Chapter Twenty-six: The Chains are Wearing Thin

In the weeks that followed after her wedding anniversary, Weiss noticed a subtle shift in her relationship with Ruby. A good shift. A great shift even! They were getting along better than ever, and Weiss suspected it was because Ruby's financial troubles were now a thing of the past. She didn't have to worry about working grueling hours at an inhospitable environment on top of her school work anymore—which, come to think of it, Weiss still didn't know much about. She'd been meaning to ask Ruby what she was studying, but the topic always eluded her.

"Furthermore, Weiss, you need to—"

And speaking of school, whenever her schedule allowed it, Ruby picked Chrys up at the end of the day and kept her occupied until Weiss came home. She didn't know what they did, but Chrys would be nothing but smiles for the rest of the evening. Ruby would also often join them for dinner, but she never stayed the night. Though, it was probably for the best since Chrys' nightmares had been quite prevalent lately and Weiss' ability to keep her hands off Ruby when they were alone was nonexistent.

"—profit margins are at an all time low with you—"

God, what Weiss wouldn't give to have Ruby right here and right now. When Weiss told Glynda about what happened on her wedding anniversary, Glynda said something Weiss had already long suspected. Glynda said that Ruby did the right thing when she rejected Weiss' advance, and she commended Ruby for her actions whether she understood the importance of it or not. Glynda then went on to say that Weiss had a tendency to use sex as a means to escape her problems. Weiss tried to deny the accusation, but her life thus far made it impossible. And so, with great reluctance, Weiss accepted it… and that's when another one of those great shifts happened.

Weiss realized that she couldn't keep running away from her emotions, so she started opening up to Ruby some more. It'd be little things like how her day went, or how she felt when the world felt too big, and Ruby would just sit there and listen to her talk. Then they'd hug and kiss, and that'd be that. And when they were intimate, it was because they both wanted it. Weiss still shied away from penetration, but Ruby was perfectly fine with that.

"When are you going to stop playing these games and—"

Things in the bedroom were definitely heating up as a result of their newfound emotional intimacy, and Weiss could confidently say she was having some of the best sex of her life. Ruby was still so eager to learn and please, she was willing to do just about anything Weiss asked her to. And whenever Ruby wanted to try something, she'd always ask in this shy, innocent tone that excited Weiss far more than she'd like to admit. Ruby was particularly enamoured with Weiss' bl—

"Are you even listening to me?!" Hawthorne screamed, his face beet red.

Weiss slowly blinked and said, "No."

"How dare you not listen to me! I am giving you valuable advice on how to do your job!" he continued to scream. Weiss frowned at his tone but didn't say a word. "Has anything I said reached that brain of yours?"

"Nope," Weiss replied, popping the p like Ruby often did. Though, now that she thought about it, the phrase sounded rather naughty in her head—enunciate! That's the word. Weiss enunciated the last syllable. Like a proper lady.

"You are leading this company to ruin!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and went back to thinking about Ruby's amazing body and her hard c—

"You're doing it again!" Hawthorne screamed. The veins and tendons in his neck were practically bulging out of his skin now; it wasn't a good look. "You need to listen to me! I have been President of the Vale branch for over a decade."

"Congratulations," Weiss muttered, "on holding on to a job your daddy gave you. You must be so proud, bravo."

"What?! How da—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Weiss said, holding a hand up. "I don't care about your outdated opinions or your views on women in power. What I care about is getting the edge over everyone else. And to do that, we need to start at the foundation: the employees. Tell me, do you know what the turn over rate was during your term?"

Hawthorne laughed out loud and crossed his arms. "Does it matter?" he shot back smugly. "If one lazy ass leaves, there's a thousand more willing to replace them. Hell, toss a stupid janitor in a cubicle and you'll never notice a difference."

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Hawthorne and tapped her desk twice. His blatant disregard irked her. Without entry level employees, janitors, and other maintenance staff, Nobility Inc. would crumble. But that didn't matter to him. He'd trample his own mother just to make a quick profit.

"I'd honestly love to see that now that I think about it," Hawthorne added, cupping his chin in thought.

"It was thirty-five," Weiss said sharply, refusing to entertain Hawthorne's overinflated ego. "People left as soon as they could, and their reasons were always awful work conditions, sexual harassment, unequal pay, and 'The Boys' Club'—you know, just to name a few."

"If they can't cut it in the industry, then they have no right to be here."

Weiss shook her head and leaned back into her chair, hands folded over her lap. "See, that's where you're wrong," she said, staring Hawthorne dead in the eye. "Sure there was a heavy hit to the entry level positions, but a good majority of the people that left… were far more qualified than you."

"What?!"

"Let's take Anushka from accounting," Weiss said, ignoring Hawthorne's outburst.

"Who?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Fine. How about Andre?"

"Oh! Yes, him, I remember him," Hawthorne smiled.

"I fired him," Weiss replied.

"What?!"

"And I gave his job to Anushka."

"Why?!"

Weiss glared at Hawthorne and said, "Because that job rightfully belonged to her. She worked hard for five years straight gunning for that position. And when it finally opened up, you gave it to someone who'd been at the company for less than a year."

"He was more than qualified for it, so I rewarded him thusly," Hawthorne huffed in a vain attempt to salvage his decision, but Weiss was done tolerating his presence. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"He had a bachelor's degree and six months of experience at most," Weiss said as calmly as she could. "Anushka, however, has a masters in accounting and over ten years of experience. Not to mention the glowing reviews she received from her coworkers and other managers." Weiss ran a hand through her bangs and thought carefully about what she was going to say next. "But Andre was one of your boys… Anushka never had a chance. She left the company, but I won her back and now things in that department are running better than ever."

Hawthorne's eye twitched. "Who else did you fire?"

"Everyone," Weiss chirped, her eyes sparkling with glee as Hawthorne's face fell. "I ran an investigation before I took over to fully grasp why the Vale branch was lagging so far behind, and it all led to your little club—except for Trevor. I like Trevor; he got to keep his job."

"You what?!"

"Mm, I didn't stutter," Weiss leaned back into her chair and steepled her hands, "you heard what I said."

"How dare you—wait, wait, let me guess, you replaced them all with women didn't you?" Hawthorne spat.

Weiss crinkled her nose and shrugged, unable to recall all the names and faces of the people she rooted out. "I gave the jobs to the people who deserved them," she said. "Whether they're male, female, or otherwise—as long as they're qualified, I don't give a damn."

"Right," Hawthorne rolled his eyes. "And what exactly are these 'qualifications'? Because I can assure you, the men I hired were all exemplary even if they lacked… 'experience.' "

Weiss squinted her eyes and struggled not to laugh. How did Amélia keep her composure with these clowns?

"Furthermore, you yourself lack the so-called 'experience' you keep harping on about," Hawthorne continued. "This is a man's job! Go back to being a receptionist—that pretty face of yours at least had some use there."

"What does my time as a receptionist matter?" Weiss asked.

"It doesn't," Hawthorne shrugged then laughed like he told the funniest joke in the world. "I'd ask whose dick you sucked to even get this far, but I don't have to. You only got this job because you married that deformed twerp and pushed out a—"

Weiss rose from her chair and slammed her hand down on her desk like a hammer, shutting Hawthorne up for once in his life. "Do not ever speak about my wife or my child," she hissed venomously. "You may say all you want about me, I don't give a damn, but the moment you speak ill of my family, I swear to you, I will make your life a living hell."

"Heh, y-you think you can threaten me?" Hawthorne stood up to rise above her, but he was only a few inches taller. And between the two of them, Weiss casted the more intimidating shadow. "I came here to offer you my mentorship—you should be thanking me!"

"I never asked for your opinion. And I have a mentor," Weiss said.

"Your mother-in-law doesn't count."

Weiss' glare intensified. "She is the CEO of this company!"

"Just give it a bit," Hawthorne said, shaking his head. "She'll be ousted soon enough."

"I'd take that bet if you weren't already swimming in debt," Weiss muttered sarcastically. "And what exactly makes you think you're qualified to mentor me? Do you see that degree there?"

"Cute," he laughed, "you have a business degree—well, so do I."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. Coco help her, she was going to murder this man.

"That isn't just some ordinary degree, you ignoramus. That's a doctorate!" Weiss said. "And do you know what that makes me? A doctor. What you have, however, is a bachelor's degree that your daddy bought you."

"What?!"

"Did I not make it clear enough, Hawthorne?"

"That's Mr. Hawthorne to you, girl. Show some respect."

"Fine," Weiss huffed, "then it's Dr. Adel to you, Mr. Hawthorne."

"That's stupid, I'm not going to call you that," Hawthorne argued.

"So you're just going to continue calling me by my first name while demanding I show you respect?" Weiss said as she sat back down.

"I have seniority–"

"Okay, enough," Weiss said with finality. "Sit down."

"I refuse."

Weiss rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Stay standing up for what I have to say next."

"Aw, look at you, you're so cute when you try to sound official," Hawthorne said with a chauvinistic grin. "How do you expect to take command with a voice that adorable?"

"Whatever," Weiss tiredly replied, tapping her desk twice. She could do this. She was the future CEO of Nobility Incorporated. She can handle this clown without bloodshed; Amélia was counting on her. Weiss took a deep, calming breath and said, "Effective immediately, you are hereby banned from setting foot within this building."

"What?!" Hawthorne screamed in shock.

"Did I stutter?"

"No, but you can't ban me from Nobility Incorporated! I am Nobility Incorporated! You—you're just a little girl who hasn't achieved shit!"

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" Weiss laughed. "Please, I've achieved a lot more in my short life than you have in your seniority. Let's begin with my greatest one—I had a child at sixteen. And instead of abandoning her like you did with all your children, I married the mother of my child and helped raise her. Which brings me to my second greatest achievement. I was married for a decade. You, you've been married four times and divorced just as many to women half your age."

Hawthorne rolled his eyes. "I'd hardly call the farce you had a marriage."

"Because we were both women?" But before Hawthorne could speak, Weiss said, "Look, Hawthorne, this conversation is over. Leave my office and never come back."

"You're going to regret this," Hawthorne hissed.

"No, I won't," Weiss said, "since the decision wasn't mine—it was Amélia's."

Hawthorne's anger dissipated as all the colour drained from his face. "You're lying," he said in denial, his voice containing no fight at all. "Amélia would never."

"I am many things, Hawthorne," Weiss said, adjusting her glasses, "but a liar is not one of them."

"She was my friend."

Weiss curiously raised an eyebrow and laughed. "You just said she was going to be ousted from her family's company. Not to mention all the comments you've made about her being unfit to lead… if this is how you talk about your friends, then I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies. Now, I have a meeting in fifteen minutes. You need to leave. And if you refuse, I'll call security."

"Don't bother, I'm going…"

Hawthorne hung his head low and walked out of Weiss' office looking like a ghost of his former self. But the moment the door closed, Weiss got out her trusty multipurpose cleaner and some paper towels and immediately set out to clean every surface Hawthorne touched. Which is how Neptune found her.

"Uh, Weiss?" Neptune said, poking his head into her office.

Weiss stopped her vigorous scrubbing and blinked like she'd been caught red-handed doing something she shouldn't be doing. "What?"

"Uh…" Neptune tentatively walked in and politely smiled. "Nothing, honey, I was just curious about how you were doing, but I can see you're perfectly fine."

"Oh, I'm not fine at all," Weiss said, squeezing the trigger to spray more solution on her desk than necessary. "I had to listen to that ugly bastard lambaste my work ethics for over an hour. I thought this meeting would end in half an hour at most—but no! He had to keep talking and talking and talking… ugh!"

Neptune snorted out a laugh and said, "Sounds about right."

"I'm honestly shocked he left without a fight."

"Yeah, about that, I don't know what you did to him, but he was practically goo by the time he got into the elevator."

"I didn't do anything," Weiss muttered, still scrubbing her desk. Hawthorne was a spitter. It took every ounce of strength she had to not clean her things while he talked.

"Then what could have caused it?"

Weiss shrugged. "All I did was repeat Maman's orders… and maybe flex my doctorate a little."

"But you hate flexing the degree," Neptune giggled, "Dr. Adel."

"Ugh…" Weiss groaned, "it sounds so pretentious!"

"Because it is. Either way, you did great," Neptune said, closing the distance to give Weiss a hug. "Ciel already made the call to have Hawthorne escorted out."

"He wanted me to call him 'Mr. Hawthorne,' can you believe that?" Weiss laughed as she hugged Neptune back. "It's a legitimate shame though… he had so much promise back in the day. His father's so disappointed."

"Ah, yeah," Neptune said. "But power changes people…"

"If I ever get that way… you'll stop me right?" Weiss timidly asked, her mind briefly drifting to Jacques Schnee and the terrifying shadow he casted.

Neptune smiled and kissed her forehead. "Weiss, you'll never become like that disgusting, awful man."

"You'll never know," Weiss replied. "Power changes people, right?"

"Yes, and it changed you for the better," Neptune said. "Amélia would've never given you this job if she ever thought you'd go down the same path."

"Thank you, but I couldn't have done it without you and Ciel by my side."

Neptune chuckled and gave her a comforting squeeze. "I'm pretty sure Ciel's gunning for your job."

"As she should," Weiss laughed. "Maman and I already discussed it. When the time comes, and she's still with me, the office is hers."

"What about me?" Neptune asked.

"Do you want my job?" Weiss shot back with a playful look.

"Oh, fuck no!" Neptune snorted. "I just want to know what your plans for me are."

"Well," Weiss said, "I'd still need my stylist. There's no one else in the world that can make me runway ready the way you can."

"Aw," Neptune smiled, "you're such a kiss ass."

Weiss shrugged as she stepped away from Neptune, cleaning supplies at the ready. "Thank you for checking in on me, Nep. Now, if you don't mind, I can still smell Hawthorne's cheap cologne in my office."

"Aye aye, Captain," Neptune said, giving Weiss a two finger salute. "Have fun stress cleaning."

"Will do."

Weiss spent the next twenty minutes vigorously scrubbing her office until it shined and smelled like oranges. She stared at her work with a sense of pride and satisfaction as she sat on her couch with a glass of whisky. The adrenaline rush she got from banning Hawthorne was still coursing through her veins making her jittery. She hoped she could burn the extra energy by cleaning, but all it did was give her certain ideas.

The whisky burned Weiss' throat with each sip, but the pain was worth the warmth and courage it gave her. She wanted to turn her fantasies into reality, and the high she got from the power trip only made her want it more.

Weiss finished her glass and poured another healthy serving. All she needed was a little more liquid courage and she'd be set. She drank it one go and called Ruby.

"Hey, baby!" Ruby said, answering the call within two rings. "I was just thinking about you."

"Oh, what kind of thinking?" Weiss asked. She poured herself one last glass of whisky and pulled her legs up on the couch to relax.

Ruby giggled and Weiss could practically picture her radiant smile. "You know, the usual. I was gunna ask if you wanted to hang out for a bit after work. Maybe grab dinner with Chrys?"

"That sounds lovely, but I'm calling you for something a little more… immediate," Weiss said, her voice dropping down to that husky tone Ruby loved.

"O-Oh…"

"Mm… I had a rather unsavoury encounter just now and seeing your face might just be the trick to fix my mood," Weiss said, pausing to take a sip. "Will you be able to stop by the office for a bit?" Weiss could hear the sound of books being slammed shut and the scraping of a chair against linoleum. "Ruby?"

"Say no more, I'm on my way!" Ruby announced.

Weiss laughed at Ruby's eagerness and said, "Are you running in the halls, Ms. Rose?"

"Maybe," Ruby replied coyly, but Weiss could hear Ruby's laboured breathing and the urgent rustle of her clothes. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad was the meeting?"

"Hawthorne," Weiss groaned.

"So a twenty, got it!"

"It wasn't that bad," Weiss giggled, her nose crinkling. Ruby was far too cute.

"Still bad enough for you to call me," Ruby said. "Alright, I'm at the parking lot. Gunna hang up here."

"Drive safe, Ruby."

"Will do," Ruby said. "I love you, Weiss."

"Mm," Weiss hummed, her smile widening.

The call ended there and Weiss was left wondering if she should have said something else. Her feelings were definitely getting stronger as was the desire to just give in and say the words back. Ruby deserved her love, and she definitely had Weiss' heart, but that fear… that all consuming, gnawing fear…

Weiss took a sip of her whisky and winced.

"Fuck it," she muttered, downing an even larger gulp.

Fuck fear. It wasn't going to hold onto her forever—today was going to be proof of that.

died on me so this chapter was posted much later than Ao3.

GG