Page 4 of Hostile Takeover

“I did,” she says firmly. “They’re coming in tomorrow to start their due diligence.”

“Tomorrow?!”

She nods.

“Who’s coming?”

“The CEO. Brandon Raven.”

Yuck. Even his name sounds evil. I hate him already.

“Am I still going to have a job?” I ask with a quiver in my stomach. I already know the answer to this question. There’s only one high-ranking executive in the beauty industry who would be willing to have my acne-scarred skin as the face of their company. Only one, and she’s currently telling me she wants out.

“I don’t know,” Linda says with a sigh. “But I’ll put in a good word for you. I’ll talk you up.”

“Thanks,” I mutter.

“But Kyra,” she says, putting her palm on the desk. “Either way, you’re getting a portion of the sale.”

“No, Aunt Linda…”

She puts her hand up and closes her eyes like she doesn’t want to hear it. “You were there with me since day one. You built this empire with me too.”

“But you’re the one who put up all the money you got from Uncle David’s life insurance,” I say. “You’re the one who took all the risk.”

“I’ve already made up my mind about this,” she says in a firm tone. When Aunt Linda gets something in her mind, it’s impossible to shake out. “You’ll be able to do whatever you want. The world will be your oyster after thisverylucrative sale.”

I never cared about the money. I mean, it’s nice to not have to worry about money, but that’s never why I was doing this. Eating pasta in Italy and bird watching in Costa Rica sounds fun for a week or two, but what else am I going to do for the next sixty years? Count my money alone in my house? No, thank you.

Iadorethis company. I love our employees, who are like a big family, the culture, our mission. I love helping women feel beautiful like Aunt Linda helped make me feel with her life-saving products.

The lifestyle and making a difference is what I really love. What I really need. I don’t know what I’m going to do without it.

The money has always just been a bonus. A byproduct of the important work we’re doing.

It’s always been about more…

But with The Hammerhead Group, money reigns supreme.

It’s all about corporate profits with that huge conglomerate.

And with this Brandon Raven guy. I don’t know him, but I know him. These sharks in suits are all the same.

They buy something amazing like this company and then bleed it dry.

They destroy the values that made it so incredible.

And they take every employee who actually cares—like me—and dump us out on our asses.

ChapterTwo

Kyra

“What’s his name?” Aisha asks as she types away on her laptop. “Brandon Crow?”

“Brandon Raven,” I say, dropping my head into my hands.

I just finished my meeting with Linda and we’re googling him in my office.

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