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28 - Secrets
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“What do you mean, she’s gone? I thought you two have the same sixth period class? Didn’t you see her?”
Jia was huddled in the corridor that led to the restrooms, taking refuge in the dimly lit corner and speaking at a volume only slightly louder than a hushed whisper. Why was the music here so loud, she thought in rising irritation. She plugged her other ear with her index finger, struggling to hear her brother on the other end of the line.
“Yeah. She was there.”
His words sounded clipped. Was he nervous, or was he just rushing the conversation to get off the phone?
“How did you find out she skipped seventh?”
“It wasn’t like that. I was heading for the Mathletes meeting after dismissal, and someone told me she hoped Jini feels better soon.”
Jia gripped the cell phone so tightly she thought she could hear it creaking in her hand. “She’s not sick,” she said firmly. “She was fine this morning when you two left to get o
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In the Shadow of the CEO 29 - Bad Company
"Ms. Munson. I mean - Dolly. Everything okay?"The woman answered her with a long, slow blink. "That's what I was about to ask you," she said lightly. "You, uh, having some problems?""No," said Jia. "Just a minor hiccup. Did you need me for anything? I was just about to rejoin you."Easy, easy, she told herself. She couldn't seem like she was in too much of a rush to change the subject. She had gone through these paces far too many times with previous employers to make a silly mistake like that now. The more defensive and hasty she seemed, the more curious she would make them."I was just tired of looking at him. He's awful company."Well, she was right about that. If only Dolly knew exactly how awful Atlas was, all the horrible things he had done to Jia in the one night and one day since they had very unluckily reunited. She allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy of exposing all his mi
In the Shadow of the CEO 30 - Renegotiate
Dolly had excused herself to go to the restroom - well, more accurately, she had sprung up from her seat and stalked off in that direction - and now both women were absent from the table. Atlas looked down at his curly fries and considered sending it toppling off the table just to see if it they would stand up and walk off, too. He wouldn't be surprised.He only began to suspect something was awry when he turned and spotted both women returning at the same time. What, had Jia run into her halfway and decided to wait for Dolores, too? That was entirely unnecessary. He understood offering the utmost when it came to making important guests feel welcome and catered to, but escorting them to or from the restrooms was a step beyond. And not in a good way. When they next had a moment, he was going to have to inform Jia of that.But not now. Atlas watched as first his assistant slid into the booth followed by Dolores, but what particularly caught his attent
In the Shadow of the CEO 31 - Haze
"You don't even want to be here, do you?" Dolly asked.Jia looked up from where she had been staring down at her hands in her lap. They had been sitting in silence for only a few minutes now, Dolly on the far sofa and Jia sitting opposite her on the single-seater couch. The electric fireplace was happily crackling away just a few feet to their left."You don't have to keep up the whole professional thing here, by the way. I'm probably going to get smashed in like half an hour and not remember anything that happens tonight, so there's really no point."...But there was no alcohol stocked here, Jia wanted to point out. She'd peeked around the kitchen and pantries to make sure the other woman wasn't lacking anything, and the closest thing to wine she had seen was a carton of grape juice in the refrigerator. No alcohol at all."Um...There's no...""I have my ways," Dolly told her before she even f
In the Shadow of the CEO 32 - Retaliate
Jia closed the apartment door with a soft click, careful not to let the sound echo through the small unit and wake Jisu and Jini. They had made it home, after all. Even after a quick shower, her heart was still thudding away in protracted relief as she turned the lock and stuffed the key into her pocket. She had been afraid that she would come home to find their beds empty, that she had made a mistake leaving it up to Jisu to get his sister home.It said a lot about her that she had been uncertain. Said a lot about where she had failed and where she should have tried harder. For instance, leaving it up to one twin to find the other after she had disappeared from school. She would have to talk to Jini about it tonight, she knew, but she would cross that bridge when she got there. She wasn't looking forward to it.Jia stared down at the pavement as she walked to the bus stop. She should have been keeping her eyes up and staying alert
In the Shadow of the CEO 33 - Talks
Luckily, conveniently, there was a man waiting to drive them to headquarters in a small limousine instead of a cramped sports car. Why Atlas had picked Dolly up himself was a mystery in that case, but perhaps he simply wanted to make doubly sure that she was ready for him.Well, all things considered, Jia had made sure the job was done well. She was tired and she was sure she had dark circles under her eyes from the exhaustion creeping over her, and Dolly did look like she had just bit into an entire lemon, but they were all packed into the vehicle now and well on their way to Pandora Lights. The two women sitting next to each other and facing the rear, Atlas sitting across and watching them with his now-familiar cold stare. Black asphalt and white sidewalks and pristine buildings slid past them as they trundled down Manhattan streets in 8AM traffic. Besides the incessant honking that had begun to go up, how nice and
In the Shadow of the CEO 34 - Preparations
"Lydia, I owe you an apology for yesterday. I'm so sorry, you warned me and I didn't listen. And then..."What was Jia supposed to say? I'm sorry I made Atlas angry at you, I'm sorry I made him be so rude to you, I'm sorry he's such an ass and also that I don't think before I act -Lydia held up one slender hand and shook her head to dissuade Jia from apologizing any further. "The important thing is that Mr. Grayson didn't miss his appointment. It was incredibly important, and I shouldn't have cut it so close. He was right to reprimand me for it."How could she say that? She was the one in the right, and while Jia understood that sometimes that there was a need to pretend that the boss was always right, but surely this wasn't one of those times. They were alone in a room and there was no chance of Atlas overhearing. Jia had already extended the apology, too, knowing full well that the unfortunate incident
In the Shadow of the CEO 35 - Conference
By the time Jia finished her gripping story of the wild redhead woman and the adventures at the burger joint (Lydia's eyes had nearly bugged out of her head at the mention of such an undignified dinner experience), they were both standing in the hallway one door down from the conference room Atlas, Daniel, and Dolly were in. Soundproofed and solid, there was no way to tell if the talks were winding down yet, but that was fine with Jia: she liked talking to Lydia like this."And then we came here," she concluded, artfully omitting any mention of her working a night shift and leaving Dolly on her own until the morning. "It was a wild day yesterday. And after all that, she's leaving again this Sunday?"The blond nodded. "That's how it is most times. Mr. Grayson's clientele are all high-demand, so they lose a great deal of money the longer they remain not working under contract. Ms. Munson's a special case since all her contracts require redrafting, but
In the Shadow of the CEO 36 - Stubborn
Much like a clumsy gardener happily hacking apart the backyard and accidentally puncturing the water line, it was clear that Jia had just struck a nerve. She froze, torn between immediately apologizing and pushing the envelope. She was already neck deep anyway. And it really did grate on her nerves that he called her Ms. Moon, something only customer service representatives and telemarketers called her.And hearing him call Lydia by her given name while addressing her so formally made her uncomfortable too, as if it were drawing a wider divide between the woman and herself. Jia didn't like that, especially not after what had happened yesterday. For the sake of restoring their burgeoning friendship, Jia had to push a little bit. Make it a point to prove that she and Lydia were the same, that Atlas wasn't treating them any differently.(At least not in the way the woman might suspect.)"You call your clients mister and miss such and such," said J
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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
