Page 49 of Fifth Avenue Devil

“So… what? Are we just going along with it?”

“Unless you know how to stop the board meeting that we are about to be late for, there’s nothingtodo about it. I just hope that she’ll confine her obsession with my dating status to one-on-one meetings and leave the board out of it.”

Annalise walks to the door, shaking her head. She’s too preoccupied with her thoughts for me to do anything but follow her as she heads out into the hall.

I haven’t been in the Gellar Industries boardroom yet, but I see that it is cut from the same cloth as the rest of the office once we’re inside. A polished but worn wood conference table. Faded carpet underfoot. Paper water cups that make me feel like an invalid. The art is dated, and the frames could use a good dusting.

Monique, the queen bee, sits at the head of the table in her designer suit while a balding man with a big suit and definite vice-presidential energy sits to her right. As I follow Annalise into the room, I can feel the piercing gazes of the other board members on us.

Annalise exudes confidence as she greets everyone, introduces me, and takes her place at the opposite end of the table from her mother. I sit next to her, studying the faces of the board members as I smooth down my tie.

To everyone’s complete surprise, Annalise stands, signaling her intent to begin the meeting.

"Thank you all for attending this emergency meeting," she starts. She smiles at the board, seeming completely at ease. “As you may have heard, Gellar Industries has begun the process of merging with Mr. Fordham’s company, ViaLife. It was my father’s decision to offer the merger before he fell ill. But even without that judgment made, I think Mr. Fordham offers many benefits that we, as a small company, could never hope to have.”

Annalise picks up steam, pacing now, talking with her hands.

“ViaLife and Gellar Industries have an opportunity to revolutionize our industry. We, at this company, have some technologies that could really thrive if given the proper resources. Mr. Fordham has those resources. I believe that by working together, we will achieve something remarkable."

As I watch Annalise talk passionately about our companies joining together, I can’t help the fact that my cock stirs. But it soon becomes apparent that Monique is glaring at me.

As though I’m responsible for anything that Annalise says. In this case, I wish I were, but I know better than that.

Monique pushes herself up, her jaw tensed. She cuts in, “Annalise, while your passion is admirable, I question the practicality of some of your ideas. After all, you're still new as CEO. Maybe it's best to stick with what has always worked for Gellar Industries."

I clench my jaw. Snapping at Monique in front of the board won’t help my cause. Instead, I smile coolly. "I understand your concerns, Monique.”

She looks at me as if I just splashed her with a bucket full of dirty water. “Mrs. Gellar.”

“Fine then. Mrs. Gellar, you have no choice. As I explained to Annalise weeks ago, I could either sue you into oblivion or you could let the merger proceed. Now that Annalise has signed the paperwork, we can get on with the business of making Gellar Industries profitable.”

"Uh, Don Young here,” says the suited man beside Monique. “VP of Sales. I’m just wondering about your personal reputation for buying companies and stripping them for parts. You are known for that, are you not?”

I frown and touch my tie. It took me a minute to place him, but I realize now that he was one of the fiercest bidders at Annalise’s bachelorette auction. One I crushed, I might add.

“If a company has reached the end of its lifespan, I’m not afraid to keep any good bits and trash the rest. But that’s not the case here. If it were, we’d be having a different conversation,” I specify.

Monique flaps her hand at me. “Annalise lacks critical skills that are required to be the face of our company. She says that you are helping her adjust, but… how can we trust you to guide our new CEO?”

“Well said, Monique,” Don chimes in.

“This conversation is getting off track,” Annalise interjects.

I put up a hand to silence her. “Mrs. Gellar and Mr. Young, while I acknowledge your concerns, it's important to recognize the potential benefits of taking calculated risks. Successful businesses have thrived precisely because they were willing to embrace change and think outside the box. I’ve been in the trenches with your CEO. I can assure you that Annalise has a very good grasp of the day-to-day goings-on of Gellar Industries. I think your anxieties about the company’s direction are unfounded."

Tension fills the room. I glance at Annalise beside me. She’s stone-faced and it’s clear she is unhappy, but she’s weathering the storm of Hurricane Monique pretty damn well.

Monique and Don glance at each other. I can see them growing more frustrated. Their arguments crumble in the face of my bloodless logic. They're not used to being challenged in this way. But they don’t usually work with me, either. I won’t tolerate their petty rebellion.

I try to engage Monique. "Do you truly believe that stifling innovation and clinging to outdated practices will benefit Gellar Industries? Or are you simply afraid of losing your grip on your daughter?"

Her eyes widen with outrage. I can see the fury simmering beneath her carefully maintained facade. But before she can respond, I turn my attention to Don, my gaze as cold and unyielding as steel.

"And you, Don. Are you here to serve the best interests of this company? Or merely to advance your own agenda? I bet that if Annalise steps down, you’re the next logical successor."

Donald's face contorts with indignation. “I won’t dignify that with an answer.”

I smirk, relishing the knowledge that I've struck a nerve.

---