Meetings, Masks, and a Moment Too Close
The next morning arrived with little fanfare and less sleep. Elina arrived at Lane Innovations before sunrise, the city still rubbing the sleep from its eyes.
She preferred it that way—quiet, untouched. Before emails piled up and calls needed returning. Before the pressure of power settled back on her shoulders.
Her assistant wasn't even in yet, but the office lights were already glowing when she stepped off the elevator. She headed straight for the conference hall, where her team was finalizing the upcoming merger presentation with Faraday Tech.
It was a big deal—one that could put Lane Innovations into a broader global arena, and one that would demand every ounce of her focus. That meant no distractions.
Especially not tall, dark, frustratingly complicated distractions with caramel-brown eyes and a habit of showing up when she least expected.
She entered the room like a force of nature. Her staff straightened immediately.
"Good morning," she said crisply.
"Morning, Ms. Lane," came a chorus of responses.
The lead strategist, Jonah, walked to her with a tablet in hand. "We've tightened the second quarter projections and restructured the proposed synergies to reflect your notes. Want a quick rundown before we loop in Faraday's board?"
"Yes," she replied, already scanning the data. "And have Cora prep the livestream link. I want every major investor briefed before lunch. I don't like giving anyone time to spin a different narrative."
Jonah nodded and moved quickly.
For the next hour, she worked like a machine—polishing, cutting, refining. By the time the Faraday team dialed in, Elina's presence alone had already set the tone. The pitch began, and within five minutes, it was clear Lane Innovations had the upper hand.
Even the Faraday CEO, a silver-haired veteran named Linus Grey, nodded in impressed silence.
Until midway through the call—
The conference door cracked open.
She glanced up sharply.
It was Aidan.
Wearing tailored gray slacks and a navy sweater, effortlessly calm. He met her eyes across the room.
She blinked once. He didn't move closer.
Instead, he took a seat quietly near the back and pulled out his tablet, as if he belonged there. As if the tension hanging between them didn't exist.
Elina swallowed her surprise and kept speaking.
"—and as you'll see in slide 23, we project a 16% increase in overall market share by Q4, assuming the board approves the asset integration schedule."
She clicked through the next slides smoothly, voice steady. But her heartbeat wasn't. Not with him here.
And when she finally wrapped up, the Faraday team applauded lightly through the screen. Linus's voice came over the call.
"Impressive as always, Ms. Lane. We'll reconvene after internal review, but I foresee a unanimous green light."
"Thank you, Mr. Grey. We'll be ready."
As the screen blinked off and the staff filed out, murmuring congratulations and relief, Elina stayed behind, gathering her notes.
She didn't look up until the room was nearly empty.
And then it was just her.
And him.
---
Aidan stood slowly, slipping his tablet back into his leather folio. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—they were locked on hers.
"You ran that meeting like a queen," he said, his voice low, steady.
Elina arched a brow. "Did you come here to observe my leadership or remind me of our unfinished conversation?"
"Both."
She exhaled sharply, setting her presentation remote down with a click. "You shouldn't be here, Aidan. Not now."
He stepped closer. "I wasn't lying, Elina. About anything. Isla showing up? I didn't plan that. But I also didn't come here today to talk about her. I came to talk about us."
"There is no us," she said tightly. "There's a merger. There's strategy. There's whatever we're pretending not to feel. But us? That's too dangerous."
He stopped just short of touching her. Close enough that she could smell his cologne—clean, sharp, and unmistakably him.
"Then why didn't you stop me? Last night. On the roof."
Her breath caught. "I should have."
"But you didn't."
The silence stretched thin between them. A single breath could have broken it.
Elina folded her arms, a shield against everything she didn't want to admit. "This thing between us—it clouds my judgment. Makes me question myself. And I can't afford that."
"Or," he said carefully, "it's making you feel something real. Something outside spreadsheets and board votes."
Her lips parted slightly. His words struck something in her she hadn't expected—truth.
She turned away. "You're relentless."
"Only when it matters."
A beat passed.
She looked back at him, and something in her face softened. Just slightly. "Do you always have to show up in the middle of my most important meetings?"
"Only when I miss you."
It was too much. Too honest. Too dangerous.
But her hands didn't push him away when he reached for them.
They stood there—two CEOs, two guarded hearts—staring into a space that neither spreadsheets nor strategy could define.
She squeezed his fingers once before letting go.
"Lunch. One hour. Neutral ground."
His lips curved, not into a smirk, but a smile. "Deal."
As he left the room, Elina stared at the door for a long moment, her heart still pounding.
Maybe letting him in was her greatest risk yet.
But maybe, just maybe, it was worth it.