YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M CAPABLE OF

Chapter 23: The Architects

Power requires a foundation, and I knew I could not rule alone. But I refused to surround myself with the sycophants who had served Arthur. I needed wolves.

Her name was Maya.

She was twenty-six, brilliant, and held a resume that had been overlooked by five major firms because she lacked the "proper pedigree." When she walked into my office for the interview, she was defensive, her guard raised high. She wore a cheap suit that didn't quite fit, but her eyes possessed a sharp, starving intensity.

She looked exactly like I did, five years ago.

"Your portfolio is aggressive," I said, sliding her file across my obsidian desk. "You take risks. But your former employer fired you for insubordination."

"I was fired because I refused to let an incompetent manager steal credit for my financial model," Maya said, her chin lifting defiantly. "I don't apologize for knowing my worth."

I smiled. A genuine, dangerous smile.

"Do you know why everyone else passed on you, Maya?"

"Because I don't play the corporate politics game."

"Because they saw your hunger, and they were terrified you would eat them," I corrected her.

I stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city.

"I don't want employees who are afraid of me. I want architects who can help me build an empire so vast it touches the stratosphere." I turned back to her. "I'm making you my VP of Strategy. Show me what you can do when you stop apologizing for your ambition."

Maya stared at me, the defensive walls crumbling, replaced by a fierce, undeniable loyalty.