The Clash, Book One

Chapter 18: Greenbacks, Part C

A little over an hour later, Alena was placing the dishes back in the cabinets after she and the twins had just finished washing and drying them.

Just as the blonde had sat down beside her girls on the couch, she heard the beep of a notification on her phone.

She grabbed it from the coffee table, and she couldn't help but groan when she saw that it was an email from her boss.

Alena's policy was to always leave work at work - and Victoria knew that - but she couldn't risk the chance of getting on Belfry's bad side. Again.

She then got up and quickly grabbed her laptop before plopping back down on the couch. She turned on the computer and waited for it to start up before getting on her email.

Victoria had sent her a list of the properties that she wanted Alena to follow up on the progress of the renovations. There was also one new property - and it made the blonde's blood boil when she saw what Belfry wanted her to do.

It was a small, family-owned convenient store that Alena and the twins had dropped by a few times since moving here. The owners were the sweetest people, but they were about to have trouble staying ahead on rent. Victoria had decided to unfairly raise it just like she had with Jacinda and Sabine.

Victoria wanted Alena to serve the official notice tomorrow.

The blonde ran her fingers through her hair as she sighed. She couldn't believe Belfry would try to take away people's livelihood just to turn a profit - actually, she could believe it, which made it even worse.

Just look at what she had did to Jacinda and Sabine. They had managed to come up with a way to cope with their added expenses, but Belfry had the place burned down.

Sometimes, Alena wondered why in the bloody hell she was still working for her. But, when she glanced over at her girls, who were happily coloring on the coffee table, she had her answer.

It killed her to be at a job where she was so frustrated and angry with her boss, and where she wasn't able to actually help communities grow, but she needed to provide for Emma and Lily. They were the only thing that mattered.

Even so, she couldn't help but admire Jacinda. On multiple occasions, she had taken a stand and fought against Victoria - this food truck was just another weapon in the arsenal.

Alena then sat up straight as an idea hit her. There was a way for her to fight back against Belfry, use her skill set to the fullest, and more importantly, help Jacinda and Sabine.

If she had learned anything working in the world of businesses, it was how to manage money. And she knew just what to do with hers - start a business of her own. That had always been the goal for her one day.

Her first investment? Jacinda and Sabine's food truck. Not only would she be able to help the people she cared about, but she would also be able to fight back against Victoria Belfry. The best part is that she wouldn't even know who it was.

A bright smile made its way across her face as she began reaching for her bag, which was settled on the floor beside the couch.

As she rummaged for her checkbook, it occurred to her that she would need a name for this business of hers.

When she retrieved the checkbook, she ungracefully plopped her bag back down on the floor, knocking over a picture on the side table as she did so.

Alena rolled her eyes at her clumsiness before she picked up the photo, which was one of her and the twins. She couldn't wait for the day when the photos were of the four of them.