Chapter 6 — The Meeting He Shouldn't Attend
Lena settled into her desk with her heart still fluttering from Harper's surprise visit. Her best friend's presence always grounded her—right up until Adrian Cross had walked past like some gravitational force that sucked the oxygen out of the building.
She took a shaky breath and focused on her screen. She had a list of emails to send, files to review, and a briefing to prepare for the afternoon strategy meeting.
A meeting Adrian never attended.
He sent department heads instead—he preferred working from his private floor, away from the chaos he so expertly controlled.
So she was safe.
Or… she thought she was.
Around noon, a message popped into her inbox.
CEO CROSS — Mandatory attendance. All executives and junior analysts. Conference Room 3. 2:00 PM.
Her stomach dropped.
Conference Room 3 was small, intimate. Only about twelve seats. Normally the CEO didn't even step into that wing of the building.
She reread the message three times, hoping she was hallucinating from caffeine and nerves.
"Wow," her coworker Jenna whispered. "He never comes down here. Something big must be happening."
Lena forced a nod, but inside, her heartbeat was doing laps.
Why was he coming?
Why now?
Why this meeting—the very first one she had to present in?
Her palms felt damp. She wiped them on her skirt. Adrian's presence always made her feel like she was standing too close to a fire she didn't realize she'd built herself.
At exactly 1:58 PM, Lena slipped into the conference room, taking a seat near the end of the long table. Executives filled the space around her, talking in low voices, all trying to guess why the CEO would attend in person.
The tension was thick.
Then the room fell silent.
Adrian Cross entered.
No rushing. No hesitation. Every step consistent, controlled, and unbearably confident.
He didn't nod, didn't greet anyone—just scanned the room until his gaze found Lena.
It stayed there.
Held.
Pinned.
Her breath caught.
He didn't look away.
He didn't even pretend to.
He walked around the table, eyes still locked onto her as if she were the only one in the room. Her heart pounded so loudly she swore the executives beside her could hear it.
Finally, he reached the head of the table, pulled out the chair, and sat. His gaze dropped only then—to the documents in front of him.
But Lena could still feel him. Like static on her skin.
"Let's begin," he said.
His voice was low enough to make the stainless steel table hum.
The meeting progressed with slide presentations, figures, charts, and forecasts. Lena kept her head down, hyper-aware of every shift in Adrian's posture.
When it was her turn, she stood with the report clutched in her trembling hands. She walked to the front, clicked the laptop, and the first slide appeared.
She inhaled.
She could do this.
She cleared her throat softly. "For the last quarter—"
Her voice cracked.
Adrian lifted his head at the sound, and she immediately looked away.
Deep breath, Lena. Get a grip.
She continued, speaking more clearly this time. Words came easier as she focused on the data instead of the man watching her like she was performing solely for him.
Midway through the presentation, she dared a quick glance at him.
He wasn't taking notes. He wasn't checking his phone. He wasn't talking to his executives.
He was watching her.Only her.
As if he were memorizing every word she spoke.
When she finished, the executives nodded politely, some whispering to each other. Adrian leaned back in his chair, still watching her.
"Thank you, Ms. Hale," he said quietly, voice a shade deeper than usual.
She swallowed.
He didn't thank anyone else.
She sat down, hands shaking slightly beneath the table.
The meeting wrapped up after another fifteen minutes. Chairs scraped. Papers shuffled. People filed toward the door.
Lena kept her eyes glued to her notebook, hoping—praying—Adrian would leave without speaking to her.
No such luck.
A shadow fell over her desk.
"Walk with me," he said.
Not a request.
She looked up slowly, pulse hammering. Adrian's expression was unreadable—calm, sharp, and somehow smoldering.
"I—I still need to go over—"
He simply waited, patient but immovable.
Lena closed her notebook and rose from her chair.
He stepped aside, allowing her to exit the conference room first. She passed him, heart pounding, and he walked beside her down the hallway.
Not too close.
Not far enough.
The hallway was quiet, empty. Everything suddenly felt too intimate.
"You handled yourself well today," he said.
Her breath stuttered. "Thank you. I was… nervous."
"I know."
She paused. "You know?"
He looked down at her—really looked.
"You don't hide it as well as you think."
Her cheeks warmed.
He stopped walking. She stopped too, unsure if she was supposed to keep going or stay.
Adrian's eyes softened, just barely. "And that's not a weakness, Lena."
Her name in his voice almost unspooled her.
He searched her face for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his gaze—like he wanted to say something more, something deeper, something he shouldn't.
Then he looked away sharply.
"That's all," he said, regaining his controlled tone.
But his hand brushed hers as he turned.
Barely.Just a whisper of contact.
Enough to make her whole world pause.
And he walked off down the hall without another word, leaving her breathless and burning.