"We understand," Francesco said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "Just know that we're your safety net. We're always here to catch you if you fall."
Nia felt a lump in her throat, overwhelmed by his support. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. This was the reason she has been daring with her startup and took high staked risks because she had a brother to fall back on. But by god's grace, her risks turned out to be well calculated which has resulted in success for her venture.
As the evening wore on, they enjoyed the scrumptious dinner together, filled with laughter and stories. Ryker regaled them with tales of his adventures at preschool, while Theo babbled happily from his high chair.
Nia soaked it all in, feeling grateful for these precious moments.
They spent the rest of the evening catching up, sharing stories, and making plans for the year ahead. Ryker wanted to say with Nia but Francesco denied it as Nia had to prepare for her next big meeting.
"We will drop by again and spend a weekend here with you!" Francesco answered Nia's plea for all of them to stay the night.
"You nail this meeting and we will be back next month sweety!" Arlette gave a tight hug to Nia.
"You guys promise!" Nia confirmed with a hopeful expression.
"Promise!" Francesco and Arlette both answered in unison.
By the time Francesco and Arlette left, Nia felt recharged and ready to tackle whatever challenges lay ahead.
As she cleaned up the kitchen, her phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at the screen and saw it was from her assistant and her director and also her closest friend.
[Jess: Happy New Year, girl boss! Don't forget we have that pitch meeting with Morrison Group tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Get some rest today! I will pick you up at 09:00 AM! Xoxo]
Jessica has been an amazing supporter and cheerleader since she started her company. Nia recalled the first time she met her after her first game launch in a coffee shop. Pixelwave was a team of only one person, Nia herself. Jessica was vibrant and a force of nature being a few years younger than her. She had just left her job as an executive assistant in a big company to find her kick. Somehow Pixelwave clicked her. Nia did not have much to offer to her, but Jessica believed in her vision and potential for Pixelwave and had onboarded her journey without any demand. She was more of a friend than the only executive assistant and Director of her startup. She became the face of the company as she attended all the meetings on Nia's behalf. Nia avoids meeting personally. Most of the time she gets on with the virtual meeting but sometimes some potential investors demand an in-person meeting with the CEO. That's when Nia has to personally go and attend the meeting with Jessica's support. With the help of her now Pixelwave is a startup company of almost 100 employees. Nia has asked her to stop executive assistant duties but Jessica did not want to hire anyone. Nia smiled to herself.
This was her year. She could feel it. And with the support of her loved ones, she was ready to face whatever came her way.
"Come on, Pixel," she called, as she headed to her home office. "We've got work to do."
Pixel trotted after her, his tail held high and belly filled with amazing food. Nia settled into her desk chair, opening her laptop and diving into her emails.
Nia scrolled through her emails, eyes skimming over project updates and investor queries. Her mind, however, kept drifting back to the Morrison Group meeting tomorrow. This wasn't just another pitch—it was the pitch. The funding from Morrison Group would be a game-changer for PixelWave, pushing her startup into the upper echelons of the gaming industry. The nerves were kicking in, though she hated to admit it. Morrison Group was known for being a tough crowd. And then there was the mystery surrounding the company's top executives. Jessica had done some digging, but little was known about who exactly would be attending the meeting tomorrow.
"Focus, Nia," she muttered to herself, shaking off the unease creeping into her chest. Her hand reached for Pixel, gently scratching behind his ears, grounding herself in the moment.
Pixel purred contentedly as if urging her to relax. But the thoughts continued swirling. Her mind switched gears towards Zack. She had heard —whispers and some information, about Zachary Morris, who'd been away on some high-profile NSA mission from Francesco and Arlette.
But she never inquired much about him.
The same Zack who had kissed her under the stars one night, igniting something in her she wasn't prepared to face back then, left her the other day.
She'd buried the memory deep, but here it was again, crawling back into her thoughts at the most inconvenient time.
No, it couldn't be related to Zack!
Morrison Group was too vast, too corporate for someone like him to get involved.
Plus the names are different Zack is Morris and the Company's CEO was Lincoln Morrison as far she correctly recalled.
Zack was all about national security and world-saving missions, not business investments.
Multiple mentions of him throughout one single evening have made her brain go haywire.
This must be it.
"Oh god! I need to focus on this! Tomorrow's meeting. Have we got this Pixel?" Nia asked Pixel who snorted in response.
Her phone buzzed again, snapping her back to the present. It was another message from Jessica.
[Jess: Don't stress. You've got this! I already prepped the deck, so we're all set for tomorrow. Breathe, boss. Xoxo.]
Nia smiled. Jessica always knew how to read her, even through a screen.
She reviewed the deck shared by Jessica and made some changes.
After an hour or two, She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, forcing herself to let go of the tension. Tomorrow would come, and she'd handle it like she always did—with determination and confidence.
For now, she needed to sleep. The weight of the day was beginning to settle over her shoulders, and as much as she loved to lose herself in work, she needed to be sharp for the meeting.
Closing her laptop, she turned off the lights in her home office and made her way to her bedroom, Pixel trailing behind her like a little shadow.
As she lay down, her stupid mind returned to that unfateful night four years ago.
Her phone buzzed one more time. This time it was not Jessica but her brother.
[Franny: All the best baby sister! Remember, who you are and let the sky be the limit!]
Nia stared at the message, her heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. She quickly thanked him and then tried to catch her beauty sleep.