Yeah, I don’t like being left out.

And that’s exactly why, the moment Connor drove off, I called for one of our executive cars to come and pick me up at the estate. I spent the whole drive to the Donovan business tower fuming, trying to decipher the reason behind me being left out, and I can only think of one thing: Earl. Now, how he got my father to agree with leaving me out of Connor’s first real business meeting with the family is beyond me.

The moment the driver stops in front of the Donovan Tower, I get out of the car in a hurry and make my way toward the elevators. A lot of employees greet me as I rush past them, but I’m so focused on the issue at hand that I don’t even greet them back.

When the elevator doors finally slide open on the top floor of the tower, I head straight toward my father’s office. I don’t even bother knocking; I just stroll inside as if I own the place (which, in a way, I do).

"Why did no one tell me of this meeting?" I ask him as I storm inside the office, looking at my father with what I hope to be an intimidating look. Of course, my father isn’t the kind of guy to be intimidated by anyone. After all, before devoting himself to take the Donovan empire into greater heights, he fought in the First Gulf War.

"Glad to see you too," my father sighs tiredly, leaning back against his chair and drumming his fingertips against the glass surface of the table. "What the hell are you talking about, Clarise?" he then asks me, looking at me with an impatient expression. "You were the one who didn’t bother to show up. As far as I’m aware, my secretary called the house to inform you of this meeting, and she told me that the message had been delivered."

"Oh, that’s rich," I start, already imagining how it’ll feel once I kick Earl’s ass. "Really rich. Because no one told me of the meeting."

"That doesn’t make any sense, Clarise," my father tries to tell me, but I’ve already turned on my heels and left his office in a hurry. Walking down the corridor with heavy steps, I go toward Earl’s office; I already have my hand on the handle when I notice someone moving from the corner of my eyes. I turn around and, realizing that Earl’s in the main conference room, I go there instead.

I slide the glass door open and step inside.

Making my way toward my asshole brother, I lock my eyes on his and give him my best death stare. "You know," I start, slowly rolling the words out from between my lips, "your attempts at sabotage are going to be your undoing. I hope you know that."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Clarise? Have you gone nuts?" he asks me, trying to feign shock, but I can see it in his eyes; he was the one who got the message from dad’s secretary, and he purposefully kept me in the dark about this meeting. But what else did I expect from my brother? Even though we’re blood related, I can’t say I see him as part of my family, and he feels the same toward me, that much is evident.

"Don’t you fucking bullshit me!" I hiss, grabbing the armrests of his chair and leaning into him. I’m so pissed right now I think I can rip his head off with my teeth.

"Okay, it was me. So what?"

"So what? You slimy piece of --"

"Cool down, ‘sis. I know you’ve been doing your best to secure a spot in the company, but let me tell you something… It’s not going to happen," he says, grinning like a madman.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Earl? I’m your sister!" I tell him, fighting against the urge to slap him hard.

"Precisely. Do you think I’m going to let you waltz in here and rob me of my rightful place? This company is going to be mine. Mine, Clarise, do you understand? And the only way you’ll ever get a say in what happens inside this tower will be over my dead body," he continues, his voice turning into a half-growl, half-whisper.

"You’re a prick. A really evil prick… I don’t even know how the hell you’re my brother," I tell him, standing up and looking down at him with the contempt a piece of shit like him deserves.

"I’m the prick who's going to run this company. And you better get used to it. In fact, if I were you, I’d just try and get hitched. Maybe with Connor, huh? He seems to have a thing for you. Maybe you should just show him these tits of yours and maybe he’ll ditch his vows and marry you."

This time I don’t control myself. I simply cock my arm back, open up my hand, and let it fly straight into Earl’s face. The sound of my hand hitting his face is dry and heavy, like a muffled gunshot, and I’m pretty satisfied when I see the red marks of my fingers imprinted on his cheeks.

"You don’t deserve to be called a Donovan," I tell him, my words dripping with icy contempt. "You don’t even deserve to be called a man."

"Ah, Clarise…" he laughs, brushing the palm of his hand over the place where I just slapped him. "You might try and act like a little lioness, but that won’t get you anywhere. Now crawl back home; I’ve got shit to do."

"You’ll regret this," I tell him, looking straight into his eyes. He stares back at me and, for a moment, I see genuine concern washing over his face. "You want to make an enemy out of me? Very well, that’s what I’ll be."

With that, I turn around and march out of the conference room.

If my brother wants a war, I’ll give him a war.