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Here we go again!

×××

The scent of success, power and money permeates the room.

Daisy feels sick.

×××

The morning drought of sun, the playful and sweet pigeons, the cooling steam of boilers, all the high and quivering noise of the city—everything tilts over on its side, slipping along the floorboards, banging its head, falling.

Daisy remembers where she is.

Office. Presentation. Meeting.

Daisy’s red dress is a popping contrast to the grey office walls. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a tight bun and her makeup is subtle but accentuates her eyes. She crosses her legs and her heel taps the floor.

Gabriel walks into the room, and there's a hint of pine in the air. He must have splashed on some cologne before this meeting. Underneath the pine, though, is the smell of salt water. He must have been at the beach earlier today.

Gabriel is a tall man with a stern face and blue eyes that seem to pierce Daisy. He is dressed in a navy suit with a yellow tie and matching pocket square. His hair is brown and brushed back and his hands are broad.

Daisy doesn’t think she has ever seen a more handsome man.

He shakes some of her seniors which interests her. Is he really of that highstatus as David had told her?

"That real estate company? Yeah, THAT one? Yeah, he owns it. Heard his name is Gabriel Carpenter."

He must really be a big shot.

In a sea of dark suits, Daisy's red knee length dress stands out but not in the way she likes. She finds herself getting caught up in Gabriel's gaze instead.

Daisy suddenly gets nervous, her mouth feels dry and it's hard to form words. She feels his gaze on her, like a warm caress on her body.

"Welcome, gentlemen and women. We're excited to have you here today to discuss our project." Her voice is low and husky. It reminds Gabriel of a dark night and a pub door creaking open.

He is immediately intrigued so he leans on the table with his hands folded and placed under his chin, his eyes curiously fixed on every action this red-dressed beauty in front of him does.

×××

≈ Daisy ≈

It has been two days since Daisy first met Gabriel.

And now, this is the second time she's seeing him in these meetings.

Is he an investor? A representative? What is he doing here?

The mysterious businessman steps in the middle of a tense business negotiation and immediately takes control of the situation. He has a strong presence, and Daisy feels her heart rate increase when she looks into his piercing blue eyes.

This time, he is dressed in an immaculately tailored suit and Daisy finds herself wondering who he is and why he is here, again. He speaks with confidence and authority, and the other businessmen in the room seem to understand his words as if they're being spoken in a foreign language.

He directs the negotiation towards a partially successful conclusion, and then quietly backs away without taking credit for what he has accomplished. Daisy is left with the distinct feeling that she has witnessed something extraordinary.

Who is he?

As she is preparing to leave, she sees Gabriel standing by the door and feels her heart skip a beat. He nods in her direction and she finds herself unable to look away. Time seems to stand still, and for one fleeting moment, she feels an unspoken connection between them. Then he's gone, and Daisy is left alone with only the echo of his voice in her mind.

×××

He's here, again.

For the third time.

Daisy can't help but glance at him from time to time.

She has asked her boss, Mr. Randy who he is and why he's becoming a regular at these meetings.

"Is he an investor, sir?" She placed a hand on his desk.

He adjusted the glasses on his nose bridge and gave her a scrutinising look, "Why are you particularly interested in knowing, Daisy?"

She fumbled with her words, "No…no, it's not like I'm singularly interested in him. He just seems to be very important since he speaks with so much authority and you all listen to him. Is he investing much into the project?"

The old man put his glasses down and dropped the papers he was working on to look at her. She withdrew her hand and folded them behind her. "Sir." She said under her breath.

"I'm not obligated to release confidential information about the attendees of that meeting to you, Daisy. All you should know is that they are attendees for a reason and as the head of the Project Initiatives and Investor Relations department of the company, you should do a darn good job convincing them to put their money into our next fall project. Understood?"

"I mean I do understand, sir, but-"

"But what?!" His rebuttal made her flinch. "You better not go and embarrass me like you did last week in that charity event I could've known better than to send you as our representative for. You did the complete opposite of what I sent you there for; no networks, no contacts, no nothing! But a black letter from the owner of one of the most profitable stock companies in America!"

Daisy regretted coming to his office to even ask the question. She knew Mr. Randy wouldn't let her hear the half of what went down last week at the charity event.

How could she have known Mr. Arrogant Charming was the CEO of a stocks company they wanted to partner with for an investment fund launch? David didn't help that night. He was busy flirting around and that man was on her neck.

Everything came around like a boomerang and backfired at her. She's thankful though it didn't make headlines.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"If you really were you wouldn't be here and would be busy with the presentation for tomorrow!"

She nodded and closed her eyes.

Mr. Dalton's, one of the investors, voice breaks her from her reverie, "A hundred and fifty million on that land is quite a stretch, don't you think?"

Daisy can feel the tension in the room rising with every passing moment. She looks over at Mr. Randy, who is seated at the head of the table, and tries to maintain a calm exterior, even though her insides are churning. She knows that this negotiation is crucial to her company's future, and she can't afford to let her emotions get the better of her.

But as she looks back at Gabriel, all thoughts of calm dissipate. He is smirking at her now, his eyes glinting with amusement, and Daisy feels a surge of anger rise in her. She feels that he's intentionally trying to throw her off balance, and she refuses to let him succeed.

Daisy takes a deep breath, pushing aside the distracting thoughts of this intrusive investor. She has a job to do, and she can't let him or anything else get in the way of that.

"Perhaps it is, Mr. Dalton," she says calmly, "but the potential for profit on that land is immense. We're willing to take a risk and invest in it, and we believe it will pay off in the long run."

Gabriel smirks and says under his breath. "So you love taking risks? Interesting."

But Daisy hears.

What is this man trying to do?

Daisy ignores him, her focus still on Mr. Dalton. "We can't negotiate a lower price, but we're open to extending the timeline for the payment. We understand your hesitation about the price, and we're confident in your ability to secure the funds within the next few months."

Mr. Dalton looks sceptical, but Daisy can see the hint of consideration in his eyes. She presses on, laying out their plans for development and the potential revenue streams.

But just as their negotiations seems to be progressing, the door to the conference room bursts open, interrupting her. In walks a tall, muscular man with a menacing expression on his face. Daisy recognizes him as one of Gabriel's bodyguards.

"Sir," he growls, addressing Gabriel. "We need to leave now. There's been a security breach."

Gabriel's expression turns grave. "What kind of breach?"

"We're not sure yet. Our team is investigating, but we need to get you out of here immediately."

Daisy watches in shock as Gabriel quickly grabs his briefcase and stands up from the table. "I'm sorry, Mr. Randy, but it seems we'll have to continue this discussion another time," he says, his eyes briefly meeting Daisy's before he walks towards the door.

Daisy tries to hide her disappointment as she watches him leave. She can't shake the feeling that there is something more going on than just a security breach. And despite their confusing connection, she can't help but feel a sense of unease about it.

"Daisy…" Mr. Randy's voice snaps her back to the attention of the people in the room. "The next slide…" His stern gaze makes her nod and carry on with the presentation.

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