Tempting my Billionaire

The Perfect Pitch

★Nathan★

Presentations never made me nervous, but this morning, I caught myself adjusting my tie three times before I had even left my office. The conference room had been prepared the day before. Every detail had been reviewed, rehearsed, and double-checked. Still, there was a certain tension in the air. The collaboration between Grant & Co. and LuxeLine was one of the largest campaigns either company had undertaken in years, and today’s joint presentation would decide whether the board approved of the next phase. Harper followed me into the elevator, tablet in hand.

“Everything is ready,” she said. “LuxeLine’s team arrived fifteen minutes ago,”

“Good,” I said. “Let us make this quick and clean,” she smiled and nodded in agreement.

“You always say that, but you like these things,”

“Only when they end well,” I said. The doors opened to the top floor. The conference room stretched across the corner of the building, framed by glass walls that looked out over the harbor. LuxeLine’s logo sat beside ours on the projection screen, a perfect, polished sign of partnership. Cassandra stood near the far end of the room, reviewing her notes. Her hair was pinned back, and she wore a pale blue suit that suited her far too well. Even from across the room, she radiated composure. When she noticed me, she offered a small nod.

“Morning,”

“Morning,” I replied. “Everything in place?”

“As far as I can tell,” she said. “Vivienne and your father will join in five minutes,”

“Perfect timing,” I said. Pauline moved around the room, organizing folders and water bottles, while Harper double-checked the slides. The quiet before a presentation always felt heavy, full of potential energy waiting to break. When the board members began to arrive, the atmosphere shifted instantly with voices, greetings, and handshakes. My father and Vivienne arrived last, entering the room together. They both carried the kind of authority that made people move out of their way without realizing it.

“Nathan,” my father said with a nod. “Big day,”

“Yes,” I said evenly. “Let us make it count,” Vivienne smiled at Cassandra.

“Ready, darling?”

“Always,” Cassandra said. The meeting began right on time. I started with the introduction, summarizing the scope and vision of the project: how our teams had merged strategy and design, how the concept of Legacy Forward would position both companies as leaders in the luxury lifestyle sector. I spoke with precision, the way I always did, each slide flowing into the next. But when Cassandra took over, the entire room changed. Her voice carried calm authority, the kind that held attention without demanding it. She explained LuxeLine’s creative direction with clarity and poise, outlining the rollout phases, the visual narrative, and the audience engagement plan. Every board member leaned forward when she spoke. She made it look effortless. I had worked alongside some of the best in the industry, but as I watched Cassandra, she reminded me what natural leadership looked like. There was no arrogance in her delivery, no false charm, just competence and quiet confidence. I caught myself smiling once or twice, which was unusual for me in a boardroom. Harper noticed, of course, and shot me a quick, amused glance. I ignored her. Cassandra transitioned smoothly into my section, and I continued the presentation, highlighting the projected growth metrics and performance indicators. When I finished, I passed it back to her.

“Cassandra,” I said, and she immediately took over.

“For LuxeLine,” she said as she clicked on the final slide. “This project is not only about numbers. It is about evolution. About taking a legacy built on tradition and bringing it forward to meet a new generation. That is what Legacy Forward means,” her words hung in the air for a moment before the applause started, soft at first, then more certain. Vivienne looked pleased.

“Excellent work,” she said. “Exactly what I hoped to hear,” my father looked impressed as he smiled. A rare sign of approval.

“Well done. Both of you,” he said. We fielded questions for nearly half an hour. Budget allocations, timeline adjustments, and partnership clauses. Cassandra handled each one with patience and precision. When the meeting finally wrapped up, the board voted unanimously to move forward. It was a success. A complete, undeniable success. As people began to gather their things, Vivienne approached me.

“Nathan, this collaboration has exceeded expectations. You have done remarkable work,”

“Thank you,” I said. “Your daughter deserves much of the credit,” Vivienne’s eyes softened.

“Yes, she does,” she agreed. Cassandra joined us then, standing beside her mother.

“The board’s approval came faster than I expected,”

“Confidence earns speed,” Vivienne said. “And you handled it beautifully,” Cassandra smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, and I silently agreed. When Vivienne and my father drifted off to speak with the finance team, Cassandra turned to me. “I think that went well,”

“That,” I said. “Was flawless,” she raised an eyebrow.

“Coming from you, that almost sounds like emotion,”

“Don’t push it,” I said with a faint smile. She laughed softly, and the sound eased something in my chest that had been tight all morning. Harper appeared at my shoulder.

“The catering is set up in the lounge if you want to join the post-meeting reception,”

“Go ahead without me,” I said. “I will be there in a few minutes,” Harper nodded before she left. Cassandra leaned against the edge of the table and folded her arms.

“You are staying behind to work, aren’t you?”

“Only a few follow-up notes,” I said. “Old habits,” she shook her head.

“You really don’t know how to stop, do you?”

“Neither do you,” I pointed out.

“That is different,” she said. “I like what I do,”

“So do I,” I said with another smile. “Which is the problem,” Cassandra looked at me, and then she shook her head. I watched as she left the room and I sighed softly. We had done it. The project was approved, the partnership secured. By every measure, it was a victory. So why did it feel like something else entirely? I could still hear Cassandra’s voice in my head: steady, confident, alive. The presentation had gone perfectly, but the problem was clear: the more perfect she became in my eyes, the harder it was to pretend I didn’t care.

★★★