Sixteen
The conference room fell into stunned silence as Anna stared at the impossible scene before her.
Het business idol the woman she had admired from afar for years, was the same person she had insulted. and dismissed in the parking lot just minutes earlier.
Before Anna could fully process this devastating revelation, Noah’s shrill voice cut through the quiet atmosphere like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“How dare you two barge into this meeting room?” he shouted, pointing accusingly at Aria and Pervis.” Don’t you know they’re here to welcome the major shareholder?”
Anna closed her eyes and sighed deeply, embarrassment washing over her in waves. “Noah, please…”
“These people have no business being here!” Noah continued, his voice growing more indignant. Security should escort them out immediately before the real Aria Coleman arrives!”
“Noah, stop.” Anna whispered urgently, but her voice was lost in his continued tirade.
“This is supposed to be a prestigious meeting with one of the most powerful business leaders in the country!” Noah declared dramatically. “We can’t have random people disrupting such an important
occasion!”
Anna felt her face burning with mortification. How could Noah be so naive? Couldn’t he see that anyone walking into this specific meeting room at this exact time had to be here for a reason?
“Clearly, that woman is Aria Coleman,” Anna muttered under her breath, though part of her still couldn’t fully accept the reality of her situation.
ut the
Aria glanced at Noah with an expression that could have frozen fire. A mocking smile played at comers of her lips as she observed the young man making a complete fool of himself.
The board member who had been responsible for organizing the meeting cleared his throat nervously and stepped forward
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced formally, his voice carrying across the room, “please allow me to introduce Aria Coleman, the current head of the Coleman family and our new majority shareholder.”
The room erupted in respectful applause, but Anna felt as though the floor had dropped out from beneath her feet.
Every word of praise she had spoken about Aria Coleman, every expression of admiration, now felt like a cruel joke at her own expense.
“Noah,” Anna said quietly, her voice tight with barely controlled panic, “please don’t speak rashly on such
occasions.”
But the damage was already done. Noah’s face had gone completely white as the reality of his mistake
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hit him like a physical blow
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His mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he struggled to process what had just happened
Atta took her seat at the head of the conference table with fluid grace, her movements conveying authority and confidence. She didn’t even look in Noah’s direction as she spoke, her voice carrying just enough volume to ensure everyone heard her words.
The board does not welcome irrelevant people causing trouble here,” she said with cool indifference
Noah’s face tumed an even palet shade of white, if such a thing were possible.
His grand plan to somehow ingratiate himself with the Coleman family heir had backfired spectacularly in the most public way imaginable
The humiliation was written across his features like words on a page, and Anna could see his mind racing as he tried to salvage the situation,
This meeting had been his golden opportunity–his chance to make a connection with someone whose favor could elevate him far beyond what Anna Morrison could ever offer.
If Ana Coleman had taken a liking to him, Anna would have become insignificant by comparison.
Instead, he had managed to insult and embarrass himself in front of the most powerful woman in the room within the first thirty seconds of her arrival.
But Noah was nothing if not resourceful. He had spent years perfecting his manipulation techniques, and he wasn’t about to give up now.
Slowly, he lowered his head in what appeared to be genuine shame, his shoulders sagging as if under the weight of tremendous guilt.
“Miss Coleman,” he said softly, his voice trembling with carefully crafted emotion, “I owe you the most sincere apology.”
He lifted his eyes just enough to gauge Aria’s reaction before continuing.
“I was only trying to protect your reputation,” he explained, his voice growing stronger with manufactured conviction.
“When I saw… unfamiliar faces entering what I knew was such an important meeting, I acted out of concern for the Coleman family’s standing.”
Noah paused, allowing a single tear to form in the corner of his eye.
“I realize now that my good intentions were misguided,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly. “T never meant to cause offense or disrespect. Please forgive my terrible mistake.”
Anna immediately stepped forward, her protective instincts kicking in despite everything else that was
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“Miss Coleman, please understand that Noah meant no harm,” she said earnestly.
“He’s been through so much trauma recently, and he was only trying to help. His heart was in the right place, even if his actions were inappropriate.”
Noah had used this exact tactic countless times over the years. The combination of apparent remorse, noble intentions, and tragic circumstances had never failed to melt Anna’s resolve and earn him her immediate sympathy and protection.
He remembered how effectively it had worked whenever Pervis had tried to confront him about his
behavior.
Anna would abandon any criticism of Noah to rush to his defense, leaving Pervis isolated and eventually forcing him to back down.
Surely the same approach would work on Aria Coleman. After all, she was a woman too, and women were naturally more sympathetic to emotional appeals.
But as Noah looked up hopefully at Aria’s face, expecting to see softening features and perhaps even maternal concern, he was met with something entirely different.
Aria’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest. If anything, her smile had grown colder, more disdainful.
“How amusing,” she said in a tone that suggested she found nothing amusing about the situation at all.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as Aria’s gaze fixed on Noah with laser–like intensity.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” she asked, her voice carrying the kind of authority that brooked no argument. “Irrelevant people are not allowed to attend this board meeting.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
