Page 64 of I Want You

“What charming energy first thing in the morning.”

“I have a deal to close. If you brought me in here for something important, make it quick. You don’t like wasting time either.”

Eleanor sets the pen on the desk and interlaces her fingers, fixing her gaze on Harper.

“Fine. I’ll get to the point. I want to make it clear to you that that absurd plan you and Victoria were hatching to unify the international divisions isn’t going to see the light of day. Ever.”

The air escapes from Harper’s lungs. A second later, a cold sweat begins to run down the back of her neck.

“How…?”

Eleanor smiles. It’s a malicious smile, the kind of smile someone has when they hold all the winning cards.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out? Please. At Velvet & Silk, even the walls have ears. Especially when two of my star executives are trying to win over the board.”

Harper’s heart starts racing.

“We haven’t even presented the…”

“I know exactly what it contained,” her boss boasts, tapping the table with her index finger. “Three-year projections, standardization of criteria between New York and Europe… Impeccable work, I must admit. Very meticulous.”

“How the hell did you get your hands on that document?” Harper demands, clenching her fists until her nails dig into her palms.

“The ‘how’ is beside the point, Harper. The serious issue is that you were trying to restructure this magazine’s organizational chart behind my back. And nobody goes behind my back. Do you hear me? Any move that alters the power structure will always have to come across my desk.”

Harper feels a corrosive mix of disgust and clarity.

“The next issue will be a hit thanks to Victoria and me. And even you know that if sales go up, this will be a good idea.”

“Maybe so. But don’t forget that I built this structure with my own two hands.”

“Well, the numbers have started to speak for themselves.”

Eleanor stands up, resting her palms on the table.

“Watch your tone, Brooks.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning. From someone who knows exactly how to ruin a career with a single phone call.”

Harper feels the blood boiling in her veins.

“What have you done to Victoria?” Harper demands.

Eleanor regains her composure and sits back down, smoothing out her clothes with her hands.

“Fortunately, I was able to turn the situation around before you made a mistake,” she tells her with a smile. “The board agrees with me that this way of working won’t happen again. Being so closely aligned on so many fronts is very costly for us. Starting next month, the departments will have independent management and budgets at the international level.”

“Independent?” Harper repeats, incredulous. “That’s going to double production costs and lead to massive layoffs on the team!”

“Those are the side effects of any restructuring, my dear Harper. You should know that by now.”

“I can’t believe it…”

“I’m trying to protect this magazine’s future.”

“No. You’re protecting yourself,” Harper snaps. “And you’ve been using us from day one to prove you were right—that we can work independently. You brought in Victoria knowing I’d been working my butt off for years to become Editor-in-Chief. You put us at the same table to put together an issue that would outsell the U.S. edition and have international reach. And now… you do this?”