Forebidden Desires In The Boardroom

Chapter Eleven: The Aftershock

Aubrey felt the silence echo in the room after Greyson left. It was unnerving, an eerie contrast to the chaos inside her. She had won the battle with the board, and yet the hollow victory tasted like ash. The real fight—the one she had been avoiding—was far from over. She knew that the merger was just a piece of the puzzle, but it had become increasingly clear that Greyson wasn’t about to be relegated to a mere footnote in her life.

She gathered her things mechanically, trying to block out the tension still thrumming through her. She had drawn the line, made it clear that what had happened between them was a mistake. But the feeling that lingered wasn’t relief. It was uncertainty, a gnawing doubt that maybe, just maybe, she was losing control of the one thing she had always prided herself on—herself.

Aubrey stepped out of the boardroom, making her way to her office. She nodded to a few colleagues, exchanged pleasantries, and kept her head high. But the moment she closed the door behind her, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

She walked to her desk, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, the only sound in the otherwise quiet space. Sitting down, she pulled up the documents she needed to review for her next meeting. She tried to focus on the numbers, the details, but her mind kept drifting to Greyson. His presence lingered in the air, in her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried to shut it down, he was there, a constant pulse beneath her skin.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen and saw a message from Greyson.

**I’m not done with this. Or you.**

Aubrey’s fingers hovered over the screen, her mind torn between anger and something darker—something dangerously close to excitement. She didn’t respond. Instead, she locked her phone and tossed it onto the desk, determined to push him out of her thoughts.

She tried to focus on the merger. The integration of the two companies was going to be complex. The cultural transition had to be handled delicately, but she had led tougher transitions in her career. This was just another challenge.

But no matter how hard she tried to force herself to concentrate, Greyson’s words haunted her.

That afternoon, her assistant knocked on the door, bringing in the latest reports. “These are from legal,” she said, setting the papers down. “Also, Mr. Cross requested a private meeting. I can schedule it for this evening if that works for you.”

Aubrey tensed at the mention of his name. The last thing she needed was another private meeting with Greyson. But she couldn’t avoid him forever. They still had business to attend to, and regardless of whatever personal mess was between them, the professional side of things had to remain intact.

“Schedule it for tomorrow,” Aubrey replied coolly. “I’m unavailable tonight.”

Her assistant nodded and left, and Aubrey allowed herself to breathe again. She knew avoiding him wouldn’t solve anything, but it would give her time to think, to decide how to handle the inevitable confrontation.

The hours ticked by, and soon the office began to empty as evening approached. Aubrey finished the last of her tasks for the day and packed up to leave. Her plan was simple: get home, have a glass of wine, and put Greyson Cross out of her mind for good.

But when she stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Greyson’s reflection in the polished metal walls.

He stepped in just before the doors closed, his presence filling the small space with an intensity that made the air feel heavier. Aubrey could feel her pulse quicken as the elevator began its descent, the silence between them thick and charged.