She Was Cornered by Paparazzi, Not Knowing the Man Pulling Her Away Was a CEO Who’d Fall for Her
BEYOND THE HEADLINES
The next morning, Penny stood in front of Ellis Tower. When she reached the 18th floor, the doors revealed a sleek, minimalist office. She pushed open the door and found Roman at his desk.
“You’re late,” he said.
“It’s 9:58.”
He tapped his watch.
“My clock says 10:01.”
She sat stiffly.
“Then your clock’s wrong.”
He looked at her for a long beat.
“Good. I don’t want someone who apologizes for nothing.”
“I’m not here to play games.”
“Neither am I.”
He handed her a tablet and told her she’d be managing his calendar.
“If anyone gives you trouble, tell them I hired you personally.”
“Do people usually get trouble around here?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he poured a glass of water.
“You’ll need this. By the time this day is over, you’ll either quit or earn my respect.”
“And if I do neither?”
“Then I’ll be disappointed. I hate being disappointed.”
By noon, she had deflected demanding calls and talking down executives. Around 2:00 PM, Roman paused at her desk.
“You moved the investor lunch to Thursday.”
“The original time overlapped with the earnings call.”
He nodded once.
“Good catch.”
That night, she walked home. Roman’s car pulled up beside her.
“Get in,” he said.
“Why? I can walk.”
“You’ve had a long day. You already did.”
She looked at him, exasperated.
“Are you always this bossy?”
“No. Only when I want someone to say yes.”
She sighed and got in. The silence between them felt like a beginning.
Halfway through a rooftop dinner, rain began to fall. Roman had sent her an elegant black silk dress.
“Are you always this spontaneous?” she asked.
“You’ve earned a moment of calm. I’m giving it to you.”
“Most people just send a gift basket.”
He met her gaze.
“You’re not most people.”
“Why did you really hire me?”
He paused his knife midslice.
“You were sharp. You adapted quickly. You didn’t flinch.”
“That’s the professional answer.”
His voice dropped.
“The truth? You walked into my life with blood on your knee and fire in your eyes. Instead of asking for help, you told me you didn’t have time for this.”
“I didn’t realize that was so impressive.”
“It was honest. Most people want something from me. You looked like you wanted to disappear.”
“I did.”
“Do you still?”
“No. Not anymore.”
He told her he was from the Bronx. He used to wonder what it would be like to sit inside these buildings.
“Now I own three on this block,” he said. “I want to see you outside the office without the noise.”
They went to the rooftop terrace. He draped his jacket over her shoulders.
“Why me, Roman?”
“Because every time I look at you, I stop thinking about everything else.”
The press arrived downstairs. Roman promised to handle it.
“No,” Penny said. “Maybe it’s time I stop hiding.”
She stepped into the light, her chin high. The next morning, the headline called her “Ellis’s Shadow.”
Later, on the rooftop of Ellis Tower, Roman handed her a silver key.
“I’m not asking you to marry me,” he said. “I’m asking you to move forward with me. No contracts. Just us.”
It opened a brownstone he had bought five years ago but never entered.
“Why me?”
“Because you stood in the storm and didn’t break.”
When he kissed her, it made the world fall away.
Months passed. They traveled together. Roman offered her a role in his philanthropic division.
One evening at a cliffside property, Roman knelt with a ring.
“I don’t need a perfect moment. I just need you.”
“Yes.”
They married in a private ceremony beneath white blossoms. They danced under the stars, barefoot on the grass.
“You were wrong,” Penny whispered. “You don’t need to own the city to feel powerful. You just needed someone to see you.”
“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you feel seen too.”
