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33 - Talks
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Luckily, 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
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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
In the Shadow of the CEO 37 - Clumsy
Who knew that standing here motionless for this long could take such a toll on the body? Atlas had the advantage, having only been out here for the last half hour, but Jia had been on her feet ever since she and Lydia had filed out into the hallway far earlier than that. These stilettos were doing a number on her heels. Surely her spine had compressed a few inches by now?And why was Atlas still standing out here as if he expected Dolly to beg him to come back inside any moment now? Jia hadn't known the woman for long yet, but she was confident that even Dolly were on fire inside the room this very moment and Atlas possessed the only fire extinguisher in existence, she would readily reduce herself to cinders and dust.Not too long ago, Jia had had the same opinion of him. Up until last night when she had spent eight hours wondering what exactly her game plan was, going forward. She still disliked him, but if he provided the paychecks, she would give him honest ef
In the Shadow of the CEO 38 - Amenable
"This is ridiculous.""Ms. Munson, please -""And oh, my God, if anyone calls me that one more time, I swear to God I'll - Jia! Get over here."Jia obeyed, hurrying with a sharp series of clicks as she scuttled over on her stilettos. Amazing how quickly she had become accustomed to brisk-walking in these without breaking her ankles. Didn't mean her toes felt like they were breaking any less."Hello, Dolly," she said cheerily, forcing her voice to sound as sunny as possible. She was complete faking it, of course, but it seemed like the atmosphere could use a little positivity, artificial or otherwise. The look on the redhead's face was abominably irritated, and Jia knew well that that was not a good sign. It was almost time for lunch and Atlas was due back anytime now - it was a miracle that Dolly had lasted this long, honestly."You hear that?" the enraged woman demanded, turning around to glare at Lydia and Daniel who had followed her out of
In the Shadow of the CEO 39 - Memory
"And...Dolly? This seat's open."On the other end of the table, the redhead turned her gaze on Jia only to give her a single baleful scowl. "It is open," she agreed. "Doesn't mean I want it." With that, she turned away again and leaned back in her chair, aggressively massaging her own shoulder with an angry look on her face."Aren't you hungry?""I can eat over here."Jia pressed her lips together for a second, and then turned them up in a wide smile. "You look sore. And tired. Why don't you eat and I'll take care of that?" She beckoned her over again with a flap of the hand.Dolly stopped for a moment and threw her a suspicious stare. "Take care of what."Jia didn't miss a beat. She raised her hands to shoulder height and pantomimed giving the woman a massage with a few flicks of the wrist before speaking again. "I'm at your disposal," she said cheerfully. "...If you'd like to join us. But you don't have to if you'd rather
In the Shadow of the CEO 40 - Professional
"Mr. Grayson -""Yes?"The sharp response lanced through Jia like a cold knife, and she had to steady herself so that she didn't rock back from the sheer frigidity emanating from Atlas right now. And yet there was a heat in his eyes that made her wonder if perhaps he wasn't about to physically pick her up and hurl her out the nearest window."Ms. Munson hasn't shared anything compromising about you, if that's what you're concerned about, Mr. Grayson."Jia made sure to hold his stare - no matter what! - so that he could see her earnestness. As much as she wanted to keep backing up to put more space between them, that would put her directly against the wall, and she remembered only too well what had happened the last time she'd done that."Then what exactly have you two bonded over? You're not much a drinker as far as I can tell, Ms. Moon."Well - how would he know that? What if she was, in fact, a drunkard on her own time? In truth, she
In the Shadow of the CEO 41 - Boyfriends
"You must be kidding."Jia spread her arms a little in a disarming, helpless gesture. "It'll be brief," she said. "I'm just supposed to make sure you're settled in comfortably.""You're babysitting me.""No," she insisted. "Mr. Grayson just wants me to -"Dolly's hand chopped at the air between them, narrowly missing Jia's nose with a swipe. "My God, just call him Atlas. If I hear one more person call him Mr. Grayson again, I'm going to lose it -""Atlas, sorry," she amended immediately. They were alone in the elevator as they dropped down toward the parking garage in the basement level; no one else was around to hear her call her boss so familiarly. If it meant soothing Dolly's aggressive outbursts, then the small sacrifice was more than worth it."So Atlas wants you to make sure I'm not playing with matches or taking candy from strangers -"More like taking candy from babies when it came to Dolly's personality, Jia thought pri
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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
