𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐋

I

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CHAPTER ONE
ROSÈ | MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
JANUARY 2020
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Clack, clack, clack. That's all one could hear and they'd know the woman was coming their way. First, they'd see those shiny black red bottom Louis Vuitton pumps— the source of the ever-so-rhythmic sound against the black marble flooring of the 26th floor. Then, the long stems of legs would come into view as their eyes dragged upward on her brown skin which, in the cold January weather; would sometimes be covered in a sheer lace pattern-printed pantyhose beneath her dress and nine Hells, their strides were long and strong in their placement. Slowly but surely, her naturally swaying hips would catch the eye in whichever dress she wore and typically, it was black but today— she chose a deep burgundy with black lace adorning the sides as the material clung to her figure and accentuated her curves. This dress was made for the cold, long sleeved and a bit thicker than the others; yet, still ending just at her mid-thigh.

"Ms. Steele's coming through, shit!" Could be heard somewhere to her left, panic evident in whoever's tone but Liyah didn't turn her head. She was too focused on the conversation she was currently in on the phone and everything else faded into oblivion around her. "Get that crap off your desk before she sees it, Shannon." The voice commanded lowly again, but it was wasted fear. The woman had no interest in who had what on their desk.

Swinging slightly on her right was a black, faux snake-skin purse with silver double C's on the front that hung loosely at the apex of her arm. It was small, but everyone in the building knew that the woman's purse size was false advertisement of the juxtaposing balance in her bank account and those merlot red plump lips were not only good for small smiles.

Coursing her fingers through her spiralling curls of hair with her hand, her other one pushed the double doors to her office open. "And I've never had a vegan meal before." The man on the other end of the call stated as Liyah stepped into her office and shut the door behind her. Her eyebrows raised, her tongue rubbing against the roof of her mouth as she realised she hadn't really been listening as closely to the conversation as she thought. No, she had been listening to the sound of his voice like the droning buzz of a fly near her ear— barely processing what it had to say.

Placing her purse in the closet where her coat was also hung up from earlier, since she had only went two floors down for a meeting, she drummed her fingers on the closet door in thought as she tried to recall what he was actually talking about. Vegan meal? Since when is Lucas vegan?

"You there?" He spoke again.

No. "Yeah, sorry— I zoned out. What vegan meal?"

"You're good." She could imagine him shaking his head as he said that. Liyah sauntered over to her desk and ungracefully plopped herself down in her chair, not having much energy to maintain her usual elegance by herself, alone, in her office. People were dying at her hands elsewhere and she had a deal to close here— and now apparently, her best friend is going vegan. She rested her palm against her forehead, checking for a fever that she didn't have. "I have a date with this girl and she's a vegan— so we're gonna eat vegan food." He explained, not a trace of impatience in his voice.

Liyah set her phone on speaker before setting it down flat on the glass of her desk, her fingers then rapidly typing an email to her assistant on the keyboard to her desktop Mac.

To: Alexandra Saléyn (alexandrasal@steeleinc.com)

From: Liyah Elise Steele (liyahesteele@steeleinc.com)