Page 7 of Daddy’s Favorite Girl

Aniya scoffed. “These two stay gossiping and shit on company time, so yes, they need to tighten up before they find themselves without a job. Paris, go to your office and do some damn work. Yara, I need you to go to a consultation.”

My eyes widened. I could muster up working behind my desk for the rest of the day, but moving around at a potential client’s home, taking pictures, interacting with someone else while pretending my insides didn’t feel like they were on fire, . . . that was a big ask.

“Aniya—”

“Mrs. Grant,” Aniya corrected.

I frowned. She had never insisted that I call her Mrs. Grant. I did sometimes out of respect and when I was trying to appease her and keep the peace, but it had never been a requirement.

For some reason, my eyes shifted up to Gino quickly, and his jaw ticked. I was pretty sure we had come to the same conclusion at the same time. Aniya was trying to throw her weight around since her husband was here. But why? Why now?

Even a blind man could see the chemistry between us.

Paris’s words flickered through my mind, and I cringed, but a small part of me felt petty pride swell inside my chest at the thought.

Good, bitch. Maybe I’ll be the one to knock you off your high horse.

I shook my head. I was a sweetheart until a person gave me a reason not to be. Aniya had given me about a thousand, and I felt my alter ego taking over slowly, ready for some get back. But no. I needed to stay focused on my goals. I’d been able to work myself out of debt and build my savings because of this job. I’d even started thinking about taking some online classes to get my early education degree, but I paused those thoughts every time I thought about Aniya and how she worked me so hard that when I got home, I only wanted to watch a TV show and sleep. She also started sending me on consults, so my hours were more unpredictable as the days went on.

I gritted my teeth and spoke slowly so I wouldn’t allow my anger to fully show. “Mrs. Grant, I’m not well enough to go on a consult. I barely made it through the one last night.”

Aniya’s lip curled. She was really so pretty, but everything about her aura and personality made her the ugliest woman on the planet to me.

“You look fine to me. Furthermore, I’m sick of you using your so-called illness as a clutch.”

Angry tears stung the back of my eyelids. Just because I looked fine didn’t mean I was fine. That was the issue with chronic illness. Because I lived with it so long, I made it look the fuck good.

I sat there with my mouth open in shock as I tried to blink away my tears. There really was no way I could go on this consult. I glanced at Paris, who looked like she was about to cuss Aniya clean out, but Gino was the one to speak.

“Aniya, go to yo’ office, man, and stop bullying your damn employees. Paris, the Johnsons were really happy with your work on their bedroom and want you to do their living room and bathroom next. I sent the email over. If you could schedule a consult with them ASAP, that would be great. Yara, go ahead and confirm the consult. I’ll be right back.”

Everyone dispersed, and subtly, as he walked by, Gino laid a hand on my shoulder.

When I was alone, I laid my head back on the desk and allowed a couple of tears to fall, but it was only because of Aniya’s comment. Somehow, I knew that if I had to go on this consult, Gino would make it okay, so I wouldn’t waste my energy worrying about it.

Chapter Three

GINO

The rage I felt was barely contained as I walked into Aniya’s office and closed the door behind me.

“I don’t appreciate you embarrassing me like that in front of those bit⁠—”

“Listen to me closely, Aniya. This is a fuckin’ business. A business I funded. A mothafuckin’ business I run while yo’ lazy ass plays pretend. You act like a damn toddler, playin’ like you the boss of some shit when I’m behind the scenes doin’ the real work.

“I got this shit for you because you wanted to have your own business, and this is how you repay me? You put my money and my name on the line all so you can act like a fuckin’ high school mean girl?

“If I hear about you treatin’ yo’ employees wit’ anything but respect from here on out, I’m firin’ yo’ stupid ass. You got that?”

Aniya’s jaw dropped. I didn’t speak to her like this. Even over the past year, I did my best to have patience and pretend like everything was cool, but I was at the end of my mothafuckin’ rope. Seeing the tears in Yara’s eyes had me wanting to burn this whole mothafucka down honestly.

After she gathered herself, Aniya narrowed her eyes at me. “You fuckin’ someone else?”

The question threw me off guard. “What?”

“You heard me. Only some new pussy would make you talk to me like that, and it isn’t like you’re getting it from me. We haven’t fucked in months.”

It’d been more than months. Over a year, to be exact. As soon as I found out about her grimy ass, I couldn’t pay my dick to get hard for her.