His Beautiful Deception

The meeting

Arielle's POV

I wasn't supposed to be here, in this meeting.

But getting caught was the last thing on my mind.

I sat quietly beside my friend, Ethan, one leg crossed over the other, pretending to be interested in the figures displayed across the large screen at the end of the conference room. I wasn't.

All my attention was on the empty chair at the head of the table. He was late. That was useful. It gave me time to get familiar with the people present. Six People

Two from Ethan's company. Three representatives from his side. One assistant standing near the glass wall, checking his phone every few seconds.

And me. The only person in the room, who doesn't have a reason to be here. Or maybe I do, just not connected to these people.

"Are you listening?" Ethan's whisper pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned towards him "Of course"

He gave a suspicious look "You've been staring at the chair for the past thirty minutes" I smiled

"I like the texture of it" he shook his head and turned his attention back to the presentation.

I suppressed a smile. Then the conference door opened. Every conversation stopped. I didn't need anyone to tell who had arrived. Alexander Blackwood.

The atmosphere in the room changed before I even look up at him. He walked in with two men behind him, his phone in one hand and a black folder in the other. Dark suit. Crisp white shirt. No tie. He wasn’t smiling. He didn’t need to. People moved aside without being asked.

He handed his phone to his assistant, said something too low for me to hear, and took the seat at the head of the table. Then his eyes moved around the room. One person. Two. Three. And finally… Me.

His gaze stopped. For a second, neither of us looked away. There it was. Recognition. Not because he knew me.

Because he had never seen me before.

Good. I smiled. Not too much. Just enough. His eyes narrowed slightly. Interesting.

He looked away first. I almost laughed.

“Mr. Blackwood,” Ethan began, immediately launching into an explanation of the contract.

He listened. At least, he appeared to. I watched him instead. The way his fingers tapped once against the table before becoming completely still. The way he leaned back in his chair. The way he barely glanced at the documents before asking a question that made everyone else at the table scramble through their papers. He was in control. That much was obvious. Men like him usually were. And men like him usually hated being challenged.

I wondered how much it would take to make him lose that control.

My eyes dropped briefly to his lips. Then back to his eyes. He caught me. I didn’t look away. His jaw tightened. I smiled. He returned his attention to the contract.

Interesting. Very interesting.

The meeting continued for another fifteen minutes. I said nothing. I didn’t need to.

My presence was enough. At least, I wanted it to be. Then I shifted in my chair. My knee brushed the leg of his chair beneath the table. He looked down. I didn’t move.

His eyes lifted slowly to mine. There was a warning in them. I gave him my most innocent smile. He moved his chair slightly away. I nearly smiled. So he was going to resist. Fine. I liked a challenge.

The conversation around us continued, completely oblivious to the silent battle happening beneath the table. Ethan was explaining the company’s projected figures when his eyes suddenly returned to me.

“Do you have something to add?” His voice was deep. Calm. Too calm. Everyone looked at me.

I blinked. “Me?”

“You’ve been staring at me for the last twenty minutes.” Silence. Ethan nearly choked.

One of the men across the table suddenly became very interested in his documents.

I tilted my head. “Have I?” His expression didn’t change.

“Yes.” I smiled slowly.

“And how would you know that, if you haven’t been staring as well, Mr Blackwood?.” A few people shifted uncomfortably. His gaze remained on mine.

“And maybe you should pay attention to the meeting.”

“I am.”

“Are you?”

“Very much.” His eyes lingered on mine for another second.

Then he turned back to the contract.

“Good.” I leaned back in my chair. He was going to be difficult. That was fine. I hadn’t come here because I expected him to make things easy.

My fingers tightened around the phone hidden beneath the table. One name, one question I had spent ten years trying to answer. And the man sitting across from me might finally lead me to it.

I looked at him again. This time, he wasn’t looking at me. He was signing the contract. I smiled faintly. Neither of us knew it yet, but that signature was about to change both our lives. And I had no intention of letting him find out why I was really there.

We all stood to exchange handshakes “Can’t wait to start working with you, Mr Blackwood” I extended my hand for a handshake. He wasn't expecting it but he received it

“Likewise Miss?”

“Arielle. Arielle Sinclair”

“Miss Sinclair”