A Deal With Mr. CEO

Amelia The room went very still. Adrian continued. His voice, absent of emotion. "It’s really clear that very little work went into this. I don’t see the level of depth I expected. It feels predictable. Like something I’ve seen recycled across half a dozen luxury rebrands." My jaw tightened before I could stop it. What the heck? I know he didn't just say that. I know he didn't just criticize the strategy; he dismissed my effort. Two weeks of my life, summarized as a "waste." "And this is clearly not worth my time," he added. That did it. Because no. Absolutely not. If he wanted to critique my work, fine. That was business. But dismissing two weeks of strategy like it was a rushed group project? Yeah… we weren’t doing that. "With all due respect, Mr. Langford," I began evenly, meeting his gaze directly, "I can assure you that a very significant amount of work went into this proposal." Across the table, I felt my boss go very still. Adrian's brows arched slightly. "O

Adrian I was halfway through a stack of quarterly reports when a soft knock landed on my office door. I didn’t look up immediately. "Come in." The door opened, quiet but precise, the way only one person in this building ever managed to do. Evander. I finally lifted my gaze from the paperwork as he stepped inside with a tablet in his hand "What’s my schedule concerning the hotel rebrand?" I asked, leaning back slightly in my chair. He glanced down at his tablet. "I’ve rescheduled the follow-up meeting for two days from now with Elevate Agency." I gave a small nod. "Good." Right on cue, his voice came again, this time lighter, almost amused. "Speaking of Elevate Agency…" I paused. He continued, "That was one fierce marketing strategist yesterday." My pen stilled. I didn’t need to ask who he meant. My mind flicked back to her. Amelia if I remember her name correctly. Before the thought could fully settle, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen. Irene.

Amelia I had just pulled into my driveway when my phone rang. I checked the caller ID, it was Brianna. I smiled tiredly as I pushed the car door open and stepped out. "Hello?" Her voice burst through the speaker. "It’s Friday, Amelia. Don’t even think about hiding in your house. You are coming to that new lounge with us. This time, no excuses." A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. Typical Brianna, always dramatic and always right in my business. "Relax," I said, nudging my front door open with my shoulder. "I’m definitely coming." "Mm-hmm," she hummed suspiciously. "Because I already made plans with Zoey. We’re meeting by eight." My brows lifted as I glanced at the time on my phone. 6:17 p.m. "Okay, okay," I said, kicking the door shut behind me. "I’ll be there." "You better," she warned, then hung up. The quiet of my apartment settled around me immediately. Then my body moved on autopilot, the same routine I followed every single day. Shoes off fi

Amelia I stepped fully into the office and closed the door gently behind me. The quiet in Adrian Langford’s office felt… intentional. His eyes locked onto mine. "Good morning, Mr. Langford," I greeted smoothly. "Good morning," he returned, voice calm. "Please, have a seat." he gestured toward the high backed leather chair opposite his desk. I walked forward without hesitation and lowered myself into the chair. One leg crossed neatly over the other. "Thank you," I said. My posture was relaxed and composed, the same way I sat in every high-stakes meeting. He watched me for a brief second longer, like he was taking a mental snapshot. "What would you like to drink?" I shook my head lightly. "Nothing, I'm fine. Thank you." There was a small pause then he nodded once. "Alright." Silence settled between us. It was like he was carefully choosing which words to release into the room. I waited. Then he cleared his throat. "The reason I asked you to come," he began slowly, "is not

I stared at the screen.For a moment I actually considered typing back. 'How did you get my number?' But then I shook my head. Of course he had my number.Someone like Adrian Langford could probably get anyone’s number if he wanted. Still… he could have at least pretended to ask first. I slipped the phone back into my bag. By the time I reached my office building, my head was still buzzing. I walked inside quickly.The familiar sound of keyboards clicking and quiet conversations filled the office.Everything looked normal, which felt strange after the conversation I just had.I glanced toward Hillary’s office. The door was closed. Good. I didn’t feel like answering his questions right now.So I walked straight to my workstation."Amelia!"Casey’s voice came immediately. I closed my eyes for half a second before turning. Casey and Megan were both looking at me. Curiosity practically glowing on their faces."Where did you go?" Casey asked.I shrugged casually and dropped my bag on my d