The Billionairess's Trusted Alpha Mate

Chapter 3

Damien's POV

I bit my tongue as I watched her walk away, Kyra Addison, the 19 year old ungrateful brat. Why she was made CEO instead of me I'll never understand. The girl is nothing, I mean, she has a nice body, a bit too skinny and her hips are too large by far for my tastes, plus she's too short only reaching my chest at her 5'5" height.

I cannot believe she had the audacity to reprimand me. ME of all people! The one who practically started this company with her father when we were in college! I gave him the idea to invest in properties around the city during the recession and fix them up as well as to diversify our portfolio when times got tough but did that ingrate thank me? NO! He tells me that he already had been discussing the idea with Caroline and that my opinion only confirmed his decision but since I needed a job and we were old friends he made me an executive assistant instead of a partner.

Oh how I thought that my dream would come true when he and his wife passed, I was a bit saddened as he was my friend and I played the act up for the board. How was I supposed to know they had a will?! I thought I was made when it stipulated that Kyra had to graduate high school first, she had at least another year or two before she could take over, maybe I could ingratiate myself in with the board before she could snap up the position. Except for her turning out to be a genius and graduating early.

I thought for sure she would just take some of my advice as I was her new assistant but the brat proved to be not as mindless as I thought. She vetoed my opinions and decisions and even gave MORE money to the employees instead of cutting the staff like I wanted. So I tried to turn the company against her, spreading rumors about her spending habits or social life, except her younger sister, Becca, seemed to be more like the type I was spreading rumors about instead of Kyra. When the discrepancy with the finances showed up, I'd nearly danced in my chair, Kyle, a no named intern needed cash quick and I convinced him to frame Kyra as irresponsible by shopping online for expensive clothes and jewelry. The id**t didn't account for Kyra being out of town on the day in question or having proof that she wasn't near her computer.

Firing him had been thrilling. Sending him off with $10,000 to disappear made me simmer.

I glared at the other employees still whispering around me, "What are you staring at?! Get to work!" I roared as I headed to the elevator myself. I pushed the button for the 11th floor, one floor below the CEO, just another reminder of how much I loathed her. I stormed into my office and slammed my fist onto my desk. How DARE she give more money out like it's nothing?! Just because the staff remembered the annual ball and began decorating before she could remember. It would have been another feather in my cap if she had forgotten completely and been highly embarrassed in front of all those guests.

I had to make sure this meeting went my way, I had hidden the memos sent to her from the board for years, hoping her incompetence would shine through but she managed to still be on top of things. The board of directors was concerned about Kyra, she hardly ever went anywhere that wasn't related to the business and her sister Becca was getting into more and more trouble in the public eye. They wanted to make sure the girls had a good work/life balance and even though the company was thriving, Kyra was all business, all the time.

She didn't know any of this, she was going to be blindsided yet again and hopefully embarrassed enough to slip up in front of the board. Maybe just maybe, I could use this to my advantage.

~*~*~*~

Kyra's POV

I stepped into my office calmly, the black carpet shooshing under my feet as I set my things down on my desk. Jessica, my best friend and personal assistant was already seated on the white couch next to the fireplace, two cups on the oak coffee table in front of her.

I looked at her apologetically, "Sorry Jess, I didn't mean to keep you waiting. Damien stopped me in the lobby." I stated as I rolled my eyes. She huffed and shook her head, her curly blonde hair falling around her face out of her messy bun. "I heard, he tried to act like he runs the place again. Heard he also got super angry after you gave a bonus to the staff, thanks for that, by the way." She stated smiling brightly at me. Jessica Blackburn was the reason I stayed on top of things in the company. I don't know how she did it, but she always knew what was going on. Even when Damien was scheming to try to take over my position.

She handed me my cup of hot chocolate, I wasn't a coffee drinker and she knew it, and sat down again as I closed my office door and locked it then sat across from her. It wouldn't be the first time, Damien tried to barge in on our daily meeting to find out what we knew.

I took a sip and sighed contentedly, savoring the rich chocolatey goodness before going back to all business, "So, what do I need to know about this meeting?" I asked as Jess pulled a note pad from the back pocket of her black slacks and flipped through the pages, her hazel eyes turning cloudy as she concentrated.

When she found the page, she took a sip of her coffee, careful not to spill it on her white blouse, and began. "The board has called this meeting because they are concerned you are too serious. Your parents wanted all their employees to have a good work/life balance and that included the people in charge. Frankly, to them, it looks like you are all work while your sister is all play."

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, already feeling the headache coming on. I understood my parents values and that they wanted what was best for the employees and the business itself but did they not realize that a company doesn't run itself? I had to be thrust into this role almost immediately after they passed and before that, didn't have many friends that liked me for me and not for my family reputation. I enjoyed sitting in my room reading by the fire instead of going out and partying. That was more Becca's thing.

"So what do they want me to do? I have tried everything short of letting Becca come work here to her to stay out of trouble. And as far as me having fun, do they want me to go out more? Find a boyfriend? Get married?" I asked sarcastically. Jess put her finger on her nose at the last suggestion.

"What!!!! No way! I don't need a man to take over the company for me or hold my hand while trying to override my decisions! And I will NOT let Becca into this company until she is ready." I said firmly.

Jess looked at me sadly, "That's the thing, they seem to think that if Becca were to work here, actually work, then she might not be as irresponsible as she seems to act in public. And they feel if you met more people, you might be more interested in going to more social events other than the ones that benefit the business. They want you to start at the ball."

"The ball? What do you mean?" I asked but the alarm on Jess's phone started to go off. She turned it off and handed me a folder with a packet of documents. "Unfortunately, you'll have to find out more from them. Walter should be in the conference room already, the rest of the board will be sure to follow and if you don't want Damien schmoozing them before you get there, you'd better go." she said.

I sighed and nodded, grabbing the packet and my laptop from my desk, I unlocked and opened the door. Hoping beyond hope that the board was not going to suggest what I thought, to make me look like a modern Cinderella waiting for her strong handsome prince to save her and take over her company.

I glanced at my parents portrait as I headed down the hall towards the conference room, determination ripping through me and a low growl rumbling in my chest.

Over my dead body!