CEO of Taurus

out to say this, but the phone in my office starts ringing. At that moment, our secretary taps her knuckles twice and opens th

years and, honestly, it would be easier for me to wait for a call from Chris Hemsworth than for one from her. What could she possibly want after all this time? "Is everything okay?" Camila asks. I nod and, as I get up from my chair, I'm followed by her gaze. "Yes, you are. I just wasn'

ther's work. A sought-after doctor who divided all her time between operating rooms and classes all over Brazil, it was rare for us to spend two years in the same place and it was never easy to start a new school year. If that in itself was difficult, it was even worse to start the first year of high school in an unknown city, at the age of fifteen. The feeling of loneliness overwhel

usiness Administration, she chose to major in Economics. "And you took on the role of CEO?" I ask excitedly. Monalisa has always made it clear that she wanted to follow in her uncles' footsteps and work in the family's tomato sauce factory. I am surprised by the bitterness in her voi

s name out loud, rolling each syllable on my tongue, like a seductive Italian song. Until he turned me down during a party at his family's farm, saying I was too young to be with him. Damn, I was fifteen and he was eighteen! It wasn't that big of a difference, a

, so I kept all my feelings to myself. Apparently I wasn't successful. I swallow hard, thinking about how to respond, but my silence seems to be a sufficient answer. My friend laughs lightly and continues: "Lorenzo took over three years ago and keeps the factory the same way his father, and my grandfather before him, kept it. He's stubborn, attached to traditions and averse to change. But we need to change, Alanna! And fast!" I ag

e her friendship. But, as much as it is an excellent opportunity, I don't want to see Lorenzo again, much less spend the two or three weeks that consulting for companies the size of your factory usually takes. "I really need your help, Alanna," Monalisa begs. That disarms me. Fuck Lorenzo. I'm thirty years old, for God's sake! I can't and won't let him affect me like that! But I can, yes, help an old friend,

e and waits for me to speak. I summarize the conversation, but my friend only focuses on what matters. "Did you think about turning it down because of this Lorenzo?" "Yes." She laughs, and I frown. "I don't find this funny at all, Camila." "Sorry," she s