The Proud CEO

Eliana couldn't focus.

The file sat open on her screen, numbers and charts blurring together. Her mind, however, was stuck replaying Adrian's words from the day before.

"Then we talk about what else we've been avoiding."

Avoiding. She hated how right he was.

She had come to Cole Industries to prove herself. But now, her days were starting to feel like a tug-of-war between ambition and attraction. And Adrian? He was no longer just the charming CEO—he was the distraction she couldn't delete.

A soft knock on her office door broke the silence.

"Hey," Julian, her teammate from data, peeked in. "You okay? You've been staring at that same slide for ten minutes."

Eliana forced a smile. "Just crunching numbers in my head."

"Looks painful," he joked. "Want to grab lunch?"

"I can't. Got to meet with Victoria in twenty."

Julian's eyes flickered—curious, maybe concerned. "She's a shark, you know. Word is she doesn't like anyone getting too close to the boss."

"I'm not trying to get close," Eliana said too quickly. "Just trying to do my job."

Julian raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, no judgment. Just... be careful."

As he left, Eliana let out a sigh. She was tired of warnings. Of being told what lines not to cross.

Victoria Kane didn't waste time.

"You're not just smart," she said as Eliana entered the glass-walled conference room. "You're making waves."

"I thought that was the point."

"It is," Victoria replied. "But waves crash eventually."

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"It's supposed to prepare you." Victoria leaned in, voice low. "You want Adrian's respect? Earn it. But if you want more than that... tread carefully. You won't be the first."

Eliana's eyes narrowed. "You're speaking from experience?"

Victoria's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'm speaking from wisdom."

By nightfall, Eliana stood on the rooftop of her apartment building, city lights dancing in the distance. The air was cool, the skyline glittering like secrets waiting to be confessed.

She pulled out her phone.

No new messages.

No surprise.

He didn't chase. Adrian Cole didn't need to.

But then—Buzz.One text. From him.

Adrian: Still want to prove yourself?

Adrian: Come to the penthouse tomorrow. 8 PM. There's more to the deal.

Her fingers hovered over the screen.

And then she typed back:

I'll be there.