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69 - Invitations
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“You can sit there,” the boy said after letting Atlas into the apartment. He pointed at the worn, beige-colored three-seater couch against the wall with a folded blanket left on its rightmost cushion.
Atlas took off his shoes upon seeing the boy do so, and then proceeded to where he had been directed. He could hear the sounds of water running somewhere past the narrow hallway toward the back; no doubt Jia had rushed in to take a shower as soon as she entered. He wondered how she would react when she came out to find a surprise waiting for her.
“My sister’s coming back in a second. She said she was taking the trash out so that we aren’t overflowing in it when you come in.”
Atlas reacted only with a gracious nod, and he was gifted with a grin and disarming shrug.
“She still doesn’t like you.”
This wasn’t one of his business meetings, negotiating with someone almost half his age in jean
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In the Shadow of the CEO 71 - Kept Secrets
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In the Shadow of the CEO 72 - Discretion
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In the Shadow of the CEO 73 - Responsibility
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In the Shadow of the CEO 74 - Rejection
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In the Shadow of the CEO 75 - Stop
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In the Shadow of the CEO 76 - Vapors
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In the Shadow of the CEO 77 - Repercussions
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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for the story's conclusion, I'm happy to let readers leave off the story on a thoroughly final note.As a result, I have withdrawn plans to write a sequel and will leave the story as is.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
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In the Shadow of the CEO 93 - Adjustments
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In the Shadow of the CEO 92 - Games
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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
