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If Victoria could flay Grayson where he stands, I’m sure she would. However, she just shakes her head and ignores him.
Her lips press into a thin line as she glances at me. “I’m sorry, Jade. I thought there would be a warmer reception to you being here.”
Leo looks at me, eyebrows pulling together before recognition lights up his eyes. He runs his hand over his neatly groomed facial hair. “Jade Harper. You built quite an empire for yourself.”
Victoria nods, beaming like she’s the one who just received the compliment. “And this is why I told you that you need fresh blood in here.”
I smile and round the table, holding out my hand to Leo. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I used to dream of working for a publication like yours. I even published a few pieces with you when I was in college.”
It’s a childish twist of the knife that’s currently being rammed into Grayson’s back, but he deserves it.
He was horrible to deal with back then, and if his little outburst has shown me anything, it’s that that hasn’t changed.
He’s not the CEO of his daddy’s company like he thought he would be by now, though.
A small sliver of satisfaction spreads through me as Grayson glowers.
Leo takes my hand and shakes it. “Welcome aboard. How is that fiction platform of yours going?”
“We have a hundred million active users and growing daily.”
He nods, nostrils flaring. “Impressive. And you own a digital news site, too, don’t you?”
“I do.” I shrug, acting as if it’s not a big deal that I’ve spent the last several years busting my butt to get to where I am.
After graduating and spending two years working as a journalist, I realized I wanted something more for myself. I got tired of people telling me that my stories were digging too deep or that I was focusing on the wrong things.
So, I left. I startedWrite Now, my fiction site, andHarper Timesfollowed shortly after.
Leo nods and starts heading for the door. “I think you’re going to be exactly the kind of person we need in this company. My people have gotten too rigid, and though I wasn’t a hundred percent on board with Victoria’s idea a few minutes ago, I’m impressed at what you’ve built.”
“Thank you, sir. I have some thoughts on how to bring LRH Global into the digital age, but it will take a few more days to finish putting my ideas together.”
“Well, let me show you to your office, and you can get to work right away.”
I chance a quick look at Grayson from the corner of my eyes. His face is red, and his jaw clenched, a muscle twitching as he glares at me.
He hurries to round the table, beating Leo to the door. “You can’t be serious about this. She doesn’t know the first thing about this company or its values. I’m willing to bet that she climbed her way to the top on the back of other people’s hard work.”
With a sweet smile, I turn to him, tucking my hands into the pockets of my slacks. “Grayson, is it?”
His head is seconds from exploding at the feigned ignorance. “You know it is.”
“I think I would remember meeting someone like you.” I scuff the toe of my red heel against the floor. “This place is dated. It’s got an amazing bone structure, but people like you are going to hold the business back.”
Victoria sighs, joining me and Leo. “Change is the way of the future, Grayson. You might want to get on board.”
Leo chuckles and holds the door open for me and Victoria. “He’s always been resistant to change, but sooner or later he’ll come around.”
I follow Leo through the office, weaving around desks that look like they came straight from the nineties. The dark wood veneer is peeling at the corners and some people have resorted to duct tape to keep it on. The walls are a sad beige, and the lone plant in the corner by the water dispenser looks like it’s got half an inch of dust on it.
The entire company needs a facelift, but my job is to work on the digital end of things. The aesthetic improvements can come later.
Grayson sighs as we stop in front of an office. The walls are made of glass, and the furniture inside is more modern than the rest of the furniture in the building, but not by much.
The desk is still dark, and the curtains hanging over the wide window are faded from sunlight. The chair looks like the fabric on it is pilling, and a dead plant lingers on top of a cabinet.
I step inside, glancing through the glass wall that separates my office from the one next door. “This is beautiful, thank you.Would you mind if I brought in a new desk and chair? I need a bit of a wider workspace to work on the planning.”
