A night with the rival ceo

Chapter 1

Rhea

I would be dead in six months.

The words echoed relentlessly inside my head as I stared at the hospital report in my trembling hands.

Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

I couldn’t stop reading those words, as if looking at them long enough would somehow make them disappear.

That explained the constant headaches, the dizzy spells, the fatigue that never seemed to go away, the sleepless nights, and the blurry vision I kept blaming on stress.

So this is what all those sleepless nights cost me.

I had spent years surviving on sleeping pills, endless cups of coffee, and impossible deadlines, believing hard work would build the future I dreamed of.

Instead…

It had brought me here.

Six months.

That was all I had left.

A bitter laugh almost escaped me.

Twenty-seven years old.

I haven’t even lived yet.

My hands shook as I stuffed the report into my handbag before pulling out my phone. My chest felt unbearably tight, as though I couldn’t breathe.

I hadn’t checked my phone since collapsing in my office earlier today. If Ivy hadn’t walked in when she did…

I swallowed hard.

Would anyone have found me?

The thought sent another chill through me.

Passing out was terrifying enough.

Finding out I was dying was worse.

I still couldn’t process it.

Maybe I never would.

I switched on my phone.

Instantly, it began vibrating nonstop.

Missed calls.

Messages.

Voicemails.

Ivy.

My design team.

My stepfather.

Even my mother had called several times.

I frowned.

What the hell happened while I was unconscious?

Without hesitation, I called Ivy. She was the only person whose words I trusted without question.

“We are fucked, Rhea! Have you seen the news?” she screamed the moment she answered.

My heartbeat quickened.

“What is happening?”

“Check the news and get to the company immediately!”

The call ended before I could ask another question.

A knot formed in my stomach.

Whatever had happened…

It was bad.

Really bad.

I climbed into my car and opened the news before even starting the engine.

The phone slipped from my fingers.

My entire body froze.

The healthcare center I designed…

Had collapsed.

“No…”

The word escaped in a whisper.

It had only been a few months since construction started.

Everything had been going perfectly.

That project wasn’t just another building.

It was supposed to be my masterpiece.

The project that would finally cement my name as one of Australia’s most respected architects.

Two years.

I had poured two years of my life into those blueprints.

Countless sleepless nights.

Countless revisions.

Every line.

Every measurement.

Every calculation.

I knew that design.

There is no way it could collapse.

With trembling fingers, I picked up my phone again and continued reading.

Thirty workers severely injured.

My stomach twisted violently.

Dear God…

If anyone had died…

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Before I could continue reading, Peter’s name flashed across my screen.

I stared at it.

I’m screwed.

No…

That wasn’t right.

I’m finished.

There was no point answering.

I already knew exactly how that conversation would go.

I switched off my phone and drove straight to Lancaster Group.

The moment I stepped inside the company, every conversation seemed to stop.

People looked at me.

Some whispered.

Others openly stared.

I caught fragments of their conversations.

“…that’s her…”

“…the architect…”

“…thirty people…”

Each whisper felt like another stone thrown at my back.

Don’t cry.

Not here.

Not in front of them.

Keeping my head high, I walked straight toward the elevator.

I only needed one thing.

Peter.

I pushed open his office door.

Mom was already there, standing beside him.

She looked worried.

Peter looked furious.

“Where have you been? I’ve been calling and texting you!” Mom rushed toward me.

Before I could answer, Peter exploded.

“Have you seen the news? The building fucking collapsed! What do you have to say for yourself?”

His voice filled the office.

I forced myself to stay calm.

“There was nothing wrong with my design. I worked hard on it. I’ll investigate everything and find out what happened.”

“I said don’t you dare do anything!” Peter roared. “Do you know what people are saying about this company? You’re ruining our reputation!”

Our reputation?

Not the injured workers.

Not whether the truth mattered.

Only the company’s image.

“Dear, calm down,” Mom said gently, guiding him toward the couch. “You’ll trigger another heart attack.”

Peter let out a frustrated breath before sitting down.

“Talk to her.”

Mom turned to me.

I desperately searched her face for support.

“Mom… I’ll fix this. My design is perfect.”

It had to be.

I checked it countless times before approving construction.

“I’ll find out what went wrong.”

She sighed heavily.

“Don’t you understand how serious this is? Thirty people are injured. Whether you’re right or wrong doesn’t matter anymore. The public needs someone to blame.”

Her words struck harder than I expected.

Even you don’t believe me?

“What do you suggest I do?”

“Your father has already decided.”

I stiffened.

“You’ll publicly accept responsibility, apologize to the victims and their families, and you’ll be suspended.”

For a second…

I couldn’t hear anything.

“What?”

“You heard your mother,” Peter interrupted.

“I can’t accept responsibility!”

“And why not?” he snapped. “Wasn’t it your design?”

“No!”

I took a step forward.

“There is nothing wrong with my blueprint. I still have the original copy. Check it yourself!”

Peter barely looked at me.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Those five words crushed me.

“We’re holding a press conference. You’ll take responsibility, resign, and save what’s left of this company’s reputation.”

My heart dropped.

“You can’t do that.”

“I absolutely can.”

“Rhea!” Mom raised her voice.

“Don’t be stubborn. You’ve already caused enough trouble.”

I stared at her in disbelief.

Enough trouble?

I’m your daughter.

“Mom…”

My voice cracked despite my efforts.

“You’re really going to stand there and let him destroy me?”

She looked away.

“Your father is doing what’s best for the company.”

My father.

She called Peter my father.

The words hurt more than I wanted to admit.

“If there were another way, he’d choose it.”

I blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.

No.

I won’t let them see me break.

“I’ll bring the original blueprint.”

I straightened my shoulders.

“When you see it, you’ll know I did nothing wrong.”

Without waiting for another response, I turned and walked out.

Only after the office door closed behind me did I finally let myself breathe.

“Why didn’t you come to me first?” Ivy hurried over.

“Where’s the copy of the building design?”

She frowned.

“You didn’t print one. It’s on your pink flash drive.”

My heart lurched.

The flash drive.

I left it at home.

On my reading table.

Please… let it still be there.

“I need to go home.”

“You can’t leave through the front entrance,” Ivy warned.

“The paparazzi are everywhere.”

“I’ll use the back exit and take a taxi.”

She studied me carefully.

“Are you okay?”

The question caught me off guard.

“What did the doctor say?”

My fingers unconsciously tightened around my handbag.

Inside it…

The report felt heavier than anything I’d ever carried.

How do I tell her I’m dying?

Not yet.

I wasn’t ready to say the words out loud.

“We’ll talk later,” I forced a smile.

“First I need my flash drive.”

She nodded, though I could tell she wasn’t convinced.

The elevator doors slowly closed between us.

I slipped out through the back entrance, hailed a taxi, and spent the entire ride praying I wasn’t already too late.

The moment I got home, I rushed inside without even taking off my shoes.

My only thought was finding that flash drive.

Instead…

I walked straight into the most horrifying sight of my life.

My boyfriend, Darius…

Was on top of my stepsister, Mira.

On my fucking couch.