CHAPTER 40

RENEE

I was finally getting my last fitting for the dress I would be wearing to tomorrow's event, with the delivery scheduled for the same day. It had been a hectic week, and making this happen involved quite a bit of juggling—I had to convert several in-person meetings to Zoom calls just to free up the time. It wasn't ideal, but I couldn't miss this appointment.

While I was still in a meeting with the headquarters in Mexico, I had my earpods on, listening to the person on the other end of the call as my secretary, Maya, led me through the hallway. "I don't like that arrangement, Liv," I said, fighting the headache that seemed to be creeping in no matter how hard I tried to push it away. "You need to make changes that benefit both branches. Call me once you have a revised plan that works for everyone." I ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to refocus as I took a seat. Maya walked over to the front desk to confirm my appointment.

"Ms. Cedric."