Chapter 6 - The Boardroom Interruption
Monday morning arrived with the relentless efficiency of a freight train.
By 9:00 AM, I was back at my desk outside Adrian’s office, wearing a sharp charcoal blazer and crisp white blouse, my hair pinned back into a sleek bun. On the surface, the illusion of professional distance was fully restored. The emails were answered, the calendar was optimized, and the corporate machine was humming along without a hitch.
Except for the small detail that Adrian had spent the entire weekend kissing me against the kitchen island after Noah had finally gone to sleep.
The memory of his hands in my hair, the heat of his lips, and the raw, unguarded look in his gray-blue eyes kept sending electric shudders down my spine every time I looked at the glass double doors of his office.
At 10:30 AM, the senior vice president of operations, Richard Vance—a pompous, old-school executive who viewed my position as nothing more than glorified administrative typing—marched up to my desk without an appointment.
"Miss Miller, I need Mr. Kane to sign off on the European supply chain rerouting immediately," Richard barked, tapping a thick manila folder against my desk. "Interrupt him."
"Mr. Kane is currently reviewing the quarterly risk assessments," I replied smoothly, not looking up from my screen. "You have an appointment scheduled for 2:00 PM this afternoon. You can present it then."
"I don't have time to wait until two o'clock," Richard sneered, his voice rising in condescending irritation. "Tell the boss his most profitable division isn't going to wait around while his secretary plays gatekeeper."
Before I could deliver a professionally lethal response that would likely result in Richard’s immediate termination, the glass door behind me swung open.
Adrian stood in the doorway. He looked terrifyingly imposing in a tailored navy suit, his expression carved from solid ice. The temperature in the entire executive wing seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Mr. Vance," Adrian said, his voice dangerously soft. "Did I hear you correctly? Did you just refer to Miss Miller as a gatekeeper?"
Richard swallowed hard, instantly shrinking back an inch. "Ah—Mr. Kane. I only meant that—"
"You meant that you don't respect the chain of command in my office," Adrian interrupted, stepping forward until he loomed over the older executive. "Evelyn runs this entire floor. If she says you wait until two o'clock, you wait until two o'clock. And if I ever hear you speak to her with that tone again, your next quarterly review will consist of handing in your security badge. Am I understood?"
Richard’s face paled. "Crystal clear, Mr. Kane."
"Get out of my sight."
Richard practically scrambled back down the hallway, leaving a wake of absolute silence behind him.
I sat frozen at my desk, my heart hammering against my ribs. Adrian turned slowly, his gray-blue eyes locking onto mine. The icy CEO mask was completely gone, replaced by a fierce, protective heat.
"You didn't have to do that," I whispered, standing up slowly. "I can handle Richard."
"I know you can," Adrian said quietly, closing the distance between us until he stood right beside my desk. He reached out, his long fingers gently brushing against my knuckles. "That doesn't mean I want to watch anyone disrespect you. Especially not in my building."
"Adrian, people are watching," I murmured, glancing nervously down the corridor.
"Let them look," he replied, his voice dropping into a low, resonant rumble that made my knees weak. "I'm tired of hiding behind corporate policies, Evelyn. And more importantly... Noah is currently asking when we're getting married."
I choked out a startled laugh. "We haven't even had an actual date outside of a panic-induced Italian dinner and pancake disasters!"
"Then let's fix that," Adrian said, his gaze holding mine with absolute, unyielding certainty. "Friday night. No office talk, no emergencies, no kids. Just you and me."
Before I could answer, the elevator dinged, and out stepped Noah, holding a security guard's hand after being dropped off by his after-school program.
Noah spotted us instantly, trotted over, and looked up with a knowing grin. "Are you two talking about the wedding plans yet? Because I call ring bearer."
May you like
Adrian groaned softly, but the smile breaking across his face was radiant. He looked at me, his gray-blue eyes shining with an emotion that terrified and thrilled me all at once.
"Well, Miss Miller?" Adrian murmured softly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "What do you say? Are we taking the promotion?"
