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The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 167
The investor rehearsal was set for two o’clock sharp. By one fifty, the boardroom was full. Laptops clicked, papers shuffled, coffee cups rested half-forgotten on the table. I stood at the front, running through notes on the projector, my blazer buttoned tight, my expression calm.James walked in a minute before the hour, dark suit, relaxed stride, cool as ever. His presence shifted the room instantly. People sat straighter. Eyes followed him. He gave a short nod, then took the empty seat near the front, folding his arms loosely.“Let’s begin,” I said, clicking to the first slide.I moved through the pitch, my voice steady. The team answered questions. James added a statistic here, a projection there. Every time I spoke, I felt his eyes on me. Calm, steady, unrelenting. I ignored it.At slide seven, he raised a hand. “We’re skipping the human element,” he said. “Investors don’t just buy numbers. They buy people. Add it back in.”“We agreed it was filler,” I said.“We agreed to keep it
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 166
The conference room was filled with quiet chatter and the shuffle of papers. I adjusted the stack in front of me, clicked my pen once, and looked around the table. James sat at the far end, perfectly composed, jacket off, tie loose. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes followed me whenever I moved.“Let’s start,” I said, standing at the head of the table. “Slide one needs more weight. We open with certainty or we lose them in the first five minutes.”The team nodded, typing notes. James leaned back in his chair, arms folded, watching me.“Slide four is out,” I continued. “We are not telling them what they already know.”“It stays,” James said, his voice even.I looked directly at him. “It’s filler.”“It’s foundation,” he replied. “Not everyone in the room knows the backstory. We remind them, we lead them.”“Waste of time,” I said.“Necessary time,” he countered.The room fell quiet. Isabel looked between us with raised brows.I set my pen down with deliberate calm. “Fine. It st
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 165
At two, vendors argued about timelines. I cut through it. At two thirty, legal argued about clauses. I cut through that too. At three, finance wanted to move money. I made them show models until they stopped talking in circles. I was sharp. I was fast. I kept my voice level and my hands steady. When someone pushed, I pushed back. When someone tried to charm, I did not smile.At four, James returned for rehearsal. He was on time. He stood at the end of the table and watched while the team ran the deck. I gave notes without looking at him.“Cut slide nine,” I said.He spoke from the far end. “Slide nine is the one that shows we can handle scale.”“The point is made on slide thirteen,” I said. “Nine is noise.”He looked at the team, then back at me. “We cut nine,” he said.We finished early. People filed out. He stayed. I closed my laptop again. He did not move.“You were good,” he said.“I am always good,” I said.He nodded as if that were a fact he liked remembering. “Do you need a rid
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 164
I arrived early and stood in the doorway while Isabel sorted my mail. She looked up and read my face fast.“You want fire or ice today?” she asked.“Ice,” I said. “Full schedule. No walk-ins. If James shows up without a slot, he waits or he leaves.”She nodded and tapped on her tablet. “Copy that. Coffee?”“Strong,” I said, slipping off my coat and hanging it neatly. “And send legal a note. I want the partnership boundaries in writing by noon.”Isabel’s brows rose. “Boundaries?”“Yes,” I said. “No personal contact during work hours. No unannounced visits. All meetings through you. Put it in the draft.”She grinned. “You are in a mood.”“I am focused,” I said, taking the coffee she handed me.By nine the floor hummed. I kept my door open and let people pass in and out with questions. I answered fast and kept my tone even. When my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number that was not unknown at all, I put the screen face down.Isabel leaned in. “You are ignoring him.”“Correct,”
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 163
The car pulled up in front of a tall building with black glass and sharp corners. James stepped out first, buttoning his jacket, then opened my door. I stayed seated for a second, staring at him.“This is insane,” I muttered.“Come on,” he said simply.I got out, smoothing my skirt with sharp motions. My heels clicked on the pavement as I followed him inside. The lobby was sleek and quiet. The elevator doors slid open the second we stepped in. He pressed the button for the top floor.“You didn’t answer my question,” I said, folding my arms.“Which one?”“What we’re doing here.”He glanced at me, his mouth curving slightly. “You’ll see.”I rolled my eyes and turned to the mirrored wall of the elevator. My reflection looked too stiff, my jaw too tight. I forced my shoulders down and raked my fingers through my hair.The elevator doors opened into a wide apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows. The city lights spread out in every direction. I walked in slowly, my eyes moving over the cle
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 162
The boardroom was too warm, or maybe it was just me. I sat at the head of the table with my laptop open, papers stacked neatly, and Isabel two seats down, taking notes. Across from me, James leaned back in his chair like he had nowhere else to be, sleeves rolled, jacket draped behind him. He was calm, collected, and infuriatingly composed.“We have to visit the site in person,” I said, looking around at the executives. “Numbers and photos are not enough. The board wants assurance.”James finally spoke. “Then we go together.”I stiffened. “Excuse me?”He shrugged lightly. “You want results. I want results. We fly down tomorrow morning, we see it, we settle it.”“I don’t need you holding my hand.”“No,” he said smoothly. “But you need me holding the deal.”The executives glanced between us, tension thick enough to cut. I pressed my lips together, then nodded once. “Fine. Tomorrow.”When the meeting ended, Isabel trailed after me into my office. She shut the door and grinned. “A trip. Wi
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