Page 11 of Knocked Up by the Bratva

As he walks away, the office starts buzzing again, but I’m still rooted to the spot, processing what just happened. Me, Jennifer Jewels, presenting in front of the board of directors? This is insane.

I sit back down, and I try to focus on my computer screen, but my mind is still racing. Presenting in front of the board of directors? I can hardly believe it. For the next hour, I stare at my email inbox, trying to answer messages, schedule social media posts, and work through my task list, but I’m distracted.

Timur’s been pushed to the back of my mind now that something this huge has dropped into my lap, but every once ina while, he sneaks back in, like a lingering thought I can’t quite shake. I didn’t think much about that night after I snuck out, convinced that leaving was the best thing for me. A guy like him probably forgot all about me the second I left.

Still, the memory of his hands on my body, the way he commanded me like I was his… it’s impossible to forget. Every now and then, I catch myself thinking about him. His rough voice, his confidence, and how he made me feel more alive than I had in years.

I force myself back to work, trying to dive headfirst into a task that requires all my attention. It works for a little while, until Maeve sends me a text:Dinner tonight?I smile, feeling a sense of relief. There’s no better way to calm my racing thoughts than catching up with my best friend.

By the time I leave the office and get home, I’m too jittery to sit still. As soon as I walk through the door of our tiny dorm apartment, Maeve pops her head out of her room. “Hey, superstar! How was work?”

I drop my bag on the floor and collapse onto the couch, grinning from ear to ear. “You are never going to believe this.”

Maeve, as always, picks up on the excitement in my voice instantly. She rushes over, sitting cross-legged on the couch next to me. “What? Spill!”

“I’m presenting in front of the board of directors next Friday,” I say, still unable to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.

Maeve’s eyes widen. “Wait, what? The board of directors? Like, the actual bigwigs of the company?”

“Yup,” I say, the reality finally starting to sink in as I say it out loud. “Liam Russel asked me to present with him. It’s wild, right?”

Maeve lets out a squeal of excitement, throwing her arms around me. “Jen, this is huge. Like, this is your big break!”

“I know,” I say, laughing as she pulls away and claps her hands together. “I’m kind of freaking out about it, but in a good way.”

“We need to celebrate again!” she declares, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Another party, maybe? Remember that guy from last time? Maybe you’ll bump into him again.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help but laugh. Of course, she’d bring up Timur. Maeve’s been teasing me about him ever since I told her about what happened. “I doubt I’ll see him again, and even if I did, it was just a one-time thing.”

Maeve raises an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Sure, you keep telling yourself that.”

I shake my head, trying to sound more convinced than I actually feel. “It was just… a distraction. I’ve got too much going on now to worry about him.”

“You can say that, but he left a mark,” Maeve says, grinning as she nudges my arm. “Come on, it’s obvious you’re still thinking about him. You can’t deny he was hot.”

I let out a sigh, leaning back against the couch. “Yeah, he was, but that’s the thing. Guys like that? They don’t stick around. Besides, I’m not looking to get my heart broken by some mysterious businessman.”

Maeve tilts her head, giving me one of her knowing looks. “Or maybe you just don’t want to admit you actually liked him.”

I grab a pillow and playfully smack her with it, but I know she’s not entirely wrong. “Okay, fine. Maybe I liked him a little. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s probably got a million women lining up for him. I’m not trying my luck.”

Maeve chuckles, shaking her head. “I don’t know, Jen. Maybe he’s different. Maybe he’s into you.”

I scoff. “Yeah, right. He’s probably already forgotten about me. That night was fun, but I’m not going to sit around hoping for something more. I’ve got this presentation to worry about.”

Maeve shrugs, not pushing it further, but I can tell she’s still thinking about it. “Fine. But you know, you deserve to have fun too. You don’t have to choose between work and letting loose every once in a while.”

“Trust me, this is what I want,” I say, smiling at her. “I’m excited about the presentation, and I’m not going to mess this up by letting myself get distracted.”

“Fair enough,” Maeve says with a grin. “Still, if another party happens to pop up, you can’t blame me for trying to set you up again.”

I laugh, shaking my head as I relax into the couch. Even though Timur is still lingering in the back of my mind, I focus on the one thing that matters right now: work. This presentation is my chance to prove myself, and I’m not about to let anything get in the way.

Chapter Six - Timur

As I step into the backseat of the car with Oleg, my mind drifts—not to the rising sales at Empire City Estates or the impressive social media campaign that skyrocketed us to new heights—but to her.

Jennifer.

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