Bonus Chapter: CEOs (I)

Ava

~~~

“What do I wear to a meeting?” I ask, frantic as I pull out another dress from my cupboard.

It’s a cute satin blouse dress fit that’s sleeveless (which I know Leonel will just die for), but I grimace at the fact that it’s light pink. Surely no one from IronRoot or Axion Tech is bound to take me seriously in pink?

I groan, throwing it on the growing pile on my bed as Evie dodges out of the way.

“That is the 16th thing from your closet you’ve tried to murder me with,” she exclaims.

I eye a blazer I hung up earlier. It looked cuter when I wasn’t this panicked.

“Make that 17.” I yank it from its hanger and throw it on the mountain of “not good enough” clothes.

Evie laughs, then comes in front of me, both hands on my shoulders. I close my eyes and try to lean into the comfort of her touch.

Nope. Nothing. Not even a pinch of relief.

“Ava, honey, you need to calm down. You’ve gone for meetings before.”

“Yes, Evie, from home. Everything we’ve done has been from the comfort of the mansion. This is the first time since Leonel and I’s partnership that I’ve had to face a boardroom head on.”

She pulls me closer. “And you’re going to be amazing. Your dad was right. You’ve done more with IronRoot in one month than he had in years, and all Jaxon did was steal money from it. You’ve been amazing.”

I close my eyes again, remembering all the people Leonel and I have helped in the last month since I became CEO. Troubled men, women, and children who now have a second chance at being someone on this earth thanks to IronRoot’s rehabilitation systems.

We built an orphanage system. People get a room, food, Axion tech phones, monthly clothes, and allowances as long as we can prove they’re actively participating in the jobs and at the schools we placed them in. Once we see they’ve stabilized, we set them free to make space for the next struggling person.

So far, success rates have been at 90%, and even though Leonel tells me he’s so proud of me because I’m mostly in charge of the rehabilitation efforts, I have to remind him it’s only been a month.

But yeah, I’m pretty proud of myself as well.

I just hope that the executives at our companies are proud of me too.

“Okay,” I breathe out, taking a deep breath and reaching for my necklace. “Okay, you’re right.”

“Always am,” she winks, before reaching for the pink sleeveless set I threw on the bed. “And I think you know damn well what you should wear.”

She holds it out to me, her eyebrow raised like she knows there’s no other choice.

I sigh, taking it from her hands.

There really isn’t.

——

2 hours later, Evie and I are looking up at Axion Towers, shooting so far into the sky we can’t see the top.

Despite the pounding in my chest, I smile at the memory of the last time we stood outside this building. I was about to sign the contract that changed my life.

As we enter, the lady at the front desk immediately rises.

“Future Mrs Sinclair and Carter… I presume?” the lady asks Evie, already holding out our tags for us.

Evelyn blushes, bending her head as she murmurs in agreement.

Evelyn is still waiting for Oliver’s better proposal, but he hasn’t done it because of how busy everything has been recently. Apparently, combining two businesses is hell for a lawyer.

The lady smiles, and we wear our tags in the elevator going up.

Once on the fourth floor, our clacking heels draw the attention of our men, already seated outside the boardroom.

The butterflies in my stomach start up as usual the second I spot Leonel’s handsome face, a small smirk on those lips I can’t get enough of.

He walks over to me, his sharp all black suit making him look extra sexy. He has stubble coming in, mostly from the stress of the last month, but if it’s stress that makes him look even more delicious, then we should merge businesses every other day.

He wraps his arms around my waist, instantly melting my core, before pulling me in for a quick peck that leaves my lips tingling.

“You’re late,” he whispers in my ear.

“Or you’re too early,” I whisper back.

He nips my ear as his hands lower dangerously over my ass.

“Or maybe-“

“Hi, Sinclairs!” Oliver says too brightly. “Could you maybe not have sex on the office floor right before this incredibly important meeting? It’s not just unprofessional, but I think crazy unethical and definitely unhygienic.”

I freeze at the word “sex,” something Leonel and I are definitely not yet having.

First his gunshot wound had to heal fully, then we were too busy, but even nights we managed to pull off clothes and do stuff, right when I felt like Leonel was going to get a condom or ask me for sex..

I pulled away.

But once this meeting ends and we have all the free time in the world, I guess all my excuses will have to go.

If Leonel can feel my worry, he doesn’t show it. He just rolls his eyes at his best friend.

Just then, the elevator dings open, and a group of serious, suit-clad men and women filter out.

My heart starts pounding again. I knew I shouldn’t have worn pink. They’re all dressed in some variation of black and grey. Even Evie is wearing a light brown pantsuit.

I step away from Leonel, trying to steady my heart and tuck my short hair behind my ears.

He frowns, not appreciating the distance between us. He grabs my hand and pulls me to his side, intertwining our fingers.

The men and women walk in our direction. Many look at our joined hands and restrain an unprofessional smile, while others, especially a potbellied man in overpowering cologne, stare at us with judgmental eyes.

The potbellied man stops in front of Leonel, sounding a “hmph” at our hands before looking up.

“Good afternoon, Mr Sinclair,” he greets, all no nonsense.

“Mr Erickson. Afternoon,” Leonel greets, pulling me even closer.

Mr Erickson gives me a withering look, his lips pulled down distastefully.

“Allard,” he deadpans, and my heart sinks from the disrespect.

Still, I smile at him, but he’s already brushing past to move into the boardroom with everyone else.

Leonel doesn’t let him get far. He shoots out his left hand and grabs Mr Erickson so suddenly it startles the nonchalance off his face.

“You seem to have forgotten to properly acknowledge your second boss, Erickson,” Leonel says lowly.

I gulp as Mr Erickson’s bottom lip quavers.

“Forgive me,” he murmurs. “It’s so early in the day that I must have lost my manners.”

Leonel’s grey eyes narrow, “Find them. And fast.”

“Miss Allard. Good afternoon,” Mr Erickson says quickly, even bowing a little. “Forgive me. I’m simply too used to having one CEO.”

It takes me a second to find my voice, but when I do, it’s small. “It’s okay. Thank you.”

Leonel lets go and Mr Erickson fixes his suit, looking between the both of us like we’re a terrifying oddity, before he walks with less dignity than when he arrived into the hall.

Once the double doors close behind him, I whip my head to Leonel, astounded.

“Asshole,” he mutters. “He was trying to disrespect you.”

I reach up and peck his cheek. What did I do to deserve this man?

“I can handle a little disrespect.”

He squeezes my hand tighter. “I can’t. Not to you. Not ever.”

Before I can melt in a puddle of love, he looks down at me, that arrogant smirk of his in place.

“You ready, Boss?”

Despite my overthinking, I smile.

“With you? I’m always ready.”

We walk into the hall, and I just know our problems of the day are just beginning.