Chapter 10

Amelia stood at the head of the long conference table, her voice steady as she guided the room through projected figures and timelines. The boardroom was quiet and the people sat attentive, executives seated, notebooks open, eyes trained on her. This was her element. Calm. Controlled. Commanding.

Mid-sentence, her phone lit up on the table beside her laptop.

The vibration caught her eye.

She didn’t falter. Without missing a word, she reached for the phone, glanced at the caller ID, and subtly gestured to Ryan. He understood immediately. Stepping forward, he took the phone from her hand as she continued speaking, unbothered, unfazed.

Ryan excused himself quietly and slipped out of the room, lifting the phone to his ear.

The meeting went on.

Amelia concluded her presentation minutes later, answered a few questions, and returned to her seat with a polite nod. As another executive rose to take the floor, Ryan reentered the room.

Amelia saw his f