CHAPTER 9 - CONFERENCE HALL
907 Words
…..she knocked.
A voice from inside permitted her entry.
Elena pushed the door open and stepped in.
At once, every eye in the room turned toward her.
Adrian.
The executives.
Mrs. Ivy.
And Sebastian Whitmore.
The room went still.
The kind of stillness that seemed to stretch itself beyond sound.
Sebastian Whitmore stared at her without a word.
No smile.
No greeting.
No visible expression.
Just that steady, unreadable gaze fixed on her as though something about her had reached across the room and caught hold of him before he could name it.
Elena's pulse stumbled.
Mrs. Ivy broke the silence first.
“Here she is, sir. Miss Elena Hayes.”
Elena stepped further into the room and offered a polite greeting. “Good afternoon, Sir. Good afternoon, everyone.”
Her voice sounded steady.
Thank God.
Adrian rose slightly from where he stood and gestured toward his side of the table. “Come here.”
Elena obeyed, moving forward with measured steps.
And all the while, Sebastian did not look away.
Not once.
His eyes followed her every movement as if he were trying to place something just beyond memory.
As she walked toward the center table, Elena’s thoughts churned.
Does he recognize me?
She came to a stop behind Adrian.
Adrian’s voice cut into the silence, composed and professional.
“Mr. Whitmore,” he said, “this is Elena Hayes, the intern responsible for the revised report.”
Then he turned slightly. “Miss Elena, meet Mr. Sebastian Whitmore, CEO of Whitmore Global.”
Elena dipped her head politely. “It's an honor to meet you, Sir.”
Sebastian continued looking at her for one long second.
Then another.
And finally, he spoke.
“You look so much like her.”
Elena's heart dropped.
The floor beneath her seemed to disappear for a terrifying instant.
Her fingers threatened to tremble.
Oh no.
Does he recognize me?
No, no, no—
Her entire body tightened with the effort of keeping her expression calm. She did look like her mother. She knew that. Her Aunt and Uncle have told her this over the years. She herself could see it in her mother's old pictures. The same eyes. Same mouth. The same softness in the face when she was not guarding it.
For one awful second, Elena thought everything was over.
Then Sebastian leaned back slightly and added, with a sudden laugh deep in his chest, “That Mexican actress from that sportswear advert. What is her name again?”
A few people in the room chuckled politely.
Heat rushed softly into Elena’s face.
Inside, relief came so fast.
Oh.
He's talking about someone else.
Thank God.
A small, controlled smile touched her lips.
“I'm not sure who you mean, sir,” she said carefully.
Sebastian smiled, still amused. “I’ll remember it later.”
The tension in the room loosened. Just enough.
He glanced back down at the report in front of him, then at her again.
“Your work was impressive, Miss Hayes. Especially for an intern.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“What school and what did you study?”
“London School of Economics, sir,” Elena replied. “I studied Business Management and Corporate Finance.”
Sebastian gave a slow nod. “That explains a lot.”
Adrian said nothing, but his eyes flicked briefly toward her.
Sebastian’s expression turned thoughtful again, though warmer now. “And I like your accent.”
Elena smiled politely. “Thank you, sir.”
He asked her a few more questions after that, about the report, about how she spotted the inconsistencies, about the financial assumptions she corrected, and the recommendations she made. Elena answered carefully, professionally, her nerves tucked behind discipline. She explained her reasoning with calm clarity, and with each answer, the interest in the room deepened.
One of the executives nodded in approval.
Another made a low sound of agreement.
Sebastian watched her with visible satisfaction.
For the first time since entering, Elena allowed herself to breathe a little easier.
Because for now, at least, he saw only Elena Hayes.
Not Elena Whitmore.
And that meant her secret was still safe.
For now.
By the time the meeting began to wind down, the atmosphere in the conference room had shifted from formal scrutiny to muted approval.
Files were being closed. Chairs moved softly against the floor. A few final comments passed between executives as they gathered their tablets and documents, preparing to leave after Sebastian‘s dismissal.
One by one, they filed out.
Mrs. Ivy offered a polite, farewell and started toward the door. Elena, who had remained quietly at her side throughout the closing moments of the meeting, moved to follow just behind her.
“Mrs. Ivy.”
Sebastian’s voice stopped them both.
Mrs. Ivy turned at once. “Sir?”
Sebastian glanced toward Elena, then back at Mrs. Ivy with an easy, composed look. “May I steal Miss Elena for a moment?”
Mrs. Ivy smiled politely. “Of course, sir.”
She gave Elena a brief, almost encouraging note before taking her leave and closing the door behind her.
And then there were three.
Sebastian.
Adrian.
Elena.
For the first time since stepping into the conference room, Elena became acutely aware of the silence pressing in around her. She stood where she was, hands lightly clasped, posture straight, expression, calm.
But inside, her thoughts were anything but calm.
- Writer
