“Sure, Karenina. You can chill for a bit while I wrap up everything here,” Ashley said over the phone.

On the other end, there was a pause before Karenina asked, “Is everything alright?”

Ashley gave a faint smile, catching the worry in her tone. It was a good sign—they both wanted to work together, sharing the same vision and mission.

“Don’t stress. I’ve got a plan. Anyway, the meeting’s about to kick off. I’ll hit you up later,” Ashley said, ending the call. ...