CHAPTER THREE: “THE LATE, THE GREAT AND THE UTTERLY FLUSTERED”

Emily's alarm blared to life, She reached over to turn it off, but as she took a quick glance at the time, she realized with a start that she was already late for the meeting. "No, no, no!" throwing off the covers and leaping out of bed, she almost tripped.

She rushed to the closet, yanking out the first outfit she could find. As she hastily dressed, she knocked over her glass of wine from last night, spilling it all over the dresser. "Seriously?!" she shouted, grabbing a towel to quickly mop up the spill.

With her heart racing, Emily grabbed her bag and rushed out the door. She sprinted down the sidewalk, her heels clicking on the pavement. She quickly hailed a taxi and jumped in, giving the driver the address of the Blackwood Company.

As the taxi sped through the streets, Emily's anxiety grew. She was already late and she knew she had to make a good impression. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

The taxi came to a halt in front of the Blackwood Company's headquarters. Emily tossed the driver a few bills and leapt out of the cab. She sprinted towards the entrance, her heels echoing off the glass walls.

As she burst through the doors, Emily was greeted by a sleek, modern lobby. She didn't have time to admire the decor, she was already running late. She hurriedly

sprinted towards the elevators, her eyes scanning the floor directory.

"19th floor," she muttered to herself, quickly using her fingers to smoothen down her hair. As she reached the elevator, she jabbed the button repeatedly, willing it to arrive faster.

Finally, the doors slid open and Emily rushed inside. As she turned to face the front, she collided with a tall, imposing figure. "Watch where you're going!" he growled, picking up his phone that fell to the floor, and steadying himself against the wall.

Emily's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize I was supposed to make way for Your Highness," she snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You're one of those entitled, selfish people who think the world revolves around them, aren't you?" he sneered, obviously irritated by her guts.

Emily stood straight, eyes gleaming. "And you're one of those arrogant, condescending jerks who think they can talk down to anyone, aren't you?" she shot back, pouting her mouth, she turned away from him.

The tension between them was so thick. The elevator seemed to shrink, trapping them in a tiny, uncomfortable space. Emily felt her heart pounding in her chest, but she refused to back down, and instead stood straight, not daring to cast as much as a glance at him.

As the elevator stopped, the man stepped out, his eyes never leaving Emily's face. "It was a pleasure," he said, his voice full of sarcasm.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Likewise," she muttered, watching as he strode away.

She took a deep breath, shaking off the encounter. She was already late for the meeting, and she didn't need the added stress of a confrontation with a rude stranger. Emily's mind was focused on the meeting ahead. She had to make a good impression, no matter what.

When she arrived at the conference room, Emily was greeted by a familiar face - the man from the elevator. He was standing at the front of the room, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, his eyes scanning the room. "I'm Alexander Blackwood, CEO of the Blackwood Company. And I believe we are all fully prepared for the presentation...?"

Emily's eyes widened as she realized that the rude stranger from the elevator was actually the CEO of the company, "God... help me" she muttered, She felt a wave of panic wash over her, but she quickly composed herself.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her. "I trust you're ready to discuss the proposal?"

Emily nodded, trying to hide her trepidation. She had a feeling that this meeting was going to be a lot more challenging than she had anticipated.

She took her seat close to Lucas, her colleague, who was already seated at the conference table. Lucas, a friendly nerd, big glasses with a warm smile, and oversized clothing raised an eyebrow as Emily sat down.

"You woke up late, Emily?" Lucas asked, leaning over to whisper. "You look like you just rolled out of bed."

Emily shot him a wry glance. "Thanks for noticing," she whispered back. "I overslept. And to make matters worse, I had a lovely encounter with... " she nodded discreetly towards the CEO, " ...him in the elevator."

Lucas's eyes widened in surprise. "No way! What happened?"

Emily leaned in closer. "Let's just say we didn't exactly hit it off. He was rude, and I was... well, I was probably a bit too sharp-tongued."

Lucas winced. "Ouch. Well, try to keep your cool, okay? We need this deal to go through."

Emily nodded, taking a deep breath. She could do this. She just had to focus on the proposal and ignore the CEO's condescending attitude.

The CEO, Mr. Blackwood, cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Shall we get started, then? I trust you've all had a chance to review your proposal?"

Emily nodded, along with the others. She pulled out her copy of the proposal and began to flip through it, trying to focus on the task at hand.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that Mr. Blackwood was watching her, waiting for her to slip so he could pounce. She stole a glance at him and their eyes met for a brief moment.

Mr. Blackwood's eyes seemed to bore into hers, as if daring her to make a mistake so he could take his pound of flesh. Emily felt her heart racing, but she refused to back down. She met his gaze calmly, her expression neutral.

"Let's start with the marketing strategy," He said, his voice crisp and authoritative. "I want to hear your thoughts on how we can increase brand awareness and drive sales."

Emily took a deep breath and launched into her presentation, trying to focus on the facts and figures rather than the CEO's intimidating presence. She spoke clearly and confidently, using examples and data to support her arguments.

As she spoke, Emily could feel Mr. Blackwood's eyes on her, watching her every move. She tried to ignore him, but it was hard to shake the feeling that she was being scrutinized.

When she finished her presentation, He leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "Interesting," he said. "I'm not convinced, but I'm willing to listen to more."

Emily felt a surge of relief. She had expected him to be tough, but she hadn't expected him to be quite so... intimidating.

Lucas, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up. "I think Emily makes some excellent points, Mr. Blackwood," he said. "Perhaps we could discuss some of the potential challenges and see if we can come up with some solutions."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving Emily's face. "Very well," he said. "But I still want to hear more."

The meeting continued, with Emily and Lucas discussing the proposal in detail. Alexander listened intently, his expression unreadable.

As the discussion drew to a close, He leaned forward, his green eyes glinting with intensity. "I'll tell you one thing, Emily," he said. "You're certainly... passionate about your work."

Emily felt a flush rise to her cheeks. "I believe in what I do, Mr. Blackwood," she said. "And I'm committed to making this proposal a success."

He nodded, his expression softening slightly. "I appreciate that," he said. "But passion isn't enough. I need to see results."

Emily nodded, her mind racing. She knew that she had to deliver, and fast.

As the meeting drew to a close, He stood up, his tall frame towering over the conference table. "Thank you, Emily and Lucas," he said. "I'll review the proposal and get back to you within the next 24 hours."

Emily nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She had survived the meeting and now all she could do was wait and see what happened next.

As she gathered her things and stood up, His voice stopped her. "Emily, can I have a word with you?" he asked.

Emily's heart sank. What did he want to talk to her about? She nodded, "Of course, Mr. Blackwood."

Lucas shot her a sympathetic glance as she left the conference room with Him. Emily felt a sense of unease as she followed him to his office. What was he going to say to her?