18. Cassie #2
"Earth to Cassie," Olivia waves her hand in front of my face. "Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Something about the September issue?" I hazard, knowing I've been entirely absent from the conversation.
"I said Roman is by the door, looking like he's trying to decide whether approaching us would be appropriate or career-ending." She nods toward the entrance, where Roman is indeed standing, looking uncharacteristically hesitant.
When he catches my eye, he gives a small nod, professional but with that undercurrent of intimacy only I would recognize. I return the gesture, then watch as he's intercepted by a board member, drawn into what appears to be an intense conversation.
"Still keeping things quiet?" Olivia asks, following my gaze.
"For now," I confirm. "The board's still deciding on my brand proposal. If they approve, we'll figure out how to handle the personal side professionally."
"And if they don't approve?"
I consider this, watching Roman across the room—confident, commanding, entirely in his element. "Then I have a decision to make," I say finally. "About whether I can be both his partner and his employee if there's no path forward for my independent vision."
Olivia squeezes my hand. "For what it's worth, I think you're overthinking this. Roman Kade didn't become a billionaire by letting talent slip through his fingers, regardless of who that talent is sleeping with."
"It's not that simple, and you know it." I sigh, pushing away my barely-touched salad. "Dating the boss comes with complications, no matter how supportive he is. People will always question whether I've earned my opportunities."
"People like your sister?" Olivia asks gently.
I wince. Mia doesn't know about Roman and me yet—a deliberate choice to allow her to establish herself at Elysian without the added complication of her sister dating the CEO. "She'll understand," I say, with more confidence than I feel. "Once she gets to know him."
"Convenient timing, then," Olivia nods toward my phone, which is lighting up with a text. "Isn't that dinner tonight?"
I check the message—Roman confirming our reservation for seven. The plan is for Mia to join us after her first day, a casual introduction without the pressure of revealing our relationship immediately.
"Just a normal dinner," I remind Olivia. "Sister meets boss, no revelations about said boss also being sister's boyfriend."
"Totally normal," Olivia agrees, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What could possibly go wrong?"
As it turns out, quite a lot.
The first hint of trouble comes when Mia arrives at the restaurant fifteen minutes late, practically vibrating with excited energy.
"Sorry I'm tardy," she says, sliding into the seat across from me. "The design team invited the interns to see the new prototype samples and I completely lost track of time."
She's so caught up in her enthusiasm that she barely notices it’s Roman beside me until I make the introduction. "Mia, this is Roman Kade, CEO of Elysian. Roman, my sister Mia."
Mia freezes, her eyes widening as she processes who she's been rambling in front of. "Mr. Kade," she manages, her voice jumping an octave. "I didn't realize... that is, Cassie didn't mention..."
"That your dinner companion would include the big bad CEO?" Roman supplies, his tone lighter than his usual boardroom gravity. "Don't worry, I left my corporate villain cape at the office."
I kick him gently under the table. Not helping.
"What my insufferably smug boss means," I interject, "is that this is a casual dinner, not a performance review. He wanted to meet the newest Monroe taking the design world by storm."
This seems to relax Mia slightly, though she still sits straighter than usual, her movements cautious as she unfolds her napkin. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Kade. Elysian's approach to sustainable luxury has been revolutionary in the industry."
"Roman, please," he says, signaling for the waiter. "And while I appreciate the praise, your sister's vision for Lumière has pushed our sustainability efforts further than anything we've done before."
I feel a flush of pleasure at his words—not just the praise, but the genuine respect behind it.
This is what I've tried to explain to Olivia, to myself.
Whatever complications our relationship brings, Roman has never diminished my professional contributions.
If anything, he holds me to a higher standard than anyone else.
The waiter arrives with wine for Roman and me, sparkling water for Mia. As Roman orders appetizers with that easy confidence that once intimidated me, I watch Mia watching him—curious, analyzing, forming first impressions.
"So," Roman turns to Mia once the waiter departs, "your sister tells me you're interested in sustainable textiles. Any particular direction you're hoping to explore during your internship?"
And just like that, they're off—discussing innovative fabrics, manufacturing ethics, the tension between luxury and sustainability.
Roman listens to Mia's ideas with the same intense focus he gives to board presentations, asking questions that challenge without dismissing.
By the time our entrees arrive, Mia has lost her initial nervousness, gesturing animatedly as she describes a biodegradable sequin technique she's developing.
"That's precisely the kind of innovation we need," Roman says, genuine interest in his voice. "Would you be willing to show some samples to our accessories team? They've been looking for alternatives to traditional embellishments."
Mia's eyes widen. "Seriously? I mean, yes, absolutely. They're still experimental, but I'd love feedback from professionals."
"Consider it arranged," Roman says, making a note in his phone. "I'll have my assistant connect you with the accessories director tomorrow."
I watch this exchange with a mixture of pride and amusement. For all his claims about leaving work at the office, Roman can't help but recognize and nurture talent when he sees it. It's one of the things I love most about him.
The thought catches me off guard. Love. When did that happen? When did this arrangement, this complicated dance of professional and personal boundaries, transform into something I can only describe with that terrifying four-letter word?
"Cassie?" Mia's voice pulls me from my thoughts. "You okay? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine," I say automatically, though another wave of nausea is building. "Just tired. Big presentation tomorrow."
Roman's hand automatically finds mine on the table, a brief squeeze of support. The gesture is so natural, so instinctively comforting, that I don't think about how it might appear until Mia's eyes widen, darting between us.
"Oh my God," she says, comprehension dawning on her face. "Are you two...?"
I follow her gaze to where Roman's hand still covers mine. So much for the careful introduction I'd planned.
"Mia," I begin, unsure how to explain something we've barely defined ourselves. "Roman and I are?—"
"Together," Roman finishes for me, his voice calm but leaving no room for ambiguity. "For several months now."
Mia's expression cycles through shock, confusion, and something that looks distressingly like disappointment. "Several months," she repeats. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I was going to," I say, feeling strangely defensive. "Tonight, actually. But I wanted you to meet him first, to form your own impression without the complication of him being my... boyfriend." The word still feels strange on my tongue, inadequate for what Roman has become to me.
"So this dinner was what? A test?" Mia's voice rises slightly. "To see if I'd approve of my sister dating her boss?"
"It wasn't a test," Roman interjects smoothly. "It was an opportunity to meet properly, without the context of Elysian or my relationship with your sister overshadowing everything."
"Because the power dynamic isn't already weird enough," Mia mutters, loud enough for both of us to hear.
I feel my face heat. "Mia, that's not fair."
"Isn't it?" Her eyes meet mine, challenging. "After everything with Camden, after how he treated you, you jump straight into another relationship with an even bigger power imbalance? He's not just your boyfriend, Cassie. He's the CEO of the company we both work for."
"It's not the same," I insist, though her words hit uncomfortably close to my own initial fears. "Roman isn't Camden."
"Of course he's not," Mia agrees, her voice softening slightly. "He seems genuinely nice, actually. But that doesn't change the fundamental problem."
"Which is?" Roman asks, his tone neutral but his posture tense beside me.
Mia meets his gaze directly, and I'm reminded again of the fearlessness that's always defined her. "The problem, Mr. Kade—Roman—is that no matter how nice you are, how supportive you try to be, there's still a fundamental imbalance when you can fire the person you're sleeping with."
"Mia!" I gasp, mortified.
"She's not wrong," Roman says quietly, surprising me. "The concern is valid. It's something we've discussed extensively."
"And what conclusion did you reach?" Mia asks, still wary but listening.
I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts.
"That power imbalances exist in every relationship, but what matters is how they're acknowledged and managed.
Camden wanted me smaller, quieter, more convenient.
Roman pushes me to be bigger, bolder, more authentic to my vision—even when that means challenging him. "
"It's true," Roman adds. "Your sister told me my flagship brand had lost its way within ten minutes of meeting me. Then proceeded to outline exactly how she'd fix it if given the chance."
"Which he gave me," I point out. "Not because we were involved—we weren't, then—but because my ideas had merit."
Mia absorbs this, her expression thoughtful. "But what happens when you disagree? When your professional visions clash? How do you separate the boardroom from the bedroom?"