The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 11

Chapter 13 WOH

+25 Points

Chapter 13: Work

Bella POV

He pulled up a chair, studying the spreadsheets on my screen. “Is that the Anderson merger proposal?”

“Yeah, the numbers don’t add up. They’re overvaluing their assets by at least thirty percent.” I highlighted a section. “If we go through with this deal as structured, we’ll lose money within the first year.”

Robert leaned back, impressed. “Everyone else on the team approved this proposal.”

“Everyone else isn’t paying attention.” I finally met his eyes. “They want the commission from closing a big deal. They don’t care if it’s a good deal.”

“And you do?”

“I care about not losing money.” Tom stirred against my chest, and I automatically began swaying, soothing him back to sleep. “I care about building something that lasts.”

Robert was quiet for a long moment. “How would you restructure it?”

I pulled up a new document I’d been working on for the past three days. “Cut their valuation to realistic numbers and extend the payment timeline, add performance clauses tied to actual revenue, not projected revenue. And negotiate for a larger percentage of equity upfront.”

He read through my proposal, his expression growing more animated with each paragraph. “This is brilliant. Aggressive, but fair. They’ll fight it.”

“Let them fight, we hold the leverage.” I saved the document and sent it to his sss. “They need our capital more than we need their assets.”

“Present this to the team tomorrow.” He stood, a smile playing at his lips. “And Bella? Stop selling yourself short. You’re not a junior analyst. You’re the sharpest mind in this company.”

The next morning, I walked into the conference room with Tom strapped to my chest-I’d learned quickly that daycare didn’t open until 7 AM and meetings started at 6:30-and faced a room full of senior analysts who’d been working here for decades.

“This is inappropriate,” Henry, the lead analyst, said immediately. “This is a professional environment, not a daycare.”

“Then maybe you should start acting like professionals instead of rubber-stamping bad deals for commission checks.” I set my laptop on the table, pulled up my presentation, and met his glare head-on. “The Anderson merger is structured to fail. Here’s why.”

For the next thirty minutes, I tore apart their proposal point by point. Showed them the overvalued assets, the unrealistic projections, the hidden liabilities they’d completely missed. Tom slept through it all, his tiny body warm against mine, reminding me why I was fighting.

“You’re being paranoid,” Henry said when I finished. “Anderson Industries is a solid company with proven revenue streams.”

“Anderson Industries is hemorrhaging money and hiding it with creative accounting.” I pulled up their last

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Chapter 13 work

+25 Points

years of financial statements. “See this? Revenue is flat, but expenses keep climbing. They’re burning Through cash reserves and taking on debt to maintain the illusion of growth. In few years, they’ll be bankrupt.”

“She’s right.” Robert’s voice cut through the room. “I had our forensic accountants review her findings. Anderson is in serious trouble.”

Henry’s face turned red. “You had forensics investigate without telling the team?”

“I had forensics investigate because Bella caught problems that everyone else missed.” Robert looked around the table. “Again. How many deals has she corrected in the past few months? Four? Five?”

“Seven,” I said quietly. “But who’s counting?”

The room fell silent. Henry looked like he’d swallowed something bitter, but he couldn’t argue with the

results.

“We’re restructuring per Bella’s recommendations,” Robert announced. “Henry, you’ll present her proposal to Anderson’s board. Give them twenty-four hours to accept or we walk.”

“You’re putting a junior analyst in charge of a twenty-million-dollar deal?” Henry’s voice rose. “She’s been here not even up to a year!”

“Then maybe you should’ve done your job better.” Robert stood. “Meeting adjourned.”

As everyone filed out, Henry stopped beside my chair. “You think you’re smart, bringing your baby to meetings, playing the struggling single mom card. But you’re going to crash and burn, and I’ll be there to watch.”

Tom chose that moment to wake up and start crying/I bounced him gently, keeping my voice level as I met Henry’s eyes. “The difference between us is that I’m fighting for something bigger than a commission check. And that makes me dangerous.”

He left without another word.

Maya found me in the parking lot an hour later, sitting in my Honda with Tom nursing in the backseat. She tapped on the window, and I rolled it down.

“How’d the meeting go?” she asked.

“I made some enemies.” I looked down at Tom, his grey eyes-so much like Caleb’s it hurt-staring up at me with complete trust. “But I think I also made a name for myself.”

“Good.” She handed me a bag through the window. “Brought you lunch, you left without eating again.”

“Maya, you don’t have to”

“I know I don’t have to but I want to.” She smiled. “That’s what friends do, Bella. We take care of each other.”

Friends. The word still felt foreign, but I was learning to accept it. Learning that not everyone would abandon me, that some people actually meant it when they offered help.

“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

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