Corporate Lessons

The day after their tense mission to the safe house, Evelyn decided to take a break from the chaos of her father's empire. With the documents still being analyzed, there was nothing more she could do at that moment—except to deal with Adrian, who had become an unexpected fixture in her life.

She had caught him earlier, casually taking over a meeting with some of the company's top executives, easily charming them into accepting his strategic ideas without batting an eyelash. This was the same man who had walked into her life pretending to be just a secretary, and yet he was constantly surprising her.

With her thoughts swirling, Evelyn had a bold idea. She needed to teach Adrian some proper corporate etiquette—the kind that doesn't involve pulling out weapons or making deals with shady characters in back alleys. After all, Adrian's connections to her father's past weren't the only thing that bothered her. His informal, borderline reckless approach to high society didn't fit the polished corporate image she was trying to project for the company.

With a wry smile, she called him into her office, hoping this would be more of a distraction than an actual confrontation.

When Adrian entered, wearing that usual confident smirk, Evelyn gestured toward the two chairs in front of her desk. "Sit down. We need to talk," she said, as calmly as she could.

Adrian raised an eyebrow but complied, sitting with his trademark casualness. "What's going on, Evelyn? Another life-altering secret you need me to know?"

She shook her head, fighting the urge to smile at his casual demeanor. "No, just a little corporate etiquette lesson. I'm tired of watching you act like you belong in a mafia meeting when you're representing a multi-billion-dollar corporation."

Adrian leaned back in his chair, unfazed by the jab. "I think the mafia meetings would be a little more exciting."

Evelyn crossed her arms, trying to maintain her serious stance. "Well, this is a corporate world. And if you want to stay here, there are certain rules you need to learn—like how to handle yourself in board meetings, how to speak with investors, and the most important thing of all—manners."

"Ah, manners," Adrian mused, his smile widening. "I've got that covered. Watch." He stood and suddenly extended his hand toward her, his expression playful. "Good morning, Miss Chase. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Evelyn blinked, taken off guard by his smoothness. He hadn't even hesitated to play along, and the slight twinkle in his eye made it hard for her to concentrate.

She cleared her throat, pretending to regain composure. "Okay, let's start with basic things. Handshakes are important. Firm, but not crushing. You have to convey confidence. Try again."

Adrian smirked but nodded. He reached out to take her hand again, this time with a much firmer grip. She raised an eyebrow as she felt the strength of his handshake. A little too firm for her liking, but still… it was impressive.

"Better," she said, reluctantly impressed.

Adrian leaned in, his voice lowering with a teasing tone. "What about the eye contact? Am I supposed to stare into your soul while I do this?"

Evelyn quickly pulled her hand back and took a step back, trying to ignore the little flutter in her chest. "Not exactly, but yes—eye contact is crucial."

Adrian looked at her with his usual intense gaze, his eyes locking onto hers as if reading her thoughts. She caught herself holding her breath and quickly shook it off. "Right, well, there's more to it." She grabbed a notebook from her desk and flipped it open. "When you're in meetings, you need to maintain professionalism. Never cut someone off mid-sentence, and definitely never make jokes at inappropriate moments."

Adrian raised his hand in mock surrender. "You're right. I guess my whole 'crack a joke and watch everyone laugh' strategy won't work here, huh?"

"Not at all," Evelyn replied, her tone unwavering. "Corporate discussions are serious. A misplaced joke can—"

Before she could finish, Adrian interrupted her with an exaggerated frown. "Oh no! What do I do if I have an impulse to tell a joke at a board meeting? Is there a manual on that?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the faint chuckle that escaped her lips. "You're impossible."

Adrian leaned forward, his gaze still playful but with a hint of sincerity. "But I think you're right. I'll work on the jokes. Now, let's talk about eye contact."

Evelyn frowned, unsure of where he was going with this. "What about it?"

Adrian's grin grew as he leaned in closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "Eye contact. You said it's important. But did you know it can be… magnetic? Like this."

His gaze intensified, and for a moment, Evelyn found herself caught in his eyes—too long, too intense. It wasn't just corporate business now; it felt like something more personal. She quickly broke eye contact, trying not to blush, even though her pulse had quickened.

"Adrian," she said with a stern edge, trying to recover from the unexpected shift in energy. "Focus. We're talking about corporate etiquette, not whatever this is."

Adrian leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face. "I'm just trying to show you that sometimes, a little charm can go a long way in these meetings. You'll be surprised at how effective it is."

Evelyn scowled but couldn't deny his point. It wasn't lost on her that Adrian had been using charm to manipulate situations all along. His ability to read people, to bend them to his will, was almost frightening.

But it wasn't just his charm that left her flustered. It was the fact that, despite all her efforts to teach him "proper" etiquette, she was the one who ended up being thrown off balance.

"Fine," she said, finally giving in. "You win this round. But remember, Adrian, you can't charm your way out of everything."

"Sure I can," he replied with a wink, his voice laced with mock confidence. "Just wait until the next board meeting."

Evelyn shook her head, trying not to smile. "Just be careful. If you want to stay here, you'll have to play by the rules."

Adrian's smile softened, a hint of something more serious behind his eyes. "Don't worry, Evelyn. I'll make sure I do."

As Evelyn watched him leave her office with that smug grin of his, she couldn't shake the feeling that teaching Adrian corporate etiquette might be more complicated than she'd ever expected.