Chapter 25
The summit was just as tedious as cache one before it had been. She took vague notes on the different presentations, but her eyelids were growing. heavy as the hours wore on She knew she would have a break for lunch is about an hour and only needed to make it until then.
Kylan’s presentation was the list one before lunch, and she sat up more fully in her chair w the front of the room. She had a perfect view of him from her fifth row seal.
histum, watching as he walked in
ir stage a
It was interesting to watch him, now that she knew Kylan never wanted to be GEO in the first place, for whatever to people person, he was fantastic at public speaking, when he wanted to be,
Even with his shorter stature, the confident air about him, and the sure way he carried himself, commanded the attention of the precision, sounding slightly bored as he did so, but with enough fire that it kept people intrigued.
The sprake wothi
She watched as he spoke of and motioned to the various projector slides she had long since put together for him. It was obvious he was passionate about the Nighthawk, just as he had been with each of its predecessors and every other product that Ross Corp came out with
There wasn’t much Kylan showed appreciation for, bau Ross Corp’s tech was one of them. Cleanliness and tea were probably the only other two things that she could think of
Watching Kylan in his element, seeing as his low voice carried both professionalism and poise, reminded her of why she had stayed with Ross Corp. for so long. Why did she continue to work under Kylan, even though he was difficult a lot of the time!
He was driven. It was contagious, and she only wished people outside of the business world could see and understand just what someone like Kylan constantly offered the world.
at a polite
She was so enamored with his presentation, that she didn’t notice when it was over until the crowd around her was all clapping at a She dropped her pen in her lap and joined in
Kylan bowed his head in thanks and swiftly walked back to his spot next to her. The host of the conference called for lunch, and the hall low volumes of talking as people slowly left the room in search of the banquet room.
She stood from her seat and put her notebook and pen in her briefcase, “She did excellent, Sir,” she told her boss honestly.
Kylan
shrugged, his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. “Your slides were well prepared, he responded, leading the way toward lunch. She smiled at him, surprised by his open praise. “Thank you, Sir.”
volumic
filled with
They are inch quickly and then it was right back to the assembly hall for more presentations. She was no doubt biased, but by the end of the summit, she was certain that Kylan’s speech had been the best one.
She stayed with Kylan as he spent a few n minutes meandering around after the summit concluded, talking to a few people he deemed “acceptable” enough to hold a conversation with
True to his word, he never once reached for her hand or anything of the sort. It was admittedly strange, being in public and not touching him for the first time in nearly two weeks.
It was dark outside by the time Kylan finished his last conversation. He turned to her, not bothering to hide how exhausted he was on his face. “Shall we go?” he asked with a tired I sigh.
She smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “I think that went well, overall, she commented as she walked toward the front of the hotel lobby. “I’m glad these things are only once a year, was how Kylan chose to answer. He pushed open the door to the outside world and waited for her to walk through first.
As soon as she was outside, she turned to talk to Kylan, but a group of five or six photographers bore down on her at once. She was le where they came from again. She found herself separated from Kylan, the flash from several cameras effectively blinding her.
left wondering
She winced doing her best to push through the crowd of people, but they were relentless and only followed her. She could hear Kylan nearly on the verge of shouting somewhere behind her, no doubt causing a scene. The journalists asked the same questions she was slowly becoming used to, and she was at least present enough in the moment to not answer a single one of them.
She felt an arm encircle her waist and she smelled the familiar scent of her boss. He had caught up to her, and relief flooded her system.
k off. Leave her the bell alone, Kylan snapped at the face hall concealed by large cameras.
He steered her in the direction of the roundabout at the front of the hotel’s entrance, and she is her best to keep her head down as she walkes, leaning into Kylan’s side for support.
“Miss Morgan,
how does it feel to be sleeping with New York City’s most desirable billionaire? Surely, you must have i Tell us, did you start sleeping with him before you become his assistant! Or only others
1:02 PM c c
Chapter 25
of her.
Katrina stopped just before running into them and tried to duck around them. They sidestepped with her, and she huffed in annoyanı better than to engage, but she was getting overwhelmed by the amount of flashing lights there were.
“Move. Now,” Kylan ordered next to her, his voice low and dangerous, and it sent a shiver down her s
“She can’t possibly think she can start dating her personal assistant and not have any public scrutiny to answer to the same journalist directed to Kylan now, angling their camera and taking a photo of her only inches in front of her face. The flash made her dizzy, and she felt herself veering to the side a linde bit.
Kylan tightened his grip around her and moved so his body was partly concealing hers now. “I won’t repeat myself again. Get out of the way, or you’ll be needing a new camera” he ordered once more.
The photographer laughed sarcastically. “You want another lawsuit, Rose” they sneered, taking yet another picture.
“Kylan, it’s not a big deal. Let’s cut through here, she whispered to her boss, taking hold of his hand, and attempting to poll the crowd at her right.
through a break in
“Yes, Kylan, listen to your assistant. Or girlfriend. Which do you prefer to call her in public, I wonder?” the photographer mused.
Kylan had been following her, but now he had removed his arm from her, and she knew she’d be calling Isabel within the hour. He turned around and grabbed the journalist’s camera, throwing it on the ground and then stepping to be nose to nose with the obnoxious man.
“I told to leave us alone. Back the f*ck off, or in be her ugly ass face next. Kylan’s voice was so angry
gry that she hesitated to reach for his hand to you to pull him away.
v nat
“That’s a three thousand dollar camera. But I guess that’s just pocket change to you, yeah?” The photographer wouldn’t back down. Did they think Kylan was serious? Was he serious? She had seen Kylan lose his shit plenty of times, but she had yet to see him get physical with anyone.
“Kylan. Kylan don-” She hurried to get his attention, but it was too late. Kylan had already brought his fist back, and he’d already collided it with meat of the journalist’s face. She heard a disgusting “crack“, and the man doubled over, holding his profusely bleeding nose.
“Kylan Ross, let’s go!” she shouted over the buzzing crowd. Even more pictures were being taken, and now several bystanders were watching the scene unfold.
ut of her
Kylan looked at her, a scowl on his face and his hair slightly disheveled from the force
ce of the punch. Katrina pulled a business card out briefcase, walked over to the man on the ground, and held it out to him.
“Mr. Ross’s lawyer,” she told him flatly.
The photographer grabbed the card from her with a glare, and she rolled her eyes and turned around, grabbing Kylan’s hand and pulling him to the SUV that Oscar had long since parked.
Katrina wrenched open the door and only just refrained from pushing him inside. Several journalists had trailed after her, and she wanted to ger the hell out of there. Kylan moved inside and looked back at Oscar, who she noticed was blocking the journalists from being able to look at her anymore. Gratitude overwhelmed her, but not enough to drown out the anger she was feeling toward Kylan.
“Oscar, please drive us down the road and then pull over. I need to talk to Kylan in private,” she didn’t even care that she wasn’t addressing Kylan with the proper professional title right now; she was far too annoyed
Oscar nodded, walking around the car, and pulling away from the curb without saying a word. Kylan was also silent, waves of anger and annoyance rolling off him. He looked out the car window, a scowl still visible even from his side profile..
A few minutes later, Oscar pulled over near an alleyway. She stepped out of the car and waited for Kylan to do the same. He got out, his glare was directed at her now
Katrina marched into the alleyway, and he followed after her. Only once she was concealed by the shadows, did she turn and shove Kylan square in the chest. He looked at her in open shock and she stared back at him with much the same expression. She had never even dreamed of purting her hands on her boss like that
But she was frustrated, she was annoyed, and she was tired. So fucking tired. She had been doing everything she could to play her part right, to be the public face that Ross Corp, needed her to be, that Kylan–needed her to be.
ling with her boss
I would all be for nothing if Kylan couldn’t control his temper. She couldn’t be the only one putting in the effort and then dealing reprimanding her right after like he did yesterday when he was going to act like this.
“I–I’m sorry. Sir. I’m just What the hell was that? Why did you play into their stupid behavior? You should never do that. It isn’t worth it, not a single time.” She was breathing heavily and so was Kylan. His tie was slightly askew, and she fought the urge to straighten it out for him.
“I don’t need to explain anything to you,” Kylan answered through clenched teeth.
She laughed sarcastically, shaking her head, and looking at him like he had actually lost his damn mind. “Yes, you do. You want me to uphold the
1:02 PM ď ď
Chapter 25
contract, you need to as well she reminded her boss
She looked him over, taking in his appearance more fully. His right hand, the one he used to deal the punch to the asshole with the camera, was red and swollen.
She sighed and stepped forward, reaching for his hand. He moved it away from her and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Let me see what damage you did to yourself, she ordered firmly, holding her hand out to him, her eyebrows turned up expectantly.
Kylan rolled his own eyes, finally placing his hand in hers. She turned it over, taking note of the red and purple of his knuckles and the slightly cracked skin in a few places. “You probably broke his nose. 111 have to call Isabel,” she told him quietly, looking at him with a frown.
He met her gaze with a frown of his own. “It’s not the first time I’ve punched someone, Kate. It won’t be the last, I’m sure,” he explained, his warm breath fanning her face from how close she was standing in front of him
Were trying to fix the public’s perception of Ross Corp. Sir. Not hinder it even more with stunts like this,” she whispered to him, her fingers absently brushing over his bruised knuckles.
Kylan was still looking at her, his head turned up slightly to meet her gaze. “They shouldn’t harass you like that,” he said it so quietly, she wouldn’t have heard him if she weren’t right in front of him
“They harass you just the same, she pointed out to him. She realized she hadn’t let go of his hand and moved to drop it, but he gripped her hand nighter in his own.
“Yes, but I signed up for it the second Ross Corp. went public. Kylan murmured, looking down at her joint hands.
“I signed up for it the second my signature was on the contract, Sir, she whispered, looking down at her hands too. Her heads were so close now, that his bangs tickled her forehead
“The contract.” Kylan
kylan repeated
The contract, the confirmed
He cleared his throat and let go of her hand. She stepped back from him, brushing her hair behind her car. “Let’s go get you cleaned up and 111 send Kabel a preliminary email. We can also try and do some damage control on Litter, she suggested and Kylan nodded.
Til have Oscar stop for dinner, and we can work at my house. I’ll pay you for the extra time you’ll be spending working.” Kylan offered, loosening has the, and then taking it off completely. He unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, and she felt her face flush warm.
“That’s not necessary” she told him in a hurry, walking back to the car,
Kylan walked with her and opened the door for her. “I wasn’t asking if it was okay, I was informing you of what I be doing,” he told her as she climbed in
She got in the car and didn’t refrain from rolling her eyes at him.
