Under the Mistletoe

The Spiral

The next morning was hell. I had barely slept, and Adaline’s shrill voice screaming outside my door sent me spiraling into a bad mood. “What?” I yelled as I yanked the door open, ready for a confrontation.

Adaline stood there, dressed to the nines. Her hair was beautifully styled in an elegant updo, and she wore a flattering black and white dress that showcased her figure to perfection, amplifying her breasts and curves. “This is Mia. She’ll get you dressed. We have a very important meeting today, and I won’t have you looking like a slob next to me as my assistant,” she declared, her tone dismissive. She pointed at Mia, a petite maid carrying a stack of files. “Memorize them; it’s important for the meeting. We leave in 30 minutes.” With that, she stormed away.

Mia quickly entered my room, tossing the files and a sleek black dress onto the bed. “Get changed now, then sit still. We have a very short timeline, lucky for you, you hold a lot of natural beauty,” she instructed, her voice brisk.

I squeezed into the tight-fitting black dress, surprised at how well it highlighted my figure. My reflection showed fuller breasts than usual and a firmer backside, but it still made me self-conscious. This wasn’t the type of clothing I typically wore, especially not to a business meeting.

I sat quickly, allowing Mia to pull at my hair, curling it to frame my face. She added just a touch of makeup before giving me a brief nod and leaving the room. I slipped on some nice sandals and snagged the files, skimming through them as I made my way toward the kitchen.

Adaline was there, sipping a smoothie. She pulled a face when she saw me, her eyes flashing with a mix of disdain and perhaps jealousy. “You look gross, but we can’t be late. I heard the CEO of Miles & Co. is ruthless and doesn’t tolerate tardiness. Grab an apple and come on!” she screeched, hurrying toward the limo waiting out front.

Listening to her, I grabbed an apple and followed suit. Once in the car, Adaline began rambling about how the CEO was gorgeous and single, but I tuned her out, my focus shifting back to the proposal I was reading. Honestly, it was quite good; it didn’t appear to be a scam at a glance. The figures were reasonable, and they had included a list of flaws and setbacks to make it seem more credible. But I knew better.

We arrived at Miles & Co. twenty minutes early, and I followed Adaline as she strutted in with a few other men in business suits. The lobby was a stunning display of modern luxury—gleaming marble floors, high ceilings adorned with contemporary art, and sleek glass walls that offered a breathtaking view of the city skyline. It was far more opulent than Holms Enterprise, filled with an air of sophistication that made my stomach twist with nerves.

We were ushered into an elevator, climbing to the 46th floor. The elevator dinged, and my heart raced as we stepped out. Following the group, I swallowed hard as we arrived at a large black door with a gold plate reading “B. Miles.” Gripping the folder tightly, I closed my eyes briefly. I would do the right thing, no matter what. It wasn’t my fault our company was failing.

As we entered, we were met with a luxurious long wooden table, polished to a high sheen. “Mr. Miles will be with you shortly. Take the time to set up and prepare. He’s not a patient man,” a woman said, leaving shortly after closing the door behind her.

Adaline leaned in, her expression fierce. “Don’t f**k this up, you hear me? Make me look good,” she whispered to the two men, who nodded earnestly as they began setting up the slideshow and arranging their papers and boards.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. You can do this. You have to do the right thing. My heart leaped as I heard the door open behind me, followed by a gruff voice. “Morning, I am Benjamin Miles. This is Cody and Caleb. The quicker we start, the quicker I can leave.”

I froze at the sound of his voice; it was oddly familiar. “Good morning, Mr. Miles—or can I call you Benjamin?” Adaline replied, attempting a level of professionalism. She batted her eyelashes at him as she extended her hand.

“Mr. Miles,” he responded, a hint of irritation in his tone. He gave her hand a brief shake before taking his seat at the head of the table.

I swallowed hard as my eyes landed on Ben. He looked different—his hair slicked back, his jaw clean-shaven, and those beautiful brown eyes now hard and sharp. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. This was Mistletoe Ben, but not. This was Businessman Ben.

He paused, waiting for Adaline to continue. “Who have you got here with you? I like to know the names of the people I'm doing business with,” he spoke firmly.

For the first time, I watched as Adaline fumbled for her words, clearly not expecting him to be immune to her charm. “This is, um… um,” she trailed off, and it hit me—she didn’t even know Cory and Caleb’s names.

“I’m Cory, and that’s John,” Cory spoke up, shuffling his papers nervously.

My breath hitched as Ben’s gaze swung to me. Swallowing my nerves, I spoke, surprisingly calm for how I felt. “May.”

“Cory, take it away,” Adaline ordered, finally regaining some composure.

Cory launched into the proposal, but I barely heard a word; Ben’s gaze never left mine. I could see his eyes flash and a small frown form on his lips. Then he tilted his head slightly, as if silently asking a question. I gave a timid smile and mouthed “hi.” He offered a barely perceptible nod before his attention returned to Cory.

Cory delivered a pretty good spiel about the proposal, while John handed out a written outline. I couldn’t help the small frowns and inaudible scoffs that escaped me at some of the blatant lies. Ben made no attempt to read over the paperwork, his focus still locked on me.

As Cory wrapped up, Adaline leaned toward Ben, slightly pushing her chest forward. “So what do you think, Mr. Miles? A win-win for everyone, yes?”

There was a brief silence as Cody whispered something to him. I kept my head down, praying he would decline without my input. “It certainly seems to be little loss at this proposal. It’s well put together,” he acknowledged, and I saw Adaline’s ego swell at his praise.

“Let’s have a short break while we go over the proposal and get something in writing,” he concluded. My heart sank. No, he was buying into the scam.

Before I could speak, the woman who had led us in entered. “Follow me to the waiting area for some beverages and snacks.”

Adaline stood easily, with John and Cory following her out. I slowly began to rise from my chair, my chest pounding. My eyes locked onto Ben’s, who was watching me carefully. “Can I please speak?” I mumbled, but I was cut off by Adaline.

“Hurry up, May. For God’s sake,” she huffed angrily.

Gritting my teeth, I turned and offered Adaline a forced smile. “I’ll be with you in a minute. I’ve got some paperwork regarding the finances for them to go over.” I saw the anger flash through her eyes, but I swallowed hard, waiting until she was out of sight before slowly making my way toward the others.

Standing above them did little to help my nerves. “Don’t sign that proposal,” I whispered, my face flushing under their stares.

Ben leaned forward. “And why is that? The proposal is good. The benefits greatly outweigh the risks,” he stated, a gentler tone creeping into his voice.

I started shaking my head as he spoke. “It’s lies. If you look at the charts on page five, no company would build that many houses with the cost of those materials.”

Cory and Caleb flicked to the pages, their faces scrunching in confusion. I licked my dry lips from nervousness, and Ben’s gaze never wavered. His eyes briefly shifted at the action but otherwise remained fixed on me.

“Holms Enterprise is severely in debt and wants to merge with you to keep them running,” I whispered, my embarrassment swelling.

Caleb placed the file on the table, a sneer on his face. “She’s right. The proposal has lots of well-hidden fabricated ideas.”

Cody rubbed his head, clearly frustrated. “Indeed.”

Embarrassment flooded me at the disdain etched on these well-off businessmen's faces. “Why tell us?” Ben’s question was soft, probing.

I gave a strained smile. “I can’t sit by and allow my family to ruin another good business with their idiotic mistakes,” I stated matter-of-factly. “Especially yours,” I whispered the last part, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

I caught a ghost of a smile appearing on Ben’s lips, and embarrassment washed over me again—he had heard me. “Guys, go get some lunch before the next meeting. I’ll break the news of our refusal,” Ben ordered.

Cody and Caleb left the room swiftly, and I kept my head down, trying to hide from the awkwardness of the situation.

“You never told me you were Ralph Holms’ daughter,” Ben said, his tone calm and carefree, reminiscent of that day at the beach café.

I gave a tight-lipped smile. “My dad’s and my relationship is complicated. The daughter he adores is the one ruining the company. I’m more the black sheep of the family. And you never asked,” I replied, a genuine smile breaking across my face. “And besides, some small business you’re running here,” I added, making air quotes as I spoke.

A small smile broke across his face in response. We shared a brief moment of quiet before I felt the need to fill the silence. “Did you want me to go get them?” I asked politely.

He nodded. “That would be great, thank you.”

I gave him another timid smile, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. As I reached the door, I paused. “It makes sense now—your weird questioning that night about not knowing who you were,” I teased.

He shook his head, a proper smile breaking across his face. “And your reaction today proves you weren’t lying then either,” he taunted.

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully before quickly leaving the room. As I made my way down the corridor, I spotted Adaline sitting in the distance. I approached her, trying to maintain my composure. “Mr. Miles wants to see us to finalize the deal,” I stated matter-of-factly.

Adaline frowned at me. “Where have you been all this time?” she questioned sharply.

I pointed down the corridor where a toilet sign was displayed. “I went to the toilet,” I lied easily.

She scoffed, adjusting her dress around her breasts before strutting back into Ben’s office. I followed her, along with Cory and John, and took my seat, my heart still racing from the unexpected interaction with Ben.

“Is there anything else we should discuss before we continue with this proposal?” Ben asked firmly, his eyes locked on Adaline.

She smiled sweetly and shook her head. “No, I believe we have covered it all.”

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. My heart thumped wildly in my ears, waiting for him to deliver the bad news. I wrung my hands nervously under the table, feeling the tension in the air.

“The proposal has been declined. Thank you for your offer and consideration of merging with Miles & Co.” Ben delivered the blow curtly before standing from his chair.

“Wait, what?” Adaline screeched, rising to her feet in disbelief.

Ben frowned, anger clear on his face. “Did you really believe you could hide the errors in your proposal? Did you think we wouldn’t pick up on them? Unlike Holms Enterprise, I have capable men and women who examine everything critically. Sorry, you couldn’t pull my company into your scam. I would suggest you leave before I call security to escort you out.”

His demeanor was tense and matter-of-fact. Adaline suddenly spun toward me, her face flushed with rage. “What did you do? Everything was going smoothly when we left!” she screeched, her voice sharp enough to cut.

I pushed my seat backward, wheeling away to give myself some distance, scared she might try to hit me. Adaline looked angrier than I had ever seen her.

“Enough! The fact that you think she did anything to screw up your manipulation is laughable. Read your own proposal in detail, and you will see it was your work that ruined this deal. Not your employee,” Ben boomed, his voice firm and unwavering.

Just then, security arrived, and Adaline stormed out without a second glance, followed closely by a visibly shaken Cory and John.

I quickly got up, brushing my dress down as I tried to regain my composure. “May,” Ben called, and I froze at the concern lacing his tone.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked, his expression softening.

I managed a small smile. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

He gave a small nod, but I could see the worry still etched on his face as I chase after Adaline.