Meant To Miss, Destined To Meet

Chapter 15

Jack's POV

It’s been two weeks since Gina Foster started working at Topher Enterprises, and I still don’t know whether to smile when I see her or run in the other direction.

She’s... magnetic.

Not in the flashy, look-at-me way most women in this industry present themselves. She’s calm. Quiet. Always a little too focused, a little too guarded. Like someone used to walking through life with a shield instead of a smile.

But that doesn’t stop people from noticing her.

Especially me.

And now, as I watch her across the room—brows furrowed in concentration, headphones in, biting the cap of her pen—I know I’m dangerously close to caring more than I should.

I’ve sat in this boardroom countless times, but today, it’s different. Gina’s running the department presentation for the first time, and I’m here strictly to “observe.” At least, that’s what I told HR. In truth? I just wanted to see how she handled pressure. Not professionally. Personally.

I wanted to see if she’d crumble or rise.

And she rose.

Her voice didn’t shake once. Her ideas were smart, detailed, and confident. Even when my uptight marketing director questioned her campaign structure, she smiled, nodded, and politely corrected him using numbers I hadn’t seen anyone on that team pull in weeks.

She had the room eating out of the palm of her hand. And when her eyes met mine across the table—just for a second—I forgot what professionalism meant.

“She’s good,” Quan muttered beside me after the meeting.

“Yeah,” I replied. “She is.”

He looked at me sideways. “You’re still trying to play the slow game?”

I sighed. “I’m not playing any game. I just… I don’t want to ruin this for her.”

“Jack, you’re the CEO. If you want to date her, that’s one thing. But watching her like you’re in a damn Netflix romance and never saying anything? That’s cruel—to you both.”

I didn’t answer. I just stood, adjusted my jacket, and left the room.

Sometimes, I wish I could talk to her like I’m not her boss. Like I’m just some guy who bumped into her at a coffee shop one rainy afternoon and asked her to stay for one more cappuccino.

And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t leave so quickly this time.