All Chapters of Beautifully Ruined By Him: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The office felt different the next morning. Everyone was moving faster, talking louder, walking around with folders tucked under their arms and coffee cups in their hands. The Meridian presentation was tomorrow, and months of work were finally coming down to one meeting. Nobody wanted to be the reason the company lost the contract.I stepped out of the elevator lobby and immediately saw people rushing between departments. Mr. Shawn was already giving instructions."Check the revised figures.""Make sure legal signs off on the proposal.""Where is the updated market report???"Nobody even looked relaxed, including me. I tightened my grip on my tablet and headed toward the executive elevators.The first elevator opened immediately, and half the floor rushed inside. I tried following them. Too late. The doors closed right in front of my face."Great."A few other employees groaned. "We'll take the next one."The second elevator arrived less than a minute later. The doors slid open, and

"Who is this?"There was silence, then a shaky breath, a sound that almost felt familiar."Nora..."I frowned, my hand tightening around my phone. The voice sounded rough, tired, like someone who hadn't slept."You don't recognize my voice?"I opened my mouth immediately. "Wrong number."I was already moving to end the call when the person spoke again."Nora, wait!"My finger froze. That voice. Recognition hit me like a brick, and my entire expression changed.Daniel.For one second I couldn't even process it. Then annoyance crashed into me."You've got to be kidding me.""Nora—"I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen. No name, unknown number. Of course. Because if I had known it was Daniel, I never would have answered. Not in a million years."What do you want?"The question came out flat, cold. I started walking toward the elevator. The office floor was mostly empty now, everyone had gone home, everyone except me apparently.Daniel let out another breath. "I'm

I barely slept, every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother's face, then my father's photograph, then Daniel's voice, then Cael.By the time my alarm went off, I felt like I hadn't rested at all.I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before forcing myself out of bed."Today is not the day to fall apart," I muttered.The Meridian presentation was today, months of work, months of stress, months of late nights, everything came down to a single meeting.I walked into the office carrying a coffee that wasn't nearly strong enough to save me.The moment I stepped onto the executive floor, I knew everyone felt the pressure, people moved faster, phones rang nonstop, folders were everywhere, even the normally calm assistants looked nervous.Mr. Shawn spotted me immediately."Nora!""Good morning."He looked at my face and frowned."You look exhausted."I smirked. "Thank you.""That wasn't a compliment."I managed a weak smile."I know."He lowered his voice."Did you sleep at all?""Enough

For the first time in what felt like forever, the tension inside the conference room was gone.The Meridian presentation was over, the clients had left, the discussions were finished. And everyone was waiting.Nobody wanted to say it out loud yet, nobody wanted to celebrate too early. But the entire room felt different.Hopeful, nervous. Absolutely excited.I sat quietly near the end of the table, trying not to stare at my phone every five seconds.My eyes burned from lack of sleep, my head still hurt from crying the night before. And somehow, despite all of that, my stomach was twisted into knots.Mr. Shawn stood near the projector speaking with two senior managers.Sienna sat across the room scrolling through her phone, her face looked tight, annoyed. Every few seconds she glanced toward me.I ignored her. At this point, I was tired of caring.The presentation was done. I had given everything I had. If Meridian failed, at least I knew I couldn't have done more.A few minutes later,

I was asleep, properly asleep, the kind that only comes after weeks of stress finally let go of your neck. The company had given everyone the day off after the Meridian win, apparently saving them millions came with perks, and for once I had nowhere to be.Just what I needed!My phone started ringing somewhere in the mess of my blanket.I ignored it. It rang again. I pulled the pillow over my head and it rang a third time, more annoying than the last.Whoever it was clearly had no respect for sleeping people.I grabbed it without even opening my eyes."What?""Knew you'd be asleep."My eyes snapped open.Cael.I sat up so fast I nearly dropped the phone, then looked at the clock and nearly screamed. Two in the afternoon. I had slept until two in the afternoon."Oh my God.""Good morning to you too," he said, sounding far too pleased with himself.My mouth was open. I didn't know what to say!! "What time is it?""You just answered your own question."I groaned and covered my face with