Chapter 55
I stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying my hair. The apartment felt emptier than it had ten minutes ago.
"Adam?" I called out.
No answer.
I walked through the living room, checked the kitchen. Nothing.
Amy emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy, Uncle Adam went home."
"Oh." I crouched down and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, sweetheart."
After tucking Amy back into bed, I returned to the bathroom and plugged in the hair dryer. The hot air blasted against my scalp.
Why did he leave without saying anything?
---
Friday morning arrived with gray skies and the promise of rain.
Julian had texted me at 6 AM: Meeting at Sterling Global at 10. Be ready.
I dressed carefully—black blazer, white blouse, pencil skirt. Professional. Untouchable.
The Austin project was about to launch. Garrison Industries had been working overtime to finalize the proposal.
Julian picked me up at 9:15. He looked terrible—dark circles under his eyes, tie slightly crooked, jaw clenched tight.
"Rough night?" I asked as I slid into the passenger seat.
He shot me a look. "You could say that."
"The blind date with Miss Hartley?"
"Don't." He held up a hand. "Just... don't."
I studied his profile as he pulled into traffic. "That bad, huh?"
He turned to look at me. His eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "Do you want it to be smooth?"
I blinked. "What?"
"You heard me." His voice was low. "Do you hope things went well with Miss Hartley?"
The question threw me off balance. There was something raw in his expression, something vulnerable.
"Of course I do," I said quickly. "Why wouldn't I?"
Julian's mouth twisted into a humorless smile. "Well, you'll be disappointed."
"It didn't go well?"
"No."
"Why not?"
He merged onto the highway, his jaw working. "Miss Hartley didn't like me."
"What? That's—" I caught myself. "I'm sure that's not true."
"It is." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "She said I'm a player. That I need to change."
I waited.
"But here's the thing, Maya." He glanced at me. "I can't change. Not for her."
Oh.
I didn't know what to say to that. Part of me wanted to point out that maybe his attitude was the problem. That showing up to a date with that kind of defeatist mentality guaranteed failure.
But I bit my tongue.
"It's okay," I said instead. "If this one didn't work out, there'll be others."
"Right." His voice was flat. "There are plenty of fish in the sea."
"Exactly." I smiled encouragingly. "You just need to keep trying."
The light turned green. Julian accelerated harder than necessary.
Silence stretched between us. When I glanced back at Julian, he was smiling—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"You were totally judging me in your head just now," he said. "Weren't you?"
"What? No—"
"Come on, Maya. I know that look." He gestured at my face. "You think my attitude is why the date failed."
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
"I'm not judging," I said finally.
"Liar."
"I'm not!" I widened my eyes, trying to look innocent. "I just think... maybe if you approached it with a more open mind—"
"There it is." Julian grinned, but his eyes were still dark. "See? You were judging."
"I wasn't judging. I was... observing."
"Same thing."
"It's not—" I gave up. "Fine. Maybe a little."
He laughed for real this time. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly.
"You're a terrible liar, Maya Bennett."
"I'm an excellent liar," I protested. "You just know me too well."
The words hung in the air between us.
Julian's smile faded. "Yeah. I guess I do."
Something shifted in his expression—something I couldn't quite read.
I cleared my throat. "Did you review the final numbers for today's meeting?"
"Three times."
---
Sterling Global's headquarters loomed ahead—a sleek glass tower that reflected the overcast sky.
Adam's world.
We parked in the underground garage and took the elevator to the twenty-six floor. The conference room was massive—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbor, a table that could seat thirty people.
Other companies were already there. Everyone wore the same expression: polite smiles masking cutthroat ambition.
I sat down next to Julian and pulled out my notebook.
Before I could settle in, the door opened.
Adam walked in.
My breath caught.
He wore a charcoal suit that fit him like a second skin, his expression cold and unreadable. Behind him, James Cooper carried a stack of folders.
Adam's gaze swept the room and landed on me.
For a split second, his eyes softened.
Then he looked at Julian, and his entire face turned to ice.
"Good morning," Adam said. "Let's get started."
---
The meeting dragged on. When Julian finished his presentation, Adam leaned back in his chair.
"Interesting approach, Mr. Garrison," he said. "But I have concerns about your supply chain projections."
Julian's jaw tightened. "We've accounted for potential delays—"
"Have you?" Adam's tone was mild, but there was steel underneath.
"We have contingency plans."
"I'd like to see them."
Julian nodded stiffly. "Maya, can you pull up the appendix?"
I connected my laptop to the projector.
The screen flickered—then went blank.
James approached. "Let me get someone from IT."
"How long will that take?" Adam asked.
"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes."
Adam glanced at his watch, then at me. "Miss Bennett, do you know how to troubleshoot a projector?"
Every head turned toward me.
Julian's expression darkened. "Mr. Sterling, surely Sterling Global has technical staff—"
"We do," Adam interrupted. "But Miss Bennett is right there. If she can fix it, we save time."
His eyes met mine. There was a challenge in them.
"I can try," I said.
I crouched down and examined the control panel.
"Here." Adam's voice came from directly behind me. "The focus needs manual adjustment."
I stiffened as he leaned down. His chest brushed my back, his arm reaching past me.
"This one," he murmured.
His breath was warm against my ear.
Adam's fingers closed over mine, guiding my hand. The image sharpened.
We were too close. His cologne filled my lungs.
Someone coughed.
I jerked away and stood up. "It's fixed."
Adam straightened. "Thank you, Miss Bennett."
I returned to my seat. My pulse was still racing.
---
The meeting resumed. I focused on taking notes, but my eyes kept drifting toward Adam.
This was a different side of him—sharp, commanding, ruthless. He asked brutal questions, shot down weak arguments without mercy.
The meeting dragged past noon. My stomach was starting to protest. The fluorescent lights weren't helping—a dull ache was building behind my eyes. I pressed my fingers to my temples.
Adam's voice cut through the room. "Let's break for lunch. We'll reconvene at three."
Relief washed over me—until I looked up and caught Adam watching me, concern flickering in his eyes.