The CEO Is Obsessed With Me

AURELIA

I was grateful for the hum of activity that filled the studio. It was a new week and as I settled into my workspace, I looked forward to what the day would bring.

What I certainly didn’t look forward to was a meeting with the CEO. He still hadn’t contacted me, filling me with a mix of relief and worry.

What exactly was that man planning in that handsome head of his?

My colleagues and I were engrossed in a casual conversation, the topic meandering from weekend plans to the latest project we were tackling. It was a rare moment of normalcy amid our hectic schedules.

“Did you catch that new movie that came out last week?” Olivia asked, her eyes bright with excitement as she looked between me and Caspian. Her lips soon curved into a teasing smirk. “You both must have watched it together right?”

Oh. I had forgotten they still thought we were dating.

Kendall quickly caught on to Olivia’s tease and decided it was the right time for him to open his mouth.

“If I remember correctly, you were both absent after Aurelia’s party last week,” he snickered, raising his scissors to point at Caspian. “Should we be expecting babies soon?”

I was about to smack the daylights out of him, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but Olivia beat me to it. Matthew chuckled at his desk, subtly shaking his head as he watched Olivia pinch Kendall’s cheeks. Mrs Juniper laughed out loud, the bubbly sound echoing through the room.

“There’ll be no babies,” Caspian interjected, casting me a thoughtful glance before facing our colleagues. “We are not dating, never were.”

On hearing his declaration, everyone whipped their heads to him, their eyes wide with surprise and curiosity.

Matthew broke the silence first. “And here I was designing wedding invitations.” He mused, causing Caspian to let out a soft laugh.

Kendall broke free from Olivia’s grip and faced me, his expression was far from pleased. “Damn. You both had so much chemistry, I was rooting for y’all.”

“Tch. Don’t mind him, Aurelia. He placed a bet on you both with Mathew, these fools bet if you’ll be pregnant by the end of the month with Caspian’s child.” Olivia scoffed, narrowing her eyes at both men as she shook her head. “It’s a good thing they gave me the money, I’ll treat you to lunch today. Give me all the deeds.” she winked at me and I chuckled as both Matthew and Kendall jerked forward, eyes as wide as saucers.

“What!” They chorused, but Olivia couldn’t care less, she just casually faced the mannequin in front of her, pretending not to hear them as she continued to work.

“Serves you both right.” Mrs Juniper added, shooing them back to their workspaces. “Now get back to work, we have a deadline to meet.”

Kendall grumbled under his breath as he glared at Olivia, while Mathew sagged against his seat, shoulders slouched with a forlorn expression on his face.

Caspian leaned close when no one was looking, his breath fanning against my neck. “Am I safe now?”

I turned to him, a glimmer of gratitude in my eyes as I mouthed a silent thank you. Caspian nodded, offering me a sweet smile in return. I was so happy we were back to being friends, so glad there was no more awkwardness lingering between us.

Just then, the atmosphere shifted. The studio doors swung open, and in strode Luke, the CEO, with his secretary trailing behind him. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively straightened up, my mind racing.

What was he doing here?

“Good morning, everyone,” The CEO announced, his authoritative voice cutting through the chatter like a knife. His gaze roamed about the room as everyone stiffened in their spot, and the shock on Mrs Juniper’s face tells me she was not aware of his visit.

Finally, his wandering gaze landed on me, only for a slight moment. Time seemed to have slowed, and my breath hitched in my throat. His smile came slow, taunting, and devious. “I’m here to inspect the ongoing project.”

Was this it? The moment but I’ve been dreading it for the past few days.

I swallowed hard, trying to maintain a professional demeanor. The room went silent, all eyes on him. Luke’s presence was commanding, and it was impossible to ignore the underlying tension he brought with him.

Everyone stood still in their spot as he walked down the line of workstations, his expression impassive as he merely glanced at the designs on the display.

His intoxicating scent filled my nostrils as he whisked past me, pausing in front of Caspian, who was busy finalizing a pattern. “Let me see what you’re working on,” Luke demanded.

Caspian hesitated for a moment before showing him the pattern, casting me a wary side glance as Luke’s eyes scanned the design, his expression growing colder by the second.

“This is mediocre at best,” he declared, his tone laced with disdain. “Is this the level of work we’re presenting to our clients?”

Caspian stuttered, not knowing how to respond. “I…I’ll make corrections to it sir…” he trailed off, cold sweat gathering at his temple as the CEO tucked his hands behind his back. He eyed Caspian from head to toe, a scowl settling on his features.

“Correction you say?” He scoffed. “Even if you recycle this trashy pattern, I doubt it’ll make much of a difference. Start over, you’ll send the revisions directly to me, and if I’m still not satisfied,” The CEO took a threatening step forward, and as he did so, Caspian hung his head lower, his fists clenching at his sides. “Consider yourself fired.”

I gaped at Luke’s statement. Caspian worked on that pattern for weeks, it had already been finally, Mrs Juniper had even given her approval… so why-

‘…. If I ever catch that blasted first choice of yours so much as lay a hand on your hair. I’ll make his life a living hell…’

At that moment, The CEO’s words echoed in my mind.

So that’s why. Fucking unbelievable.

A wave of anger surged through me. Caspian was one of the best pattern makers in our department, and he didn’t deserve such harsh criticism. He didn’t deserve his hard work disregarded because of petty reasons such as jealousy.

This was not about the pattern. It was about the CEO asserting his dominance.

I hated it. Hated how he played with people like they were mere pawns in his game of chess. He’d played me the same way, but I won’t allow him to do the same to my friend. Caspian was innocent in all this.

I took a step forward, my voice steady but firm. “With all due respect, Mr. Graham, Caspian is an excellent pattern maker. We’ve all been working hard on this project, and your impromptu visit did not give us a chance to prepare ourselves.”

As I spoke, my colleagues stared at me like I had grown a second head. I could understand their surprise, it wasn’t every day you saw someone standing up to the very man who paid their bills.

But this was not just about the CEO or Caspian, I was also actively involved.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Luke’s eyes snapped to mine, his expression darkening. “Are you telling me how to run my company, Miss Ravenwood?”

My heartbeat drummed in my ears, but I held my ground, feeling the weight of my colleagues’ gazes on me. “I’m merely stating the facts. We all put in our best effort, and Caspian’s work reflects that.”

For a moment, there was a tense silence. Then, Luke’s lips curled into a cruel smile, one that made me waver for a moment.

“If you think you can do a better job, perhaps you should be in charge. But since you’re so eager to defend him, you’re fired.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Fired? My mind reeled, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Sir?” I blurted out, the color draining from my face

Luke leaned in closer, his voice a low growl. “The only mistake here is you thinking you can challenge me.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his secretary hastily following. I stood there, stunned, the reality of the situation sinking in.

Fired?

This can’t be happening.