Page 119 of Savage Suit

Bewildered, I gazed at Noah. He was staring at me, but I couldn’t read his expression.

“There is nothing more—”

“Sauncier has given a preliminary agreement to cancel the release of the smell-alike,” I interrupted Claude. “Reid Keegan has their signatures. We only need your agreement to use the composition for the purpose it was created. We have received the regulatory dossier.” I walked to my briefcase and got out my carefully arranged folders.

Once I handed them out, I took my own and opened it, going through the documents. I’m sure most of the details were familiar to everyone since Dorset had taken them with him to Sauncier and, in turn, resubmitted the files to Amage.

I’d worked my ass off to compile updated market evaluations, hoping the previous technical assessment would suffice. I’d even revised the brief. The preliminary agreement, along with the cost for Dorset and Sauncier to give up all claims, was also there, as well as my box and bottle concepts.

“If you sign off on the deal, our legal department has the trade in secret application ready as well as the applications for the logo and all other appropriate protections.”

Boyd sat the folder down. “You came armed, didn’t you, Ryan?”

He had been the fairest and gave me the opportunity to make the presentation, but he sounded as patronizing as Claude had been out-of-line and chauvinistic when he’d referred to me as little one and commented on my beauty.

“Please proceed with whatever else you wish to show us.”

My presentation for their pillar fragrance also included a video. I chose a French song played to majestic structures and dramatic romance. I used ideas from the brief I’d written for the composition to add words, closing with a voiceover. The amount of money at my disposal to create my presentations was insane. Using the funds at my discretion, along with KMG’s designers and in-house legal resources, allowed me to realize my vision.

“I will have several box and bottle prototypes for your review within the month,” I said when the video ended, and I’d passed out my folders.

Everyone but Claude reviewed what I had included.

“We will consult with Denis Amage and Channing Powers,” Boyd told me. “Then we will get back to you.”

“Of course,” I said, hiding my disappointment. “All I ask is for a fair chance.”

“Her delivery was infantile and overly emotional,” Claude spat. “A child would do better. It is obvious she is only here because she fucked you, Noah.Putain.”

“Fuck you!” I exclaimed before I could stop myself. “I am not a whore, but you are a fucking dickhead.”

Noah stood so quickly from his seat, his chair crashed to the ground. “How dare you? I don’t give two shits about how you feel about me or my company. You will not disrespect Ryan’s character with such a claim. Watch your goddamn mouth.”

At his calm malice, a chill slithered down my spine. He turned to me and nodded toward the door. I snatched my things, eager to leave the conference room, suddenly too small, despite the abundance of space.

The reports about me this past week hadn’t helped Claude’s perception. I could’ve excused his belief if I hadn’t put my everything into today’s presentation. It hadn’t mattered to him or anyone else. They had made their minds up. I’d gotten my position because I’d fucked Noah.

That crushed me. After Nicholas’s behavior, I should’ve expected such attitudes. I was the fool, not them.

“Ryan,” Noah said softly as we boarded the elevator, his anger gone.

His concerned stare made me swallow.

“Are you alright?”

“No,” I whispered, seeing no reason to lie to him. “I’m offended a person as important as Claude Amage believes I slept with you to get this job. I’ve sacrificed too much to be where I’m at today for someone to think my pussy got me hired instead of my qualifications.”

Memories of all the days I’d missed out with my siblings because of my dedication to school, and all my previous jobs to keep us afloat, floated through my mind.

When I entered college, Quinn had been a high school freshman, and Logan was still in the 7thgrade. Following the death of our parents, they’d both been held back a grade. Despite the downgrade from the house we grew up in, they chose to live with me in the off-campus two-bedroom apartment, smaller than my current place. Timothe made his stance on us staying in our childhood home clear. Armani insisted we stay, but she had given birth to twins in my freshman year. Overnight, the space in the townhouse shrank.

She and I entered a non-legal agreement. For all intents and purposes, I’d become Quinn and Logan’s guardian. I never worried Armani would challenge our informal custody arrangement. She had an ever-growing family, with three small children to care for and one obnoxious man-child she called ‘husband’. She couldn’t put much time in watching over our younger siblings. But, for me, juggling college, with housecleaning, cooking, and various part-time positions to keep a roof over our head and food on the table, rarely left me free time.

“Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Hagen?” Noah asked as the elevator halted, pressing the button to hold the doors opened and allowing me to precede him.

I shook my head ‘no’ as we walked through the lobby to the exit, trying to push the memories aside. That time had been one of the hardest of my life, and I’d wondered if all our struggles would pay off. In retrospect, it was all worth it. “My thoughts are worth more than a penny, Mr. Keegan.” I sighed, dejected. “You don’t have time to hear them, anyway.”

“Well,” he said, holding the door open for me. As we bounded down the steps, he smiled. “Why don’t we discuss them over lunch?”