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Chapter eight

Locking Horns

Hayden

“Marina!”Icalled,frowningat the email I’d just opened.

There was a shuffle from just beyond my glass doors before Marina stuck her head inside. “Yes, Miss Jones?”

“Every single time,” I muttered under my breath. I cleared my throat and looked up at her. “It’s Hayden, Marina. You don’t have to be so formal with me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said earnestly. “It’s difficult because it’s such a habit.”

“We’ll make sure it becomes a non-habit soon enough.” I chuckled. “But that’s not what I called you in here for; could you pull up the records of our last European acquisition?”

“Of course,” she said, her dark curls bobbing with her nod. “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“I want to see the health and safety regulations to compare them with our updated set.”

“Right away, Miss Jo- I, uh, I mean, Hayden.”

“Thank you,” I said, and she scurried out.

Marina was still new, still learning the where and what and who of H Corp, but she was doing spectacularly already.

I turned my attention back to my computer, reading through the email I’d opened.

“Derek, you asshole,” I muttered under my breath, scrolling through his latest legal proposal for the new restaurant that was set to open next year. “There’s nothing keeping the staff safe here.”

I continued my perusal, dragging my eyes through the exhausting jargon and wondering if Derek had forgotten that the staff was a priority as well.

My thoughts began to drift, slipping further away from the proposal in front of me and toward a small store across town.

Toward Frankie.

Our last argument was on my mind, the fire in her eyes and the edge in her voice. It was all so jarringly fresh that I stared at nothing, consumed by the memory of it.

Of her.

Frankie was someone I hadn’t expected.

Not just in business, but in general. Her fierce beliefs and love for her family and the store were so at odds with every other business I’d acquired. If anything, the previous owners had always been happy to hand over the responsibility of their businesses.

But Frankie seemed hellbent on fighting tooth and nail for the store.

That wasn’t the issue, though.

The issue was the gnawing hold she seemed to have on me. Well, my thoughts, at least. Because no matter how hard I tried to focus on line after line of legalese crap, her face invaded my thoughts.

As stubborn as the woman herself.

With an annoyed huff, I minimized the window and checked my schedule.

I had some free time between the hour and lunch. I could stop by the store to check on the changes I’d asked the staff to implement. I told myself that it ended there, that I most definitely didnothope to see Frankie, yeah. Nothing more than that.

I was halfway out of my chair when there was a loud noise from the other side of my door, towards the entrance to the office itself. I frowned, wondering who the hell would be causing such a ruckus when my door flew open, revealing Frankie with a frantic Marina in tow.

“Miss, you can’t just barge into the office, you need an appointment! Miss Jones, I’ll call security-”