Fifth Avenue Devil

Chapter 19

Nineteen

Nate

I f Annalise hadn’t texted me 911 last night, I wouldn’t be here right now. After all, I still have a whole business empire to run. But now I lean against the oak desk in Annalise's office, lips pursed. My gaze drifts over the Manhattan skyline outside. The sharp lines of skyscrapers slice through the morning haze and cast long shadows over the rest of the city.

Annalise still hasn’t put her personal stamp on her father’s office. It’s still polished and masculine in here. Someone, a secretary probably, cleared away any files that Archer left open. But his chair remains, his large desk dominates the space, and even his 1980s books on making money are still on the shelves. Large dark blue curtains hang at the windows. There’s nothing of Annalise in here.

I told Annalise that I planned to move Gellar Industries into new offices in my building. Could she just be waiting for me to make the move?

The door swings open, and Annalise stands there. Her beautiful curls spill from her face like a burst of honeyed sunshine. I look down at the rest of her and frown as I take in her conservative pantsuit. This is a far cry from the elegant ensembles I had picked out just for her.

She's still pretty, but her dowdy pantsuit hides the svelte curves that her new wardrobe emphasizes so well. Not to mention that I’m pretty sure Annalise’s color is gold, not this awful beige shade that she’s currently wearing.

"Annalise. Is there a reason you're dressed like that?"

She looks down and rolls her eyes, a hint of defiance sparkling in their depths. "My mother visited me last night. After she left, I realized that she ransacked my wardrobe. This is the best of what she left intact."

I can't help but snort. Monique Gellar, always the meddling presence.

"That’s an unpleasant surprise," I say, pulling out my phone. My fingers fly over the screen, texting my personal assistant for help. As I slip the phone back into my pocket, I can't help but think how infuriatingly attractive she looks in that outdated outfit.

“It’s not the only thing my mom dropped in my lap. She called a fucking emergency board meeting behind my back.” She shakes her head, a strand of golden hair falling into her eyes.

"An emergency meeting?" I raise an eyebrow. "Why did she call it?"

"My mother thinks that I should not be running this business. If she had things her way, I would be meeting her friends’ eligible sons, not trying to turn this company around."

I let out a low growl. My temper erupts at the thought of Monique trying to control Annalise. Annalise is more than capable of making her own decisions.

Annalise puts up a hand to stop my protests. “I know! I know. Honestly? My mom doesn’t have a great grasp on reality in general. But especially not about her role in my life and my career. It’s kind of sad.”

“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 nothing to do 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.

“I’m determined to turn this company around. Hell or high water,” Annalise adds. “With Mr. Fordham’s help, we’ve already made plans to streamline the employee rosters and to start moving to our new headquarters in the ViaLife building.”

A murmur ripples through the board members, who until this point have remained silent. One of them raises two manicured fingers.

“Does that mean the boardroom will be moving to the ViaLife building as well?” she asks.

Annalise nods. “Yes. Everything will be upgraded when we move. Right, Mr. Fordham?”

I clear my throat. “Yes. We have the company move date scheduled for three months from now.”

Throughout this exchange, I can feel Annalise's presence beside me. She’s not cowering, but she is tacitly permitting me to sweep the street clean of trash. Our eyes meet briefly. At that moment, an unspoken understanding passes between us.

We make a formidable team, united in purpose and resolve.

"Annalise," Monique begins, her voice dripping with condescension. "You may have your… ‘supporter’ here. But do not forget that you are not the only one with a stake in this company."

"Indeed," Donald chimes in. His eyes flicker with annoyance. "We all want what's best for Gellar Industries. If we feel your vision doesn't align with that, it's our duty to challenge you."

I scoff at their thinly veiled attempts to undermine Annalise. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

But as I prepare to rip into them again, I notice a subtle shift in Annalise. Her posture straightens, her chin lifts, and a new kind of confidence shines in her eyes.

"Fine," she calls out. "Challenge me. Question my decisions. But get your damn ducks in a row first. Don’t come at me with these pathetic personal attacks. I will prove to you all that I can lead this company."

I can't help but smile. Without a doubt, Annalise is a force to be reckoned with.

The tension in the room is palpable. I can feel the energy shift as board members exchange nervous glances, uncertain which side to choose.

“Is that all?” I ask Monique. “If so, I have places I need to be.”

Not anywhere in particular, but she doesn’t need to know that.

Monique flushes with anger. "Enough!" she exclaims. "We will resume this discussion at a later date. This meeting is adjourned."

As the board members file out of the room, I can tell that we've made an impact. Monique and Don are on notice and they know it.

"Come on, Annalise," I say. I grab her by the arm and guide her out of the conference room. "Let’s get out of here."

When we get into the elevator, Annalise turns to me with those perfect hazel-green eyes. Her eyes are endless and seem to suck me in, making me move closer.

“Where are we going?” she asks, her voice soft.

I slide my hands around her waist and give her a smirk. “Anywhere you want, Kitten.”

Her laugh is melodic. “Anywhere? Like the Champs-élysee? Or Saint Basil's Cathedral?”

My lips twitch with humor. “Paris and Moscow are pretty far. If you want me to, though, I will call my flight crew. I could probably have them get my plane gassed up and ready to go in an hour.”

“Nah.” Annalise scrunches her nose. “I know where I really want to go.”

“Oh really?” I ask casually.

She steps close to my, kisses my ear, and then whispers, “Take me to your bed.”

My heart speeds up as the elevator doors open. I put a hand on her waist, propelling her forward. “Your wish is my command, Kitten.”