NINE #3
“I know you’re disappointed in me and it won’t happen again.”
“I’m concerned about you.”
Nina took a breath. “I know my relationship with Jio complicates things.”
At the mention of his name, she saw her dad shift uncomfortably in his seat. They despised the man whom she loved more than anything in this world. But it was time for Nina to love herself more.
“That is one word for it.”
“But I didn’t come here to discuss him.”
“Unfortunately, Nina, you can’t separate him from this conversation as easily as you would like.”
She hated that he was right.
Her father stood and walked toward the window.
“You are brilliant,” he said. “More brilliant than I think you understand. You have instincts that can’t be taught.
You walk into rooms and people adjust and that doesn’t have anything to do with your last name, although it helps.
It’s because you know how to command attention without begging for it. ”
Nina’s throat tightened.
Praise from her father always reached the little girl in her first… the one who wanted to be chosen and make him proud.
“But lately,” Charles continued, “You have been moving like someone I didn’t raise.”
Nina looked away. “I haven’t forgotten who I am.”
“Well act like it!” he raised his voice a tad.
His words were not cruel, which made it worse because they were firm and true… all fatherly like.
“I want another chance,” Nina said quietly.
Charles turned back to her.
“At the company?”
“At myself.”
Her answer shifted the room. Her daddy looked at her for a spell before nodding.
“We can discuss the terms.”
Relief moved through her so quickly she almost cried.
“Thank you daddy.” She was grateful.
“I’m letting you know now that I have my eye on you. If I have a question, I expect an answer without all the attitude.”
In his eyes, she’d taken the opportunity for granted and it was time that he reminded her that even nepotism came with tests.
“I expect nothing less.”
“To be clear your personal life can’t become a liability.”
Nina held his gaze. “I understand.” She knew that the less she spoke the better, so she made no promises to leave Jio or none of that.
Although she was pissed at him, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to end things.
Instead, she planned on reprioritizing her focuses.
Placing Jio second and her career first.
Charles noticed, but for once, he did not press.
Maybe he understood that if he pushed too hard, she would run right back into the fire. Nina left Brooklyn with no celebration, no hug, and no promises that forgiveness would come quickly. Still, something inside her felt awake. She knew better than to go home.
Jio would come looking for her eventually, and she wasn’t ready to see him. Not while this new, fragile version of herself was trying to stand up.
Instead, she checked into a hotel downtown under her assistant’s old travel alias and asked for a room on the top floor. The suite was up to her standards.
Nina kicked off her heels, removed her jewelry, washed her face, and sat at the desk in the hotel robe with a Bible she found in the nightstand drawer.
She believed in God, but sometimes her life made her wonder if she only called on Him when she had exhausted every other option.
She wished she would stop treating God like a plan B.
Tonight she knew that she needed something larger than her emotions.
With nothing else to do or give, she got down on her knees and prayed.
This wouldn’t be one of those “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayers.
She was about to talk to God like her grandmother used to do.
“Lord, please help me,” she whispered into the quiet room.
“Grant me wisdom. I need your guidance dear God. Fill my soul with peace. Help me navigate this journey that I am on. Help me decipher between what’s good for me.
I need your discernment Lord to not confuse chaos with passion.
Most of all God, please don’t let me lose myself in others and especially not Jio. ”
The tears began to fall. She knew this was going to happen. Nina had been running from His touch for weeks. She attended church consistently, but spiritually she’d been entangled up with Jio Gotti.
Nina’s bottom lip trembled as she gave up and allowed every emotion to spill out. She’d been holding it in since she left the bank.
“God, you keep on loving me. You give me chance after chance and I’m thankful.
I repent for choosing everything and everyone over you.
You are first in my life. You love me in all of my wicked ways.
You still see me even when I don’t….” Nina choked back tears.
“When I don’t see myself. I’m so grateful for you Lord.
I don’t deserve your grace,” she said, voice riddled with guilt.
“God, strengthen me in the face of adversity. I come against everything that is not like you. Make me stronger. Fill me up with more of your love, God pleaseeeee!” she cried out with her arms lifted.
Nina prayed until she had no more words.
When she was done, she felt empty, and in this aspect, it was exactly what she wanted.
Now, God could come in and do what He needed to do.
After a shower and room service for dinner, she opened her laptop.
She only intended to make a few notes for work.
Her dad wanted to meet with her next week and she wanted to prove to him that she was super serious.
Before she knew it, an hour had passed and then two and three and Nina couldn’t stop writing. The ideas were pouring out of her:
Marketing strategy.
Brand repositioning.
A philanthropic initiative connected to Black women founders.
A luxury heritage campaign.
New partnerships.
A leadership development program.
An editorial platform under Marcelle & Co. that could merge culture, business, fashion, and legacy.
By three in the morning, the hotel desk was covered in notes, diagrams, highlighted phrases, and coffee cups from room service.
By four, Nina felt more alive than she had in months.
When she finally went to sleep it was with a smile on her face. She was thankful to get a good night’s rest away from home.
The next morning, she didn’t reach for her phone to see if Jio had called as soon as her eyes opened like she normally did. Instead, she reached for her notebook and got back to work.