Grayson Pierce and Eloise Caldwell novel Chapter 53

Chapter 53

:.

VPN

54

E 55 Vouchers

Eloise was stunned for a moment. ‘This is VirtuFusion Group. Grayson has plenty of secretaries and assistants. Seriously, does he expect me to make coffee?’ she thought.

Beckett flashed a fake smile. “Finn, since when is it your job to boss my secretary around? I thought

VirtuFusion had its own people.”

Finn stayed cool as ever. “We’re short on hands today. I’d appreciate Ms. Caldwell’s help.”

Then Finn turned to Eloise. “Ms. Caldwell, let me show you to the break room.”

Eloise thought to herself, ‘If you have time to escort me, you could just make the coffee yourself.

But Finn was VirtuFusion Group’s chief secretary, and with a crowd watching, Eloise couldn’t just say that. She didn’t want to look petty, refusing to make a cup of coffee in front of everyone.

After all, Hayes Group was still relying on VirtuFusion Group to keep the money coming in.

Eloise glanced at Beckett. Since he stayed silent, she got up and said, “Finn, let’s go.”

Beckett narrowed his eyes at Grayson. Grayson sat down with his team, his vibe pure ice.

Finn walked Eloise over to the break room. “Ms. Caldwell, here’s the coffee machine.”

Eloise knew how to use it. Finn watched as she prepared an iced Americano. He grinned. “Doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter. Mr. Pierce always goes for iced Americano.”

Eloise paused briefly. “Really? Guess I got lucky.”

Finn chuckled. The two of them had once been closer than anyone else in the office, yet now she was acting like this was all a coincidence. He found it amusing but didn’t call her out on it.

“Ms. Caldwell, let’s head back. The meeting’s about to start,” Finn said.

“Okay,” Eloise replied.

When they returned to the conference room, Eloise was about to hand the coffee to Finn, intending for him to pass it to Grayson.

But before she knew it, Finn was already sitting next to Grayson, waving her over. “Ms. Caldwell, over here.”

Eloise met Grayson’s scrutinizing gaze, along with the curious looks from everyone else in the room. Bracing herself, she walked over and placed the coffee in front of Grayson. “Mr. Pierce, here’s your coffee,” she said.

After saying that, she turned to leave immediately. Being the center of attention made her uncomfortable.

“Wait,” Grayson’s deep voice stopped her in her tracks.

Eloise forced herself to turn back, her movements stiff. “Is there anything else, Mr. Pierce?” she asked.

18:11 Thu, Apr 9

Chapter 53

Grayson smirked. “Thanks, Ms. Caldwell.”

Eloise managed a weak smile and quickly walked away.

VPH

54

55 vouchers

Next to Beckett was a rep from Quimby Group. “Mr. Hayes, your secretary is seriously impressive. Next time, I’m bringing a gorgeous secretary too. Let her wait on Mr. Pierce too,” the rep said.

Someone snorted, “Please, you think just because she’s a woman, Mr. Pierce will go for it? Keep dreaming.”

“Have you ever seen Mr. Pierce smile at any woman?” another person added.

The rep from Quimby Group said, “Nope, but he just smiled at Ms. Caldwell.”

“Mr. Hayes, where did you find a secretary like that? She’s something else,” a man sitting next to Beckett asked.

Beckett sat there, stone-faced and silent. Eloise slipped back into her seat behind Beckett, fired up her laptop, and got ready to take notes.

Grayson picked up the coffee, took a sip, and his mood visibly brightened.

The meeting officially kicked off. Eloise kept sneaking glances at Grayson through the crowd.

When he was in work mode, he was a whole different person: serious, calm, and his words cut. He just radiated boss energy.

Everyone in the room was holding their breath, not daring to slack off for a second. Eloise couldn’t help but sit up straighter, afraid of being caught zoning out.

The meeting dragged on past lunchtime. Eloise hadn’t eaten much that morning, and now she was starting to feel lightheaded from hunger. She rubbed her temples, trying to shake off the dizziness.

Grayson glanced over, then cut off the guy presenting the slides. “Let’s break for lunch. We’ll pick it up again

at two.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. People started filing out of the office.

Finn said, “Mr. Pierce, your assistant ordered lunch. It’s in your office.”

Eloise closed her laptop, planning to grab a quick bite downstairs in a bit. She’d been here a few times and knew there was a turkey sandwich spot downstairs.

Beckett turned around. “Ms. Caldwell, join me for lunch? I’ve got a couple of questions for you,” he said.

“Sure,” Eloise agreed without a second thought. They walked out of the conference room together and waited for the elevator.

Just then, a VirtuFusion Group employee hurried over. “Mr. Hayes, Mr. Pierce needs to see you. He wants you to come over right now.”

Beckett frowned.

18:11 Thu, Apr 9

Chapter 53

Eloise said, “Mr. Hayes, you should go. We can talk about work later.”

Beckett could only go with the staffer from VirtuFusion.

VPN

คณ

IZ 55 vouchers

The elevator arrived, and Eloise walked into the elevator, hitting the close button. Just as the doors were about to close, a big hand shot out and stopped them.

Eloise recognized that hand the moment she saw it. It was so familiar. Even after five years, she’d know it anywhere.

The doors slid open, and Grayson walked inside. Eloise instinctively took a step back. Grayson turned and hit the close button.

Since lunch hour had passed, hardly anyone was heading down. Eloise was the last to leave the conference room, leaving just her and Grayson alone in the elevator.

Grayson didn’t turn around, so Eloise boldly let herself take him in. He looked insanely good in that suit: broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and an imposing height that forced her to tilt her head up.

Grayson suddenly turned around. “Enjoying the view?” he asked.

Eloise was caught red-handed, her cheeks turning pink. Grayson had become brazen over the past five years, and she had too. “Not bad,” she remarked.

Grayson was surprised by how blunt she was, and he actually laughed out loud. He walked right up to her, leaving just a hand’s width between them. He leaned down, staring right at her nose.

The sudden closeness made Eloise’s heart race, and her nose went pink. She quickly tried to explain, “Don’t overthink it. Everyone likes good-looking people. If I see a hot guy, of course I’m gonna check him out.”

“You really think there’s anyone hotter than me?” Grayson asked.

Eloise just blurted out, “Of course. There’s always someone better looking. Don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ve seen guys way hotter than you. If they ever joined showbiz, they’d be total superstars.”

Sure, guys usually bragged about their skills or bank accounts, not their looks. But hearing Eloise say someone was hotter than him still got under Grayson’s skin.

His fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “From now on, you’re not allowed to check out other men,” he said, all bossy.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify