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78 - Accountable
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Jia understood. Lydia's deception had been far from malicious. If anything, it was proof that she was still looking out for her, contrary to Jia's worries all this past week that the other woman hated her. And maybe it was also true that Lydia had borne the burnt of the burden of the legwork for a while because she was uncomfortable being in the same office space as her, but she'd flat out admitted to concealing the truth from Jia in order to spare her feelings. Sure, she hadn't said it in so many words, but...
"Thank you."
The blonde pursed her lips and looked uncomfortable for a second, but in short order, she sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. Just...you've got to think a little more before you act. When it comes to something as big as Pandora Lights, you're talking about celebrities and up-and-coming stars and all the money that goes with it. That's billions of dollars exchanging hands per year. You've got to..." She shook her head again, but this time it was m
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In the Shadow of the CEO 79 - Talks
"Just so you know, none of them will blame Ms. Munson for anything, even though she was the one who broke her contract. She's too well-liked and has the best PR team money can buy."The elevator was halfway to the IT floor, the carriage humming around them as they continued to ascend. Jia turned to look at Lydia, surprised that she had spoken at all. She had thought the conversation was over already, but clearly not - and despite her current misery, she felt a sudden surge of defensiveness on Dolly's behalf."She has a right to her own life," she replied, although she kept her voice as matter-of-fact as possible so that she didn't come off as combative. "It should be her choice whether she wants to stay in the industry or not."The blonde nodded. "Yes. But that has nothing to do with legal obligations. When I say she broke contract, I don't mean that she put in a pink slip and announced that she was leaving.""Well, I mean...it was sudden, but -"
In the Shadow of the CEO 80 - Expectations
"So where do you want to start?"Jia closed her eyes as Atlas ran his fingers down the side of her face, the calluses following the dip of her cheek and down to her chin. She sighed. "Are we - dating?"It was a clumsy way to begin a talk so important, and she knew it. But it was better than nothing, and at least he looked amused rather than disappointed at her lack of eloquence. A smile quirked at the corners of his mouth as he took a lock of her dark hair between his fingers and raised it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to it, keeping his eyes on her face all the while, and she became even more acutely aware that she was still straddling his lap."I'd say that we are. I wish I'd been more plain about it if you've been doubting it so much.""No, it's not that," she hurried to say. "I just...wanted to be sure. Might as well.""Mm.""How serious is it?""How serious do you want it to be?"She took one hand off his shoulder a
In the Shadow of the CEO 81 - Avoidances
Atlas could only admit the problem to himself once he was back in his penthouse fresh after a shower, and that only because he was still riding the haze of a post-coital high. It was easier to face his problems when he was comforted by the fresh memory of Jia's soft body melting against him, her stammering cries and the way she couldn't ever seem to look him in the eyes as he made her come.He didn't know what that said about him. Maybe that he was a better person for having been inside her? And that if he wanted to stay that way, he was going to have to ask for her help a lot more often?But dry humor aside, they had skirted a topic tonight that he had long avoided. Not just with Jia but with everyone in his life, including those who had deserved better...but Daniel had never wanted to hear anything of it anyway. That chapter was closed for the both of them - except Atlas had decided to leave it behind while Daniel kept it chained to his ankle. A friendship that had s
In the Shadow of the CEO 82 - Traps and Techniques
It was a bad sign that Jia felt like an intruder in the backseat of William's car now. Obviously, she had become way too dependent on the comfort of riding to work with Atlas, holding hands and talking about whatever came to mind. Now she folded her hands in her lap and missed him fiercely in the silence, doing her best not to count down the hours to Friday.It was only the second day since he had left unexpectedly for Atlanta, and Lydia had of course gone with him. Jia now understood more than ever what Dolly had meant when she had explained that Atlas preferred devoted 'career women' as his assistants; how many people could get up in the middle of the night and leave within an hour to rush to the airport for a business trip? That was hardly enough time to give notice to family or friends, and she would have to appropriately cancel or reschedule all of Atlas's and her own appointments this week.Lydia worked so hard. Atlas was in good hands, and despite wishing
In the Shadow of the CEO 83 - Outside Opinions
Dolly had a point about one thing and one thing exactly: Jia needed to learn to make friends. It was true that the closest thing she had to a friend was Dolly herself, the alcoholic VIP guest who had dropped by for a few days before going AWOL. Oh, and Lydia, but she wasn't quite sure if Lydia liked her or not anymore or was simply tolerating her for politeness's sake.Everything else had been wrong, though, or so she hoped. It was depressing to think that men could be so shallow and disgusting that they would trade women purely for more sexual gratification. Sure, there might be some women who pursued that too, but it couldn't be that every man was that way. What kind of standards were those?"Thank you," she said as she picked up her coffee from the counter. She'd developed a taste for it in the past couple of weeks, yet another way that her job had changed her, but she was still sticking to the black coffee instead of the fancy luxe options on the menu. She
In the Shadow of the CEO 84 - Uncomfortable
Jia shuffled her foot against the stiff, speckled carpet a few times, grinding the toe of her shoe into it harder and harder with each passing minute. This was uncomfortable. She had come wearing her most relaxed clothing, a plain blue T-shirt and a pair of worn jeans, because she'd already guessed that she would be horribly unsettled when she came here.It didn't matter that this place had soothing pale blue wallpaper and that everything in this waiting area seemed to have been softened with throws and oil paintings and canvas prints on the wall, or that the receptionist was smiling at her every few seconds in an encouraging manner even though she was on the phone with some other patient. She really didn't want to be here. At all. The only reason she had even come in the first place was because of the last uneasy conversation she and Erica had had before parting yesterday.And now it was the next day, Thursday night, seven o' clock. She shouldn't have done th
In the Shadow of the CEO 85 - Reunions
"So? Did you do it yet? What'd he say? Come on -"She shouldn't have answered the FaceTime call, thought Jia. Why? Why had she done this, knowing exactly what Dolly was going to ask about the instant she started talking?...Or maybe that was exactly why she had answered in the first place. She had a plan today. A big one, though not necessarily well thought out, and it was the most daring thing Jia would ever do to date. She needed something to rattle her nerves and amp her up, make her brave. And only Dolly could make her feel so reckless -"He's not here yet," she said, and she placed the tablet on a stand so that she could pick up the napkins she had brought up to the office with her and continue dabbing at the damp spot on the collar of her metallic blue silk blouse. "His flight touches down a bit before noon.""What! You should have said that instead of just telling he was going to be back today. And you're wiping at your shirt, I thought for sure you were maybe cleaning off some
In the Shadow of the CEO 86 - Wanting
What he wasn't expecting was for Jia to tug him to a stop when he dragged her over toward his desk. He had been about to go around behind it and rifle around for the condoms stored in his bottom drawer; as desperate as he was to have her right now, he was still self-aware enough to want her to know they were always an option. But now she exhibited the first display of force he had ever seen from her - at least when it came to sex. He turned to look at her in surprise, pausing in his tracks and yielding to her little pull."W - wait."Wait? Was she having second thoughts? He was disappointed, but he wouldn't push her for anything she didn't want to give. What they had was still fragile and uncertain to her, he knew, and no doubt there would be times when she was more reluctant. He understood that. So long as she let him hold her, he could wait.Except that wasn't what it was. For the first time in a long, long time, Atlas was struck speechless as she guided
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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
