Chapter nine
1285 Words
His voice was calm, deep, confident in a way that didn’t need to prove itself.
She placed her glass down slowly.
“And you are?” she asked, though she already knew.
He pulled the chair across from her but didn’t sit yet.
“Adrian Voss.”
The Adrian Voss.
CEO of Voss Dominion.
A global investment empire.
Bigger than Novaris Capital. Older. More powerful. More feared.
If Calista moved markets quietly, Adrian moved them loudly.
She kept her expression steady.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Voss?”
Now he sat down.
“I was having dinner across the room,” he said casually. “And I couldn’t help but notice you.”
She raised a brow slightly.
“Notice me? Or notice who I was with?”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“Both.”
He glanced briefly toward where Caius had walked off.
“Laurent isn’t exactly in his strongest season,” Adrian continued. “Strange time to be sharing wine with him.”
She leaned back slightly in her chair.
“Business dinners are normal, Mr. Voss.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “They are.”
Silence.
His eyes returned to hers.
“But you don’t strike me as someone who wastes her time.”
Her fingers tapped lightly against the stem of her glass.
“And you don’t strike me as someone who approaches smaller firms out of boredom.”
His eyes flickered slightly at that.
Interesting.
“Novaris Capital isn’t small,” he corrected calmly. “It’s growing.”
“Not at your level,” she replied smoothly.
He didn’t deny it.
“I’ve been watching your expansion,” he said instead.
She didn’t react.
“Which is why I’m curious,” he continued. “Why tie your name, even privately, to a company that’s bleeding?”
She held his gaze.
“And why does that concern you?”
He leaned back, studying her like she was a chessboard.
“Because markets are shifting,” he said quietly. “And when people start moving pieces, I like to know who’s playing.”
There was no accusation in his voice.
Just curiosity.
Sharp, intelligent curiosity.
“I assure you,” she said calmly, “I’m not playing anything.”
His lips curved slightly.
“I hope not.”
She tilted her head.
“Hope?”
“I dislike unpredictability,” he said plainly.
“And you think I’m unpredictable?”
“I think you’re ambitious.”
The word hung between them
For a second, the air felt heavier.
Across the room, Caius was still on the phone, pacing.
Adrian glanced at him once more.
“If you’re planning something with Laurent,” he said calmly, “I’d advise caution.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“That sounds almost like concern.”
“It’s strategy,” he corrected.
He stood up smoothly.
“Enjoy your evening, Ms. Vale.”
Calista gave him a small nod. “I will.”
For a second, she thought that was it. That he would just walk away like every other person.
But he didn’t.
He paused.
He didn’t turn fully, just slightly.
“Our circles aren’t that big,” he said calmly.
Her fingers tightened around her glass.
“We’ll see each other again.”
It wasn’t flirty.
It wasn’t hopeful.
It sounded like a fact.
Then he walked away.
Calista stayed seated, her back straight, her face calm.
She picked up her wine glass again, bringing it to her lips.
Her hand didn’t shake.
But her heart did.
It was beating fast. Too fast.
And she hated it.
She wasn’t the type to get nervous around men. Especially powerful ones. She had built her company from nothing. She had faced boardrooms filled with people who thought she was too young, too quiet, too small.
None of them made her feel like this.
But Adrian Voss had.
Not because he was attractive.
Not because he was rich.
But because he looked at her like he saw something.
Like he knew she was aiming higher.
Like he expected her to rise.
That unsettled her.
Across the restaurant, people greeted him as he returned to his table. Some stood slightly straighter when he passed. He nodded politely, controlled, composed.
He didn’t look back at her.
But somehow, she felt like he didn’t need to.
Calista slowly placed her glass down.
This city was starting to feel smaller than she remembered.
And Adrian Voss had just made it clear,
Their paths weren’t done crossing.
She was so deep in thought that she almost forgot the real reason she was here.
Suddenly, Caius came back, forcing a smile onto his face.
But he didn’t look calm.
He looked nervous.
Actually… very nervous.
He pulled out his chair quickly and sat down, adjusting his jacket like nothing had happened.
“So… where were we?” he said, clearing his throat.
Calista studied him for a second.
His smile was too wide. His eyes weren’t steady. He looked like someone who had just seen a ghost.
But she didn’t ask.
Whatever message he received clearly shook him. And that worked in her favor.
She slowly leaned back in her chair.
“You were asking for help,” she said calmly.
“Oh..right, yes.” He nodded quickly. “The deal. About the investment.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“And you’re sure you want my company involved?”
He didn’t even hesitate.
“Yes. Absolutely. I need this. I mean.. we need this.”
She noticed how fast he corrected himself.
Interesting.
Calista tapped her fingers lightly on the table, pretending to think.
“You said your stocks are falling,” she began. “Your reputation isn’t exactly… stable right now.”
He forced a laugh. “That’s just temporary. Rumors. Media exaggeration.”
“Mm.”
She let the silence stretch a little longer, making him uncomfortable.
Then she leaned forward slightly.
“If Novaris Capital steps in,” she said calmly, “we don’t do small partnerships.”
His eyes lit up a little.
“Of course. Of course.”
“We would require thirty percent decision influence over major financial moves.”
His smile froze for a second.
“That’s...”
“And,” she continued smoothly, “priority repayment before any external investors.”
He swallowed.
“That’s a bit heavy, don’t you think?”
She gave him a soft smile.
“You’re in a sticky situation, Caius.”
She said it gently. Not cruel. Just honest.
“You came to me.”
He looked down at the table for a second.
She could almost see the calculations happening in his head.
If he refused, he risked losing everything.
If he accepted, he gave up power.
But desperation always makes people choose the fastest solution.
He looked back up at her.
“…Fine,” he said. “We’ll do it.”
That was easier than she expected.
She raised a brow slightly. “You’re agreeing without reviewing the paperwork?”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Have your lawyers send it over. I’ll sign.”
Greed.
Pure greed.
He wasn’t thinking about the long term. He just wanted to survive this crisis.
Calista nodded slowly.
“Good.”
“I’ll have the preliminary agreement drafted tonight,” she added. “We can sign by the end of the week.”
“Perfect,” he said quickly, relief washing over his face. “You won’t regret this.”
Oh, I won’t.
She picked up her glass again, finally taking another sip.
Caius kept talking, rambling about growth, expansion, recovery plans, but she barely listened.
Because she already knew something he didn’t.
- Writer
