Novel-novel oleh Esther

CHAPTER FIVE Alex's Pov Damien snatched the phone from my hand, his jaw clenched tight. "Block the number.""That's your solution? Just ignore it?""Until we know who it is and what they want, yes." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "It could be a bluff. Someone fishing for information.""Or it could be someone who actually knows." My heart hammered against my ribs. "Someone who saw us together.""We've been careful…..""Have we?" I stood, pacing the room naked. "You had me working directly with you today. You think people didn't notice? You never pull junior executives onto projects personally."His expression darkened. "So what do you want to do? End this before it really starts?""I want to know what we're dealing with." I grabbed my phone back. "I'm responding.""Alex, don't…."I typed quickly: "Who is this?"The response came within seconds: "A friend. Meet me tomorrow. 2pm. The coffee shop on Fifth and Madison. Come alone.""Absolutely not," Damien said, reading over

CHAPTER FOURAlex's Pov Monday morning arrived too quickly. I sat in my car in the Cross Industries parking garage, trying to calm my racing heart. The weekend had been a blur of tangled sheets and whispered confessions. Now I had to walk into that building and pretend Damien Cross was just my boss.My phone buzzed. A text from him: "My office. Nine sharp. Bring the Henderson file."Professional. Cold. Exactly what we'd agreed on. So why did it make my chest tight?I grabbed my briefcase and headed inside. The elevator ride to the executive floor felt eternal. When I reached his office, his assistant waved me through without looking up.Damien sat behind his massive desk, every inch the powerful CEO in his tailored suit. He didn't look up from his computer when I entered."Close the door, Carter."I did, my palms sweating. "You wanted the Henderson file?""I wanted to see if you could handle this." His eyes finally met mine, cool and assessing. "Can you?""Handle what?""Being in the

CHAPTER THREE Alex's Pov Damien's fingers traced lazy patterns on my shoulder. "Monday morning, you walk in like always. Professional and distant"I pulled back to look at him. "You can't be serious. After this?""I'm completely serious." His expression hardened into the CEO mask I knew from work. "What we do in private is ours. But at Cross Industries, I'm your boss and you're my employee. We keep them separate.""That's insane.""That's survival." He sat up, and I immediately missed his warmth. "You think the board won't use this against me? You think they won't claim I'm giving you preferential treatment or that you slept your way up?""I would never…..""I know that. You know that. But perception matters in business." He stood and walked to the bar, pouring two glasses of whiskey. "I've already lost everything once because I trusted the wrong person with my private life. I won't make that mistake again."The reminder of his ex stung. "I'm not him.""No, you're not." He handed me

CHAPTER TWOAlex's Pov I stepped inside, and Damien closed the door behind me with a soft click that felt impossibly loud. The suite was all floor-to-ceiling windows and modern luxury, but I barely registered any of it. My entire focus was on the man standing too close, looking at me like I was a puzzle he needed to solve."Three months," he said quietly. "I told you things I've never told anyone.""So did I." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "What now?""Now we stop pretending this is just online anymore." He set his phone down on the entrance table, never breaking eye contact. "I need to know if what we have translates here. In person. Without screens between us.""And if it doesn't?""Then we go back to professional colleagues on Monday and never speak of this again." His hand slid to the back of my neck, warm and possessive. "But I don't think that's going to happen. Do you?"I should have said yes. Should have taken the exit he was offering. Instead, I closed the distance

CHAPTER ONEAlex's Pov"Tell me what you're thinking right now."I stared at the message glowing on my phone screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. It was past midnight, and I should have been asleep, but these conversations had become my addiction. Three months of talking to someone who didn't know my last name, didn't know where I worked, didn't know anything except the parts of myself I chose to reveal."I'm thinking about how strange it is that you know me better than people I see every day," I typed back.The response came quickly. "Maybe because I'm not looking at your surface. I'm listening to what's underneath."I smiled in the darkness of my bedroom, feeling that familiar warmth spread through my chest. This stranger had become everything, my confidant, my escape, the person I thought about during boring meetings at Cross Industries.Another message appeared. "What's stopping you from being yourself with the people around you?""Fear, I guess," I typed. "Fear of judgmen