Frozen Flame

CHAPTER5

The morning of the board meeting dawned with an unseasonable chill, frost etching delicate patterns across Jaiyanna's apartment windows as she stood before her closet, carefully selecting her armor for the day. Her fingers lingered on a tailored emerald-green suit—professional, but with a subtle shimmer in the fabric that caught the light when she moved. *Perfect.*

She twisted her platinum blonde hair into an elegant chignon, letting a few artful strands frame her face. A swipe of mascara to accentuate her green eyes, a touch of lipstick the exact shade of her suit, and she was ready.

Her phone buzzed as she stepped into the elevator.

**Marie:** Break a leg today. Not literally.

Jaiyanna smiled, tucking the phone into her pocket. The flash drive Daniel had given her pressed reassuringly against her thigh through the fabric of her blazer as she makes her way to work.

---

At the Frost Group. The lobby was unusually busy for 7:30 AM. Jaiyanna's heels clicked against the marble as she made her way to the elevators, nodding politely to the security guard who now recognized her.

"Early start today, Miss Carter?"

"Big presentation," she replied with a confident smile.

The elevator doors had just begun to close when a manicured hand shot out to stop them. Lydia stepped in, her ice-blue dress a deliberate contrast to Jaiyanna's emerald.

"Good morning," Lydia purred, her gaze flicking over Jaiyanna's outfit. "How... *bold* of you to wear color to a board meeting."

Jaiyanna kept her expression neutral. "I find it helps hold people's attention during dry financial presentations."

The elevator dinged at the executive floor. Lydia stepped out first, tossing over her shoulder, "Your meeting with accounting is still at 4:00. Don't be late."

Jaiyanna clenched her jaw but said nothing. She had more important things to focus on.

“Copy that.” Jaiyanna answers back a disgusting look.

–––

She arrives at the conference room and start to make her arrangements since the room was empty. Jaiyanna set up her laptop at the podium, testing the connection to the wall-sized LED display.

She inserted the flash drive—only for an error message to flash across the screen.

*File corrupted.*

Her stomach dropped. The presentation she'd stayed up perfecting for weeks—gone? She tried again. Same error.

"Problem?"

Ethan's voice came from directly behind her, making her jump. He stood closer than professional decorum dictated, close enough that she caught the subtle scent of his cologne—bergamot and sandalwood.

"My files appear to be corrupted," she said through gritted teeth.

Without a word, Ethan reached past her, his forearm brushing against her sleeve as he typed a series of commands into her laptop. His proximity sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine.

"Try now."

The presentation sprang to life in glorious 4K across the massive screen.

Jaiyanna exhaled sharply. "How did you—"

"Corporate servers automatically back up all files hourly." His gray eyes met hers. "Someone would have had to deliberately corrupt both your local copy and the backup."

The implication hung between them.

Before she could respond, the board members began filing in, their murmured conversations filling the room.

Ethan makes his way to his seat.

–––

Jaiyanna stood at the podium, acutely aware of every pair of eyes on her—especially Ethan's, burning into her from his seat at the head of the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what I'm proposing today isn't just an update to our loyalty program—it's a complete reimagining of how Frost Group interacts with our clients."

She clicked to the first slide, revealing startling data about their declining retention rates. Several board members shifted uncomfortably.

"For too long, we've relied on transactional relationships—stay ten nights, get one free." She paused, meeting each gaze in turn. "But today's travelers don't want transactions. They want *experiences*."

The slides transitioned seamlessly as she outlined her vision: partnerships with local artisans, exclusive member-only events, a digital platform that remembered guest preferences down to their favorite pillow type.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan lean forward slightly, his usual mask of indifference cracking just enough to reveal genuine interest.

When she finished, the room was silent. Then—

"Absolutely not."

Board member Klaus Richter, a septuagenarian who'd been with the company since Ethan's father's day, slammed his hand on the table. "This is exactly the kind of reckless spending that—"

"Will increase our revenue by twenty-eight percent within eighteen months."

All heads turned toward the interruption. Ethan hadn't raised his voice, but his words carried absolute authority.

Jaiyanna's breath caught in her throat.

Ethan stood slowly, buttoning his suit jacket. "Miss Carter's projections are sound. More importantly, they're necessary." His gaze swept the room. "The motion is approved. Implementation begins Monday."

Jaiyanna could not believe her ear. *Did he just approve my presentation? Or was I hearing things?*

She was so happy she could barely hide her joy, as her smile grew brighter while making little jumps out of excitement.

“Thank you Mr Frost, I won’t let you down.”

He just looked at her and walked away.

---

Jaiyanna was packing up her laptop when Ethan approached.

"My office. Five minutes."

It wasn't a request.

When she entered, he was standing by the window, backlit by the afternoon sun. Without turning, he said, "You handled yourself well."

"Thank you. Though I suspect I have you to thank for the board's approval."

Finally, he turned. "I don't endorse proposals I don't believe in."

The intensity of his gaze made her pulse stutter.

"About the corrupted files—"

"Will be handled," he interrupted. "Discreetly."

A knock at the door. Lydia entered without waiting for permission, her smile faltering when she saw Jaiyanna.

"Ethan, your 3:30 is—"

"Reschedule it." His tone brooked no argument.

As Lydia retreated, Jaiyanna caught the venomous glance she shot her way.

---

That evening, Jaiyanna sat at her favorite café near her home, recounting the day's events to Marie over glasses of Riesling.

"So let me get this straight," Marie said, leaning forward. "Ethan not only saved your presentation but basically strong-armed the board into approving it?"

Jaiyanna swirled her wine, watching the light catch the liquid. "I don't understand why he'd go to bat for me like that."

Marie smirked. "I can think of a few reasons."

"Professional respect," Jaiyanna insisted, ignoring the heat creeping up her neck.

"Uh-huh." Marie took a pointed sip of wine. "And the way he was looking at you during your presentation? That was *professional*?"

Jaiyanna opened her mouth to protest when her phone buzzed. An unknown number.

**Unknown:** The sabotage won't stop. Watch your back.

The wine turned to acid in her stomach.

Marie frowned. "What's wrong?"

Jaiyanna showed her the message.

"Okay, now I'm officially creeped out," Marie said. "Who would—"

"Lydia." Jaiyanna's grip tightened on her phone. "It has to be."

As they left the café, Jaiyanna couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. A black sedan idled across the street, its tinted windows revealing nothing.

When she looked again, it was gone.