Page 33 of Daddy's Temptation
I refuse to apologize to him for my ‘disappointments’ whatever the fuck those are. Though I have a suspicion, it has nothing to do with work at all. He was pissed, to say the least, at me for leaving the conference without a word. It all boils down to me not giving in to his advances, and he’s getting sick and tired of the chase. What he doesn’t realize is I’m not running. We aren’t remotely on the same track.
“If that’s all, I should get back to work. Wouldn’t want someone to snatch up the Riverside Hotel before we even get the chance.”
He gives me a nasty look. “Don’t get smart with me, sweetheart.”
“Smart would be asking you why you’re wasting time and resources on properties like the Riverside. You’ve bought a dilapidated warehouse, two foreclosed restaurant properties, a night club that never opened, and now a rundown hotel. It makes no sense.”
Mr. Sloan’s face turns a darker shade of red with each property I list. I get an absolute joy at knowing I’m getting under his skin. Though, I’m not sure why he’s having such a strong reaction.
“It’s none of your business what I do or why I do it,” he growls. “You need to fall in line. It’s time for you to finally earn your place at Sloan International.”
He rises from behind his desk and slowly walks towards me, giving me a salacious look. “You’ve played hard to get for much too long. Time’s up, sweetheart. You either earn your promotion now, or you can consider your career over.”
Rage boils up inside me. I will never earn a promotion on my back. I want to puke at the very thought of letting him get his clammy hands on me. Why have I stayed in this job so long? In a career I fucking hate? Why am I torturing myself to reach some arbitrary career goal in order to make my parents acknowledge my success?
God, I’m an idiot.
I never should’ve come back to work after the conference. Fuck him and fuck this job. I’m not going to put up with his shit anymore. I’m done living my life for anyone else. If my parents can’t love me for who I am, then it’s their loss… Maybe one day I will believe that wholeheartedly. For today, just thinking it is enough to move me in the right direction.
“You can take your promotion and stick up your ass. I’m fucking done here.”
I turn on my heel and storm out of his office the whole time he’s yelling about how I’ll never work in this city again and that I’ll be sorry. My only answer is my middle finger over my shoulder. I grab my purse from my desk and leave Sloan International for the last time, vowing to never look back.
My love life might be in shambles, but I feel like I can breathe for the first time in forever. I’ve broken free from the shackles of a job I hate and said goodbye to a career I never wanted in the first place. Instead of freaking out about being unemployed, I feel overjoyed. I have no idea what I’m going to do now, but the possibilities are endless.
19
Andre
“Jesus,what’s gotten stuck up your ass?” Roland asks with an incredulous look.
Not that I can blame him, considering I’ve been on the warpath with anyone or anything that isn’t going my way for days now. I fall back into my chair and wipe my hands down my face as if that one motion will wipe away my troubles.
“Seriously, man. Are you okay?”
Fuck no. I’m not in the least bit okay. My girl is stubbornly avoiding me like the plague. I’m getting stonewalled on getting my new club off the ground—hell, even just securing a fucking location for it. I’m just fucking peachy. “I’m fine,” I snap.
Roland’s eyes widen. “Whatever you say, boss.”
“Are you here for a therapy session, or do you have a lead on why my fucking properties keep getting stolen from under my feet?”
He holds his hands out in front of him as if to ward off my anger. Not that I blame him. I’m on the very edge of my patience, and even that is questionable. I was getting updates from Sugar about Candace, but those have dried up because Sugar got into it with her over how she’s acting like a fool. There might’ve also been something about Sugar telling her she was acting like a child that caused their falling out.
“Oh I have information for you, but I’m thinking therapy isn’t out of the question either.”
“Fuck you,” I growl.
Roland chuckles. “Just the information, then?”
“Get on with it,” I say impatiently.
“Turns out Brock Sloan’s father is some kind of big-time real estate mogul, and it’s his company that’s been overbidding you.”
“Fucking Brock. The little bitch isn’t man enough to come after me face to face, so he comes after my business.” Anger rages through me like fire. “How has he figured out which properties I’ve been bidding on?”
“Your agent. Apparently, she and Brock go way back, and he bribed her to give him information. Not to mention that they are fucking like bunnies. Which I personally witnessed through a telephoto lens...” Roland shudders. “I’ve got some up close and personal shots of Brock’s hairy ass for you.”
He pulls a stack of photos out of the folder I didn’t realize he was holding and tosses them on my desk. I can understand the disgusted look on his face as soon as I glance down because the images are like a porno gone wrong.