Page 103 of Lavish

I pushed back my chair, the legs scraping against the hardwood floor, ready to cut my losses, but Jenese’s hand shot out and caught my wrist, her fingers surprisingly strong.

“See?”

I followed her gaze across the room.

A woman had just walked in—tall, polished, in a simple beige wrap dress. She wore oversized sunglasses despite the low light.

Jenese’s smile curled sharp. “There she is.”

“Who?”

“Kaitlin Halstrom,” Jenese spat.

I blinked.

“She slept with my ex-boyfriend,” Jenese said calmly, spearing another bite of food. “I slept with hers. But that’s not why we’re here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then why?”

“Because two years ago, Kaitlin tried to have me blacklisted from every boardroom in the city.” Jenese finally turned to look at me, her gaze cool and unreadable.

My brows lifted. “What?”

“She was supposed to partner with me. We’d drafted a proposal. Shared confidential info. Then she pulled out last minute and went public with an ‘anonymous’ story about me.” Jenese leaned back in her chair, lifting her wineglass. “It almost worked. I didn’t forget that.”

“So what do you want me to do?” I asked, throat tightening.

“You’ll befriend her. Get close. Make her trust you. I’ll take care of the rest.”

I tilted my head at her. She wanted me to pretend to be someone’s friend? “You said you’d teach me to be like you.”

Jenese raised an eyebrow. “You want power, or pity?”

I looked back at Camille again.

“I don’t see how befriending her is going to make me a CEO.”

Jenese smirked like I’d said something adorably naive. “You think CEOs are chosen? They’re built. And before that? They’re underestimated.”

She set down her fork with care.

“You need to understand that there are two types of people in our world. Those that are for us, and those against. Those against? Well…” She tilted her head, gaze sharp. “We get rid of them. Or we make it impossible for them to move without stepping through us. Your mother wants somebody like that.”

I sat with that. Let it settle in the pit of my stomach. I thought she’d give me books to read. Tools. Strategy. A blueprint.

But if I wanted Mama’s respect, I had to prove I could be like her.

I picked up my water glass, hand steady. “So how close do you want me to get?”

Mama would be proud of me. I just knew it.

“I bet you felt it. That fire. That hunger. Lush is too small for you, Serena. You can pretend you don’t missus, but I know better.” Jenese leaned in, eyes gleaming like a cat that had cornered its prey.

I clenched my jaw. “I’m not like you.”

“Oh, honey. You are exactly like me. That’s why I picked you.”

I hated her. I hated that she was right. But most of all, I hated the part of me that still wanted more.