Page 26 of The Dragon in the Corner Office (Monstrous New York #1)
Chapter 26
“ A nd the second level would be converted into high-end housing with modern industrial architecture to bring in potential upscale buyers. The location right on the river is perfect for attracting clientele who want to venture out of the city, but don’t want to live in the suburbs. It’s the perfect mix of both worlds.” Antoinette’s heels clack against the tile floor as she paces in front of the conference table. Behind her, a three-dimensional rendering of the proposed warehouse renovations fills the projection screen .
From my seat at the end of the table, I can’t take my eyes off her, totally enthralled by her confidence and charisma.
There’s no way the board will turn down this proposal. She’s a genius.
This morning when I woke up, Antoinette’s armor was snuggly back in place. The strong, fearless creature I fell for was already dressed in a crisp black skirt and blazer, with her makeup done to perfection.
She was ready for battle.
You’d never know she was doubting herself mere hours before.
There’s no trace of her dragon’s temper as her glowing gaze sweeps over each board member’s face.
There are four in total. Andrews and his elusive brother take up the seats in the center of the table, surrounded by their closest advisors. His assistant sits in the corner, typing furiously on his laptop.
Andrews’s head bobs while Antoinette continues her presentation, but his thin lips are turned down in a grimace. The other board members share similar expressions, which send my stomach sinking like the Titanic.
“So, in conclusion, expanding our horizons outside the heart of the city would give Big York a new pool of potential clients and a new stream of revenue.”
Standing from my seat, I walk to where Antoinette stands in the front of the room. Andrews and his cronies are too busy in a hushed discussion to pay us any attention, so I take the brief moment to squeeze Antoinette’s hand in mine. Leaning in, my lips brush the shell of her ear when I speak. “You did amazing, princess.”
Her cheeks darken to a lovely cherry shade, but a smile flits across her face. “Thank you,” she whispers, eyes flicking to me before settling back on the men who quite literally decide our future at this company.
The chatter stops, and Andrews spins in his chair to face us. Clearing his throat, he rubs a hand over his shiny forehead. “This is what you’ve spent the past month working on?”
“Yes, sir,” I answer. “Although I can’t take much credit. Ms. Bauer is the brains behind this endeavor.” I flash Antoinette what I hope is a reassuring smile.
“I see. And what makes you think Big York wants to expand into this type of endeavor?” His brow furrows, adding to his already grim appearance.
“The outskirts of the city are a completely untapped market, sir,” Antoinette responds, hands clasped in front of her. “Big York could be the first company to breach the area, therefore reaping the most reward. You can’t lose, sir.” Her ruby-painted lips flit into a tight smile, but it doesn’t reach her beautiful eyes.
“I see. And you felt you had the authority to make that call?” Andrews crosses his thick arms over his chest.
“I saw an opportunity and ran with it… sir.” She forces the words out through gritted teeth. I’m surprised her fa ngs haven’t splintered with how tight her jaw muscles are clenched.
“I see,” Andrews hums. His brother leans close, whispering in his ear. “And Ms. Bauer was the spearhead for this project?”
“Yes, sir.” Jumping in with my two cents, not that Antoinette needs rescuing by any means, I play on Andrews’s and his brother’s greedy nature. “Just think of all the money sitting in this area. There are more abandoned warehouses that we could renovate the same way… with your approval, of course.”
“It’s not about the money, Mr. Wilcox. It’s about principle. Ms. Bauer has gone outside of her job description without approval. We didn’t ask for you to come up with a new revenue stream. Stick to what you know.”
“What?” Antoinette barks.
Andrews seems to ignore her. “Unfortunately, in light of the recent merger and internal audit, our budget only allows for one senior agent to remain on staff at this time. And, it seems, you’ve made our decision for us.”
Blood pounds in my ears and nausea churns my stomach. This is what I was afraid of; they’re going to fire one of us and I don’t know what that means for us as a couple.
Antoinette has kept her cards close to her chest, and I have no idea if she’s as head over heels as I am .
“What are you saying, sir?” Antoinette all but growls. When I glance her way, her hands are fisted at her sides and the beginnings of smoke curl from her nostrils.
Fuck it. In that moment, I don’t care if the board finds out about us. All I care about is her. And I can’t watch her spiral while I do nothing.
Shooting my hand out, I uncurl her fist and lace my fingers through hers. The skin is scorching to the touch, but I don’t pull away. Let her burn me.
“I’m saying—” As Andrews continues, Antoinette’s fingers curl tighter around my hand, to the point that tiny pricks of pain dance across the back of my hand. Her dragon is pushing to the surface, and her claws are out. “Ms. Bauer, your employment with Big York is terminated. Effective immediately. Security will follow you to your office, collect your belongings, and escort you from the building. Please do not cause a scene.”
A clipped laugh bursts from her mouth when she yanks her hand from mine. “Good luck without me.”
That’s my girl.
I want to pump my fist in the air in a show of support… until her narrowed eyes slice from Andrews and his lackeys to me .
Head held high, her glowing gaze skims over me, like I’m no better than the dirt on her designer stilettos. “You’re going to need it.”
Wait, what? Does she think I knew this was coming? Is she lumping me in with them ?
“Princess—”
“I knew it was too good to be true.” Her lip pulls back into a snarl, one fang glinting in the harsh fluorescent lighting.
Before I can pick my jaw up off the floor, she tosses her hair over her shoulders and sashays toward the door, not giving any of us a backward glance.
A large man dressed in all black steps through the door and ushers Antoinette out of the room. The door slamming shut behind them is deafening in the silent conference room, and I’m torn between running after the woman I love and berating the man who broke her.
My boss stands from his chair and braces his hands on the wooden table. “Congratulations, Cyrus.”
Narrowing my eyes, I approach them and straighten to my full height. “Do you know what you’ve done? You fired the wrong fucking person!” My voice rises as everything comes rushing to the surface. I need to get out of here and make sure Antoinette is okay. Hopefully, Pen intercepts her before she blows up the entire building.
The smile on Mr. Andrews’s face falls.
“That woman is a loose cannon,” his brother remarks. “She lets her emotions get the better of her too often. We’ve been looking for a reason to fire her for months now. Downsizing is the perfect excuse. ”
Fire licks at my veins as they all nod in agreement. “ That woman is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. This project.” I sweep a hand behind me at the warehouse model. “This was all her idea. And it’s fucking brilliant. Can’t you see that?”
A chorus of grunts sound around me.
“If you think it’s so great, then prove me wrong. I’ll give you the budget to finish the project. But I assure you, there’s no money there.”
Are they fucking kidding? They’re too stuck in their ways to see what Antoinette does. Expanding outside the city is the future of the industry.
“I can’t believe this.” My feet move without me noticing, pacing a path across the room and back as my brain scrambles to get a handle on the situation.
“Believe it, son. This is a huge advancement in your career. We’re happy to have you as a permanent fixture on the Big York team. You can get rid of that airhead assistant, too. Find someone better suited for the job. In fact, my oldest son just graduated from college. He’d be a perfect addition to the team.”
Of course, he’d boot a hardworking employee in favor of his own flesh and blood.
“There’s been a misunderstanding. Antoinette Bauer is an invaluable part of this team, and if you can’t see that, then you’re dumber than you look.” Should I be insulting my bosses? Probably not. But they hurt the woman I love.
“Watch it, Wilcox.” Andrews stands, his chair rolling back with the force.
“I quit.”
“What?” His face turns an alarming shade of red.
Stepping up to the table, I mirror his earlier stance and brace my hands on the smooth surface before glaring down my nose at them. “You heard me. I quit. If you can’t see all the hard work Antoinette put into a project, that could be revolutionary for the future of this company, well, then I don’t want to work here. She deserves all the credit, and you damn well know it. So I quit—effective immediately. You’ll have my letter of resignation by the end of the day.”
I’ve given these assholes too much of my time already. I should be with my dragon queen right now, comforting her and reassuring her that these idiots don’t matter. She’s better than this place.
Ignoring their shouts behind me, I push through the door and race toward the stairwell that will take me to Antoinette.