Morning sun streamed through the smoked glass of the boardroom of Reese Corporation. The city seemed to go on forever outside, gold and silver in the California sunlight. JM Reese strode in, his well-cut suit immaculate, face impassive the authoritative CEO to the finance man's eye.He was reaching the middle of reading the presentation script when the door creaked open.Breezy, polite, the familiar voice intruded.Jenny: “Good morning, Mr. Reese. I’m Jenny White, representing Zina Bank for today’s briefing.”JM’s hand froze over his pen. Slowly, he lifted his head.Their eyes met.For a moment, the air in the room thinned like time itself had folded between them.JM: (quietly) “Jenny.”Jenny: (composed) “Mr. Reese.”He forced a small smile, trying to break the tension.JM: “It’s been a while.”Jenny: "Since Tokyo. Yes. I didn't know I was going to run into you so soon."She moved to the end of the table, placing down her laptop and files. Her movements were professional, precise, b
The following morning after the gala, the sun came up over the Thompson Tower like a slow incineration, the light bending through the glass and steel lovely, but cutting. The peace following the gala had turned out to be short-lived.Clarisse Campbell took a seat at the head of the conference table, her computer open, a dozen pairs of eyes watching. Today marked the beginning of her biggest challenge to date taking charge of her first major international deal in her own name. Not under Saben's shadow.In the background, Saben stood in a corner, hands in his pockets. Pride and discomfort fought for dominance in his chest. He wanted to defend her, to intervene, to ensure no one disrespected her power. Yet he also understood she must stand on her own.Clarisse took a quiet breath, eyes resolute. "Good morning, everyone. Let's get started."Her voice was smooth, crisp — a CEO in the making.The transaction was with Reese Corporation, led by none other than Eva Ross. It wasn't an accident
The sun from California poured through the translucent white curtains, casting golden stripes through the bedroom. Clarisse woke up first, her eyelashes quivering as she opened her eyes into the warm light. The air was lightly scented with ocean air and coffee that unmistakable smell of home.She rolled a little and smiled. Saben slept on beside her, one arm across her waist, his hair disheveled, his face serene. Even for a man who bore the burden of an empire on his shoulders, he seemed impossibly young-looking in sleep serene, nearly vulnerable.Clarisse ran a fingertip along the angle of his jaw, whispering, "You look too good to be real."Without lifting his eyes, Saben's lips formed a sleep-grin.Saben: "Flattery in the morning? I can get used to this."Clarisse smiled softly. "You're awake."Saben opened his eyes, warm and deep. "I've been awake since you began looking at me like you were admiring a painting."She rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly. "Please. I was ju
The Tokyo-to-California flight was extended but serene. Clarisse rested against the glass, the gentle thrum of the engine dazing her mind from pride to fatigue. Beyond, the featureless white of clouds mirrored the serene pride in her heart the Paris agreement was done, and Saben's firm was now on the map of international acknowledgment.She smiled weakly, looking at Saben sitting next to her. He was reading some papers, his typical intensity unbroken, but every now and then, his hand would reach out for hers under the covers a gesture of comfort no success could substitute for the simplicity of it.Clarisse: "You know, I still can't believe we actually pulled it off."Saben grinned at her, lips twisting. "You did it. I've just signed the papers."Clarisse laughed. "You don't know how difficult it is to get this company to behave."Saben: "And you don't know how simple it is to fall in love with your genius daily."Her cheeks flushed, her laughter combining with the low announcement o
Tokyo's morning air was thick with momentum the kind that filtered through the corridors of Thompson Enterprises whenever a major deal was coming down the pike. Clarisse Campbell showed up early, her pace firm, her confidence beaming. But behind the smooth veneer of her equanimity, she sensed it — the stress, the pressure, the gaze that trailed behind her now no longer just as Saben Thompson's significant other, but as one of the up-and-coming players in his business.It was the beginning of the company's largest project of the year: a potential international agreement with Maison d'Argent, a Parisian luxury conglomerate. The deal potentially could bring Thompson Enterprises into an entirely new international market. And for the first time, Clarisse would be heading it.A New ChallengeIn the boardroom, there was an electric sense of waiting. Executives whispered as Saben stood at the table's head, his eyes scanning the team before coming to rest on Clarisse.Saben: "Maison d'Argent
The applause from the previous day’s celebration had barely faded when the next challenge arrived quiet, calculated, and wrapped in polite smiles.It began that Monday morning in the executive boardroom, where sunlight spilled through the tall glass walls, reflecting off the chrome and leather. The Thompson Enterprises board members had gathered for their quarterly review an event that usually flowed with routine reports and forecasts.But this time, the atmosphere was different.Clarisse sat next to Saben, her tablet lying open, posture set, yet an odd tension tingled under her skin. Before them across the long mahogany table was Mr. Kenneth Doyle, one of the company's top board members fresh, quick-witted, and infamous for his cynical outlook.He had been a member for only two months, coming in upon the unexpected retirement of an older colleague. In two months' time, he had earned a reputation for his biting remarks and relentless questioning.Saben saw him thumbing through the q