When the Cold CEO Falls First

Second Chance

“Ms. Cooper?”

Kade blinked. Lysander was watching her. Lisa was watching her. The office was very quiet.

“Sorry,” Kade said. “I—could you repeat the question?”

“I asked why you chose Sartori.”

“Right. Yes.” Kade’s mouth went dry. “I chose Sartori because—because of the heritage. The craftsmanship. The—the opportunities for growth. And because I think—I think the company is at a point where it needs to—to expand. Into new markets. Which is what I said. Before. About the women’s line.”

She heard herself. It was like listening to a recording of someone else fumbling through a script. Her prepared words had vanished. Every sentence came out so wrong, and she could hear herself trying to fix it, backtracking, adding clauses, only to make it even worse.

“And also because of the—the team,” she said. “Lisa. And the design department. Which is very—strong.”

Stop talking, she told herself.

She didn’t stop.

“And I’ve always admired the—the way the company presents itself. Publicly. The campaigns. They’re very—well shot. And the suits. The suits are very—good.”

She finally stopped, her face was burning.

Lisa was staring at her like she had grown a second head. Kade didn’t blame her. Five minutes ago she had been talking about Agnes Martin and market gaps. Now she was complimenting suits.

Lysander raised an eyebrow.

“The suits are very good,” he repeated slowly. “That’s your final answer.”

Kade wanted to die. “I’m sorry. I’m not—I’m usually better at this.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “Because for a moment there I thought you might be a commercial spy.”

She stared at him. “What?”

“A spy.” He said it lightly, almost cheerfully. “It would explain the strong start and the sudden collapse. I was told you were brilliant. Then you walked in here and forgot how to speak. Very suspicious.”

“I’m not a spy,” Kade said, a bit too loudly. “I’m not. I swear.”

“Good.” He smiled. “Then you won’t mind me asking why you’re sitting in front of me looking like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Kade’s hands tightened in her lap. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” he said. “You were fine thirty seconds ago. Then you looked over my shoulder and you weren’t.” He turned his head slightly, glancing toward the corridor. “Did you see something?”

Kade followed his gaze. The corridor was empty. Owen and Serena were gone.

“No,” she said. “Nothing.”

“Nothing,” he repeated. “So I shouldn’t be worried about a haunting.”

She laughed. It surprised her. It was a short, cracked thing, but it was real.

Lysander’s expression changed. Not much. But enough. Like he had decided something.

“There we are,” he said. “I was starting to think I’d imagined you could smile.”

Kade’s face went warm again, for a different reason.

He looked at Lisa. “Can you give us a moment?”

Lisa stood immediately. “Of course.”

Kade’s heart lurched. This was it. She had blown it. Lisa was leaving because the interview was over. She would be escorted out, gently but firmly, and she would have to explain to Owen why she had been in the building—and she would have to explain to herself why she had thought this would work.

“Ms. Cooper,” Lysander said, as Lisa reached the door. “It seemed you had something to sort out.”

Kade swallowed. “I—yes.”

“Then go and sort it out.”

She blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re not in the right state to finish this conversation,” he said. “I’d rather have the real one. Go. Deal with whatever it is. We’ll reschedule.”

Lisa froze by the door. “Mr. Sartori—”

“It’s fine, Lisa.” He didn’t look away from Kade. “Ms. Cooper and I are not finished. She’s simply not here right now.”

Kade stood up too fast. Her chair scraped the floor. “Thank you. I’m so sorry. I’ll—I can be back in half an hour.”

“I have a board meeting in fifteen minutes.”

“Oh.” Her face fell.

“Tomorrow, 10 a.m.” he said. “Is that okay for you?”

Kade thought about the journey. An hour and a half on the Tube. The early alarm. The makeup. The ironing. The whole ordeal of becoming a person who was prepared for this room.

“Is there any chance,” she said carefully, “that we could do it after you finish today? I could wait.”

Lisa made a small, strangled noise.

Lysander tilted his head. “You want to wait here for me to finish?”

“If you’re not too busy.”

“I’m always too busy. I have meetings until eight, then calls with Milan, then I need to review the spring campaign. I’ll be here until midnight at least.” He paused. “If you don’t mind waiting until midnight, by all means.”

Kade’s cheeks went red. “Tomorrow is fine.”

“Wise choice.”

She held out her hand. “Tomorrow, then. You promise?”

The words came out before she could stop them. She sounded like a child asking for a birthday present. She wanted to pull her hand back, but it was already out, and he was already taking it.

His hand was warm. His grip was firm. He held it a second longer than necessary.

“I promise,” he said.

She pulled her hand free and fled.

Lysander watched the door close.

For a moment he didn’t move. Then he spoke,“Lisa.”

She was still standing by the door, looking like she wanted to apologize for her previous reccomendation of Kade. “Yes, Mr. Sartori?”

“Do you have any idea what happened to her?”

“No.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry about Ms. Cooper. She’s not normally like that. In the group interview she was—she was excellent. Articulate. Calm. I don’t know what happened.”

“I do,” Lysander said.

Lisa blinked. “You do?”

“She saw something.” He leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know what. But she saw it through the glass, and it took her apart in about two seconds.”

Lisa glanced at the corridor. “I didn’t notice anything.”

“Neither did I.” He tapped his pen against the desk once. “That’s what bothers me.”

He thought about the portfolio. The proposal. The way she had talked about clothes failing people. The way she had looked at him, steady and serious, until she hadn’t.

He thought about the dress she was wearing, the same one from the company website. A small thing, but it was a signal. She had done her homework before getting this room. He liked her cleverness, impressive and not aggressive.

He thought about her laugh, surprised out of her.

“She’s interesting,” he finally said.

Lisa looked at him carefully. “Interesting.”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Sartori, she just walked out of an interview.”

“I noticed.”

“She said the suits were very good.”

“I noticed that too.” He smiled slightly.

She opened her mouth, closed it, and left.

Lysander turned his chair toward the window.

The corridor was empty now. Whatever had happened out there was over. But Kade Cooper had looked at it like it was a fire, and he was intrigued to know what, or who had lit it.