Page 3 of The Mastermind

I tucked the mirror back into my office drawer and rose from my chair.

Noises erupted from my stomach, and I could feel indigestion rising in me. I rubbed a hand over my tummy. “Behave now.” I dug into my purse for an antacid. This happened every time I got super stressed. People reacted to anxiety differently. For me, I got stomach aches. My stress level had increased since I started working at Lafayette Marketing as their marketing director. Yoga and breathwork classes had been helping the past year.

Frustration raked its claws down my back, but I willed myself to calm down. The corporate world was a political playground, with obstacles full of sharks and unexpected turns.

A year ago, I resigned from an ad agency in New York City and moved back to Providence, Rhode Island, to work for a smaller company, not wanting to deal with the stress that came with working for a large corporation. I grew up here and loved the atmosphere. What I didn’t realize was I had exchanged one hell for another.

My complaint to Human Resources had been ignored until two days ago when they agreed to meet with me. Their excuse was the HR manager had been away.Bullshit.I saw her every single day for the past few months. If they were going to lie, they could at least make it believable.

How long did they think they could stretch out this issue? It wouldn’t disappear on its own. Did they think I’d quit and leave?

I’d thought about it. It would have been a lot easier to just leave, but if I did that, my boss, Lawrence Lafayette,would win. He’d been harassing me for the past three months.

I wasn’t raised to let a man touch me without my permission.

Oh, I’m so sorry.I wasn’t paying attention.

He’d said that the first time he bumped into me in the office kitchenette. I had felt a hand on my ass, and when I whirled around, he apologized profusely.

Stunned, I didn’t know what to do. This staggering incident had never happened to me. My gut reaction was to slap him, but he had appeared genuinely mortified, so I had given him the benefit of the doubt.

That had been a mistake.

From that day on, Lawrence made inappropriate comments during my one-on-one meetings with him. He’d ask about my choice in lingerie and if I had a boyfriend—none of which were his business.

When I told him to stop and that I’d report him, he just shrugged.

You’re a smart girl. A smart girl doesn’t make up stuff about her superior unless she wants to lose her job.

I thought about finding another job, but why shouldIbe the one to leave? I hadn’t done anything wrong. If anyone were to leave, it should be him. Being the heir to the company didn’t give him the right to be a sexual predator.

Grabbing my journal, I stepped out of my office and headed down the hallway filled with framed ads the company had worked on.

My Jimmy Choo heels clicked on the tiled floor that glittered under the light. Each click sounded like a bomb ticking. I wasn’t sure if that symbolized Lawrence, me, or the entire situation.

Nerves rioted in my stomach, but the antacid kept it in check. I took in another breath to calm myself. I didn’t want to appear nervous. That would make me seem weak and vulnerable, which would give them the upper hand.

Walking toward the Human Resources Department, voices boomed from the glass conference room across the hall. A particular voice seared through the air and clung to my body, making my skin tingle. My eyes landed on Remington Starke, my brother’s best friend.

What was he doing here? Was he hiring Lafayette Marketing for his businesses? Should I warn him? Aside from Lawrence’s fiasco, the rest of the agency proved their worth.

Tall with short brown hair and an athletic build in a dark tailored suit, he cut an elegant and powerful demeanor that became the focal point in the room—in any room. His face possessed a stern look that added to his mysterious appeal. Remi exchanged greetings with the CEO, George Lafayette, and walked around the conference table. Like a graceful panther, he moved with purpose and careful precision.

Why couldn’t I take my eyes away from him? Remi had a quiet magnetism that drew people to him, including me. From what I knew about him, he was an enigma most people wanted to understand but feared. He was the enticing package no one could figure out, yet they couldn’t help wondering what was beyond the magnetic façade. A man like him complicated things, but most women liked mystery with a dash of danger.

As for me, I was taking a break from men. The man making my work life hell was enough “danger” for now. I didn’t know why I wondered what it would be like if Remi brought hell down on someone. It would probably be a lot worse than Lawrence’s style.

A child prodigy, Remi became one of the youngest billionaires to grace the cover of Forbes magazine. If he used his brain to target a competitor, I had no doubt he’d crush his enemy.

I hadn’t seen him in a while. The last time I saw him was six months ago when he visited my brother, Grayson, to discuss some video game project. We had exchanged brief greetings in passing.

Remi turned and met my gaze. For a moment, the air seemed to pulse between us. My body heated as though he was right beside me. Okay, that was weird. Lawrence had messed up my brain and body, confusing me. I shouldn’t respond to any man like this, never mind Remi, my brother’s best friend. Remi nodded, and I gave him a wave and quickened my steps.

Out of sight, I took a moment to shake off the strange sensation to concentrate on my meeting. I squared my shoulders, straightened my back, patted myself to ensure I had everything in place, and walked straight into Human Resources.

Audri Wu was no longer that shy girl from high school who found comfort in corners, reading books, creating jewelry, and daydreaming. I assumed every young kid experienced the same dark path of trying to find their place in the world. Like most kids, I survived my childhood, had my heart broken several times, and moved on.

Now, at twenty-eight years old, I knew who I was. I was a woman with a vision and dreams. No one could take that from me. No one was allowed to pressure me, especially a man who used his family name like armor.

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