A deal with the ceo
The night before my wedding, my life shattered in the most brutal way. I came home earlier than expected and found the man I was about to marry in bed with my own cousin. Betrayed, humiliated, and heartbroken, I ran-without knowing where to go.
That same night, fate led me to a powerful, untouchable man with a cold demeanor and a dangerous gaze: his boss, a feared and highly respected CEO. What was meant to be a single mistake became a turning point I could never undo.
Chapters
Share
Chapter 6
I got up early, determined to prepare myself. I slipped into a professional outfit, knowing I had an important interview ahead. A touch of makeup was all I allowed, just enough to look polished. I worked in advertising design, and today, I was stepping into a chance to join a bigger agency.
Standing in front of Milshire's largest advertising agency, I felt a twinge of intimidation. The building loomed over me, far grander than anything I'd ever experienced. I had spent my career in small agencies; my results had always been excellent, but the rewards had been modest. To truly advance, I needed to be part of a larger company. That was why I was here. The only catch? Perry worked here. Initially, the thought of applying filled me with dread. But for my career, I forced myself to take the risk. I had to swallow the unpleasant reality: working in the same place as him.
I also knew that Nathan had founded this company, though it was just a side venture for him. Running into him seemed almost impossible-he had so many businesses that crossing paths with him was highly unlikely.
All I wanted was to grow professionally, to finally move forward instead of stagnating. In any other company, I would have been confident I'd get the position. With my degrees and experience, I was usually unstoppable. But this was Hayseed Inc. Here, employees were paid handsomely, and admission was fiercely competitive. Doubt crept in.
I walked out of the interview feeling a little dazed. Hayseed Inc was even more massive than I had imagined-thousands of employees bustling through its halls.
Of course, I couldn't stop thinking about Nathan. He was barely in his thirties, yet owned properties and businesses everywhere. Even if Hayseed Inc was just another advertising agency, it employed thousands. His wealth was beyond anything I could fathom. He was, without a doubt, the youngest and richest man I had ever met. But it didn't matter. My goal was clear: I had to get into Hayseed Inc.
As I walked alone along the sidewalk, silently praying that the interview had gone well, a car horn blared behind me. I frowned in irritation.
"Irène!"
That voice-too familiar-made my heart tighten. I pretended not to hear and quickened my pace. I never wanted to see him again, not even for a second.
"Irène, wait!"
He ran to catch up, blocking my path.
"Perry, what are you doing? You're in my way!" I said coldly.
"I have questions for you," he said, ignoring my tone.
"I have nothing to say, and no reason to answer your questions," I snapped. I tried to step around him. I had nothing left for him-why should I justify myself?
"What's your relationship with Nathan? Why were you clinging to him at the mall the other day? And what about those things you said-'too rough' and 'be careful next time'? Did you sleep with him?!"
His hand grabbed my arm, fury radiating from every pore.
I looked at him with sheer contempt. "How does my relationship with Nathan concern you? Whether I slept with him or not is none of your business. Perry, don't you think you've crossed every line imaginable?"
The day he betrayed me, everything had ended. How dare he question me now? What right did he have? Was it his problem if I slept with someone?
"Did you sleep with him? Irène Fletcher, when did you become such a-" he paused, the words sharp and accusing. "-slut, sleeping with anyone? Were you pretending to be innocent with me?"
His anger made my blood boil. He turned toward me, eyes blazing with fury and reproach.
"Perry Bart! How dare you call me a slut!" I shouted, my voice trembling with rage. "You are far worse than me. You're not just a fool, you're a disgrace! Don't forget that you slept with my cousin behind my back. How dare you scold me now? Who do you think you are? If you can sleep with other women, why can't I do the same?"
I didn't care if people around us were watching. I saw the shock in his expression.
"I know what happened with Courtney hurt you deeply," he said, his tone softening slightly, though still reproachful. "But you can't just sleep with other men randomly. Do you even know who Nathan is?"
"You don't need to tell me who Nathan is, Perry. It's over between us. My choices no longer concern you. From now on, we're strangers. I hope you marry Courtney soon, so you'll finally leave me alone."
I forced down the anger swelling inside me and walked past him. He didn't follow. I had made my decision: if he questioned me again, I wouldn't hesitate to slap him-he deserved it. He was lucky he didn't push it.
My mood shattered, I decided to let go completely that night. I bought beer and a huge pack of snacks at the supermarket. By the time I reached the riverbank, it was already evening.
I called Liliana to join me for a drink, but she was stuck working overtime and could only come later. I had no choice but to drink alone. The cool breeze brushed my face as I sipped, the alcohol hitting me faster than usual.
Nearby, a couple argued. The man looked like Nathan, the woman strikingly like the popular celebrity Alana Gills. Why was he here? And with a famous celebrity, no less? Nathan truly knew everyone, even celebrities.
You may also like
8.0
My father gave me an ultimatum: marry a man I despise or lose my entire inheritance. I chose to run, boarding a private jet with no intention of looking back.
But his reach is absolute. The phone buzzed before we even left New York airspace.
"Send me a picture with Sterling now," his voice barked, "or I'm calling your pilot to turn that jet around."
I faked the photo and fled to Las Vegas, my last resort. My mission was simple: find my father's illegitimate son, the one secret that could break his hold over me.
My only lead was a grainy picture of a ruthless fixer, a man who cleaned up my father's messes. I found him in a desolate diner, a giant of a man surrounded by a wall of guards.
I gambled everything on a single coin toss for the information I needed. He saw right through my desperate bluff.
He leaned in close, his voice a low, gravelly rasp.
"In my city, the house always wins."
I was left standing there, humiliated and defeated. But as he turned to leave, he glanced over his shoulder.
"But you're lucky. Today, I'm just curious what Howard Bright's daughter is doing so far from home."
He had seen me not as a threat, but as a curiosity. I had lost the battle, but I wasn't done yet. I was no longer running. I was hunting.
8.5
Elara spent three years invisible in her marriage to billionaire Damien Cross. When he hands her divorce papers, she disappears without a fight.
Six months later, an accident steals Damien's memory of the past five years. He doesn't remember his ex-wife, but he can't stop searching for the woman with sad eyes who haunts his dreams.
When he finds Elara thriving in Seattle, she refuses to let him back in. But this Damien is nothing like the cold husband she remembers, and as he uncovers their past, devastating secrets emerge.
Can you forgive someone who doesn't remember breaking you?
9.3
Mark & Alex
9.3
Mark Windsor, Australia's most feared and respected CEO, has built walls as high as his empire. After losing his parents, the only warmth left in his life comes from Mary Smith, the woman who cooks his meals and feels more like home than family ever did.
When Mary's son Alex visits the estate, Mark doesn't expect the sharp-tongued, smiling graduate to unsettle him. Alex doesn't expect to fall for the man who owns the house he lives in or the company he refuses to work for.
Forced proximity, secret glances, late-night conversations, and quiet meals slowly turn into something dangerous. When Alex finally joins Mark's company on his own merit, love becomes a risk neither of them can afford.
In a world where reputation matters more than truth, Mark and Alex must decide if love is worth the fall.
9.7
Elena Whitmore always knew falling for her brother's best friend was a mistake. But one stolen night with Grayson Hale changed everything, and cost her more than she ever imagined.
When he vanished without a word, she buried the past and built a life no one could touch. A life that included a daughter Grayson has never known.
Five years later, he's back. Wealthier. Colder. Determined to uncover why she disappeared, and why she's engaged to a man she doesn't love.
As old sparks ignite and buried truths begin to surface, Elena must decide if protecting her secrets is worth sacrificing the only man she ever loved.
9.2
He became crippled because of me,but I ran away from the man I loved...and fell into the arms of his father.
One reckless night with a stranger should have ended there, until I learned the stranger was Lucien Sinclair, the self-made billionaire CEO of the Sinclair Empire.
My ex-boyfriend's father.
Now I'm trapped in a contract marriage with a devil, who forces me to watch my past and present collide under the same roof.
And betrayal? It's my daily dose...especially when my best friend steals my husband right before my eyes.
Then the nightmare turns fatal.
I'm pregnant... with twins.
One child belongs to the father.
The other belongs to the son.
No matter who I choose......someone I love will burn.
7.9
I woke up in a burning warehouse, twelve years after my supposed death. My body had been reset to its physical prime, the deep burn scar on my wrist completely gone.
Through the smoke, my eldest son, Kennard, rushed blindly into the flames. He was screaming the name of the very woman who had orchestrated this trap—Brittnie.
When I tackled him out of the way of a falling steel beam, he didn't recognize my youthful face. Instead, he pinned me to the concrete and nearly crushed my windpipe.
"How much did she pay you to carve up your face to look like a dead woman?"
He hissed the words at me, treating me like a sick corporate spy. For a decade, a bizarre narrative "script" had brainwashed my son, forcing him into pathetic devotion to Brittnie. She had drained his wealth, turned my daughter against him, and hollowed out our family empire.
Whenever Kennard tried to resist her, the mind control punished him with agonizing migraines, driving him to smash his own hands against the wall just to cope with the pain.
Hearing him quietly sobbing outside my locked door, my heart shattered. How could this invisible force torture my brilliant son and turn my family into puppets for a D-list actress?
I dragged him to the hospital for a DNA test.
When the results confirmed my maternity at 99.999%, the cold billionaire collapsed to the floor, weeping in my arms like a lost child.
I wiped his tears and smiled ruthlessly. It was time to take back my empire and burn Brittnie's life to the ground.