Chapter 02
Not his type?! Olivia couldn't believe what she's just heard. He certainly wasn't her type either, with his 6"4 inches of toned muscles and tan skin, never mind that he was filthy rich and with the voice of the ocean wanes, he certainly was not her type! Grumbling and picking up what was left of her wounded dignity, Olivia got off the floor and dusted her skirt - thankfully the office floor was quite clean. Chad marched on like he hadn't just left her to fall on her butt and soon, he was barking instructions at her like nothing happened. "When do I have my next meeting?" He asked for the second time and Olivia was still struggling to go through her iPad. She really wasn't sure how it worked, the last secretary had tried showing it to her twice but she didn't get it. "I think__" "I'm not paying you to think, Olivia Bernard, I'm paying you to get my work life in order!" He snapped. "That's the job of your personal assistant, not your secretary," she mumbled and Chad asked her what she said but she shook her head with a spooky smile - she still needed her job. Opening his office door, Chad strode in and Olivia finally dumped the papers on the table, sighing as the weight was off her rather tiny arms. She flexed the numb limbs for a short while and Chad stared at her with a mischievous smile. ''When you're done with that yoga routine, get me a cup of coffee," he ordered and Olivia nodded, walking out of the door with a heavy sigh. Olivia realized it was not going to be easy working with Chad Steele, he wasn't willing to be any less arrogant or cocky for her sake. Outside, she slammed on the coffee machine angrily and it began to whoosh, she shoved the mug under and in a few seconds, the coffee was ready. The first person she bumped into on her way back to the office was the accountant at the marketing department, he wore a fancy beach shirt with two buttons open at the top and he wasn't even pretending to not leer at her. "Hey, Liv," he said as she walked past him and tried to grab her arms. "I'm working, Peter, not now," she muttered and tried to pull away but his grip became firm and he looked at her in the eyes lustfully, sticking out his tongue and tasting his own upper lips. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me into the store room?" He asked with a husky voice. "No, let go of my arms, Peter, I have work to do!" She snapped and tried to move away from him, flinging her arms away. That was a terrible mistake because right at that instance, the director was walking right in and the coffee spilled on her shoes. "Oh my God!" Olivia gasped and quickly got on her knees, trying to wipe the stains with her hands. Peter, realizing the mess that had just been made and how mean the director was, hurried away. "You piece of trash!" The lady snapped at her, her painted lips twisted in an ugly scowl and she spat on the floor. Olivia rose with shaky legs and kept apologizing when the lady grabbed her hair and shoved her to the corner. Olivia felt helpless, many eyes were now watching both of them and some had even pulled out their phones. She couldn't do anything but apologize to the lady who didn't seem placated at all. "This shoe is the latest Louboutin right now! Do you know what that is?! Can you ever afford one in your life?!" She snapped at her angrily and shoved her again, until she was flush against the wall. "I'll fix it, I just need some paper towels and some stain remover from the__" but she didn't get to finish that when the director suddenly raised her fist and tried to hit her. Olivia cringed and sank into the wall, waiting for that blow. But it never landed. "Miss Rose!" The loud voice of none other than Chad spoke out and everyone froze, including the director. Olivia was shaking as Chad walked to the scene and snapped at the lady bullying her. "What's going on here?" He asked coldly. "Mr Steele," Rose said in a very soft voice, a bit different from the menacing tone she'd just used on Liv a while ago. Rose had made it quite obvious that she liked her boss. Everyone at the office knew she had eyes on Mr Steele and she wasn't being discreet about it either. There had even been rumors once that they spent the night at the office and she became even more territorial since then. "I hope this isn't what it looks like, because hitting an employee here will get you fired," Chad reminded her in a stiff tone. Rose glared at Olivia and then turned to Chad with a soft smile. "Of course not, I know the rules. I was just trying to make sure she learns to be less clumsy in the future," she replied with a soft chuckle. Chad looked at Olivia, "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" He asked and she shook her head at once. Chad turned to everyone who had gathered at the scene and barked, "What are you all looking at?! Get to work now!" At once, the crowd dissipated, hurrying to their different desks. Rose looked at Chad with heavy eyes and twirled her hair around her fingers, "Sir, is there anything you __" Rose asked but Chad simply looked away from her and said to Olivia, "Get me my coffee, now," she nodded at once and hurried away to get a refill when she heard something that made her stop in the doorway. "Oh, and you're working late with me tonight, I need help with a few things," he added and strode into his office. Olivia was stunned and Rose sneered at her as she stomped off.Chapter 19___What’s Wrong with My Heart? Olivia sat at the dinner table, her fingers nervously toying with the edge of her napkin as she tried to focus on the meal in front of her. The soft clinking of silverware against plates and the low murmur of conversation around the table faded into the background, overshadowed by the chaotic whirlwind of thoughts swirling in her mind. Across from her, Isabella seemed to fit perfectly into the family, all pretty smiles and polished manners. Olivia had never felt so out of place, so overshadowed, in a very long time.Her eyes darted to Chad, sitting diagonally from her, his attention seemingly glued to his plate. But Olivia noticed the way Isabella didn't miss a chance to touch his arm, her fingers brushing lightly against his sleeve as she leaned in to whisper something unimportant. The soft sound of her laughter grated on Olivia's nerves, and an unfamiliar emotion twisted in her chest—envy. She hated it, but there was no denying it.Desperat
Chapter 18__The Big AnnouncementChad and Olivia arrived home after a long day at the office. The drive home was silent and a little tense. Olivia looked outside the window throughout and Chad kept stealing glances at her. “I hope you didn't tell your friend anything. This is a family issue," he reminded her with a sharp tone. Olivia simply hummed but her heart hammered. Would Macey be able to keep it hush hush. She was never the kind to keep a secret despite her best efforts. She always had a way of letting things slip out. She was her best friend but she knew that much about her too. Olivia couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her stomach since receiving the summons from her mother, Hilda. She and Chad had been summoned home with no explanation, only the request to come immediately.As they stepped through the door, Hilda met them with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Welcome home!” she exclaimed, her voice light and airy. “Hey, Hilda,” Chad
Chapter 17__Friends Never Keep SecretsOlivia and Chad stood there, frozen, their lips just inches away from each other when there was a loud knock at the door. Olvia jumped apart as if the sound had burned her and tried to compose herself. “Fuck!" Chad swore under his breath but didn't look half as disoriented as Olivia did. “Who is it?" He hissed. “It’s Frederick, sir," the man replied. It was the HR manager. “I have a few reports for you to sign." "The door is open,” Chad snapped and Frederick entered. Olivia’s face turned bright red, and she took a step backward, trying to escape the awkwardness of the situation. Chad, however, stood firm, staring at the HR manager with cold eyes. He seemed to be daring the man to say something, anything, that might give him an excuse to lash out.The HR manager failed to sense the tension in the room. He flashed Olivia a charming smile. “Hey, Liv. How are you doing?" He asked. Olivia didn't trust her voice. She was too shaken by that near k
Chapter 16__Hate, love, hate Olivia stepped out of the house just as Chad did. Their eyes met briefly, but Chad didn’t acknowledge her presence. He moved straight to his car, his expression unreadable. Olivia’s heart sank a little, though she would never admit it. Why was he ignoring her? She didn't do anything, she wasn't the one that ruined last night and tried to give her a bloody heart attack in the garage. “Arrogant rake!" She hissed under her breath just as she heard her mother calling out to her. Hilda was right behind her as she turned. "Hey, are you okay?" Hilda asked, concern etched into her features. "You skipped breakfast."Olivia forced a smile, though her stomach was twisting with hunger. "I'm not so hungry, Mum," she lied, hoping it would ease her mother’s worry.Hilda didn’t look convinced, but she nodded and let her go. Olivia was grateful. She didn’t want to explain why the thought of sitting at the breakfast table with Chad made her lose her appetite. It had been
Chapter 15__Please…?Chad stood in front of the nightclub, his eyes hard and unwavering as he stared down at Olivia. His cheek was still red from the sting of her slap, but his gaze held such intensity that made Olivia’s heart race with fear. "You shouldn't have done that," he hissed, his voice low and menacing. Olivia couldn’t decide what frightened her more—his cold, cutting tone or the icy stare that seemed to pierce right through her.She swallowed, trying to keep her composure as he raised his hand to his reddened cheek. His other hand gripped her wrist tightly, the pressure almost painful. "Let go of me, now!" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to sound braver than she felt.But Chad didn’t move. His grip on her wrist tightened, his eyes never leaving hers. Olivia’s breath hitched. She’d seen Chad angry before, but this was different. The man standing before her was terrifying in his controlled fury, and for a fleeting moment, she wished she hadn’t slapped
Chapter 14__Cat Out of the Bag Chad's face was red with anger as he strode towards Olivia, his eyes blazing with disapproval. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.Olivia shrank back, unsure of what to say. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but Chad's anger was intimidating. He looked down right murderous as he glared at her. “Hello, sir," Macey said lamely when she finally overcame the shock of seeing her boss in the club. Hissing, Chad ignored Macey and faced Olivia as he asked, “What is the meaning of this?" "I…I had…my cousin just got…” Olivia stammered helplessly, unable to express herself. "What's going on here? He's the guy? Your ex?" Pauline tried to intervene, but Macey signaled her to stop. She winced at Pauline's ever expressive fone. "Let it go, Pauline. He's our boss," Macey whispered and grabbed her palms. But Pauline was not one to back down. "Why are you ordering her around, bro, what's it with the death stare?" She challe