Spoiled Sweetness

Chapter 9: Steel And Softness

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Adrian Blackwood was a different man when Lily wasn't around.

Gone was the gentle, patient voice that soothed Lily during her tantrums. In its place was an iron resolve. His presence cold and commanding, filling every room like a looming storm. At Blackforge Holdings, the employees walked with hushed steps, always aware of his gaze, sharp as a blade. Adrian wasn't the kind of man to yell or throw fits, but his quiet authority carried more weight than any raised voice ever could.

He sat at the head of a long, polished conference table in the glass-walled boardroom. In a rare display of relaxation for someone of his stature, Adrian sat with his legs spread apart, a powerful posture that conveyed confidence and control. He wore a black tailored suit, the lapels sharp, the silk tie perfectly knotted. His cufflinks gleamed subtly. Understated elegance, much like the man himself.

On the table in front of him were stacks of documents, market reports, and quarterly projections. His team of senior executives sat in tense silence, awaiting his input. Adrian's dark eyes scanned the papers with meticulous care, absorbing every detail with the precision of a hunter locking onto his prey.

"This projection," Adrian said, his deep voice smooth but unforgiving as he flipped through a report, "is off by three percent. That variance might seem small to you..." His gaze flicked up, pinning the financial analyst in place. "...but to me, it's unacceptable."

The analyst swallowed nervously. "I-I'll have it corrected immediately, sir."

Adrian didn't acknowledge the apology. His eyes dropped back to the report, his expression unmoving. "I expect everything to be exact. We don't deal in assumptions here. If the numbers aren't solid, we lose trust and trust costs more than any quarterly loss."

The room remained silent. Everyone knew Adrian's rules: there were no second chances, no room for sloppiness. Every decision he made was deliberate, every expectation crystal clear.

He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together. "Let's move on."

A sleek presentation was projected onto the screen at the end of the room, showing a graph detailing market trends in the electronic consumer sector. Adrian's COO began speaking, but Adrian's mind worked faster than the presentation, already calculating risks and opportunities.

He was relentless in the pursuit of perfection. Deals weren't just negotiations to him. They were battles, and he never walked away without a victory. He'd built an empire on those principles, crushing competitors with precision and foresight. To most people in his world, Adrian Blackwood was a ruthless genius, respected and feared in equal measure.

But beneath the polished exterior, only a few knew how fragile that strength could become. Only one person truly saw through the cold façade—Lily.

In the absence of her childlike voice, the room felt colder. His chest ached slightly as an uninvited thought crept in. What is she doing right now?

He clenched his jaw and forced his attention back to the meeting, annoyed at the distraction. Focus. He needed to get through this presentation, close two pending deals, and review the launch schedule for their new product line. There was no room for softness here.

When the meeting concluded, Adrian gave a short nod of approval and dismissed the room. The executives gathered their notes, relieved to leave the weight of his presence behind. As the last one exited, Adrian stayed seated, resting his elbows on the table and rubbing his temples with his hands.

The office felt vast and impersonal without Lily's warmth, and that quiet longing gnawed at him again. No one in this world, no client, no colleague, no rival ever saw the side of him that she brought out. The one who could smile without a reason, who could laugh quietly when she threw herself into his arms, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.