Page 53 of Lavish

“What’s the first thing for us on the Harrington renovation? I can have Carlus inspect the property, get us some estimates. Maybe we can do some damage control there, and show people our companies are ethical and sustainable.”

She didn’t respond for so long I thought she somehow hadn’t heard me. “We…we need to figure something else out,” she said finally. “We don’t have it.”

“What do you mean, ‘we don’t have it’?” The disbelief sat heavy on my tongue. “You won the damn auction, Serena. It was yours.”

“The family decided to sell it privately. Another buyer came in with a better offer.”

Something about the way she said it made my jaw tighten. “Bullshit.”

Her brows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“You don’t justlosedeals like this.” My voice was steady, but I could feel the heat rising under my skin. “You’re telling me someone just swooped in last minute and took it from you?”

“We don’t have it,” she said flatly, her voice colder than I ever imagined it could be. “You’re getting upset and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“So, what now?” I asked, voice low. “We were banking on that property. There’s nothing else as good.”

“We’ll pivot,” she said, as if it were that simple. “Find another high-profile estate, something to solidify our standing.”

I turned back to her, arms crossing over my chest. “And who’s picking this time? Because if you’re the one negotiating, I’d like to make sure we don’t get blindsidedagain.”

Her nostrils flared slightly. “You think you could’ve done better?”

“Yeah,” I said without hesitation.

We were too close now, the energy between us shifting.

“I have a lead on a townhouse by the wharf, so you know we can sell it for ten times the price.” Serena pulled away from me, heading back to her side of the kitchen. “It’s not on the market yet. I found out Mrs. Fontaine is gonna do a direct sell to Rhodes Realty. We intercept that and get the property instead. We’ll meet with the owner tomorrow.”

“I need a game plan for how we’re moving forward on it.”

“I don’t need a game plan,” she said, her voice cool, almost dismissive. “You just come in and look pretty. Let me handle the strategy.”

“I’m not in the business of just showing up to look good. I’ve got more to offer than that, Serena. I did steal the yacht club from you.”

She glared at me.

“Be ready at eight in the morning.”

“Eight?” I raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m not a morning person.”

“You’ll survive.”

CHAPTER 12

Serena

People bargained in the farmers’market like the world would end without a tomato. I needed to focus. I wasn’t here for fruit or honey, even though the honey stand was already catching my eye. They had those hexagonal jars I liked.

I don’t know why, but when Miles was staring at me last night, I wanted to confess. Say everything out loud. Maybe not everything. But something.

Did you forget the main threat? Worry about Miles and petty feelings later.

Jenese’s threat echoed in my head, over and over.

If she actually wrote that book, everything I’d worked for would crumble. Everything I’d hidden would be exposed. At one point I thought thatwas the way to get ahead. But I was wrong, and I was glad I’d woken up from her spell when I did.

I was smart enough to not be recorded. So how did she do it?