My Ex Boyfriend Is My New Company CEO

Emir Holmes approached Hadley Marshall with a confident stride. "Hadley, would you join me for a client meeting?"

"A client meeting?" Hadley glanced at her blouse and pencil skirt, wondering if her outfit was suitable for the occasion.

"It's not a big deal. Work comes first," Emir reassured her, grabbing his jacket from the chair. Noticing her hesitation, he chuckled and urged, "What's holding you up? Let's go."

"Oh, right." She adjusted her skirt awkwardly, picked up her notebook, and followed him out.

The car cruised smoothly down the road, the cool air inside a refreshing contrast to the office's staleness. As Hadley reviewed Emir's schedule, she realized the client meeting wasn't until 11 a.m. "It's not even 10 yet, Emir. Isn't it a bit early?"

"I have other plans," Emir said cryptically.

As they arrived at a bustling street lined with designer stores, Hadley began to suspect what those 'other plans' might be. "Emir... you're not planning to take me shopping, are you?" she asked.

Emir gave her a playful smile. "Sometimes a bit of obliviousness is charming, Hadley. I want to get you an outfit. Let's hop out."

Hadley got out of the car, laughing awkwardly. "I can't let you spend money on me like that, Emir."

"Or shall I deduct it from your salary?"

"What?" Hadley was caught off guard, prompting a laugh from Emir. "Come on," he said, leading the way.

Inside the upscale boutique, the lavish displays captivated Hadley. The pastel summer dresses were particularly enticing. She tried on several outfits, so engrossed that she momentarily forgot about Emir patiently waiting. She twirled in front of the mirror, loving the way the new clothes looked on her.

In the end, Hadley stood at the counter, weighing her options. In one hand was a classic white shirt dress, and in the other, a soft blue sundress. "Hmm... both are lovely, but the white dress is more practical for work. I'll go with this one," she decided.

"Miss, the gentleman has already paid for both," the sales assistant said, gently folding the clothes.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Hadley approached Emir. "You only needed to replace one outfit. You didn't have to buy both."

Emir brushed off her concern with a smile. "Consider it a bonus. Now, get changed. We need to head back to the office."

Ducking into the fitting room with her new dress, Hadley felt a warm sense of gratitude. As the sales assistant handed over the shopping bags to Emir, Hadley moved to take them but hesitated when Emir gave her an amused look, indicating it was no trouble.

Trying to hide her appreciation, she looked down. She sensed Emir's affection and silently thought to herself that he was genuinely kind and considerate—perhaps being close to him wouldn't be so bad.

Back in the office break room, Hadley was making coffee when her colleague Eloise Cunningham playfully nudged her shoulder. "New clothes look great! Did you go shopping with Emir? By the way, Quinn was fuming when she saw you both return together."

Holding her coffee, Hadley widened her eyes. "Really? I'm Emir's assistant; it's normal for us to work together. If that upsets her, she'll be upset often."

"Well, it's different this time; he bought you clothes! So, where did you two go under the guise of meeting clients? You know, our dashing and young Mr. Holmes never had such juicy rumors before," Eloise teased.

Not wanting to become the center of gossip, Hadley redirected the conversation. "Eloise, I heard from admin that the new CEO is arriving this afternoon. Supposedly, he's quite the young achiever."

Eloise rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Don't get your hopes up. We've heard this before. They've been announcing the new CEO's arrival for months, and it's always just rumors. Once, they even made us line up to welcome him, but no one showed up."

"Really?" Hadley was surprised. "But the admin seemed confident this time. They've even set up the CEO's office."

Eloise raised her eyebrows mischievously. "Care to bet? How about twenty bucks?"

Hadley took a sip of her coffee, then nodded decisively. "Deal. I have a feeling he's coming this time," she said confidently, though she wasn't sure why.

When the new CEO still hadn't shown up over an hour past the scheduled time, Hadley and Eloise faced each other, Eloise looking smug. Hadley regretted taking the bet; it seemed this CEO was following the usual pattern.

Despite the delay, the admin hadn't canceled the welcome, so everyone remained in place, their appearance perfectly polished. Complaints were left unsaid.

Suddenly, a figure approached, catching everyone's attention. Hadley took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

As the figure came into view, it turned out to be a middle-aged man in a suit, slightly overweight and smiling awkwardly. Hadley felt a sense of satisfaction but quickly realized he wasn't the CEO they had anticipated. He didn't fit the young, dynamic description.

Eloise was equally surprised, realizing she had lost the bet.

The man waved sheepishly. "Oh no, I'm Yosef Harrison, the CEO's special assistant."

His words drew groans from a few colleagues.

"I'm your new CEO, Coleson Reynolds," came a vibrant voice from behind Yosef, clear and commanding.

Hearing those words, Hadley's mind buzzed with recognition. She watched as a tall, energetic young man walked up, removing his sunglasses with confident flair, his aura unmistakably rebellious and charismatic.