Mr. Harlan slightly nodded toward his assistant, standing quietly by the door. She immediately stepped forward with a sleek black folder and approached the table. With practiced ease, she handed several copies of the document around, placing one directly in front of Elio.
"These are the preliminary outlines of the deal," Mr. Harlan said. "Nothing final yet, but a solid starting point. Elio, take a look."
Elio opened the folder, his eyes scanning the pages quickly but carefully. His brows furrowed slightly in concentration as he flipped through the projections, partnership clauses, and potential timelines. Everything looked clean, professional, and promising. The numbers were ambitious, but not unrealistic. It was the kind of challenge he welcomed.
"This is solid," Elio finally said, his voice steady. "I'll have my legal team review it in the morning, but it looks like something we can build on."
The other executives nodded in approval. Mr. Harlan gave a satisfied smile. "That's what I wanted to hear."
Elio closed the folder and looked around the table, meeting the eyes of each person there. "I appreciate this and your confidence in E.I Enterprise. And I can promise you that E. I Enterprise is ready to move forward."
There were murmurs of agreement, and the energy in the room shifted. What had started as an introduction was quickly becoming a handshake away from a powerful deal.
After the meeting wrapped up with firm handshakes and polite smiles, they made their way back to the main gathering room. The atmosphere was still lively, music played softly, glasses clinked, and conversations buzzed around the tables.
As Elio stepped into the room, his eyes met Mr. Bartlett's from across the hall. The older man sat with a drink in hand, but the glare he sent Elio's way was sharp, unmistakable. He hadn't been invited to the private meeting, and clearly, that didn't sit well with him.
Elio didn't flinch. He simply held his gaze, calm and unreadable, then slowly looked away as if Mr. Bartlett's presence was no more important than background noise. James approached from behind, collecting the files from his hand, and leaned in slightly. "The car's ready," he said quietly.
Elio nodded. He turned to find Mr. Harlan standing nearby and offered him a firm handshake. "Thank you for tonight," Elio said, his voice cool but respectful. "It was a pleasure."
"The pleasure's mine, Mr. Wilson," Mr Harlan said. "I'll have my office follow up first thing in the morning," Elio replied, and Mr. Harlan nodded with a proud smile.
With that, Elio and James made their way toward the exit.
As they walked out of the Palmera Suite into the warm night air, toward the car, James noticed the subtle shift in Elio's mood. The tightness in his shoulders had eased, and the quiet tension he carried earlier seemed to have lifted.
"You look better now, sir," James said, attempting a light tone as he glanced sideways. "That meeting must've gone really well."
Elio gave a small huff of breath, almost a laugh, and nodded. "The deal is huge," he admitted, eyes still focused straight ahead. "Honestly, I didn't expect something this significant to come from tonight."
"It's a big win," James added with a grin.
Elio finally turned to look at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You have no idea. I needed something to go right today. And this…" He paused as they reached the car, "This is big, bigger than I thought."
James opened the back door for him, but Elio didn't get in immediately. He stood for a moment, looking up at the sky as if grounding himself. "It's funny," he muttered, almost more to himself than to James, "I came here thinking it was just a normal deal Mr. Harlan and I used to have… and now I've got a partnership that could shift everything for E.I."
James nodded, clearly pleased for him. "You deserve it, sir."
Elio slid into the car. "Yeah… and for the first time in a long while, I actually feel like I won."
James closed the door behind him and walked around to take his seat.
Elio leaned slightly forward and spoke to his chauffeur.
"To the penthouse," he said quietly, his voice steady but firm. The driver nodded and pulled the car smoothly on the road.
Elio turned to James, who was now sitting with his tablet ready. "Go through the files…" Elio began, rubbing his thumb against his palm thoughtfully. "I want you to go through every part of the document. And review it thoroughly."
James nodded. "Understood, sir."
"Brief the core team in the morning," Elio continued. "And schedule a meeting for 10 a.m. I'll join you all once you've reviewed the major points. I want every clause, every number, every term broken down. This partnership could change our growth timeline, and I want us to be fully prepared."
"I'll have everything ready," James said. "You can count on it."
Elio gave a small nod, then leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes briefly. The city lights flickered across his face through the car windows, but for the first time that day, his mind felt clearer, and he felt happy.
Elio felt a strange sense of peace, as his penthouse gate opened and the car eased through. It was the first time in days he felt something close to relief. The deal from tonight was unexpected, but big. Bigger than he imagined, and it gave him just the right kind of distraction he needed.
As the car pulled up in front of the penthouse, Elio finally allowed himself a deep breath. The weight he left in the evening seemed to ease slightly. He turned to James before stepping out.
"Thanks for tonight. Keep everything on track tomorrow," he said simply.
"Yes, sir. Good night," James replied, watching as Elio stepped out of the car.
Elio walked to the entrance, and the door unlocked with a quiet beep. The housekeeper had left everything in order. He made his way to the private elevator and rode it to the top floor. Once inside, he dropped his keys on the console, slipped off his shoes, and walked to the bathroom.
The shower was quick but calming, the hot water a quiet escape. He didn't bother with anything, he dried off, changed into something simple, and went straight to bed.
As his head hit the pillow, he finally allowed himself to let go, no more noise, just sleep. For the first time in days, it came quickly.
The next morning, Elio woke up feeling more like himself. The weight from the past few days had eased a little, and for the first time in a while, his head felt clear. The deal from the night before still sat fresh in his mind, a win he didn't see coming but welcomed fully.
He got ready for the day, dressed sharply in a crisp navy suit, and left the penthouse for the office. The drive was smooth, the city alive but not yet overwhelming. When he arrived at E. I Enterprise, the building buzzed with its usual rhythm.
Elio stepped into his office and settled behind his desk. He was scanning through some early emails when a knock came at the door.
James entered, holding a tablet and a file in his hand. "Good morning, sir," he greeted, professionally calm. "The team is ready. It's time for the meeting."
Elio gave a short nod, stood, buttoned his jacket, and replied, "Let's go."
They walked into the conference room where the core team was already seated, files and laptops open, ready. As Elio entered the conference room, the team stood briefly and greeted him.
"Good morning, sir," chorus of greetings from the team.
Elio gave a small nod, his expression composed. "Good morning, everyone. Let's begin."
Elio took his seat at the head of the table, his presence naturally drawing attention and focus.
James began the presentation, going over the proposal from the Palmera Suite meeting. Everyone followed closely, and soon the discussion opened up.
One by one, the team gave their thoughts; some pointed out key strengths of the deal, and others brought up areas that needed more clarity. A few corrections were made on timelines and projections. Someone suggested a slight adjustment to the marketing clause, and another proposed a more flexible delivery schedule.
Elio listened, added his views where necessary, and made sure every concern was addressed. His leadership was calm and sharp, guiding the team without overshadowing them.
By the time the meeting wrapped up, they had refined the plan, assigned tasks, and set up a timeline. The deal was moving forward, with everyone on board.
By the end of the meeting, action points had been assigned, the contract was revised, and everyone left the room confident in the next steps.
As the meeting wrapped up, Elio stood and looked around the room, his tone steady and clear.
"Make sure everything we've discussed is finalized today," he said. "We're meeting with Mr. Harlan tomorrow, and I want everything ready before then."
Everyone nodded, "Yes, sir" in chorus, scribbling last-minute notes and closing their files. James confirmed, "Understood, sir. I'll follow up with each team to make sure everything is submitted before the end of the day."
Elio gave a brief nod. "Good. Let's keep this momentum."
With that, Elio walked out of the conference room, and James followed behind, and the team began filing out of the room, already discussing how to tackle their assigned tasks.
As they are out of the conference room, in the hallway, James follows Elio behind, holding a small tablet in his hand. "Sir, you have a call with the legal team in an hour, and the marketing department requested to move their review to 3 p.m. I can…"
He paused mid-sentence as both of them turned the corner into the hallway, and there she was Maya. Standing in the middle of the hallway like she had every reason to be there, dressed in a sleek black dress that hugged her figure, her gaze locked directly on Elio.
James hesitated, sensing the shift in Elio's posture.
"Maya," Elio said, his voice flat, unreadable.
Maya gave a faint smile. "Elio… I was hoping we could talk."
Elio's jaw tightened slightly. He didn't stop walking. "I have nothing to say."
James looked between them, unsure if he should keep walking or step away. But Elio didn't break stride, brushing past Maya as if she were a shadow.
She turned slowly, watching him go. "You can't avoid me forever," she called softly.
Elio didn't even glance back. "Watch me."
Maya's voice followed him like a lure. "After that night… I thought you'd miss me."
Elio paused mid-step, jaw tightening. Without looking back, he said to James, "Give us a moment."
James gave Maya a quick glance, nodded, and
and stepped back, leaving them.
Elio slowly turned to Maya, his gaze cold and unreadable. He didn't say a word, just stared. The silence between them was louder than anything he could've said.
Then, without a response, he turned and walked toward his office.
Maya, not one to be dismissed easily, pushed off the wall and followed him, her heels clicking behind him.
"Elio," she called softly, trying to close the gap between them. But he didn't stop, didn't turn, just opened his office door, walked in, and left it open behind him.
As Elio walked into his office, he went straight to his seat behind the large desk, not bothering to look at her right away. He leaned back in the chair, eyes fixed briefly on the folder in front of him before glancing up.
"Maya," he said, voice low and sharp, "what… are you… doing here?" he said, stretching every word.
His tone wasn't curious, it was tired, edged with irritation, as if her presence was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
Maya walked slowly toward him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I miss you," she said gently, "that's why I'm here."
Elio didn't respond immediately. He just looked at her, long and hard, like he was trying to read her, trying to figure out her angle. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a flicker of something… frustration.
Without a word, he stood up, straightened his blazer, and turned away from her. He walked over to the large glass window of his office, the one that gave a perfect view of the city skyline.
He stood there quietly, hands in his pockets, his back to her, watching the world below as if it offered more clarity than the moment unfolding behind him.