Chapter 117


    Chapter One Hundred Seventeen


    Sephie


    We ate lunch and decided to pass the time in the gym. I still wasn’t 100 percent but was getting


    stronger with each day. I’d worked out a few times since getting hurt, with Andrei’s guidance, and didn’t


    make anything worse. So far, so good. Besides, working out harder meant I could eat more. It was a


    win-win for me.


    Andrei still wouldn’t let me work out like normal and he insisted that I keep it short. Today was no


    different, but at least it was something. It also helped me pass the time until Adrik was out of his


    meeting.


    After I was done in the gym, we went back to the penthouse so I could shower and change. It was


    middle of the afternoon by the time I was done with all that, so I decided to check on the status of the


    meeting, thinking it would be done. When we got to Adrik’s office, Ivan was sitting in the office.


    “Boss is still in the meeting, princess, but I’m sure he will be happy for you to interrupt,” he said when


    we walked in. He had at knowing grin on his face, like he knew Adrik would be missing me as much as


    I was missing him.


    “How are they still going? Hasn’t it been a couple hours already? Is this meeting that serious?” I asked,


    surprised they weren’t


    done yet.


    Ivan shook his head. “It’s not serious. Justplicated. Go interrupt. He’ll be grateful you did. Trust


    me,” he winked at me.


    “Are you trying to get me in trouble, Grumplestiltskin?”


    “Not at all. I promise you can punch me in the nose again if he’s mad that you interrupted the meeting.”


    He sounded sincere. I squinted my eyes at him, but decided to test it. I walked to the meeting room,


    cracking the door open quietly. I stuck my head. in, seeing Viktor standing by the door. He grinned at


    me and motioned me inside the room. As I stepped around the door, he cleared his throat. Adrik


    immediately looked to Viktor, his eyes finding mine. He smirked, motioning me toe to him. No oneThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    else in the meeting had noticed me step inside the room. I initially resisted, but he raised his eyebrow


    at me, looking at met sternly. I felt a gentle push from Viktor as I walked sheepishly towiird him. As I got


    closer, I noticed an empty chair on the opposite side of him. He pulled it closer to him, making it


    obvious that it was there for me, in case I decided to disrupt the meeting. I sat down quickly, ncing at


    the other men in the meeting. Most of them were so engrossed in what was being said that they still


    hadn’t noticed me. Adrik put his arm across myp, his hand on my thigh. I held onto his arm, smiling


    at him shyly, happy to be able to see him and touch him again. This was the longest we’d been apart in


    a few weeks and as si lly as it sounds, I missed him.


    He squeezed my thigh, like he was reading my mind. Armando noticed me and nodded his head at me.


    I smiled at him, listening to what was being said and looking at the other men more closely. They all


    lookedfortable in the meeting and they were all very upied with whomever was speaking. A few


    of them nodded along to things being said. A few would make a face at something that was said, but


    would add their two cents, and the conversation would continue. I looked at Adrik to find him. watching


    me, watching everyone else. He raised an eyebrow at me, silently asking if I caught anything out of the


    ordinary. I smiled at him and shook my head no. I heard him exhale quietly. I smiled to myself at how


    much he was starting to rely on my assessment of people. I squeezed his arm. He squeezed my thigh


    in response.


    The meeting kept going, the subject changing several times. They were very thorough in their nning.


    The project was a simr one to Armando’s project in Naples, but to arger scale. The building would


    be a multi-purpose building, with restaurants, office space, as well as apartments. There were a few


    njen who expressed concern over getting restaurants on board with leasing space in the building.


    Before I realized I said it out loud, I said, “why would you be worried about that? They have a built-in


    customer base if they lease space in this building. They don’t even need to do outside advertising.


    They can sustain their business strictly on the people in the building. That’s a restaurant’s wet dream.”


    Everyone stopped and looked at me, most of them shocked to see me,


    as they still hadn’t realized I was in the room. “Oh, sh it. I said that out loud, didn’t I?” I put my hand


    over my mo uth, my eyes wide. I looked to Adrik, who was simply smiling at me. He squeezed my


    thigh, his thumb rubbing circles.


    She makes a great point, gentleman. If we present it like that, I don’t see how any restaurant would be


    wary of leasing space in this building,” he said.


    Armando winked at me. “I agree. I think we should present it as a restaurant’s wet dream, even,” he


    saidughing.


    The whole room startedughing, helping me to feel somewhat relieved I opened my big mo uth. I


    chewed on my bottom lip, still embarrassed. I looked to Adrik again, his eyes darkened as he looked at


    my bottom lip, his grip on my thigh tightening.


    Soon after, the rest of the room collectively decided that they had gotten through all the points they


    wanted to. Everyone stood to indicate the end of the meeting. They were talking amongst themselves,


    shaking hands, getting updates on various other projects, and continuing smaller points about the


    meeting that just concluded. Adrik stood and pulled me up. My hip was sore from sitting for so long, but


    I was able to stand without flinching.


    Armando walked to me, opening his arms for a hug. “Sephie, I’m so d you joined us.” I hugged him


    as he asked quietly. “anything off?” I stepped back, smiling at him. I shook my head no.


    “All good, Mando. How’s Giana? Is she still mostly terrified?”


    He chuckled. “Mostly, yes, but she’s getting better. It’s been a crazy few days for her, admittedly.” He


    had a faraway look in his eye as he thought about her. A small smile crept across his lips as he was


    lost in thought.


    “She seems like a sweet girl.” I said.


    He nodded, still clearly thinking of something else. Or someone else. A few of the other men walked up


    to Adrik, then spoke to me, stillughing at myment. “You should consider a job in marketing” a


    few of them said, still amused.


    They started filing out of the meeting room. The guys were escorting them down to the lobby as they


    left the meeting. I felt Adrik’s arm around me, his lips on my temple. “I’m very happy you decided to join


    me.”


    I turned to look at him. “I almost didn’t, but Ivan said I could punch him in the nose again if you were


    mad that I interrupted the meeting. I decided to test that.”


    I grinned at him as heughed at me.


    “I’m sorry you won’t get to punch him in the nose, but I’m still happy you joined me. I missed you,” he


    said quietly.


    I looked around the room to see who was left and if any of them were paying to attention to us. There


    were only a few men left in the room, along with Armando, and nobody was looking at us. I kissed Adrik


    quickly. “I missed you too. That’s really why I interrupted. I mean, punching Ivan would’ve just been an


    empty perk for not being able to see you.”


    He pulled me closer to him, kissing me again, this time more passionately. “You shoulde to all my


    meetings, solnishko. You offer valuable insight,” he said.


    Iughed. “I don’t know why you put up with me and my inability to control my mo uth.”