Alana's Goals

*Zion*

The company that seems out for my blood remains unknown, and it annoys me even more than I want to admit.

My parents haven't started questioning me yet, but I know it is only a matter of time before they do.

They will remind me of why I am the Foster heir, and frankly, that is not what I want, which is why, when I walk into the office, the secretary is hot on my heels. "Sir, the emergency meeting has already started."

I want nothing more than to run my hands through my hair, but I don't do that. Instead, I give her a tight nod, and I head to our boardroom.

Everyone is already seated aside from one empty seat.

"Is there a problem?" I can't help but ask when I see the grave faces on everyone’s faces.

“I’m guessing you haven’t heard the news yet, then,” Rita, my sales manager, says.

That leaves me confused, and she slides what looks like an article my way.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. I raise the article to read.

When I read what is in front of me, my eyes widen. “How legit is this?" 

Peter, one of my assistant managers, shrugs. I have the strongest urge to ball the article in my hands, or tear it into pieces, but I have to control myself. 

"So, we lost another deal, and you all want me to believe that this is normal?" By now, my voice is rising, but I don't give a shit. 

None of them gives me an answer, which infuriates me almost more than reading the article. "How am I supposed to believe that whoever this person is, they seem to know every deal we are interested in, even when the deals are secret?" 

"That's the problem," Vincent says. "I've been trying to check from my end where this can be happening, but there is nothing." 

I shake my head. "I can't take that answer from any of you at this table. I can't accept it." They all look solemn, but it does nothing to reduce my anger. "We are talking about secret deals. Deals that some of our employees have no idea of, and yet, this mysterious company that is yet to have a name seems to have it." 

"We will get to the bottom of this," Rita promises. 

I scoff. "That is not enough. I need answers, and I need them quickly. If that is all, this meeting is over." 

I stand and leave the office before all of them, and I run a hand through my face the moment I am in my own office. 

Before I can get a moment to arrange my thoughts, I get a notification from my personal assistant that says, 

THERE WILL BE A BOARD MEETING WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS IN A WEEK. 

I don't need anyone to tell me that it is concerning our recent losses, but I know that I am not looking forward to it. 

_________

*Alana*

Life is good.

I can’t help the wide grin on my face.

It doesn't shrink for even a second. When Tara walks in, takes a look at my face, she says, “I take it you do not regret what you just did.”

“What are you talking about, T?” I ask her in mock confusion. "What did I do?”

She rolls her eyes at me and says, “You are so predictable.”

“In my defence, it was a good business move,” I defend.

She folds her arms with a frown on her face. “We haven’t even worked with a company like them before.”

“Which is exactly why we should start now,” I say with a grin.

She shakes her head at my defence. “And you decided we needed to expand as well?”

“I did tell you we need a building, after all; New York City has probably missed us," I explain.

"But why that building?" she asks.

“It ministered to me. The moment I saw it, I knew it was exactly what we needed,” I tell her.

Tara laughs. “You’re crazy.”

I nod. “I agree.”

“So you're ready to go back there?” she asks me.

I shake my head. “Not yet. We still have one more move to make before we go there.”

“The shares?”

I nod. “The shares.”

She takes a seat. “You do know it will take a lot to get anyone on that team to release it, right?

I nod. "I am ready for the challenge."

Tara gives me a look. "You seem to think you have already gotten the shares."

I tap my fingers on my table. "Because I believe I have gotten it."

"Alana, what about the risks?" This time around, I can see the worry on her face, and I know without a doubt it's coming from a place of love.

“But what is business without risks?”

Tara pins me with a hard stare. “Lana, I am all for revenge, but don’t you think we should just continue the route we have been?”

“You mean coming for clients they are interested in?“I ask.

She nods. “Yes.”

“To be honest, it is not a bad idea, but there is only a level of satisfaction it can bring,” I reply. “And I am not sure I can achieve that by doing just that.”

It looks like she wants to say something, but she stops herself, and I am grateful for that.

I am grateful that she does not say it yet because I do not want to hear it. I don’t think I am ready for that truth.

This is my push. This feeling is exactly why I am here. It is why I pushed myself to achieve this much.

“Well, I came to tell you something else,” Tara says.

That immediately gets my attention. “What is it?”

“Just now, I got a call from a friend of a friend that a certain someone is digging into us.”

I grin. “And who might that certain someone be?”

“Landon Winston.”

I scoff. “He will not find us.”

“I know that,” she says. “But how are you so sure?”

“If he couldn’t find out that I wasn’t the one who betrayed their company years ago, he can’t get our identities,” I reply.

Tara laughs. “That is correct.”

I lean in my chair. “I mean, from what I have heard, it still seems like I haven't even been vindicated yet.” My heart tugs at that, and I can tell that Tara notices, so I quickly add, “But I don’t really care about vindication anymore."

“If I couldn’t get it five years ago, of what use will it be now?”

“I mean it will be good to know that your name isn’t smeared,” Tara mutters.

I wave my hands. "I don’t care for a little smear,” I tell her. “Moreover, the moment our identities are out there, we are about to get our names everywhere.”

Tara sighs. “You’re right.”

“You do know that your face doesn’t have to be out there, right?” I ask her. “I will handle every other thing.”

She narrows her eyes instantly.

I shrug. "I know you don't really want to be in the spotlight, and if I'm being honest, I am nervous to be there as well, but I am ready."

Tara rolls her eyes. "Shut up!"

"Why?"

"You know I'm going to be there for you. There is no way I am letting you attend meetings with the Fosters without being there for you," Tara says.

I can't help but grin. Yes, I was ready to face the Fosters, but it doesn't mean I want to do it alone. Having Tara by me means the world. "I'm grateful for you," I say.

She gives me a warning look as if telling me to shut up.

“I'm serious. If I didn’t listen to you and apply for the job years ago, you and I might not have opened one of the largest corporations of this day.”

Tara puts her hand on her ears. “Say that again.”

“Say what again?”

“The part where you said if it wasn’t for me, of course,” she replies.

I roll my eyes at her. “Pride comes before a fall, Tara.”

“Which is exactly what will happen to Zion Foster,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

My heart tugs lightly at that. Lately, this has been happening, but I know it is just the jitters due to what is about to happen. I push those thoughts to the back of my mind where they belong, and I say, “You are right.”

I get a phone call, and Tara gives me a questioning look. "Hello, Mr Simone." 

Tara's eyes widen because she knows without a doubt that whatever it is he wants to say is important. Now, we are about to know if we are going to get the shares or not. 

I set the call on speaker, and he says, "Hello, Miss R. My wife and I have been thinking about your proposal." 

I exchange a glance with Tara. "And we have decided to move forward with it." 

I beam. "Oh, wow. I am delighted." 

Mr Simone laughs. "So are we. We have been board members for a while, but now, we want a change."

I nod, still beaming. "I understand that." 

"There will also be a meeting with the board members, which you will be part of once the deal is finalised," he says. 

My heart pounds at that. "When will this meeting happen?" 

"In a week," he replies. 

Tara's eyes meet mine, and I know she can tell what is going through my head. I push the nerves and continue the conversation. When the call ends, Tara immediately questions. "Do you think you are ready to face him yet?" 

No, I'm not. 

But I don't tell her that. 

God forbid I do. Instead, I grin, "T, I have been ready for almost five years now." 

She gives me that look that says she wants to say more, but instead, she mutters, "You did it."

I shake my head. "We did it." 

Yes, I know that Zion cannot lose the generational wealth that he has been blessed with, but I can take something that still matters to him.

The deals.

The new building.

Maybe some shares here and there.And the look of defeat on his face.The look of embarrassment on his face.That feeling of loss when all he has worked for leaves quietly down the drain.

This is my wish.

And now, I am going to get the shares I wanted. My grin widens, and Tara returns it. "Congratulations, Lana." 

"Congratulations to you too, T. We did this. Now, we can bring Zion Foster down." 

In a week, Zion will see his life tumbling. 

And I can't wait for that.