He studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to her surprise, his smile returned, softer this time. “You’re my Cinderella, you know that?”
Alessia’s breath caught in her throat, and she looked away, the words hitting her harder than she expected. “Theo, please. Don’t do this.”
“Do what?” he asked, his tone light but his eyes serious. “Tell you the truth?”
“It was just a one-time thing,” she said again, though even she didn’t believe the words anymore.
“Was it?” Theo asked, raising an eyebrow, his gaze unwavering.
***
The boardroom at Kane Enterprises buzzed with the hum of serious discussion. Alessia sat at the head of the long glass table, a sleek pen in hand as she jotted notes onto a notepad. The room was filled with her top executives, all pitching strategies for an upcoming merger that could position the company for exponential growth. The tension in the air was palpable as charts and spreadsheets were projected onto the wall, each statistic scrutinized.
“We’re looking at a 20% increase in market share if we proceed,” said Marcus, the head of strategy, pointing to a bar graph. “But it hinges on securing the deal by the end of the quarter.”
Alessia nodded, her sharp gaze fixed on the screen. “What about the risks? If this merger falters, we could be looking at significant losses.”
“True,” interjected Clara, the CFO, her tone cautious but firm. “But the projections are solid. If we mitigate the risks early by restructuring key departments, we can soften any potential fallout.”
The team continued to debate, each voice adding a layer of complexity to the decision. Alessia’s mind was focused, but beneath her composed exterior, a flicker of distraction lingered. Over the past few days, her phone had been buzzing more than usual, and she knew exactly why.
As the meeting reached a crescendo, with heated discussions bouncing across the table, Alessia’s assistant, Claire, slipped into the room. In her hands was a bouquet of fresh white roses, their delicate fragrance immediately filling the air.
“Excuse me, Ms. Kane,” Claire said softly, approaching Alessia with a sheepish smile. “These just arrived for you.”
The entire room paused, heads turning to watch as Alessia accepted the bouquet. A small envelope was tucked into the arrangement, and she recognized the handwriting immediately: Theo Deveraux.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she maintained her composure. “Thank you, Claire. Let’s finish this meeting and then regroup later for next steps.”
The executives nodded, though Alessia could feel their curious glances lingering as she dismissed them. Once the room cleared, she opened the envelope.
Inside was a simple, handwritten message:
“Dinner tomorrow? Let me make it up to you. – Theo”