CHAPTER 40 — Paper Cuts and Partnerships
Surprise was too small a word.
Alex stared down at the stack of documents sitting on the dining table like they were a holy relic. A week ago, she was sneaking into the office late at night, digging through folders she technically had no clearance for. A week ago, every taste of the company came through stolen moments and whispered ambition.
And now—her father handed her her first deal.
Willingly. Publicly. Without a lecture.
She blinked at Luca, then back at the papers, then at him again. “You’re... serious?”
Luca gave a small nod and turned back to his plate. “One deal. A small one. Don’t make me regret it.”
She snatched the file like it might disappear.
“I won’t,” she muttered, already flipping through the pages.
She didn’t eat another bite of dinner. Her mind was anywhere but on food now. And both Luca and Nova probably knew that, giving the lightly-smiled looks they exchanged.
***
That night, her bedroom transformed from sanctuary into war room.
She sat on the floor surrounded by printed contracts, internal memos, and handwritten notes that bloomed into increasingly messy diagrams. Her laptop sat open beside her, highlighting Steel Industries' archived reports, while a cup of coffee went cold on the nightstand.
The deal itself was minor—a vendor partnership restructure for one of the company’s lower-tier logistics branches—but it was real. And hers.
Her fingers trembled as she underlined a clause and rephrased it for clarity in her notes.
By 2 a.m., she had a three-step strategy, color-coded annotations, and a bullet-point proposal summary.
She’d never felt more alive.
***
The next morning, she all but floated into campus, half-running to meet Brenda outside the economics building. She barely let her friend say hello before blurting, “I’m in.”
Brenda blinked. “You’re in what?”
Alex grinned. “The company. My dad gave me a deal to work on—like an actual, real one. My name’s on it. Mine.”
Brenda’s eyes widened. “Wait, seriously? Like, he gave it to you?”
“Last night. Out of nowhere.”
“Holy crap.” Brenda grabbed her arm. “Alex, that’s huge! You’ve only been dreaming about this since you were ten.”
“Exactly,” she said, beaming. “It’s small, but it’s a start. And it’s real.”
Brenda smiled, but her expression faltered slightly. “So... does this have anything to do with the marriage thing?”
Alex’s grin stiffened.
“I mean,” Brenda added carefully, “you did agree pretty quickly. I just thought—”
“I didn’t do it for the company,” Alex interrupted, walking ahead. “I did it because... because it made sense. My parents want to protect me. They’re scared.”
Brenda jogged to keep up. “That doesn’t sound like a yes or no.”
Alex gave a noncommittal shrug. “I’ll survive. It’s just paper. He does his thing, I do mine, we stay out of each other’s way.”
“Do you like him?”
“I don’t know him.”
Brenda’s brow rose. “Well, he was hot. I’ll give you that.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “We’re not having this conversation.”
But the subject lingered like steam even as they walked into their separate classrooms.
***
Her phone buzzed.
Once. Twice. Then again.
Alex ignored it the first few times, assuming it was Brenda texting memes mid-lecture. But after the fourth vibration, she pulled her phone from her blazer pocket and glanced at the screen.
Unknown Number
"how’s it going with your first deal?"
She frowned.
What?
Her fingers hovered, then typed:
Alex
"Who is this?"
The response came instantly.
Unknown Number
"Zade. Your fiancé :)
I would be honored if you saved my contact, too"
Alex nearly choked on air.
Her thumb flew across the screen.
Alex
"How did you get my number?
And how the hell do you know about the deal?"
A pause.
Then:
Zade
"I’ve been a partner at Steel for a few years now
News travels fast. I noticed your name on today’s assignment list. Congrats."
She stared at the screen, stunned.
He knew.
About the deal. About her assignment. About her.
She didn’t like that.
At all.
Her fingers flew again.
Alex
"Don’t stick your nose in my work
Let’s keep our partnership on paper
Stay out of it"
She shoved the phone back into her pocket, face burning.
What right did he have to monitor her name in the system like that? What was he trying to do—score points for being attentive? They hadn’t even had a second meeting. This wasn’t a relationship. It was barely even a transaction.
And yet, her heart still pounded like she’d just been caught doing something wrong.
***
After class, she stood outside beneath the awning of the library, staring at the grey sky, feeling... off.
She should’ve been glowing. She was glowing. This was the moment she’d waited years for—finally becoming a real part of the company.
But Zade’s message twisted something in her gut.
Why did he have to text her? Why now?
Maybe Brenda was right. Maybe agreeing too easily had cost her more than she realized. Maybe—
Her phone buzzed again.
This time, she didn’t check it.
She was done letting her day be hijacked by strangers who smiled too nicely and kissed her hand like they’d earned the right.
She had work to do.