Fractured

Chapter 002

♡RORY

I walked into the office, Starbucks cup in hand, the rich aroma of coffee mingling with the polished scent of the high-rise building. My heels clicked on the marble floors as I made my way to my desk. The faint buzz of the city below almost drowned out by the steady hum of the office.

"Morning, Miss Blackwood," my assistant, Lily, greeted me, her voice a little too formal for my taste. She was sitting at her desk, typing furiously on her laptop as always.

Lily was young, sharp, and efficient-but she was also annoyingly formal sometimes.
I stopped dead in my tracks, my brow furrowing as I took in her words.

"Lily," I said, my tone a little sharper than usual. I didn't care about the formality of the office, but I certainly cared about that. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Rory."

She glanced up, an apologetic smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Right, sorry, Rory."
I nodded, satisfied, and took a sip of my iced coffee, savoring the familiar jolt it gave me.

"Do you have the meeting notes for the 9 AM with the potential client?" I asked, moving to sit behind my desk.

I set the coffee down next to my laptop, flipping open the folder she had prepared for me. I was already skimming through the details-an up-and-coming tech startup with some ambitious plans.

Lily nodded and handed over the file, her movements quick and efficient. "Here. They're promising a lot, but the numbers don't quite match up to their claims. They're a little... optimistic."

I raised an eyebrow. "I love optimism. But I don't invest in fairy tales."

Lily gave a small chuckle, but I could tell she was used to my sharpness by now. We'd worked together for two years, and she was the only one who could keep up with my pace. The relationship was simple-platonic, professional, but with a healthy dose of banter.

I trusted her with everything, even if her politeness did drive me crazy sometimes.

I shifted my attention back to the folder in front of me, reviewing the numbers and proposals. These types of meetings were a dime a dozen, and it was always the same routine: they'd present their pitch, I'd tear it apart, and we'd see if they had the guts to pick themselves up and try again.

I glanced over at Lily, who was already standing and getting ready to brief me before the meeting. She handed me a fresh coffee from the Starbucks run she'd made this morning.

"You'll need this," she said with a grin. I shot her a playful glare.
"Thanks," I said, taking it without hesitation. I couldn't get through the day without a few cups of their iced coffee.

The clock on the wall ticked, and it was almost time for the meeting. As I stood up to adjust my suit jacket, I couldn't resist making a joke.

"Lily," I said, my voice low and teasing. "If you call me Miss Blackwood again, I might just have to fire you on the spot. You know I don't tolerate that nonsense."

Lily's eyes widened in mock horror, her hands rising in defense. "I'm sorry! Rory, I swear, I'll never do it again. Promise!"

I smirked. "You better not."

The door opened, and our first set of clients walked in-two men, both in sharp suits, one with a briefcase and the other holding a tablet. They were younger, eager, and probably just out of college. They were dressed like they owned the world, but their nervousness was obvious.

"Aurora Blackwood, it's an honor to meet you," the taller of the two said as they both shook my hand. He was trying too hard, I could tell. His grip was stiff, like he was worried about impressing me.

"Let's cut to the chase," I said, taking my seat at the head of the conference table, casually leaning back and crossing one leg over the other.

I took a sip of my iced coffee, eyeing them over the rim of my cup.

"I don't have all day. If you're here to waste my time, we can end this meeting now. So, impress me."

They hesitated, exchanging nervous glances before one of them finally spoke up. "Well, we believe our app can revolutionize the tech industry. We've got an innovative platform, and our projections show we'll be-"

"Stop," I interjected, holding up a hand. "I don't need projections. I need numbers. Hard facts. I don't care about your dream, I care about how you're going to turn that dream into a reality."

I didn't give them a chance to respond. I opened the file Lily had handed me earlier and started reading the figures aloud. "These numbers? They're fluff. I see no growth projections that are realistic. And this 'break-even point' you've outlined? You'll never hit it in five years, let alone three."

The taller one opened his mouth, but I raised a hand, silencing him. "If you want me to take you seriously, you need to come back with something that actually makes sense. I don't invest in half-baked ideas, and I'm not your charity. Do better, or don't waste my time."

They stammered their apologies, scribbling notes furiously. I watched them for a moment, barely hiding the smirk that crept up on my lips. This was my world, and they were lucky I even gave them a second glance. I took another sip of my coffee, casually watching them scramble.

After a few more minutes of them nervously scrambling through their notes, I dismissed them. "I'll let you know if I'm interested. But don't expect me to chase you. Fix what you've got wrong and come back when you're ready to pitch something real."

They stood, quickly gathering their things, but I didn't get up to shake their hands again. They'd learned enough of my time was worth more than pleasantries.
As they left, I leaned back in my chair and looked over at Lily, who was trying to hold in her laugh.

"You did it again," she said, shaking her head. "I think you might've actually broken them."

"Good," I replied, tapping my coffee cup against the table. "They'll come back stronger, or they'll learn how to fail gracefully. Either way, it's not my problem."

Before we could say anything more, the next client was already ten minutes late.

"Lovely," I muttered, glancing at my watch. I wasn't a fan of arrogance, and this guy reeked of it.

I looked up at Lily. "You said who is this guy again?"

"Aleksei Rykov, CEO of Rykov Industries. He's a big player in the global market, Rory. He is a global conglomerate with interests in real estate, finance, and technology."

"Oh, right, now he thinks because he's some big-shot CEO, he has to be late? Like, I don't know he's running a global conglomerate or whatever. Does he not realize I value my freaking time?"

Just as i say that, he finally walked in with some other man, late and dressed in an expensive, untailored suit that screamed 'I don't give a damn,' I already knew this meeting would be a nightmare.

He tossed his briefcase onto the table, barely acknowledging Lily as she stood to offer them a seat. His eyes met mine-arrogant, defiant.

"I don't do small talk," I said, already annoyed. "So why don't you tell me exactly what makes you think I'll take you on as a client, aside from the fact that you seem to think your time is more valuable than mine?"

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk unshaken. This was going to be fun.

I leaned forward, the coolness of my coffee against my fingers, ready to put him in his place.

♡♡♡♡

A/N:

Girl is always ready to do something. Y'all tell her to chill out. This ain't war.

Hope you enjoyed this one.