Dirty Little Secret (GxG)

SEASON 2, CHAPTER 34

Sandra's POV

I sat in the boardroom, my gaze fixed on a chart displayed on the screen at the front of the room, though my mind was blissfully somewhere else. I couldn't suppress the small smile that had made itself at home on my face since this morning, not even when I'd made a concerted effort to appear focused and professional. Instead, all I could think about was the night before, and every glance or soft touch I and Dria had shared, as if we created our own world within my home, leaving behind all the years of unresolved emotions.

The boardroom was filled with members of my executive team, each deeply engaged in the presentation in front of them. They flipped through spreadsheets, scrolled on tablets, and jotted down notes with intent expressions, but I barely heard any of it. Only snippets made their way through my thoughts: revenue projections, quarterly targets, investment strategies. None of it held any meaning to me right now. I felt a bit lightheaded, my cheeks warm from replaying memories of Dria over and over again. That kiss, the way Dria's voice sounded in the early hours of the morning, her familiar scent lingering in the fabric of my sheets.

The presenter shifted and cleared his throat, momentarily pulling my attention back to the room. I straightened in my seat and tried to appear as though I were fully attentive. But as the presenter continued droning on about cost-benefit analyses, my mind wandered once more. I didn't expect last night to happen, to share such an intimate space with Dria after everything that had happened between us. For so long, I had clung to the hope that Dria might still feel the same way, that there was a chance for us, but Dria had pushed me away—forcefully and with a finality I had forced myself to respect.

Rachel had been right. She told me, gently but persistently, that it was time to give Dria space, that sometimes the best way to bring someone back was to let them go. I had fought that advice initially. Every instinct in me had wanted to reach out to Dria, to try and hold on even tighter. But, in the end, I relented.  I stopped the calls, the visits, the lingering glances when I caught sight of Dria at events or in passing. I forced myself to pretend I was okay with the idea of letting Dria move on. And yet, every day that passed without hearing from her had left me feeling like something vital was being drained from me.

But last night had changed everything. Dria showing up at my doorstep, vulnerable, was something I could hardly believe had happened. And now, as I sat here in the boardroom, that lightness I felt—the thrill of realizing that Dria hadn't fully let me go either—wrapped around me like a warm blanket. Maybe, just maybe, the pain of letting go had been worth it. Giving Dria space to breathe had allowed her the clarity to see what they both needed. My heart swelled with an unfamiliar hope.

Feeling an overwhelming urge to share this joy, I interrupted the presentation, catching my team by surprise. "Let's pause there for a moment," I said, raising a hand to stop the presenter mid-sentence. "I think it's been a busy month, and I want to acknowledge everyone's hard work. Lunch is on me today—for the whole floor." I glanced around, seeing some surprised smiles and nods of appreciation. "Order whatever you'd like," I added. "Consider it a small thank-you for all the late nights you've put in lately."

My team exchanged glances, some beaming, others mildly baffled. But no one dared to question my decision, not with the uncharacteristic sparkle in my eyes. I knew that my usual demeanor was a touch more serious and reserved, and perhaps that was why everyone seemed reluctant to comment on my unusually good mood.

As the meeting resumed, my thoughts drifted back to the memories of the previous night. I kept recalling Dria's expression, a mix of nervousness and affection, a look I had almost forgotten after ten long years. I thought back to all the quiet moments we spent together back then, just the two of us, before everything had become so tangled and complicated. There had been a time when we understood each other in ways no one else could.I had taken that for granted once. I wouldn't make that mistake again.