Chapter II

“Kylie, of course,” Randy said without skipping a beat. “Brynn’s out. Fired. She’s not even with the Everett Group anymore—this project’s got zilch to do with her.”

“Yep, that’s right.” With Randy in her corner, Kylie bounced back quick, nodding like one of those dashboard toys. She threw Brynn a smug, bratty look. “I get it, Brynn, you’re salty. But it’s over. Quit making a fuss.”

“You can sulk all you want, Brynn,” Kylie crowed to herself. “This is mine now.”

“Brynn, knock it off and get lost,” Randy snapped. A chick thinking she could flip the script? To him, it was a joke.

“Piff.” Instead of bolting, Brynn let out a quick, biting laugh. The room went dead quiet, everyone staring at her, thrown off. She was getting canned—and she was cracking up!

“Mr. Everett, you think I’m the one stirring the pot? That’s hilarious coming from you two goofballs,” she said, her voice loaded with sass. She zeroed in on Kylie, leaning into her cool-as-hell vibe. “Kylie, since you’ve taken over this project, you’ve got it all locked down, right? So, what’s the heart of it?”

The question smacked Kylie like a curveball. She hadn’t even skimmed the project rundown—how was she supposed to know the heart? But with everyone watching, she had to wing it. “It’s uh… it’s…” she stuttered, grasping at air.

Brynn didn’t ease up. “Can’t spit out the heart? Whatever. You’ve got to at least know the target crowd, then?”

“Uh…” Kylie blanked again, but this one seemed like a softball. “Yeah, totally. It’s… it’s for young people.”

Safe guess, she told herself, holding onto it like a lifeline.

The Suncrest Group reps’ faces turned sour. Even Randy, right next to her, scrunched his brow, looking ticked. Kylie didn’t just sound lost—she was totally clueless. She didn’t even try, Randy steamed to himself. The damn project details were sitting right there in the files.

The target? Fancy retirees. The heart? A high-end retirement spot.

A project lead who didn’t know the basics? That was a giant nope for the Suncrest Group. They shook their heads, swapping grim looks.

“Looks like this new Miss Everett doesn’t know jack about the project,” the Suncrest lead said, his voice even but sharp. “If the Everett Group’s not serious about this, we’re not signing today.”

He could see Brynn was playing them, but he wasn’t about to let her turn him into a chess piece either. Better to bail. Randy and Kylie went pale, freaking out as the Suncrest crew got up to leave. They scrambled to hold it together.

“Wait, hang on! The Everett Group’s all in,” Randy blurted, jumping up.

Chapter XI

Then he spun on Kylie, his voice roaring. “Kylie, didn’t I tell you to get a handle on this project! What the hell have you been doing?”

Kylie pulled out her best pout, knowing she had to fix this quick. She ducked her head and blurted out an apology. “I’m so sorry, seriously! I was up late working, totally scrambled my head.”

“How about that contract…” Randy swung toward the Suncrest rep with a hopeful, almost begging grin.

But the guy just brushed him off and headed out of the conference room. Randy and Kylie’s faces dropped, a mix of shock and panic as they stood there, lost on what to do next.

Brynn, though, was all smiles, soaking up every bit of this mess. If she couldn’t keep this project, no way was Kylie getting her hands on it either. That was her play, and she was sticking to it.

“Brynn, you totally set this up,” Kylie hissed, her glare hot as Brynn’s smug grin grew.

Brynn just shrugged, her whole vibe screaming Yeah, and? Even if the deal went down in flames, she’d make sure Kylie didn’t walk away a winner.

Meanwhile, just outside, the Suncrest rep’s phone buzzed. He checked the ID, picked up fast, and listened. His face twitched with surprise.

“Got it, I hear you,” he said, then hung up. He wiped the look off his face, flashed a new smile, and pushed the conference room door back open.

Randy and Kylie’s eyes popped with hope when he walked back in, but before they could say a word, he headed straight for Brynn.

“I think we can keep this deal alive,” he said, smooth and steady, locking eyes with her.

Brynn blinked, a quick flash of shock hitting her. She’d thought this project was dead in the water.

“You’ve got our word—this deal’s only on with you. Nobody else,” he added, throwing a quick, sharp look at Kylie and Randy.

Kylie’s jaw hit the floor, jealousy blazing as she snapped at Brynn. “Wow, Brynn, you’ve got some sneaky tricks.”

Brynn turned to her, face blank, eyes like ice.

“Don’t you?” Kylie shot back. “Who knows what shady stuff you pulled behind the scenes to grab this?”

The Suncrest rep’s brow flicked up, clearly over it.

“Pfft.” Brynn’s laugh came out loud and crisp, watching Kylie thrash around like a cornered animal. She wasn’t wasting energy on this clown. Instead, she turned to Randy. “Mr. Everett, you’re happy with me running it. But hey, if the Everett Group doesn’t want it, I’m cool walking away.” She crossed her arms, smirking at Kylie. “Looks like little Kylie’s itching to tank this deal anyway.”

“You b–” Kylie’s eyes bugged out, steam practically pouring off her.

“Enough,” Randy snapped, shutting her down. He shot Kylie a look that could melt steel. “Zip it.”

This project’s only…

Chapter XI

For Randy, cash beat family every time. He lived by that rule. The Nuncrest deal was too juicy to let slip. Nail this, and the Everett Group would jump a whole level in Portmare’s big leagues. They could already feel the power boost.

Sure, he couldn’t stand Brynn—but right now, she was his ticket. He’d deal with it.

“Brynn, you’re on this,” he said, his voice suddenly all sweet and smooth. “I’ve always known you’ve got the chops.” His smile was pure charm, like he hadn’t just ripped into her a few minutes back.

“Dad…” Kylie whined, her voice breaking with desperation. “This is my project—”

“Shut it,” Randy growled, grabbing her wrist and dragging her toward the door.