Married to Julian Grey

Chapter 12

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Brad Shaw's remark lingered in the conference room like an unwelcome guest.

"I only hope your new executive secretary was chosen for more than her appearance."

Every eye in the room shifted toward me.

I kept my expression neutral, but inside, my stomach tightened.

So this was how it began.

I had expected people to question why someone from the administration department had suddenly become the executive secretary to Aurelius Group's CEO.

I simply hadn't expected it to happen before the meeting had even started.

Brad leaned back comfortably in his chair, looking entirely satisfied with himself.

Julian, however, remained perfectly composed.

"Mr. Shaw."

His voice was quiet.

Calm.

Controlled.

Yet the room seemed to fall even quieter.

"I wasn't aware my executive secretary's qualifications were part of today's agenda."

Brad smiled lightly.

"They aren't."

He spread his hands in an easy gesture.

"I was merely making an observation."

Julian held his gaze without the slightest change in expression.

"Then I suggest your observations remain relevant to today's business."

Silence settled over the room.

Brad's smile faded just enough to notice before he inclined his head.

"Understood."

Julian looked around the conference table.

"Shall we begin?"

Just like that, the meeting started.

I released a slow breath and opened my executive pad.

The discussion moved quickly from introductions to contracts, implementation schedules, expansion plans, and financial reports.

I focused on my notes, recording every important decision while my executive phone quietly generated AI meeting minutes beside me.

Adrian had shown me the feature that morning.

The application didn't simply record conversations.

It automatically organized the discussion, highlighted decisions, and created searchable meeting minutes in real time.

Even so, I still preferred writing my own notes.

Old habits were difficult to break.

Besides, putting pen to paper helped me stay focused.

The meeting continued smoothly.

Brad Shaw challenged several proposals, questioned timelines, and negotiated revisions with the confidence of someone who clearly enjoyed pushing people to defend their decisions.

Julian answered every point with remarkable ease.

He never appeared rushed.

He never searched through documents.

Every answer came as though he had already considered every possible question before entering the room.

I found myself writing faster just to keep up.

Then...

"Miss Vale."

The sound of my name pulled my attention away from my notes.

I looked up.

Brad was watching me.

"Yes, Mr. Shaw?"

A faint smile touched his lips.

"The revised revenue projection."

My heartbeat faltered.

"What was the final figure?"

For a moment...

My mind went completely blank.

The number wasn't in the briefing documents.

I knew it wasn't.

I'd reviewed every page before entering the conference room.

My fingers tightened around my pen as I searched my memory anyway.

Nothing.

The silence around the table suddenly felt enormous.

Brad leaned back slightly.

"Isn't that why you're here?"

Heat crept into my face.

Every instinct urged me to panic.

Don't.

Think.

Then I remembered.

The AI recorder.

Before the meeting had begun, I had activated the executive recording system on my company phone.

Adrian had explained that it generated searchable meeting minutes while the meeting was still in progress.

If the revised figure had been mentioned...

It would be there.

Keeping my movements as natural as possible, I unlocked the phone beneath the table and opened the live transcript.

My fingers searched for **revenue projection**.

There.

The revised figure had been mentioned only minutes earlier during the financial discussion.

Relief flooded through me.

I looked up.

"The revised projection is 8.4 percent, Mr. Shaw."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The printed report contained the earlier estimate of 7.9 percent," I continued evenly, "but the figure was revised during today's discussion."

Silence.

Brad studied me for another second before leaning back in his chair.

"I see."

The amusement disappeared from his expression.

Without another word, the discussion returned to business.

I quietly released the breath I'd been holding and continued taking notes.

My hands were steady again.

Inside...

My heart was still racing.

Brad regarded me for another moment before the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Interesting."

He closed the file in front of him and looked back at Julian.

"Now, regarding the distribution agreement..."

The discussion continued smoothly after that. The earlier tension dissolved as everyone returned their attention to contracts, expansion plans, implementation schedules, and projected timelines. I focused on my notes, occasionally checking the AI meeting recorder on my executive pad as it organized the discussion into detailed minutes and highlighted the key decisions. Between my own notes and the recorder, I was confident nothing important would be overlooked.

Nearly an hour later, the final documents were signed.

The executives rose from their seats, exchanging handshakes and polite farewells.

Brad paused beside me before leaving.

"Miss Vale."

I looked up.

"Yes, Mr. Shaw?"

His expression remained serious, but the amusement from earlier had disappeared.

"You handled yourself well."

The unexpected compliment caught me completely by surprise.

"Thank you."

He gave a brief nod before following the others out of the conference room.

When the room had emptied, I gathered Julian's documents into his briefing folder while he buttoned his suit jacket.

"Prepare the meeting summary before the end of the day," he said.

"Yes, Mr. Grey."

He glanced briefly at his watch.

"We're leaving."

I checked the schedule on my executive pad.

**1:00 p.m. — Lunch with Ivanka Jules.**

The driver was already waiting outside Headquarters by the time Julian, Adrian, and I reached the entrance.

The drive across Novaris City passed quietly. I spent the journey reviewing my notes while the AI recorder transformed the meeting into a polished transcript. Beside me, Julian was already immersed in another file, reading with the same quiet concentration that seemed to follow him everywhere.

About twenty minutes later, the car stopped beneath the entrance of one of the city's most exclusive restaurants.

Uniformed attendants hurried forward to open the doors, and the restaurant manager personally welcomed Julian before escorting us through the elegant dining room.

Before we reached the private suites, another figure appeared at the far end of the corridor.

She walked toward us with effortless grace.

Tall.

Elegant.

Every movement carried quiet confidence.

Her ivory designer suit looked as though it had been tailored exclusively for her, while her long dark hair framed features so striking that she could have stepped straight from the cover of an international fashion magazine.

If anyone deserved the title of Fashion Queen...

It was Ivanka Jules.

The moment she saw Julian, her face lit up.

"Julian."

Without the slightest hesitation, she walked directly to him and kissed his cheek.

"It's been too long."

To my surprise...

Julian smiled.

Not the polite, restrained smile he offered everyone else.

A genuine one.

"It has, Ivanka."

She laughed softly.

"You've been avoiding me."

"I've been working."

"You always say that."

The ease between them was impossible to miss. They spoke with the familiarity of people who had known each other for years, completely comfortable in one another's presence.

Then her attention shifted toward me.

For just a moment...

She simply looked at me.

There was something unusual in her expression.

Not dislike.

Not curiosity alone.

Something deeper that disappeared before I could understand it.

Then she smiled warmly.

"So you're Elena."

I blinked.

She already knew my name?

"It's nice to meet you," I said.

"The pleasure is mine."

Before I could think any further about it, the restaurant manager politely led us toward our reserved tables.

As Adrian and I followed the waiter to another table, I glanced back once.

Ivanka was saying something that made Julian smile again.

A strange feeling settled quietly in my chest.

I didn't know who Ivanka Jules was to Julian Grey.

But judging by the ease between them...

I couldn't help wondering if she was far more than a business associate.

Could Ivanka Jules be Julian Grey's girlfriend?