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Chapter 9: The Fix
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2026-10-03 07:20:39Milo had never been to a real business meeting before.
He sat in the corner of Beaumont Corp's conference room at 9 AM, wearing Lucien's big blazer because Lucien told him to "look serious," holding his camera like a shield. Lena was not happy he was there. "Lucien, this is a Tokyo investor call," she whispered. "He can't—" "He can," Lucien said, not looking up from his laptop. "He's staying." The Zoom call connected. Three men in suits in Tokyo. Serious faces. They had seen the Page Six article. They had seen the wine-throwing photo. "Mr. Beaumont," one of them said in careful English. "We are concerned about stability. Your... personal life is affecting business." Lucien was about to give his CEO speech. Milo had heard it before — calm, cold, perfect. But Milo stood up first. "Can I show you something?" he asked, voice small but clear. Everyone looked at him. Lena mouthed "sit down." Lucien nodded. "Let him." Milo connected his camera to the big screen. Click. A photo appeared. It was Lucien. Not CEO Lucien. Just Lucien. In the morning, in the kitchen, wearing a loose t-shirt, making coffee with sleepy eyes. Light coming through the penthouse windows. Click. Another one. Lucien laughing on the floor of his closet, holding Milo's hoodie. Not posed. Real. Click. Lucien asleep on the couch, Milo's black nail polish smudged on his neck where Milo had held him. "I took these," Milo said to the Tokyo men. His hands were shaking but his voice wasn't. "This is Lucien. Not Mr. Beaumont. Just Lucien. Before me, he never laughed like this. He never slept without his phone next to him. He worked 16 hours a day and he was lonely." The room was silent. "I'm sorry I threw wine," Milo said. "That was my fault. I was jealous and crazy. But I'm not going anywhere. And he is not distracted. He is... he is happier. Which means he works better. Look." He showed one last photo. Lucien at his desk at 6 AM this morning, focused, writing notes, with Milo asleep on the couch behind him in the background. Both in the same frame. Work and home together. "He still works," Milo said. "He just has someone to come home to now." The Tokyo men were quiet. Then one of them smiled. A small smile. "Your boyfriend is photographer?" he asked Lucien. "He is," Lucien said. His voice was a little thick. "These are good photos," the man said. "Very... human. We like human. Our company is family company. We were worried Mr. Beaumont was becoming tabloid. But this... this is not tabloid. This is family." Lena stared. Lucien stared at Milo like he had never seen him before. "Mr. Beaumont," the Tokyo man said. "We will sign today. And we want your boyfriend to take photos for our Japan launch campaign. Family concept. Like these." After the call ended, Lena stood up slowly. She walked over to Milo. "Milo Chen," she said. Milo braced himself. "That was not terrible," she said. And for Lena, that was like saying it was amazing. Milo's face lit up. Lucien walked over and took Milo's camera and put it down. Then he put his hands on Milo's waist, right there in the conference room, in front of Lena. "You just saved my $40 million deal with photos of me making coffee," Lucien whispered. Milo grinned, possessive again, brave again now that he had won. "Told you I own you. Even your Tokyo deal needed me." Lucien laughed and kissed him. In the conference room. In front of Lena. In front of the big screen that still showed Lucien asleep. Lena rolled her eyes but she was taking a photo of them with her phone. "For PR," she said when they looked at her. "We are going to post this. 'Beaumont Corp is a family.' The press will eat it up." Milo turned in Lucien's arms. "Can I post one too? On my I*******m? So everyone knows you're taken?" Lucien nodded. "Post whatever you want. You're mine. Show them." Milo posted the coffee photo that night. Caption: Mine. He comes home to me. - M It got 20k likes in an hour. And three more brands DM'd Lucien asking for Milo to shoot their campaign. That night, back in the penthouse, Milo sat on Lucien's lap in Lucien's chair — his chair now — sorting through Tokyo campaign ideas. "You own me and my company now, huh?" Lucien teased, arms around him. Milo leaned back, freckles bright, lip piercing catching the light. "Always did," he said. "You just didn't know it yet."
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