King of Pride (Kings of Sin #2) by Ana Huang

“Why is he so reluctant about the deal when his co-founder was so ready to sign?” Kai and I didn’t talk about his work often. He said it would bore me, and I wholeheartedly agreed, but I was genuinely curious about the DigiStream deal.

“Whidby was easy. He wanted the money. Mishra is a purist. He doesn’t want to relinquish control of DigiStream to a corporation who will, quote, unquote, gut it.”

I chose my next words carefully. “Will you gut it?”

“Not exactly. Their success stems in large part from their culture and team dynamics. I don’t want to ruin that,” Kai said. “But all acquisitions require some form of change from both the buyer and the seller. Their operations have to be streamlined to fit in with the rest of the company.”

“That’s the sticking point,” I surmised.

Kai dipped his chin in affirmation. “The biggest one. Mishra is worried about the integration. He wants a deal where DigiStream operates exactly the way it does now. Obviously, that’s not possible. Even if I agreed, the board members won’t. They have to approve the strategic plan for all new acquisitions.”

“Is there a way to offer concessions on specific changes he’s worried about instead of a blanket agreement?”

Kai’s brows winged up. “Perhaps. The details are a bit complicated, but we were working on a similar plan before Whidby’s ouster sidelined negotiations.” A small smile touched his lips. “And you say you don’t like talking business.”

“I don’t. It puts me to sleep ninety percent of the time. You’re lucky this conversation falls into the remaining ten percent.” His laugh brought an answering smile to my face, but it faded when I ventured into my next question. “I’m not saying this will happen, but hypothetically, what happens if you don’t win?”

“I keep my title and position, but I’ll be a laughingstock.” His face cemented into stone. “The other candidates can go back to their jobs and carry on because they were long shots anyway. I’m a Young. I’ll forever be known as the person who lost his family’s company to an outsider.”

“You’ll still be a major shareholder,” I pointed out. I’d looked it up. Kai controlled over a quarter of the company’s shares, second only to his mother.

“It’s not the same.” A muscle ticked in his jaw before it smoothed. “People remember leaders, not voters.”

“I think people will remember you regardless,” I said. “You’ve broken records even as a non-CEO, and there are plenty of chief executives who are shitty at their job. Your accomplishments matter more than a title.”

Kai’s expression softened. He opened his mouth, but my phone rang and cut him off before he could respond.

Surprise and confusion sparked at the caller’s name. “It’s Alessandra.”

We were friendly, but I couldn’t think of a reason why she’d call me out of the blue.

“Take it,” Kai said. “It must be important if she’s calling on the weekend.”

In the end, curiosity won out. I walked to the other side of the terrace and answered the call. “Hey, Ale.”

“Hey. Are you free to talk right now?”

I glanced at Kai and my half-eaten lunch. “For a bit. What’s up?”

“I realize this may be presumptuous of me, so I apologize in advance.” A trace of embarrassment colored her voice. “But I heard you and Valhalla have, er, parted ways, and you’re looking for a new job.”

I perked up. “I am. Do you know someone who’s looking for a bartender?”

“No. However…” Her pause carried the hesitation of someone debating their next words. “I am looking for an assistant. I don’t want to go through an agency. I’d rather have someone I know and trust, which is why I thought of you.”

Disappointment threaded through my stomach. “I appreciate that, but I have to be honest. I would make a terrible PA. I can barely keep on top of my calendar, much less someone else’s.”

“Oh no, not a personal assistant,” Alessandra said quickly. “A business one. I should’ve been more clear.”

My brows pulled together. “I didn’t know you had a business.”

“I don’t. Not yet, hence the need for an assistant.” She let out an awkward laugh. “I have a lot of ideas, but I need help implementing them. Vivian mentioned you worked at a startup once? So you have an idea of what it’s like to build something from the ground up.”

“That’s overselling what I did,” I said dryly. “I worked as a marketing assistant, and I was only there for a few months. I couldn’t stand all the fintech bros.” I drew my bottom lip between my teeth. I needed a new job, but I didn’t want to promise something I couldn’t deliver. “Honestly, Dominic would be more helpful. He built a multibillion-dollar firm from scratch.” And he’s your husband.

I kept that last part to myself. Alessandra didn’t talk about her marriage much, but I could tell there was trouble in paradise.

“The same multibillion-dollar firm keeps him too busy to help with little projects like this.” A current of sadness ran beneath her light tone before it disappeared. “I’ll be honest. I like you, and I think we would work well together. I can offer a competitive salary and flexible hours so you have time to work on your manuscript.”