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16 - Redundant
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Jia spent the next minute attempting to discreetly catch Anthony’s eye so that she could properly greet him, but he appeared almost desperately adamant to avoid just such a thing. Finally, she gave up and turned her head to face forward, opting to stare at a particularly colorful abstract painting hanging on the opposite wall. She had never been an artist nor schooled in its intricacies, but she was fairly certain it was supposed to look like a trumpet.
Oh, this was killing her. She closed her eyes and tried to quash the boredom and agitation growing inside her now that she had nothing to do but wait. She checked the time on her phone for the seventh time and closed it again with a soundless sigh. Lydia wouldn’t return to the office for another ten minutes and some change; she hoped the woman wouldn’t summarily lose her mind at finding them gone.
But that was the least of her worries. Once Jia explained to her that she had reminded Atla
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In the Shadow of the CEO 17 - Soulless
“Then, if that’s all…?”Atlas stood up from the leather chair and extended his hand across the table toward George Burhock. They had sat at the end of it that was closest to the front of the room, well away from the door: though there was little risk of eavesdropping thanks to the soundproofing of the walls, Atlas could neither prove that nor did he expect the man to simply take his word for it. Emphasizing privacy was a demonstration of a small courtesy that he had no issue extending. Especially not for a multi-million dollar arrangement.“I see everything I’ve heard is true,” the older man said. He got to his feet with a grunt and reached over to shake his hand. “That has to have been the most soulless exchange I’ve ever partaken in.”Anyone else would have taken that as an insult, but Atlas considered it nothing but a point of satisfaction. What use was a soul in matters like these? “Efficiency, Mr. Burhock.” He withdrew his hand
In the Shadow of the CEO 18 - Careless
The goodbye was only temporary, so it was a quick affair: a brief handshake between everyone, a promise to meet again tomorrow, and then Mr. Burhock’s and Anthony’s subsequent disappearance into a waiting vehicle in front of the building. Jia gave them a final wave before the luxury sedan disappeared down the street, and then Lydia tapped her on the shoulder, urging her to follow. Atlas had already begun heading back inside.“Lydia,” he said just as they discreetly caught up to him with hurried but careful steps to avoid the tell-tale clatter of stiletto heels on the ground.“Yes, sir?”Lydia squeezed in through the revolving glass door just in time behind Atlas, leaving Jia behind to helplessly wait for the next enclosure to come sliding around. She didn’t even get a chance to overhear what it was that Atlas had to say, and she fervently hoped that missing his next words wouldn’t be her undoing. She hurried into the ad
In the Shadow of the CEO 19 - Regret
Firmly caught between Atlas Grayson and a hard place, Jia had nowhere to run. She couldn’t even muster up the courage to glance around for an escape route, for fear of breaking the stare that he had entangled her with like a sea turtle in a fishing net. Instinct told her that the moment she looked away, he would make her regret it.“I thought you had something to say, Ms. Moon.”Jia swallowed hard past the growing lump in her throat. “I - I did, sir” she squeaked, failing miserably in her attempt to stand her ground and hide her panic. Her voice completely broke on the last syllable.“Ms. Moon?”“Y-yes? Sir?”Atlas relaxed his arms that remained braced against the closed elevator doors on either side of Jia. He slowly leaned in, forcing her to press herself back harder into the metal. Maybe if she exerted herself, she thought, she could melt into the doors and become one with the buildi
In the Shadow of the CEO 20 - Negotiation
It didn’t take long for Jia to swear off riding in a car ever again, at least when it came to riding shotgun. Idling in the backseat where she couldn’t see most of the road was fine, but sitting in the front and feeling the dangerous proximity of every single other two-ton machine on the road made her feel sick to her stomach.She closed her eyes every time the car in front of them suddenly pressed their brakes, and wondered if her fate was to die of an unfortunate rear-ending after everything she had been through in her life. And every time Atlas changed lanes, she held her breath, waiting for the inevitable fatal collision with some other unwitting driver.But the worst were the massive tractor trailers that occasionally trundled along beside them like deceptively docile T-rexes. Jia stared out the darkened window at a white sheet of studded steel just above the gigantic tires that could crush Atlas’s sleek Lamborghini into scrap metal. She wonder
In the Shadow of the CEO 21 - Reservations
Jia had never been to the airport before, but if asked, she would have adamantly insisted that there was no such thing as a special terminal for VIP passengers only. Surely they had to come through the same dog door just as everyone else did, even if they happened to also have a celebrity’s welcome waiting for them once they disembarked.She was, of course, completely wrong.The Lamborghini coasted down a road that forked just ahead, with one lane leading into the airport pick-up area and the other going off in some other mysterious, winding direction marked only with a bland, forgettable sign: “616 DESIGNATED PICKUP.” It was cryptic and vague; on a dark night, she wouldn’t have ever chosen to wander that way.But of course, that was the lane that Atlas chose to take, because why not. At least it was broad daylight right now - if some modern day highway bandits were lying in wait for some unsuspecting driver to come alo
In the Shadow of the CEO 22 - Dolores Munson
How much did private jets cost, anyway?Jia didn’t think she wanted to know, frankly. Rich people with their luxuries that cost more than all the food it would take to feed the poverty-stricken in the city - she had to stop herself from physically shaking her head in disapproval. She marveled at her promised salary of a hundred thousand a year, and if not for the immense medical debt that still needed paying, she knew she would have money left over after the essentials. So how much did people who owned private jets make, and how could they possibly spend all of their income with so little remaining to share with others?She glanced sideways at Atlas, who was staring straight ahead and far too focused on the now-silent aircraft to notice her. She wondered briefly how much he made and whether he owned one as well. That would figure, she snorted inwardly. He seemed just the type to own several actually, even if he didn’t use them. Clearly
In the Shadow of the CEO 23 - Wretched
The men standing in front of the air stairs politely refused Jia entry until, faced with no other immediate options, she began to loudly call for Mark’s attention from the ground. The jet’s clamshell door was still open, and she could clearly hear the string of loud complaints and a cacophony of clinking glass bottles from inside.“Mark, I’m coming up!” she announced, making sure that her voice would carry up the stairs and into the cabin. Though she didn’t often flaunt it, she knew how to project her voice after years of working in busy food service establishments, and Mark must have heard her even past the racket he was currently enduring. “Tell them to let me in!”“Everything - stop that, please let go - everything’s fine here, Jia! We’ve got it all under control - ow!”“I don’t think that’s true, Mark, so if you could just let me help -”“Leave me alone, I own everything in her
In the Shadow of the CEO 24 - Sober
“Thanks, Mark. We’ll take care of her from here. And, um, good work.” Jia carefully patted the man on the single dry patch of his suit jacket. He reeked of rich wine even now despite having spent the last ten minutes airing himself out while Jia wrestled the half-comatose Dolly into the cramped backseat of Atlas’s car.Why had he brought a sports car knowing he would be carrying three passengers? It had just enough room to seat two; the backseat shouldn’t even qualify as anything other than maybe an oversized cup holder. There were talents roaming around Pandora’s lobby right now carrying purses that were bigger.“I…”“It’s fine, Mark,” she assured him before he could finish his stumbling sentence. “Mr. Grayson and I are on a bit of a schedule, so we’ll go ahead and leave, okay?”He made a vaguely assenting but also reluctant sound that Jia suspected she shouldn’t unpack. She wanted to get out of here.
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In the Shadow of the CEO Author's Note
The ending has been modified due to feedback from several readers that were unsatisfied with the ending. While I can't really say I'm proud of the cut version because it doesn't properly envison what I had in mind for the story's conclusion, I'm happy to let readers leave off the story on a thoroughly final note.As a result, I have withdrawn plans to write a sequel and will leave the story as is. But thank you all anyway for coming with me on this journey! :DFind me on facebook @ManaSolStories so that you can keep up with my other stories here on GoodNovel instead.
In the Shadow of the CEO Epilogue
Jia pushed Atlas away from herself with a furtive look around the dim rear hallway they found themselves in. "Stop that! Someone will see."But he didn't listen. With a low, rumbling chuckle in his chest, he pressed her up against the wall and nuzzled her neck, breathing her in as if he couldn't get enough of her scent. She did her best to keep from melting in his arms as they snaked around her, one around her waist and the other coming up to cup the back of her neck, but a small gasp left her lips when she felt him grind his hips against hers."The things you do to me," he whispered in her ear, and she had to bite down hard on her tongue so that she didn't let out a breathy moan and tremble against him.No, they were absolutely not doing this. They were in a restaurant. In public! At a party! The last time they had done this, they had almost gotten caught by a waiter and only barely managed to hide themselves in a tangled mess in the utility closet."Atlas -""Fine, fine," he said, an
In the Shadow of the CEO 95 - Offerings
When Atlas finally came to bed, it was already past two in the morning. Jia had let the twins know she wouldn't be coming home - and although they probably thought she was up to mischief, the reality was that she knew she couldn't leave Atlas alone tonight. Even now, he sat on the side of the bed, slouched over with his elbows on his knees.She sat up and rested her fingertips on his bare, muscular shoulder. He felt so strong, and yet..."Sleep," she told him. "You'll know what to do tomorrow."He reached back and grasped her hand in his before turning around and sliding under the covers beside her. She was ready when he pulled her close and began kissing her neck and working his way down her chest, pulling on her clothes with growing insistence. But instead of yielding, she reached up to cradle his face in her hands and urged him with slight pulls to lift his head and look at her."Atlas," she murmured as she stared up at him. "I'm glad you told me."He stilled, so she kept on."If yo
In the Shadow of the CEO 94 - Choices
Clearly, they weren't going to be heading back into the building anytime soon. Jia took a deep breath before turning to look at Ava, making sure her face betrayed nothing but steady composure."You care about Atlas," she said shortly, "and so do I. It's your right to doubt my intentions, but our relationship is ours and no one else's. Meaning that it's his choice to stay in one with me, just like it's my choice to do the same with him.""So, in other words, you don't care. About letting the company crash because you can't give him up?""...I'll consider everything you said to me today. You can interpret my intentions however you want. I care about Atlas. He is important to me. So is Pandora Lights. I am not 'giving' either of them up like I'm swapping trading cards.""That's a nice, self-righteous way of saying you'd rather screw the whole company over rather than let go of his money. Before you say it's not about that, I'll just remind you that it's funn
In the Shadow of the CEO 93 - Adjustments
"How is our new schedule working for you?"Jia pressed her knees together and looped her hands around them as she thought about how to answer. She liked this place more than she had thought she would the first time she came, and the second. It was strange how liberating it felt to be in the one place she felt the most vulnerable."I think it's good," she said. "I didn't think I'd want to be here more than I had to, but you were right. I felt a lot better this week. And I think I was more stable. Well, stronger, I guess.""That's good," Dr. Brody - or Lisa, she preferred - remarked. She smiled at Jia and settled back in her armchair. "Do you want to tell me about it?"She made herself more comfortable on the sofa as well. Their very first meeting a month and a half ago, Lisa had told her that she was free to lie down if she preferred, that the kind of therapy she conducted encouraged her to be as comfortable as she could be physically so that she could be
In the Shadow of the CEO 92 - Games
"Mr. Burhock!""Jia, so good to see you again. How are you! You look ten times more lovely than before, how is that possible? Maybe if I spin around once, it'll happen again."Mr. Burhock was his sweet, jovial self as usual as he pulled her into a hug and pounded her back a little too hard with his plump fist. He babbled on about his new grandchild and about the rigors of childproofing his house now that there would be yet another small baby running about wild. No, he wasn't his usual jovial self - he was exceedingly so, more than normal.They were meeting in the hotel lobby of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Ava would be here in a second as well once she adjusted her makeup in the bathroom. And then they would be off to a eat a celebratory dinner, a reservation at Burhock's favorite Greek restaurant. Jia was looking forward to it for more than one reason. For one, it was the one time Atlas would be eating with them instead of working himself to death in his offic
In the Shadow of the CEO 91 - Trees and Forests
"You should come help me."Jia had allowed Ava into the outer office when the woman came knocking, not bothering to ask how she had managed to come exactly at a time when Atlas and Lydia were in one of the conference rooms on the lower floor for a meeting. Then again, those two were getting busier and busier, and nearly a third of their day was simply attending video conferences; perhaps it was a coincidence after all.She had to stop suspecting Ava just because she was jealous. And she knew that was the reason, too. She had promised herself a week ago after the conversation in Atlas's car that she would remain self-aware, that she would handle herself with integrity when it came to the other woman. This was business. This was professional....It was still hard."What can I help you with?"Her response was the right one. She knew it already, but there was a pleased glint in Ava's eye as if she were impressed that Jia hadn't come running up with her
In the Shadow of the CEO 90 - Idyllic
Itwas nearly ten. Jia had begun to wonder if perhaps he would show up at all an hour ago, a stray thought that she could feel ballooning into another episode now that she knew what to look for. Knowing the enemy made it easier to fight, so she had spent a little time reorganizing the kitchen to take her mind off of Atlas and Ava and whatever they were talking about for the past five hours.When he did show up, she didn't even answer his call. She simply toed on her sneakers and shuffled out in a hurry with the shoes only half on her feet.He was standing outside his car and leaning against the passenger door. When he saw her appear, a faint smile turned up the corners of his mouth, and he opened it so that it could slide upward to let her in. She was already in a long, worn out white T-shirt and a pair of loose training pants, both of which had seen better days and absolutely did not suit the glamor of the car or the man who owned it -Stop, she told herse
In the Shadow of the CEO 89 - Concealed
Jia blinked and stared, not entirely certain that she had heard Atlas correctly. She couldn't have. It was only because she had been thinking hard about how to approach the topic of Ava tonight that she thought she'd just heard him say the name, that was all. She tried to step around Atlas and move closer to Erica to give her a proper greet since they hadn't seen each other since this morning for a cup of coffee (and water), but when she peeked around his shoulder, she found the woman staring straight at Atlas's face instead.It hadn't occurred to her how tall Erica was until now, as she watched them square off in an apparent staring contest. Or was it because she was standing up straight and squaring her shoulders, revealing her true height instead of carrying a moderate slouch when last they had met?In fact, everything about Erica was different now. Her appearance was the same, but her eyes were sharper and colder, and the way she tilted her head slightly at A
