AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod, feeling a mix of disappointment and relief. "Thank you, Mr. Winthrop. I appreciate your support, more than you know."
As we rejoin the rest of the conference attendees, I can't shake the feeling of the moment we just shared. The tension, the electricity, the unspoken words hanging between us.
I know that pursuing anything more than a professional relationship with Grayson would be a risk. I’m not the girl who gets to marry my billionaire boss. If I keep my head down and work, I can blend in, and that’s really the best I can hope for.
We’re simply cut from different cloth.
Yet, when I’m with him, I feel like I belong.
6
GRAYSON
As we return from the business conference, I find myself grappling with a swirl of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I'm incredibly proud of Amara and the poise and professionalism she displayed throughout the event. She truly shone, impressing my colleagues and industry peers with her insights and dedication.
I can no longer deny the growing attraction I feel towards her. The jealousy that coursed through me when I saw her laughing and flirting with that businessman, Ethan, caught me off guard.
Something fired within me when I saw him make her laugh. Maybe it was the way she threw her head back. Or maybe it was seeing her at ease with someone other than me.
The tension that crackled between us during our private moment at the reception was almost overwhelming. The more time I spend with her, the harder it becomes to ignore my attraction. Her intelligence, her strength, her beauty – they all draw me in like a moth to a flame.
If I was looking, which I’m not.
But if I was, she would tick off all the boxes.
In a coordinated attempt to continue my complete control of the situation, I try to create some emotional distance between us. I become more formal in my interactions, addressing her only as "Miss Jeffries" and keeping our conversations strictly focused on work matters.
But Amara, ever perceptive, senses the shift in my demeanor. She shoots me questioning looks, her brow lined with concern.
Luckily, I’m able to keep my distance for the rest of the conference. She looks disappointed, but very professional and understanding, which only makes me want her more.
Over the weekend I work out hard, and hit the gym to go at it with my sparring partner, working out my emotions on the mat.
Just as I start to feel like I'm getting a handle on my wayward emotions, Monday arrives and an unexpected visitor arrives at my office – my ex-girlfriend, Sophia.
I look up to see Sophia sweep into my office, her presence filling the room like a noxious cloud. "Son of a bitch," I mutter.
She bursts into the room like a hurricane, her expensive French perfume filling the air with a suffocating sweetness. She looks damn good. As always. Apparently, she’s been hitting the gym harder. She looks good. Good and furious. A force of nature, her eyes flashing with anger and accusation as she levels her gaze at me, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the leather of her designer handbag. "Well, well, if it isn't the great and powerful Grayson Winthrop," she sneers, lips curled in a mocking smile. "Too busy playing house with your new assistant to remember you actually have commitments?"
Amara, ever the professional, tries to excuse herself from the situation. But Sophia won't have it, insisting that she stay and bear witness to our "dysfunctional dynamic."
I lean back in my chair, feigning nonchalance despite her toxic energy. "Sophia. To what do I owe this… uninvited visit?" I ask coolly. "I didn't realize scorned exes were making house calls these days."
Her eyes narrow to slits. "Don't get snide with me, Grayson. We both know you've been neglecting our relationship ever since that doe-eyed little thing started batting her lashes at you."
"There is no--"
She cuts me off with a single finger pointed in my direction. The woman infuriates me. Beautiful, smart as a whip, successful, rich and intelligent. Heiress to the Bellerose fortune, one of the oldest and most prestigious families in France. Her great-grandfather made millions in the wine industry, and now the Belleroses own vineyards, luxury hotels, and high-end fashion brands across Europe.
Sophia herself is a force to be reckoned with, a deadly combination of charm, ambition and cunning. She's used to getting what she wants, and right now, it seems that what she wants is to make my life a living hell.
She whips her head towards Amara, who has remained stone-faced throughout the venom-laced exchange. "And you...You must be so proud, weaseling your way into Grayson's bed by working your way through his office first."
"That's enough, Sophia," I interject sharply before Amara can respond. "There's no need for your pedestrian insults and baseless accusations."
"Pedestrian?" Sophia scoffs, tossing her perfectly coiffed blonde hair over one shoulder. "Well you certainly have a tongue on you today."
I level her with a look that could freeze hellfire. "I think it's time you made your exit, Sophia. Before you further embarrass yourself with this childish tantrum. Our relationship is over. You need to leave -- both my office and my life."
