Chapter 88 Adeline
Adeline's POV
Two weeks. That was how long we had been playing this agonizing game of pretend.
Every morning, I woke up in Zara's guest room and put on the dress of the day. I walked to the coffee cart and then to the subway, all the while feeling Percy’s men on me. I could tell that they were watching me. It was annoying, but sometimes, it felt good to know that I was being watched over.
Then, I would step onto the executive floor of Royal and Associates, where the real torture would begin.
"Mr. Akilov."
"Miss Volkov."
We were professional, but Percy was not a man who accepted a stalemate gracefully. I was forcing him to play the role of my boss, and in return, he made sure I felt it every single second of the day.
It was Thursday afternoon, and it was also the day I presented the final restructuring plan for the case I was working on to the board.
Percy sat at the opposite end of the table, leaning back in his leather chair with his suit jacket unbuttoned. His dark eyes were fixed on me, and he wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.
"The primary obstacle we are facing," I said, forcing my voice to project clearly, "is the aggressive nature of Goldenstarz's current board. They are viewing this integration as a hostile takeover. They are fiercely guarding their assets and resisting the merger."
"Are they?" Percy’s deep voice interrupted.
I paused and gripped the edge of the podium. "Yes, Mr. Akilov. Their legal counsel has set up incredibly rigid boundaries regarding operational control."
Percy stopped twirling the pen and sat up.
"Boundaries are often just a negotiation tactic, Miss Volkov," Percy murmured, and I just knew this was one of his games. "Don't you agree? When one party holds all the leverage, the other eventually realizes that resistance is exhausting."
I felt the heat rising in my cheeks, but I refused to break eye contact. "The law requires mutual consent, Mr. Akilov," I countered. "You cannot simply force a merger just because you have the capital. Goldenstarz wants their independence."
"Independence is a lonely business model. They are currently vulnerable to external threats. They have liabilities they cannot defend against. Usually, in these scenarios, the opposing party realizes the benefits of my... protection... and submits on their own," he smirked.
Someone at the table shifted uncomfortably. I was not the only one feeling the tension.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly entirely dry. "Their CEO is stubborn."
"I am aware." Percy lowered his voice. "But I am an incredibly patient man. I will slowly dismantle every wall they put up until they realize they belong to me. Tell their counsel to prepare for a full acquisition."
I stared at him. He wasn't talking about Goldenstarz, and we both knew it. "I will draft the revised terms." I managed to say, quickly turning off the projector to hide my trembling hands.
Percy sat back in his chair, looking like the cat that licked the milk, all smug and satisfied. "Excellent. Meeting adjourned. Everyone is dismissed except Miss Volkov. We need to review the clauses before London wakes up."
Soon we were alone, and true to his words, all we did was work. The hours dragged on, and soon, it began to rain outside, plunging the office in darkness save for the lamps.
My head was throbbing. Percy was standing by the windows as he finished a call on his corporate phone with the London board. He had shed his suit jacket hours ago, and I was now left with the view of his broad shoulders.
"Yes, the indemnification parameters will be revised and on your desk by Monday morning," Percy said smoothly. "Goodnight."
When he was done, he faced me and walked back to where we had set up camp, except he didn't stop at his side; he headed to mine.
He stopped right behind my leather chair, and I froze, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.
"You need to eat," Percy murmured, his deep voice vibrating in the quiet room.
"I'm fine," I lied, my voice tight. "I just need to finish this section..."
"I didn't ask if you were fine. I said you need to eat."
A heavy paper bag was suddenly set on the table right next to my laptop. The rich, spicy scent of my favorite Pad Thai from a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place in the West Village drifted up. He hadn't asked what I wanted. He just knew.
"Thank you," I whispered, staring at the bag.
Percy didn't move away. He leaned over me, placing one large hand flat on the table beside my laptop, boxing me in just enough to make my breath hitch. He reached for the Vanguard file sitting near my elbow. The movement made our arms brush. I couldn't hide the gasp that came from his touch.
Percy’s face was inches from my parted lips. His gaze roamed my face without even trying to hide the yearning in it.
"Do you have any idea," Percy rasped, his gaze dropping to my lips, "what you are doing to me, Adeline?"
My chest heaved. I gripped the armrests of my chair to stop my hands from reaching up to pull him down to me. "We are working, Percy."
"I don't give a damn about the work," he ground out, and I found myself squirming in my chair at the heat that came from his body. "I have spent fourteen days sitting across from you, using legalities just to have a conversation with the woman I love. I watch you pretend I mean nothing to you, and then I go back to that empty penthouse every night, and I lose my goddamn mind."
"You made your choices and I made mine." I countered, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady.
"Your choice is killing us both," he whispered fiercely. His free hand came up to gently graze the sensitive skin right beneath my jawline. "Tell me you don't feel this. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't miss me."
I couldn't because that would be a lie. I missed him so much it was like missing air. Being apart from him pained me like a physical wound. My eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of his touch, and I leaned into his hand for one pathetic second.
Percy let out a ragged breath that I felt on my face. That's how close our faces were.
"Come home," he pleaded against my mouth as he leaned in more so our lips could brush.
The word "home" acted like a bucket of ice water over my weakening feelings.
I ripped my eyes open and practically shoved my chair back. I stood up and went to stand at the other end of the table.
Percy froze. His hand was still suspended in the air where my face had just been. He looked devastated, but this was not the time to think about his feelings.
"Thank you for the dinner, Mr. Akilov," I said flatly as I grabbed the paper bag because I was truly hungry along with my briefcase. "I will email you the revised drafts in the morning."
I didn't wait around to see his reaction.