24
By the time 8:00 AM rolled around, Amanda was seated in the boardroom, completely alert despite not having slept.
She had watched Ericka move through last-minute preparations like she was arming herself for war—cool, composed, and completely in control.
Now, the key players had gathered around the long, polished table, exchanging polite small talk that barely masked the tension in the room.
Amanda recognized the culprits immediately—the board members who had orchestrated this stunt.
They were too casual. Too confident.
They thought they had the upper hand.
Ericka sat at the head of the table, flipping through her copy of the documents as the legal team began their introduction.
Amanda stole a glance at her.
She wasn't just ready—she was waiting.
The board's lead negotiator, a middle-aged man named James Holloway, was the first to speak.
"We appreciate you all coming in earlier than scheduled," he said, his tone smooth. "We thought it would be best to get a head start on today's discussion."
Amanda didn't miss the slight smugness in his voice.
Ericka remained completely unreadable.
"Efficient," she mused, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. "And yet, I wasn't informed."
Holloway barely blinked. "We sent the notice late last night."
Amanda leaned forward slightly. "Convenient timing."
Holloway barely acknowledged her, keeping his focus on Ericka. "It was a minor scheduling adjustment."
Ericka finally looked up, tilting her head slightly. "Is that what you're calling it?"
Holloway smiled, but it was tight. "If you'll turn to page three, we've streamlined a few of the approval processes. This will allow for a faster turnaround and fewer bottlenecks."
Amanda clenched her jaw. There it was.
He was trying to make it seem like these changes were about efficiency, not the blatant power grab they actually were.
Ericka didn't even glance at page three. Instead, she closed the entire folder and leaned back in her chair.
"Holloway," she said smoothly, "do you take me for an idiot?"
The room went completely silent.
Amanda almost smiled. Oh, this was going to be good.
Holloway blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Of course not, Ericka, I—"
"Because that's the only explanation I can think of," she continued, voice still cool. "If you thought I wouldn't catch what you've done here, then you must believe I either don't pay attention or don't understand the fine print."
A few of the other board members shifted uncomfortably.
"I—" Holloway cleared his throat. "This is just an adjustment to ensure—"
"To ensure," Ericka cut in, "that I no longer have the final say on major approvals."
Holloway tried to look unaffected. "That's not exactly—"
"Spare me the excuses."
The steel in her voice was undeniable.
"You didn't move the meeting up for efficiency," she continued. "You did it to blindside me."
Amanda watched as Holloway visibly tensed. He knew he had been caught, but he wasn't going to admit it.
"The adjustments," Ericka said, opening the folder again and flipping directly to page three, "would strip my ability to veto deals that compromise the brand's vision. You want final say to rest with the board."
Holloway's silence confirmed it.
Ericka smiled.
A sharp, dangerous smile.
"Well," she said, setting the folder down with a casual air, "that's not happening."
Amanda watched the room, the subtle shift in energy as everyone realized Ericka wasn't just prepared—she had already won.
She turned to Holloway. "And if you try this again, I'll be happy to remind you of what happens when people underestimate me."
Silence.
Then—Holloway exhaled, trying to salvage his pride. "We'll, uh, revisit the proposal with your notes, of course."
Ericka nodded once, like that had been the only logical outcome all along.
The meeting continued, but the damage was done.
By the time it wrapped up, Holloway looked considerably less confident than when he had walked in.
As the board members filed out, Amanda couldn't hide her satisfaction.
Ericka stood, collecting her folder, then glanced at Amanda with a smirk.
"Not bad for someone who didn't sleep," she murmured.
Amanda exhaled a quiet laugh. "Not bad for someone who just crushed a room full of executives before their morning coffee."
Ericka hummed in amusement. "You make a good teammate."
Amanda tilted her head. "Does that mean I passed your little test?"
Ericka gave her a long look before responding.
"You'll have to wait and see."
Amanda powered through the rest of the morning, moving from one task to the next as if she hadn't stayed up all night running on nothing but caffeine and sheer willpower.
But Ericka noticed.
She always did.
It started with the subtle way Amanda rubbed her temples when she thought no one was looking, or how she blinked a little too long when staring at her screen. She still worked efficiently, still handled everything thrown her way, but there was a slight lag in her usual sharpness.
And Ericka didn't miss a thing.
By the time 10:30 AM rolled around, Ericka stepped out of her office and leaned against Amanda's desk.
"Bring me today's schedule," she said casually. "And close the door behind you."
Amanda blinked up at her, momentarily thrown by the request. Normally, she just updated Ericka in passing—there was no need for a closed-door meeting over it.
But she didn't question it. She grabbed her planner, stood up, and followed Ericka inside.
The moment Amanda stepped in, Ericka motioned toward the couch.
"Sit."
Amanda hesitated. "I can stand."
Ericka gave her a look. "That wasn't a suggestion."
Amanda sighed, dropping onto the couch, flipping open her planner. "Alright, so today, you have a lunch meeting at one, followed by a—"
Ericka took the planner out of her hands.
Amanda blinked. "Um."
Ericka closed the planner and set it on her desk. "You're exhausted."
Amanda scoffed. "I'm fine."
Ericka arched an eyebrow. "You look like you might pass out before noon."
Amanda huffed. "I can handle a little sleep deprivation."
Ericka ignored that and nodded toward the couch. "Take a nap."
Amanda laughed lightly, shaking her head. "What?"
Ericka sat on the edge of her desk, arms crossed. "Sleep. Thirty minutes. I'll wake you if anything urgent comes up."
Amanda's mouth opened, then closed. "You're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Amanda studied her, expecting some kind of smirk, some hint that Ericka was just messing with her. But there was none of that.
She was serious.
Dead serious.
Amanda sighed, rubbing her temples. "I can't just take a nap in the middle of the workday."
"You can if I tell you to."
Amanda stared at her, a little thrown. "Since when do you care if I'm tired?"
Ericka didn't answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
"You stayed up all night making sure I wasn't blindsided this morning," she finally said, voice quiet but firm. "You did your job. Now I'm telling you to rest."
Amanda swallowed. She hadn't expected that.
She shifted on the couch, exhaling slowly. "You really won't let me leave until I do this, huh?"
Ericka smirked slightly. "You're quick."
Amanda groaned but finally gave in, leaning back against the couch cushions.
"Fine," she muttered. "Thirty minutes."
Ericka nodded, standing up and moving toward her desk. "Good."
Amanda sighed, closing her eyes.
And before she knew it, she was asleep.