“No problem,” she says in that sweet, soft voice of hers. “It’s just a shame we don’t have the big screen. I asked Brenda if we could switch rooms, but she said it was impossible.”
I frown as I adjust my black tie and unbutton my suit jacket.
Over my shoulder, I can see Brenda pretending to work behind her desk.“Brenda!”
The whole room jumps.
She comes running. “Yes, Mr. Walker?”
“Is the Gaudí room occupied?”
She scrambles for her tablet, pretending to check the calendar. “Uhh…”
“Yes or no?” I press, voice way less pleasant than usual.
“No, sir.”
“But you told me—” Emma starts, and I raise a hand, cutting her off.
I’ll handle Brenda. I’mdonewith this little game. “Were the afternoon meetings canceled?”
“There… weren’t any scheduled.”
I can practically feel Emma’s frustration radiating beside me. The whole team’s giving Brenda disapproving looks, but that’s not enough for me. I like pressure.
“So why’d you tell Miss Green the room was booked?”
She glances at Emma, venom in her eyes. “Must’ve been a misunderstanding.” She forces a tight smile.
“Well then,” I say, standing, “let’s move.”
Everyone starts grabbing their laptops. I leave last, Emma walking just ahead of me.
“Thanks,” she whispers as she passes.
My hand brushes down her back… and lands square on her ass. “Everything’s got a price, Miss Green.”
She bites her lip but keeps walking like a woman on a mission.
God, does she even know how hot she is when she’s like this?
I take my usual seat at the head of the conference table—where the boss is supposed to sit. Sam is helping Emma hook up the cables on the other end of the room, and the whole team is in place.
“Alright, Luca,” Emma begins. “This project’s finally done. We’re really proud of the result and hope you are too.” She grabs a remote and hits play.
The first thing on the screen is a slow-motion shot of me walking through the office. Black custom suit. Crisp lines. Sharp focus. Then Brenda shows up on camera, showing me something on her tablet. I nod, pointing at the screen. It cuts to a meeting with the finance team.
Then a deep male voice starts narrating our stats—how many properties we’ve sold, how long we’ve been in business, our growth year after year.
Then my name is spoken.
Cue a new scene: me walking my dog Jack along the beach, cooking in my kitchen, sitting in my office, taking calls, and typing away.
It’s polished. Grounded. Professional, but still warm. Approachable.It’s who Iusedto be. The guy I was when I thought I’d marry Emma Green.
Then I lost her, and I became… this. But she capturedhim. Somehow, she still sees that version of me. And I’m not going to lie—it's messing with my head.
“Mr. Walker,” Sam says hesitantly. “If there’s anything you don’t like, we can make changes.”
