Page 99 of Fifth Avenue Devil

I’m utterly unable to look away.

"Please direct your attention to the screen beside me." A large TV screen descends from the ceiling. As the lights dim, the screen casts a harsh glow on the expectant faces of the crowd.

"Roll the video," Nate commands.

As the professionally edited video begins, I see Nate. He’s dressed in casual clothes, sitting in what appears to be his luxurious penthouse. He looks directly at the camera.

But his piercing gray gaze seems to be directed at me alone. I suck in a breath.

"Annalise Gellar, I owe you an apology. I was wrong to push you out of your own company. All I can say is that I was blinded by arrogance and ambition. I’m so sorry that your face was splashed all over the media. Someone leaked lies about you embezzling company funds. I’m not responsible for the leak. But the fact that I didn’t correct the record when I had the chance… that’s my fault."

My breath catches in my throat. My mind races with disbelief at his admission.

“The thing is, Annalise. I started to fall for you.” He pauses for a long moment, then continues. “For the first time in a long time, I felt vulnerable. And I reacted the only way I knew how. I pushed– no, Ishovedyou away. And for that, I’m sorry. It was the worst decision of my life.”

My mouth opens. I cover it with my hand, heart thudding. Nate is apologizing and admitting to this whole room of Wall Street sharks that I make him feelvulnerable?

Noway.

"I’ve spent my entire life thinking that power and success were the only things that mattered. I was wrong. When you smile at me, those things seem like faraway concepts. I don’t care about Gellar Industries or the merger anymore. If it means losing you, I’ll walk away from all of it."

Nate looks at the camera with such a look of intense desperation. I can’t breathe. A tear slips down my cheek, unbidden. I brush it away without tearing my gaze from the screen.

The spotlight slices through the darkness, illuminating Nate. He moves toward me through the crowd. My heart thuds wildly in my chest.

"Annalise," he begins, his voice rich with emotion as he reaches me and drops down to one knee, "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, not after everything I've done." He glances around at the captivated audience before looking back into my eyes. "But I promise you, from this moment on, I will spend every day proving myself to you."

My pulse races faster with each word he utters.

“I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I love you, Annalise.”

The sincerity in his voice is impossible to deny.

"Are you saying—" I start, then stop. My voice is barely above a whisper. "Are you offering to put aside our rivalry?”

“Annalise.” He takes my hand, kissing my knuckles. "You are worth more to me than any empire. More than any fortune. I know that now."

I take a deep breath. Though I doubted him, Nate has done the unthinkable. He’s proven that he’ll do anything to be with me, including professing his love in front of his peers. To pretend that I’m not swayed by his admissions would be a lie.

"All right,” I whisper. I lock eyes with him.

"Is that a yes?" he clarifies, his expression tense and hopeful.

"Yes, Nate. Yes, I'll give you another chance."

Nate's face breaks into a smile. He picks me up and I slide my hands around his neck. Our lips meet in a passionate, searing kiss. People are lightly applauding, but my brain doesn’t even register it.

All there is in the entire world at this moment is Nate and me.

This,I think.This feeling right here. I’ve missed this so desperately.

When we finally break apart, Nate whispers in my ear.

“I’m ready to start making it up to you right now.” His words are laced with heat and anticipation. I shiver and kiss him again.

“Maybe you can make it up to me in the bedroom instead of the board room,” I whisper in his ear. “And my first act as CEO is to be on top…”

Thirty-Eight

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