All Chapters of Mr. CEO Wants Me: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I still felt solemn with everything that had just happened, but now, after hearing the doctor say that my dad was going to be okay and after seeing his state of being, there was finally a sense of relief, even though none of us had fully relaxed yet. My dad was still lying in the hospital bed, looking exhausted, his face paler than usual, his eyes tired as he glanced at all of us. My mom was sitting beside him, holding his hand in both of hers, like she was afraid that if she let go, something would happen again. Emma and Ella stood close together, and I could sense the tension in their shoulders, the way their arms were still wrapped around themselves, like they were trying to hold in all their emotions.I was still standing near the bed, my fingers gripping the edge of the mattress, staring at my dad like I needed to memorize every detail of his face, as if I had almost lost the chance to. He gave me another small smile, trying to lighten the mood. “You guys are acting like I died,”

I got to work very early in the morning, much earlier than I usually would, mostly because I wanted to get settled back in after being gone for so long, but also because I was excited to be back. Even though I had loved spending time with my family, and I had enjoyed every moment of taking care of my dad and being surrounded by my mom and sisters, there was still something about returning to work that made me feel like I was stepping back into something that was a big part of my life.And, if I was being honest with myself, a big part of the excitement was because I would finally get to see Nick again.I had missed him more than I thought possible, and even though we had talked on the phone a few times while I was away, it hadn’t been enough. Hearing his voice through a speaker wasn’t the same as seeing him, standing next to him, talking to him face-to-face. I wanted to see the way his expression changed when he talked, the way his eyes darkened when he was thinking, the way he ran a

After Brenda had shown me that post and I saw the nasty comments, I was shaken. I tried to push it to the back of my mind, telling myself that it wasn’t worth my energy, but it lingered, gnawing at me like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I wanted to respond and defend myself, but what was the point? People would believe what they wanted to believe.I told myself to focus on my work instead. I had already missed days at the office, and I needed to make up for it. I knew I should have gone to Nick’s office to properly thank him for everything he had done for me, but the last thing I wanted was to stir up any more suspicion, especially after Mrs. Veronica’s warning. The way she had said it, how she made it clear that she would be watching us, made me hesitate. The last thing I needed was to give her more reason to assume things.So, instead, I buried myself in work.I sorted through piles of documents that had been waiting for my review, going over every little detail carefully to make sure

Nick’s grip on my arms stayed firm, steadying me as I stood there, my chest rising and falling quickly, my mind scrambling to catch up with everything that just happened. The way Elias had looked at me, had sent chills straight through me. But now, with Nick standing between us, his presence felt like a solid wall, I finally let myself breathe.Elias scoffed, shaking his head. “Oh, great. And now your guard dog shows up.” He crossed his arms, his smirk returning, though it didn’t mask the frustration simmering just beneath. “Do you expect this guy to fight me?”Nick didn’t rise to the bait. His head tilted slightly as he kept his gaze on Elias. “I asked you a question.” His fingers twitched slightly like he was fighting the urge not to do something dangerous, something he knew he shouldn’t. “What the hell is going on here?”“And who the hell do you think you are?” Elias barked, taking a step closer to Nick, his hands balling into fists. “This has nothing to do with you, so why don’t y

Nick’s eyes were filled with something I couldn’t quite name, but it made my stomach twist in anticipation. His fingers were still on my waist, his grip firm, like he wasn’t ready to let go. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go home with him, but I didn’t want to deny him either. The way he looked at me—like he already knew I was going to say yes—made it impossible to refuse.I swallowed, my heart thumping hard against my ribs. “To your place?” My voice was quieter than I intended.His lips twitched, but his grip on my hips didn’t loosen. “Yes,” he murmured, his thumb brushing the bare skin where my dress dipped low on my back. It was a single word, filled with desire and passion.I hesitated for half a second longer, but the heat between us was unbearable. The tension had been growing all night, and now that we were here, standing so close, his scent filling my lungs, my skin burning from his touch—I couldn’t turn back.So I nodded in agreement.His grip tightened just slightly before he