial. The morning’s confrontation had drained me, and I wasn’t in the mood to face anyone. I wished I could talk to Easton or even Simone, but they were both off for the week. If they’d been here, maybe the morning wouldn’t have been such a disaster.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm, orange glow across the city skyline, I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. The office should be emptying out by now, and with any luck, Vaughn would have left too. The last thing I wanted was another encounter with him today.
But luck wasn’t on my side.
The door to my office swung open with a force that made me jolt upright. Vaughn strode in, his face a mask of anger. He didn’t bother knocking—just clicked the lock behind him and crossed his arms, staring me down.
“What do you want?” I asked, struggling to keep the tremor out of my voice.
