Chapter 52 Chapter 52
Valentina
"I need the Rinaldi acquisition file printed and tabbed. And pull the revised projections from last quarter please Leah."
"Yes, ma," Leah said quickly, almost jogging to keep up with me as we rushed into my office.
I didn't slow down. I dropped my bag on the desk without care, the soft thud echoing through the room. My heels clicked sharply against the floor as I moved around my desk, flipping open drawers, pulling out the navy folder I had marked yesterday before I left the office.
My pulse was still annoyingly fast. Not from running. From the morning. From him. Focus, Valentina.
I skimmed through the pages, confirming the tabs were in place, then handed a second file to Leah.
"Boardroom," I said.
She nodded. "Yes, ma."
Together, we stepped out of my office and walked down the corridor. Employees greeted me with polite nods. I returned them with brief acknowledgments, already slipping into that composed version of myself. The one that didn't tremble. The one that didn't feel.
When we entered the boardroom, several members were already seated. Low murmurs floated through the air, but they quieted the moment I walked in.
I moved toward the chair beside the one reserved for Ambrose and sat down, placing the folder neatly in front of me.
Thank God I wasn't late. Technically, Ambrose and I had arrived at the building together. But he had gone to his office first. Of course. He always needed those extra minutes to settle in, to command the room before he even stepped into it.
A minute later, the door opened. Ambrose walked in. The room straightened instantly. Chairs shifted. Papers were adjusted. He took his seat without a word. The meeting began.
—
Chairs scraped back as everyone began gathering their documents. I stood, stacking my files neatly, already thinking ahead to my next task.
"Valentina."
I paused. Ambrose's voice was calm, but it carried weight.
"Meet me in my office."
He didn't wait for a response before leaving the room.
I frowned slightly. What was that about? During the meeting, he had looked... distant. Harder than usual.
Was it about the Rinaldi deal? The projections? Something I said?
"Leah," I said quietly as we stepped into the hallway. "Send the updated breakdown to legal. And make sure finance signs off before noon."
"Yes, ma."
I handed her the remaining folder and smoothed down my blazer before heading toward Ambrose's office.
Mr. Evans stood near the door. He gave me a respectful nod before opening it for me. Inside, Ambrose wasn't behind his desk.
He was seated on the sofa area instead. That alone made my stomach tighten slightly.
Mr. Evans stepped in behind me, then after a brief exchange of quiet words with Ambrose, excused himself. The door shut softly.
Leaving just the two of us.
I walked toward the seating area and took the opposite sofa. "You wanted to see me?" I asked evenly.
Ambrose studied me for a long moment before speaking.
"The board is concerned," he said at last. "About the pace of expansion."
I blinked. That was not what I expected.
"They approved the timeline," I replied calmly. "And the numbers support it."
"They approved it based on confidence," he countered. "Confidence needs maintenance."
There it was. "This is about optics?" I asked.
"It's about stability," he corrected smoothly. "You're moving aggressively. That's admirable. But aggression without reassurance creates doubt."
I held his gaze. "I've reassured them repeatedly."
"You reassure them with numbers," he said. "Not with presence."
A subtle warning.
"You think I'm not present enough?"
"I think," Ambrose said carefully, "that perception matters more than truth in our world."
Silence stretched between us. This wasn't just about business. I could feel it.
He leaned back slightly, folding his hands together.
"You're capable, Valentina. No one doubts that. But when you lead at this level, you cannot afford distractions."
My jaw tightened just barely.
"What distractions?" I asked quietly.
His eyes lingered on me for a second too long.
"Make sure there are none," he said simply.
A warning disguised as advice. I stood slowly. "Is that all?"
"For now."
I nodded once, maintaining composure. "Then I'll address the board's concerns."
As I walked toward the door, I could still feel his gaze on my back. Business. Power. Control.
That was the language we spoke here. And whatever Ambrose suspected he hadn't said it outright. But I knew one thing. He was watching.
By the time I settled into my office chair, I exhaled slowly and reached for the file on my desk when my phone buzzed.
Violeta.
I frowned slightly before answering.
"What did you do now?"
"Excuse me?" she gasped dramatically. "Why do you always assume I did something?"
"Because you usually do."
She ignored that.
"Sis," she said lowering her voice as if she was about to share state secrets. "You didn't tell me that that annoying guy is two faced."
My brows furrowed in confusion. "What annoying guy?"
A scoff came from the other end. "Ronan, of course."
I leaned back in my chair. "What are you talking about?"
"I just saw someone who looked exactly like him at the convenience store," she rushed out. "Exactly. Same face. Same height. Same irritating aura."
I rubbed my temple.
"I was ready to lash out at him," she continued. "I literally walked up to him to tell him to stop staring at me like that, and it turns out it wasn't even him!"
"Oh my God, Violeta," I muttered. "You are such a troublesome person."
"Me?" she exclaimed.
"Yes, you! What exactly did Ronan even do to you? Now you've practically attacked his twin in public?"
There was a pause. "...Twin?" she asked slowly.
"Yes," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Ronan has a twin brother. His name is Remy."
Silence. Then, dramatically. "Why does he need a twin? One is already too much."
I smiled despite myself. "Violeta. Let me ask you something."
"What?"
"Do you like Ronan?"
The reaction was immediate.
"Excuse me?!"
"Answer the question."
"Are you crazy?" she sputtered. "That arrogant, annoying, self-righteous human"
I let her rant. She kept going, listing every possible insult she could think of. But there was something about the way her voice tightened when she spoke his name. Something too defensive.
I leaned back in my chair, a small smile tugging at my lips.
"I know that's why you're different from Viviana," I said calmly when she finally paused for breath. "Viviana is calm. Composed. But you?"
"Don't."
"You're emotional. Loud. Dramatic. You only act that way when something gets under your skin."
"And Ronan does not get under my skin," she snapped quickly.
"Mm-hmm."
"I shouldn't have called you," she grumbled. "You're impossible. Bye."
The line went dead. I stared at my phone for a second before shaking my head. Troublesome girl.
But she sounded... alive. And that eased something inside me.
A knock came at my door. Before I could respond, it opened. Lucien stepped in.
He closed the door behind him quietly. He looked composed, as always. Dark suit. Controlled expression. But his eyes went straight to me.
"Hey," he said walking towards my desk.
"Hey," I replied.
There was no awkwardness this time. No forced distance. Just something quiet and steady between us.
"I heard how the board meeting went," he added.
I arched a brow. "Oh? Why didn't you come? Were you not allowed?"
A faint smirk touched his lips. He rounded my desk slowly and perched on the edge of it, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.
"I had work to handle," he said casually. "But it seems like you're doing a pretty good job in my father's company."
I lifted my phone, pretending to inspect it. "Mm. Is that a compliment?"
He studied me, eyes dark and assessing.
"If you want to take it as that," he said. "But that's not a compliment."
He reached forward, dragging my chair gently toward him until my knees brushed against his thigh. My breath caught.
"The only compliment you get from me..." he murmured slowly.
His fingers brushed my hair away from my face. The gesture was deliberate. Intimate.
His gaze dropped to my lips. Then back to my eyes.
Everything inside me fluttered. And before I could prepare myself, he closed the distance.
His lips touched mine. Soft. Brief. Gone too soon.
He pulled back and looked at me with quiet satisfaction.
"There," he said. "That's the compliment."
I stared at him, stunned for half a second.
"That's not fair," I protested, pouting. "You kissed me and didn't even allow me to kiss you."
His brow lifted. "Oh?"
"Yes," I said, narrowing my eyes playfully. "You can't just steal a kiss and retreat."
A slow grin curved his mouth.
"Who said I was retreating?"
Before I could respond, I grabbed the front of his suit jacket and pulled him back down to me.
This time, I kissed him. I felt his hand immediately slide to the back of my chair, steadying me. His other hand came to my waist, firm and possessive.
When we finally pulled apart, my heart was racing.
"There," I whispered. "Now it's even."
His thumb brushed lightly against my lower lip, eyes still locked on mine.
"Careful," he said quietly.
"About what?" I challenged.
He leaned closer, voice dropping.
"We're at work."
I swallowed. And for a moment, I wasn't sure if that was a warning...Or a promise.