Chapter Six - Dinner Sounds…Nice

“Good morning, Miss Davis,” Freya greeted, clutching a file to her chest as I stepped out of the elevator onto the second floor, heading toward my office.

That was a first.

This woman had never — and I mean never — looked at me twice. Yet here she was, not just acknowledging me, but actually offering a polite greeting.

I scoffed lightly, gave her an exaggerated glance, and smiled.

“Morning,” I replied, walking past her. I even looked back, half-expecting it to have been a dream.

But Freya wasn’t the only surprise of the morning. Mrs. Smith offered me coffee the moment I stepped into the building. Mr. Jones nearly tripped over himself trying to carry my bag — which I politely refused. And Mrs. Linda, who had never uttered a word to me since I started working here, smiled as I walked toward the elevator.

I sipped my coffee (which, by the way, was delicious) just as Kim, my secretary, took my bag and coat.

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” she said, giving me a curious glance.

“I honestly don’t understand why everyone’s suddenly being so nice,” I murmured, still trying to wrap my head around it. “The very first day I walked in here, I knew I wasn’t going to last. The resentment was undeniable. I was young, and already the PA to the CEO. That alone was enough to make me public enemy number one. And now… now they’re smiling at me?”

Kim rolled her eyes like I’d missed something obvious. “Do I have to explain everything to you?”

I blinked. “Apparently.”

“It’s because you’re the newest partner!” she blurted out.

“…Okay? Still not following.”

“They’re scared of you now,” she said flatly. “You could fire anyone who rubs you the wrong way. And when the time comes, you’ll get to nominate a future partner. Some are sucking up for that. The others just don’t want to get fired.”

“Oh.” I paused. “Now I get it.”

“I know you’re too kind to ever misuse that power. But still… let them sweat a little. They didn’t make it easy for you.”

We approached my office, and through the glass wall, I saw a man standing inside — tall, broad-shouldered, with his back to us, checking his watch.

I stopped. Kim did too. Our eyes met.

“He’s in your office,” she said casually. “Asked for you.”

I whipped my head toward her. “Why didn’t you start with that? Honestly, Kim, maybe you’re the one who needs to be fired.”

She gasped dramatically, pressing her hand to her chest like I’d just stabbed her. Then she mouthed, Good luck.

My stomach flipped. What was he doing in my office?

Sure, he was my boss — the new CEO — but still. His energy was… intimidating. There was something about him that made the air feel heavier, like I couldn’t quite breathe properly in his presence. Maybe it was his looks, maybe his voice. Maybe it was the fact that someone like him — calm, confident, ridiculously attractive — could never possibly notice someone like me.

I took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside.

He turned at the sound.

“Hi… um, sorry for barging into your office like this,” he said.

I cleared my throat, trying to will my nerves into submission. Up close, he was even more terrifying. “You’re my boss,” I said, hands tucked behind my back. “Of course you can walk into my office any time.”

He smiled faintly and gestured toward the table. “Have a seat.”

I fumbled slightly, hurrying to sit down. I wasn’t usually this clumsy, but his presence made it impossible to focus.

Then he sat directly across from me.

Great. Now it was twice as hard to concentrate on anything other than his face.

God help me, I prayed silently.

“You’re Olivia Davis,” he said, leaning forward a little. “The newest associate partner at Adebayo Pharmaceuticals.”

“That’s me.” I smiled — a little too much — and blinked a few times, doing everything I could to avoid eye contact for too long.

“You’re also the best marketing strategist we have, and an exceptional business development administrator.”

He leaned back in the chair, arms resting calmly.

“First of all, congratulations on your partnership.”

“Thank you, sir,” I replied, a genuine smile warming my face.

He crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands. “We’re at a pivotal moment in our growth,” he began. “My father laid the groundwork for Adebayo Pharmaceuticals to expand globally—Asia and the Americas. We’ve now narrowed our focus. I’d like your thoughts. Which market should we pursue first?”

I blinked, grounding myself in the moment. “Well,” I said, sitting up straighter, “Asia is attractive, but it’s oversaturated with pharmaceutical giants, and market penetration takes years. America, on the other hand…” I paused, carefully choosing my words. “The regulatory process is brutal, but the return—if we get it right—is unmatched. With our pipeline, I think we’re ready.

He raised a brow, intrigued. “Go on.

“America,” I said, tilting my head just a bit. “The land of capitalism, caffeine addiction, and… impossible expectations. What better place for a pharmaceutical empire to thrive?”

He let out a short, surprised laugh, his eyes briefly lighting up with amusement. “I like the way you think.”

“And I like when people don’t question it,” I shot back, flashing a confident smirk.

That earned me a longer, more approving look — the kind that made my skin warm under my blazer.

But then… something shifted.

“Specifically New York,” he added, tapping his finger on a sleek silver pen. “The research shows it’s the best starting point. Diverse, high demand, international visibility…”

I stopped breathing for a second.

New York.

I felt the words crash into me like cold water. The city I had run from. The city that held the darkest pieces of my past — my ex-husband, his manipulative mother, and the diabolical baby mama. The city that had taken everything from me…

“You okay?” he asked, tone softening.

I blinked again, forcing my lungs to obey. “Yes. Sorry. Just a lot of… memories tied to that place.”

He didn’t push. Just nodded, respectfully. “Sometimes the hardest places to go are the ones where we end up reclaiming ourselves.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Not without my voice cracking.

The moment passed, and we moved on to logistics and timelines. I asked the right questions, took mental notes, let my brain engage — but part of me stayed distant, hovering near the edge of old wounds.

Still, despite that, the conversation flowed easily. His tone was professional but never cold, and once or twice, he even teased me — just lightly — and I surprised myself by laughing.

As I stood up to walk him to the door hours later, he paused.

“You’ve got great instincts, Olivia,” he said. “My father was right about you. And now that you’re a partner… I look forward to collaborating more closely.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. “I look forward to that too.”

We walked together through the corridor, past curious glances and half-frozen stares from staff pretending not to eavesdrop. It was the first time I wasn’t invisible in this building — and not because of pity or rumor, but because I was standing beside him.

Just as we reached the elevators, he stopped, looked at me with that disarmingly calm gaze.

“You have any dinner plans tonight?”

I blinked. Twice.

“I—what?”

He smiled, not cocky, just… genuine. “I figured we’ve been talking all day. Would be nice to talk without spreadsheets between us.”

I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

Was this… Was this a date?

No. It couldn’t be. It’s just casual. Just business. Probably.

“Dinner?” I finally managed, half a breath. “With you?”

He chuckled, his voice low. “Yes, with me. But if you’d rather pretend it’s with a PowerPoint, I won’t be offended.”

I laughed — too loudly — and covered my face.

“Okay,” I said quietly. “Dinner sounds… nice.”