161

161
Gianna’s POV
I was still reeling from the meeting with our new client when I found myself sitting across from Claire, my mentor and the one person whose advice I always trusted, even when I didn’t want to.
Her office smelled like lavender and freshly brewed tea. A stranger would be surprised her office felt homely, due to the corporate and professional vibes it gave off from outside. Claire had been instrumental in shaping my career. She was older than me by a lot, but we still had a very great friendly vibes.
“I’ve been hearing things,” she said, folding her hands on the desk.
“Things?” I repeated, pretending not to know what she meant.
She sighed, tilting her head in that way she always did when she knew I was being intentionally dense. “About you and Matteo.”
I stiffened. “How do you know about Matteo?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. And then I scoffed when I remembered that Claire used to work in the office and she still had eyes and ears in it. “I swear to God, Claire, the day I find out the person who if feeding you gossips from my company, I’d fire them. All of them. So you better warn them.”
“Noted. But you still haven’t answered my question.” She shot me a knowing smile that irritated me to the core.
“There’s nothing to hear. He works for me and he’s very competent. Most of the deals the company has been securing lately, he plays a great part in them.”
“Gianna.” Her tone softened, but her gaze was sharp. “You’re smart enough to know how appearances matter in this business.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “I don’t know what you’re implying, but Matteo and I are professionals.”
“Good,” she said firmly. “Keep it that way. I know how ambitious you are, Gianna. You’ve worked too hard to let something-or someone-jeopardize that.”
Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit.
“Claire, you know I would never…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.
She leaned forward, her expression almost maternal. “It’s not about what you would or wouldn’t do, Gianna. It’s about perception. And right now, you need to focus on your goals. Don’t let anything distract you.”
“I know,” I bit out, suddenly feeling suffocated in her office. My phone vibrated and I fished it out of my pockets, staring at the non work related notification on my phone’s screen but I pretended it was related anyways. “Shit. I gotta go. Work stuff.”
I practically bolted out of her office, hoping she wouldn’t realize or read any meanings into it.
The elevator ride back to my office felt longer than usual. Claire’s words played on a loop in my head, mixing with the insecurities I’d been trying to ignore for weeks.
Matteo wasn’t a distraction-I had convinced myself of that. But if I were honest, it wasn’t so simple. His presence was magnetic, his gestures disarming. And no matter how much I tried to keep things professional, there were moments when I caught myself slipping.
Moments when I wondered if he noticed the way my breath hitched whenever he leaned too close, or how my heart raced when his name popped up in my inbox.
I shook my head as if that would clear the thoughts away. I hurried straight to my office when the elevator doors opened, grateful that Matteo wasn’t anywhere close.
Back at my desk, Matteo appeared not five minutes later, holding a stack of papers and wearing his usual air of confidence.
“You ready for the client review?” he asked, placing the papers on the edge of my desk.
“Yes,” I replied, keeping my tone clipped.
He raised an eyebrow at my curtness but didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned against the edge of my desk, too close for comfort.
“There’s something I wanted to go over,” he said, sliding one of the papers toward me.
I scanned it quickly, realizing it was a report I’d worked on the week before. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing. It’s solid,” he said. “I just thought we could highlight this section a bit more during the meeting. It’s your strongest point.”
I blinked at him, surprised. “You think so?”
“Of course,” he said, his voice warm but matter-of-fact. “You nailed the analysis here. It’s impressive.”
The compliment caught me off guard, and I felt my cheeks heat.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
“No problem,” he replied, straightening up. “See you in the conference room.”
He walked away, leaving me with a mix of emotions I didn’t know how to untangle.
The meeting went smoothly, Matteo taking the lead as he always did, but making sure to direct the spotlight to my contributions when it mattered.
“Ms Lorenzo’s analysis on this was crucial,” he said at one point, gesturing toward the slide on the screen. “Her insight helped us identify the most profitable angle.”
I kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was reeling.
Why did he have to do that? Why couldn’t he just let me blend into the background?
By the time the meeting ended, I was exhausted-not from the work, but from the effort it took to maintain my composure.
I got up from the chair kind of sluggish, picking up my computer and walking out of the conference room without looking at anyone.
Claire’s voice echoed in my head again. “You need to focus on your goals. Don’t let anything distract you.”
I glanced over at Matteo’s desk. He was typing away, completely unaware of the inner turmoil he’d caused.
I made a decision then and there.
I needed distance.
I tried to avoid him as much as possible. I made sure to take the long way to the break room, kept my responses in meetings strictly professional, and left no room for casual conversation.
It worked-for the most part.
But Matteo wasn’t stupid. By midweek, he caught on.
“Gianna,” he said, catching me in the hallway after a team huddle. “Can we talk?”
I hesitated, clutching the folder in my hands like a shield. “About what?”
He frowned, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration. “About why you’ve been acting like I have the plague.”
“I haven’t-”
“You have,” he interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. “If I’ve done something to upset you, I’d like to know.”
“You haven’t,” I said quickly. Too quickly.
He studied me for a moment, and I could see the gears turning in his head. “Is this about what Claire said?”
My eyes widened. “What?”
He smirked, though there was no humor in it. “I saw you coming out of her office few days back. Word travels fast you know. I know the relationship between you and her and I know the kind of person she is.”
I felt a flare of irritation. “This has nothing to do with Claire.”
“Liar,” he said softly.
I opened my mouth to argue but stopped myself. What was the point? He wasn’t wrong.
“Look,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. “This isn’t personal. I just… I need to focus on my work. I have a company to run, Matteo.”
His expression softened, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But then he nodded.
“Okay,” he said simply. “If that’s what you need.”
I expected relief, but all I felt was a hollow ache I couldn’t explain.