Saturday arrived softly, without alarms or urgency.
Denisse woke to sunlight spilling through the thin gap in her curtains, warm and unapologetic, painting lazy stripes across her bed and the far wall. For a moment, she stayed still, eyes half-lidded, listening to the quiet hum of the city waking up without her. No emails. No intercom buzz. No impossible schedules. Just light and silence.
She let out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding all week.
The shower steamed up the bathroom, fogging the mirror as warm water washed away the residue of stress clinging to her shoulders. By the time she stepped out, wrapped in a towel, she already felt lighter. Human again.
Breakfast followed—French toast, golden and crisp at the edges, dusted with powdered sugar she probably didn't need but absolutely deserved. She settled onto the couch with a novel she'd been meaning to finish for months, flipping pages between bites, savoring the rare luxury of unstructured time.
That was when her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and smiled.
Gigi.
"Hey, girl," Gigi's voice chirped the moment Denisse answered. "You free today? Let's go shopping. I'm bored out of my mind."
Denisse hummed, taking another bite of toast. "I can't. I've got a dental appointment."
There was a dramatic groan on the other end. "Ugh. Too bad. I'm literally rotting here."
"Why don't you go out with your girlfriend?" Denisse asked, turning a page.
"She's out of town," Gigi said. "Which means I'm alone. Abandoned. Forgotten."
Denisse snorted. "You're impossible. Come over tonight instead. We can binge-watch something stupid."
"Oh, that's perfect," Gigi said immediately, her mood lifting. Then her tone shifted, curiosity creeping in. "By the way... have you thought of a friendly revenge plan for our beloved CEO yet?"
Denisse froze mid-chew.
She swallowed. "Not really. I don't even know how that would work. I'm literally her assistant. One wrong move and I'm unemployed."
"But plotting revenge on your day off doesn't count, right?" Gigi said lightly.
Denisse narrowed her eyes, already suspicious. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Gigi continued, voice dropping into conspiratorial delight, "you're her assistant. You see her calendar. Who's to say she doesn't have... something scheduled on a weekend?"
Denisse sat up straighter.
Her heart skipped. "Oh my God."
"I know," Gigi said smugly.
"Why are you only brilliant when it's something evil?" Denisse muttered, already standing.
"You're welcome?" Gigi snorted.
Denisse padded into her bedroom, tablet in hand, fingers moving fast as she unlocked it and pulled up Lesley's schedule. Her eyes skimmed the entries, casual at first—
Then she stopped.
Her lips parted slowly.
"Oh," she breathed. "Oh my God. Jackpot."
"What? What?" Gigi demanded. "Tell me."
Denisse's smile spread, sharp and satisfied. "She has a meeting today. With Mr. Greene."
There was a pause. Then Gigi whistled low. "Oh. That man."
"Exactly," Denisse said, already imagining it. "He asks a thousand questions. Changes his mind every five minutes. Loves details. Let's see how Ms. Ashford handles him without her 'efficient and intelligent' assistant."
Gigi laughed. "This is diabolical."
Denisse glanced at the clock, adrenaline buzzing through her now. "Meet me at Hiff Restaurant at four," she said. "We'll see for ourselves."
She ended the call and stared down at the tablet, pulse quickening.
For the first time all week, Denisse smiled to herself.
Maybe the universe wasn't done with them after all.
And maybe—just maybe—it was finally her turn to enjoy the chaos.
--
Denisse and Gigi chose a table tucked into the farthest corner of the restaurant, half-hidden behind a decorative partition and a tall potted plant that smelled faintly of citrus and polish. It was the kind of spot people used when they didn't want to be noticed but still wanted a clear view of everything that mattered.
From there, they had a perfect line of sight.
Lesley was already there.
She sat alone at first, posture straight, tablet neatly placed beside her, fingers tapping the edge of the table in a way Denisse recognized instantly. Waiting. Preparing. Performing the calm confidence of someone who refused to look unsettled.
Gigi glanced between the table and Denisse, lowering her voice as the waiter walked away with their order. "Okay," she whispered, eyes glittering with curiosity. "Explain to me again how this turns into revenge without you getting fired."
Denisse folded her hands together, calm on the surface, electric underneath. "Mr. Greene asks for everything," she said quietly. "Details, backups, comparisons, projections. Even Mr. Ashford used to struggle with him unless I was in the room."
"And now?" Gigi prompted.
"And now she's new," Denisse continued, lips curving into a slow smile. "Confident, yes. But untested. I knew she'd ask for the documents I prepared yesterday."
Gigi frowned slightly. "And?"
"And I... rearranged things," Denisse admitted. "Nothing catastrophic. Just enough mixing to make it confusing. And when she calls for help?" She lifted her phone slightly. "We pretend the signal is bad."
Gigi's eyes widened. Then she broke into a grin. "Oh my God. That's evil."
Denisse shrugged lightly. "Temporary chaos. That's all."
"You're sure this won't come back to bite you?" Gigi asked, though she was already enjoying it.
"She needs me right now," Denisse said with quiet certainty. "I've been carrying the transition on my back. She won't fire me over a few mixed documents."
Before Gigi could reply, her gaze snapped back to the other table. "Oh. Oh no. Mr. Greene's here."
Denisse followed her eyes.
Mr. Greene had arrived fully now, settled in, already talking with animated gestures. Their food arrived moments later, plates set down softly, steam curling into the air. Denisse barely tasted her first bite. Her attention stayed locked across the room.
For the first few minutes, everything seemed fine.
Too fine.
Then she noticed it.
Lesley swiped at her tablet once. Then again. Her brow furrowed just slightly, fingers moving faster, more urgently. She scrolled. Paused. Scrolled again.
Denisse felt a thrill bloom in her chest.
A few moments later, Lesley reached for her phone.
Gigi sucked in a quiet breath. "Denisse."
The phone buzzed on the table between them.
Lesley.
"Told you," Denisse murmured, smirking as she picked it up.
She answered smoothly. "Yes, Ms. Ashford?"
On the other end, Lesley's voice was sharp, clipped. "Ms. Moore, why do the documents look like this? I asked you to prepare them. What is going on?"
Denisse tilted her head slightly, as if listening hard. "I'm sorry? You're cutting out."
"What?" Lesley snapped. "I said the documents are incomplete."
Denisse glanced at Gigi, then back at her plate. "Hello? Ms. Ash—? Hel—lo? I can't— you're breaking—"
"Denisse?" Lesley said, irritation leaking through. "Where are you?"
"The files are prepared," Denisse said, lowering her voice and breaking the words deliberately. "But the line— I'm in the—"
"What?" Lesley barked. "I can't understand a thing you're saying."
Denisse pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh. "I'm sorry, the signal is really bad—"
"Oh my God," Lesley said sharply. "This is ridiculous."
The call dropped.
For a heartbeat, Denisse and Gigi stared at the phone.
Then they both leaned forward, shoulders shaking, laughter spilling out in soft, breathless bursts they barely managed to contain.
"Oh my God," Gigi whispered, wiping at her eyes. "Look at her."
Across the room, Lesley sat rigid, jaw tight, phone placed face-down on the table. Mr. Greene was talking again, oblivious, gesturing toward the tablet as Lesley forced a polite nod.
"She's furious," Gigi said. "Good luck on Monday."
Denisse exhaled slowly, satisfaction settling deep in her chest. "That's what she gets for all those ridiculous, power-tripping tasks," she murmured. "Revenge for revenge."
They returned to their meal as the tension across the room finally broke. Minutes later, Lesley and Mr. Greene stood, polite handshakes exchanged. The moment they left, Denisse allowed herself one last glance at the empty table.
She smiled.
For the first time since taking the job, Denisse felt like the scales had tipped, just a little, back in her favor.
The war wasn't over.
But today, she'd won a small, delicious victory.