Chapter 43 THE CHAIRMAN.
\~~~RAINA.
“And as projected in the third quarter…”
I paused, shaking my head
No, that wasn’t right.
The numbers on the slide behind me blurred for half a second, my brain catching up with my mouth. A soft murmur rippled through the room and my stomach dropped.
“I… am sorry,” I said quickly, lifting my head. “That should be the second quarter, not the third.”
I adjusted the remote in my hand, forcing my fingers to stop shaking, and gave a small, professional smile. “My apologies.”
I scanned the room out of habit, and at the faces of board members, managers, and a few people from the finance team before then my eyes landed on him.
Luciano.
Seated comfortably beside Alessia. Completely relaxed, and looking too present.
My heart skipped, then slammed hard against my ribs.
What the hell is he doing here?
My pulse spiked and a very unprofessional curse rang loud in my head.
That bastard, fuck!
I had known from the second everyone stood up earlier, and from the way the air itself seemed to change, that he had entered. I just hadn’t expected him to sit there, watching like this was supposed to be entertaining.
I dragged my gaze away from him immediately, even though I could feel his attention on me, heavy and deliberate, like fingers pressing into my spine.
Focus, Raina.
I turned back to the screen, straightened my shoulders, and continued.
“As I was saying, the second quarter projections reflect a controlled but steady expansion into the western market...”
My voice steadied as I spoke and I clicked to the next slide.
“The logistics chain has been adjusted to reduce overhead costs by fifteen percent, primarily through local sourcing and renegotiated transport contracts.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I felt him shift.
No, don’t look at him.
Do not look at him.
I kept my eyes trained forward, on the board members, on the screen, anywhere but those sharp, knowing eyes. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me unravel.
Still, it was impossible not to feel it.
Luciano wasn’t just watching, he was enjoying this.
I knew the look even without seeing it. The faint curve of his lips, the calm confidence in the way he sat back, and the way he acted like he owned the room. Like he owned me.
My jaw tightened and I moved on quickly, going on with my explanation. I answered a question from finance without hesitation, and another from operations.
And to be honest, I felt my confidence grow with every sentence, even as my nerves screamed.
Wait, I AM GOOD AT THIS?!
I thought all I knew how to do was to sketch!
But… I could do this too?
Every time I shifted my stance or clicked the remote, it felt like Luciano’s gaze was still following and like he was cataloguing every reaction, and every breath I took.
I swallowed and took a sip of water, careful not to let my hand shake.
“As you can see,” I concluded, pointing at the final slide, “the expansion is sustainable, measurable, and aligns with the company’s long-term vision.”
A brief silence followed.
Then nods, murmurs of approval, and relief loosened something tight in my chest, but it didn’t last.
Because then I felt the lazy satisfaction rolling off him like heat.
I did not look at Luciano.
I refused to but deep down, I knew.
He was smirking, and he was loving every second of this.
______
I didn’t stop walking until I reached the elevator.
The doors were just about to close when a large hand slid between them, forcing them apart and my poor heart jumped straight into my throat.
Luciano stepped in.
I didn’t look at him, not even for a second. I kept my eyes forward and pressed the button to my floor, my jaw tight. I was still giving him the silent treatment, and I intended to keep it that way.
The doors slid shut and the space instantly felt smaller. Too small, in fact. His presence filled the elevator like thick smoke and it felt heavy, familiar, and dangerous.
I felt him move and before I could react, his body slammed me gently but firmly against the wall.
A gasp tore out of me before I could stop it. One second I was standing, the next his arm was caged beside my head, his body close enough that I could feel his heat.
“Luciano…”
“You did well today, my wife,” he murmured, his voice low, and satisfied. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”
His breath brushed my cheek slowly and deliberately.
My fingers curled against my skirt as my body betrayed me, heat rushing to places I hated how quickly he could awaken. God, I hated how close he was. And worse, I hated how good it felt.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to breathe.
“Of course I did,” I said, lifting my chin, even though my breath came out shaky. “I am Talia.”
A lie, of course. But, who cares?
Luciano’s lips twitched, amusement darkening his eyes. “Right, you are Talia,” he said softly. “And that is what makes this interesting.”
I turned my face slightly, trying to create distance, but there was nowhere to go.
“Would you like to quit your job?” he asked suddenly.
I frowned, my brows pulling together. “Excuse me?”
His hand dropped to the wall beside me, his fingers flexing. “I don’t like how those low-life men were looking at you,” he said calmly, too calmly. “It makes me want to gouge their eyes out.”
My stomach flipped at his possessiveness.
“This is ridiculous,” I snapped quietly. “You don’t own me.”
His lips brushed closer to my ear. “I do,” he said. “In every way that matters. I place you here, I can as well remove you.”
The elevator chimed before I could say anything and the doors slid open.
A group of employees stood outside, mid-conversation, but the moment they saw us, they froze and their heads bowed instantly.
“Chairman, Madam.”
My cheeks burned in embarrassment.
“Let go of me,” I whispered urgently, not daring to look at anyone.
“Why?” Luciano murmured, not moving. “Are you shy?”
“This is my place of work,” I said through clenched teeth. “Have some decency.”
He chuckled, deep and pleased. “Oh,” he said, finally stepping back, “someone is being professional.”
The doors began to slide shut again.
At the very last second, Luciano released me completely. The sudden absence of his warmth made my chest ache in a way I didn’t want to think about.
We both stepped out, side by side like nothing had happened.
But my heart was still racing, and my body was still humming.