HIS FORBIDDEN REJECTION

Maya’s POV

“Do you remember anything from last night?”

I froze. The sound of Ray Cole's voice made my blood run cold.

I blinked, my thoughts muddled. There was so much I couldn’t remember. His words, the way he looked at me last night—everything felt hazy, as if it had happened to someone else. But the one thing I couldn't deny was the cold weight of reality pressing on me. I was lying in bed, tangled in the sheets, my body aching in unfamiliar places. And I wasn’t alone.

I turned my head slowly. There he was, still asleep, lying next to me. Ray Cole. My boss. The president of the Cole Group.

I sucked in a breath, realizing the full weight of what had happened. My chest tightened as panic set in.

I reached down, lifting the blanket just enough to confirm what I already knew. I was naked. There was no mistaking it.

My heart pounded in my chest as the horrifying realization hit me. The memories came rushing back in fragments—fragments of heated words, of closeness, of a night that I never should’ve had. But there was no escaping it now. I had shared a bed with him. And worse—he was my boss.

I couldn’t breathe.

“God,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “What have I done?”

In a flurry of panic, I scrambled to gather my clothes from the floor, trying to dress quickly without making a sound. Ray hadn’t moved. Maybe he didn’t remember? Maybe it had been a mistake? I clung to that hope as I hastily buttoned my blouse, fingers trembling.

No, I couldn’t stay. I had to leave before he woke up. Before this entire mess became real.

My legs shook as I stood, my mind screaming at me to flee, but the thought of facing him—of having to explain this—made me dizzy.

I grabbed my bag and slipped out of the room, silently closing the door behind me.

The apartment felt different now. Heavier. And for the first time in years, I felt like a fraud. I’d been Ray’s assistant for two years. I was supposed to be professional, hardworking. But now? Now, I wasn’t sure what I was anymore.

I moved quietly down the hallway, trying to ignore the wild thumping of my heart. The last thing I wanted was to run into Lana right now. She would ask too many questions.

But as I reached my room, the door swung open, and there she was. Lana, my roommate, looking as carefree as ever, dabbing her makeup with a sponge.

“Maya?” she asked, noticing my pale face. “What’s wrong with you?”

I hesitated. I couldn’t tell her. Not now. Not like this.

I smiled weakly, trying to act normal, though everything inside me screamed otherwise. “I... didn’t sleep well.”

Lana raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but she didn’t press. “You didn’t come back to the room last night. I tried calling you.”

I froze again, my heart skipping a beat. I couldn’t tell her what had really happened. So, I lied. “I... I did come back. But you were asleep, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Mr. Cole needed something, so I went to his room this morning.”

It was a weak excuse. Even I knew it sounded pathetic. But Lana didn’t seem to care. She waved it off as she continued putting on her makeup. “Okay.”

Relief washed over me. I hurried into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

It felt like hours later when we finally made our way to the conference hall, but it had only been about thirty minutes. I focused on my breathing as I tried to put the previous night out of my mind. It didn’t help much when my phone buzzed in my pocket, a message flashing across the screen. My heart stopped when I saw who it was from.

Ray Cole.

The message was short. Too short.

“Meet me in the break room.”

I stopped walking, suddenly feeling like I had been hit by a train. My stomach twisted, and I couldn’t tell if it was fear or something else. My fingers were shaking as I tucked the phone away, my breath coming faster than it should have.

I couldn’t think. I had to go.

What if he remembered everything? What if he confronted me about last night? What would I even say to him?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and walked toward the break room. But the closer I got, the harder it became to breathe.

Ray was already there, standing by the counter with his back to me. The moment I stepped inside, his eyes flicked over to me—cold, calculating, and intense.

I swallowed hard, trying to hold myself together. “Mr. Cole, how can I assist you?”

I barely recognized my own voice. It was tight. Tense.

He said nothing at first, just stared at me, as though trying to read me, trying to see if I would crack. Then, he reached out and tossed something onto the desk between us.

I looked down, my heart stopping. It was a silver angel pendant—my pendant.

I could feel the blood drain from my face as my mind scrambled to make sense of this. I had no idea how I could’ve left it behind. I wore it every day. It had been my grandmother’s.

And yet, there it was, lying on the desk in front of me. My breath came in ragged bursts.

Ray’s gaze was as sharp as a knife. “Do you know whose this is?” he asked, his voice cool and controlled.

I glanced up, my throat dry. I couldn’t meet his eyes. “I… I’m not sure, Mr. Cole.”

He raised an eyebrow, and I could see the glint of suspicion in his eyes. “You don’t know?” He leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing. “Or do you know more than you’re letting on?”

I froze. My stomach lurched. My thoughts were a mess.

I had to act quickly. “I’ll find the owner,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. I wasn’t even sure how I’d do it, but I couldn’t afford to let him see how terrified I was.

Ray’s eyes held mine for a long moment, and then he gave a curt nod. “You have 24 hours. Find the owner. And bring them to Zane.”

Zane.

I nearly stumbled at the mention of his name. Zane West, Ray’s right hand. And if Ray was sending someone to Zane, that meant things were about to get very, very serious. Whoever owned the pendant wouldn’t just be fired. They’d be erased.

I nodded quickly, swallowing my fear. “I’ll handle it, Mr. Cole.”

As I turned to leave, I stopped myself. There was one more thing I had to know. “Shall I bring the person to you when I find them?”

Ray’s gaze darkened. “Bring them to Zane.”

His voice was final, cutting off any further questions. I nodded quickly, then rushed out of the room, my mind reeling with the implications of his words.

I had no choice. I had to find the person, and I

had to do it fast. Before things got out of hand.