Isabella POV
The Sterling Industries executive boardroom had been transformed. Gone were the heavy mahogany furnishings that had dominated during my father's reign, replaced with sleek glass and steel that reflected the morning Manhattan skyline. I stood at the head of the twenty-foot conference table, watching our senior executives file in for what would be our most important strategy meeting since the Cross-Sterling merger.
"Good morning, everyone," I said, noting how each person's attention immediately focused on me with the kind of respect that had taken months to earn. "Before we begin, I'd like everyone to welcome our newest board member."
Damien entered through the side door, impeccably dressed in a charcoal Tom Ford suit that made my pulse quicken despite the professional setting. Three weeks since we'd officially merged our companies, and I still felt that electric pull every time he walked into a room.
