VERONICA GOAL

VERONICA'S POV

"This isn't good Veronica. The director is one of the people who helped keep the FBI off our backs. If he's missing and possibly dead, then that cannot be good for us. We need to find out what happened to him and we need to find the person who took him and get rid of him."

One of my bosses says with a scowl on his face. I know Dante is the responsible for this. "I know who did this. We'll get him soon. We just have to be patient." I say as I try to ease them but they all look at me like I've made such a huge mistake.

"I knew we shouldn't have let a woman handle this. This is clearly too much work for such a weaker and overly emotional species to handle."

"This has nothing to do with my sex."

"We should have just gotten rid of you when your husband died. The only reason you're responsible for so much is because we still have respect for him but lately you have made too many mistakes Veronica. We do not trust you with erotica anymore. We want to put someone else in charge." One of the other men says. I know they all have the power to take me out of my current position but I won't let them do that.

I have worked so hard to get to where I am today and I won't let some men who think they are better than me put me down. I won't let them get what they want.

"Give me another chance." I say rapidly before someone calls for a vote to kick me out. I know I have power, but my husband is no more. Even though he was one of the founders of erotica, his absence has already put me in so many difficult positions.

"Auction day is soon. Auction is soon and I have already managed everything and I am to be the host and I promise to make everything better. We'll catch Dante and I'll bring him to you personally. Just give me time is all I ask. I have a plan."

The men look down on me and I almost fall to my knees and beg them. I keep my head held high as I look at them and wait for them to make a decision.

"And what is this brave and smart plan of yours." They ask me.

"Adrian." I say with confidence and conviction. I smirk and start pacing back and forth, scared that they might decline.

"What about Adrian?" They ask.

"I'm meeting with him soon. In a few days and I know he's compromised. I know ante has him and he wants to use him to get to me. I plan on going to the meeting and getting Dante then. Everything will go as planned and soon, I'll have the person causing us all these problems in the palm of my hand. But I need you all to trust me for that to happen." My voice shakes as I speak. I have never been one to be nervous but in this moment, I'm scared. Scared that I might lose my position and I need to do everything to get out of this room successful.

"And what about the director? What are we to do about him? He had so much information pertaining to erotica. What if these people release this information to the general public and expose us?" They ask me.

"I don't think they have the power to do that." I say confidently. "These people hunting us down are criminals too. While they were kidnapping the director, they killed a lot of his guards and FBI agents. They're fugitives. They don't have the guts to go to the FBI."

"You do not know that, Veronica. This has gone too far and I am tired of this little game you're playing. You're slipping up and don't you forget it's not just you that is in danger. It's all of us. If you get caught, all of us get caught. You will not take us down with you. If you cannot handle the responsibilities you so clearly have then we will find someone who can."

"Just give me a chance to make this right. Let me go see Adrian. I wouldn't care about Adrian if he weren't important to erotica and you know that. That man has a lot of money and he can help us get extra resources. We can use him. All I need to do is get him away from Dante and I cannot do that if you stand in my way."

"And what happens if you're not able to get Adrian back?" They ask me.

"I will." I say strongly. "I might not be able to bring you Dante right now. I don't know what he's counting on. I don't know just how many men he has and I don't know his level of strength right now. But Adrian can help us. His men are still loyal to him. He has money. And don't you forget we still need investors and Adrian is called the predator. He is our most trusted investor and he has made erotica fruitful over the years. He brought us the girl that will make us touch huge figures on auction day. Adrian is an asset to erotica and even you all cannot deny that. Do not be controlled by fear. Let me do this."

I feel my voice rising, my chest heaving up and down as I feel the anger rising inside of me. Who do these men think they are? They think they have extra power over me. But I have plans on my own. I mean I want to get Adrian back o bad not because of them but because of my own interests.

My husband was one of the founders of erotica and I deserve to be at the top of erotica and not these men who think they're better than me. I need Adrian's money and I need his men to help me. When Adrian was kidnapped, one of his guards who saw everything was able to get to me. That's how I know Adrian is with Dante. That's how I know this meeting with Adrian is a trap.

I know Dante will be there on that day and although he is my target, Adrian is the top priority during that meeting. I have to find a way to get him out of Dante's grasp. Dante doesn't know just how powerful Adrian is.

Adrian has many men, men that are just waiting for Adrian to be freed. Dante hides himself so well which is why I have no way of knowing were exactly he's keeping Adrian. I would have made Adeline give me Dante's address but I don't want to go to him I want him to leave his den and come to me on my terms.

With Adrian's help, we'll get our revenge. I'll overthrow these stupid men and take over erotica. I'll have what I have always dreamed of. I'll have the position my husband had before he died.

"Fine." One of the bosses finally says and I smile secretly to myself. They just fell into my trap. Once I get Adrian, it's over for them. I'll kill them. I'll kill them all. I almost laugh from the evil joy I feel, but I compose myself.

"If you mess this up Veronica, we wont just kick you out of erotica, we'll make sure you're never seen by anyone ever again and I want to believe you're smart enough to know what that means."

"Are you threatening to kill me?" I ask, my voice filled with spite.

"Oh, don't act like you wouldn't do the same to us if you had the opportunity." He says with a smirk. "Now get the hell out of here and do what you have to do to make this auction go by successfully. You're dismissed."

I hate the way they talk to me. Like I'm just a lap dog that they can summon and banish when they want. It makes me angry. It makes me so angry that my blood boils. It makes me so angry that when I look at them, I can see their heads rolling on the ground separated from their bodies.

I smile to myself and walk out of the room, keeping my head held high like I always have. I head over to Adeline's room to see if she and Colton did what I asked them to.

I didn't do that because I feel threatened by them. I know Colton will never do anything to betray me as long as I have his sister. I know he's not that stupid but still, I know that he has come clean to Adeline about why he does what he does and that unsettles me. I would have killed him but I can't afford to lose Colton.

He's strong, reliable and efficient. So, I did the only possible thing I could do which is put a gap in their relationship. I don't want Adeline to think she has friends here. I want her to feel so alone that she never opens her mouth again.

Auction day is soon and she is the most stubborn girl here. It's almost as if she hasn't learned anything in all the weeks she has been here. She hasn't been broken well enough. But she's the most beautiful girl here which is why she's still alive in the first place. She's going to make us a hell load of money, and that is all that matters to me.

None of these girls matter to me. They're only as important as the amount of money they can fill my bank account with. If one of them no longer serves their purpose, then I will simply discard them. I didn't get this far in life by having emotions. In this world, if you want something, you have to go out there and get it and I don't care if I will be labeled as the devil personified.

I will get what I want and I will do everything to acquire.