BOUND TO THE CRIPPLED CEO

IVAN“What are you waiting for? Get out!” I ordered loudly.“I promise this won’t happen again sir.” she pleaded.“See that it doesn’t, now get out,” I growled, pointing towards the door.I watched her shaky figure hurry out of the dining room, closing the door behind her. The room became quiet as it was before her entrance.Still fuming, I tried wheeling myself out of the messy dining area. But the damn wheelchair wasn't cooperating as fast as I wanted it to.“F**k!” I yelled, looking at my useless legs, willing them to somehow magically move.Gripping the sides of the wheel chair, I tried to raise my torso. The pain came in quickly, sweeping through my muscles in sharp waves.“F**k me!” My voice came out in a whimper, like a wounded dog. “That damn truck driver… I hope he rots in jail.”“Mr Ivan.”“What?” I barked loudly, anger rushing through my veins. Turning my head in the direction of the voice, I saw Mia, my PA trying not to look flustered as she stood at a short distance from

DANICA“Dani”David called gently, his voice breaking through the dull noise of the pediatric ward as he appeared at the corner. “What’s going on? I came as soon as I got your message. Is Valerie okay now?”Dave, my best friend, had entered my life through a former client, whom we had both worked for. I was the physical therapist and he, the home nurse. He’d bonded with Valerie instantly, and she with him. Shortly, we became a family—something I hadn’t felt since I lost grandma.“I don’t know, Dave,” my shoulders shook slightly as I struggled to keep it together. “I’ve been in and out of this hospital for days. She’s not getting any better and I’m... I’m just so tired.”“Hey, you’re not alone in this.” He placed an arm on my shoulder. “You know I'm always here for you. Plus we've got experienced hands overseeing her treatment.”I swallowed hard, rubbing my temple. “I feel like I’m falling apart. I lost my job three weeks back, Val is in the intensive unit and she…My head’s a mess, my

IVANThe Chicago heat wrapped around me like an unwanted embrace the moment I stepped outside. Thick, humid, and clinging. My driver had the car waiting already, engine purring.I slid her limp featherweight body into the backseat, making sure not to jolt her. She looked so vulnerable.Done, I settled close to her. Close enough that my knees slightly brushed against her. “Take us to the hospital,” I ordered.“Yes, sir.” John, my driver, replied. His gaze not daring to flick to the rearview, he knew my preferred hospital.As the car merged smoothly against the traffic, I loosened my tie, watching the way her chest heaved. Instinctively, I stretched out my hand to feel the pulse on her neck but pulled it back to myself as an after thought.A noise erupted in the car, it was her phone ringing. I had scooped it from the floor earlier. The screen lit up with an incoming call. There was no name, just a number. Didn’t matter. I switched it off. Now wasn't the time for distractions I though

DANICAThe night felt too quiet. The kind of quiet that made my thoughts loud. Valerie and I had moved into Ivan’s mansion just hours ago, but the walls already felt like they were closing in on me.I stood by the large window of my new room, the city’s lights stretching endlessly beneath the dark sky. It should have been beautiful, but all I could feel was the weight of the contract I’d signed.I hadn’t even unpacked. How could I? How does one settle into a place that feels like a cage draped in expensive furniture and ceiling-to-floor windows?My heart ached, but at least Valerie was fine. That was all that mattered now. Ivan had paid the medical bills and directed doctor Kendra to oversee Valerie's treatment.I moved quietly down the hall, pausing outside Valerie’s room. The soft sound of her breathing was a balm to my uneasy nerves. I watched her for a long moment, her little fingers wrapped loosely around Ella’s ear.I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, “we’ll be okay. I promis

IVANAs I sipped my coffee, the bitter flavor jolted me awake. My body felt like someone had used it as a piñata at a particularly aggressive children's party. I groaned, stretching my legs under the small table in the coffee shop. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, mingling with the hum of conversation in the background.After last night's disturbance, sleep eluded me and just when I thought I’d finally dozed off, my alarm blared in my ears, determined to make me go crazy. So much for having a brand- new wife and daughter. I swallowed my drink in one gulp, relishing the taste of roasted bitterness on my tongue. Hopefully, it would keep me alert for my next meeting in forty minutes. I could already picture the insufferable board members droning on and on about the proposals for our new car designs. Taking a bill from my wallet, I tucked it under the saucer on the checkered tablecloth, and stood to leave. As I stepped out into the warm sunlight, my eyes scanne