Chapter 15

Serena's POV

I slam my hand on the table, giving them both a hard stare. "Asia's number one," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "isn't that still not number one globally?" Then I turn back to Nina. "If you're so confident, aim higher. Don't act like being second in Asia is enough to shut me up."

I stand up and walk to the projector, shoving my own flash drive into the port. "Take a look," I snap, pressing a button to display a series of images from recent international runway shows. Models in bold, futuristic cuts and vibrant colors appear on screen, each design pushing boundaries. "This is what's trendy right now. These are from top designers in Milan, Paris, London-everyone is changing the game."

I flip to Nina's designs from earlier-bland reinterpretations of last year's work with slightly different colors. "Notice something? Yours look outdated next to these. The silhouettes are the same, just rehashed with minor tweaks." My voice hardens, and I point at her. "You brag about being internationally ranked, yet you're too lazy to step out of your comfort zone."

Nina's cheeks flush bright red. She opens her mouth, but no words come out. Cole Anderson tries to jump in, but I toss him a cold glare. "You want to defend her? Please. Because I'm dying to hear another excuse."

He shuts up. The rest of them just watch, probably deciding if this is the moment they gang up on me. But no one dares. Not after I've just made Nina look like a fool.

I straighten my jacket. "From now on, every single design from this department goes through me first. I don't care if it's a button on a blouse or a new collection for next season-I approve it, or it doesn't exist." I turn to Nina. "You've got one week to rework this nonsense. Next Tuesday, you'll show me something actually worth producing."

Nina swallows. "Fine," she mutters, eyes lowered.

Then I glance around the room, taking in their stunned expressions. "And for the rest of you," I say coldly, "don't think I've forgotten your little stunt. You promised materials today and came empty-handed. I want everything on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. If you fail again, your performance this month goes straight to zero."

The uproar starts immediately-half-assed protests, panicked glances, muttering under their breath. I don't bother replying. Instead, I grab my tablet and walk toward the door. Henry Lockwood quietly follows, leaving them to deal with the fallout.

We make it back to my office in silence. The door clicks shut behind us. My adrenaline is still spiking, and my injured leg throbs with every step, but I refuse to show any weakness. Henry hovers near my desk, looking unsettled.

"Serena," he begins, choosing his words carefully, "you just arrived and already pissed off the entire senior management. We'll have trouble winning them over."

I slump into my chair, rubbing my temples. "They're not here for me to 'win over,' Henry. They're here to do their jobs. But right now, they're all my father's people, and they're loyal to him, not me. If I'm going to keep StarRiver Group from falling apart, I need to root them out."

He frowns. "You plan on replacing them? All at once?"

A flare of irritation flashes through me, but I keep it in check. "Not necessarily. But I will do it if they push me." I tap my fingers on the desk. "Lawrence Sinclair has eyes everywhere. If I don't show I'm serious, they'll walk all over me. One good blow, and they'll fall in line."

Henry hesitates. "Still, if we let them go... we risk losing people who actually know how to run certain departments."

"Then we hire new ones," I snap. "We bring in experts from outside. Hell, I can hire a rookie if it means they're not going to stab me in the back."

He says nothing, but I see the doubt lingering in his gaze. I get it-this is a risky move. But after everything I've been through, I'm done playing safe.

"First order of business is to replace April Carter. She's obviously my father's spy, and I don't want her snooping around."

Henry's eyebrows shoot up. "April? That's a direct move against Lawrence. She reports to him constantly-everyone knows it."

"Exactly," I say. "We kill that channel, we cut off one major leak. He won't see the next moves coming so easily."

Henry's silent for a few beats, then nods slowly. "Alright. I'll handle the paperwork. But be prepared for backlash."