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13
The moment Amanda walked out of the elevator in the office building on Monday morning, Cara appeared, tablet in hand.
"You have a meeting with the CEO in five."
Amanda already knew that. She had taken time the previous evening to pore over her schedule. That's something she always did, but this time, the motivation behind the habit was different.
It was her first day back to work after a month's absence. More importantly, she was going to meet Lucas at work for the first time. Studying her schedule allowed her to plan in her mind how she would carry through the day as smoothly as possible.
Over and over, she had drummed into her mind that this was just another day at work.
The two walked into Amanda's office, where she placed her bag and coat aside.
Cara handed her a file. "You'll need this."
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The CEO's Love 14
The Lemaiyan Group Headquarters was a 19-floor steel and glass building that stood out from the rest of the block in terms of grandeur, sheer size, and design. It was about a decade old, and proof of the upward trajectory the conglomerate had been on for the past twenty years. Amanda took the elevator to the 17th floor, where her father's expansive office was located. The secretary's face morphed into surprise for a second when she appeared, but the expression was quickly replaced by a smile. She shot to her feet and greeted formally, "Good morning, Miss." "Morning, Lucy. I believe I'm on time for my meeting with the chairman, no?" Lucy looked towards the Chairman's door, then back at Amanda. "Yes, it's time, but--" "But?" "Your sister just arrived." Amanda stiffened. "Rebecca is in the
The CEO's Love 15
On Wednesday morning, Amanda received a call from Rebecca. "Katherine said she's ready to work with you," Rebecca informed her. "Consult with her people on when she'll be available." "That's great. I'll reach out today." She was about to hang up when her sister said, "There's one condition, though." Of course. "What is it?" "Work on a high fashion collection." This wasn't the first time Amanda had heard this suggestion. She didn't need to think twice about it. "No." Rebecca's sigh came across the phone. "Think about it. Can you imagine Katherine Wells wearing one of the cheap outfits you make?" "Yes, I can. That's exactly what she wears on an everyday basis." "This is your chance to command attention from the entire world. Nobody wants to see how chea
The CEO's Love 16
Lucas wasn't sure which between celebrating their wedding anniversary and reintroducing him to society was the chief intention behind his parents' extravagant party. But, he was willing to bet on the latter. In his opinion, there wasn't much to celebrate where his parents' matrimony was concerned. Then there was the big tell—his father keeping him glued to his side, reminding everyone who came to offer their congratulations that next to him was his youngest son who had lived in the States for the past ten years. Lucas wanted to ask him not to waste his time. That he wasn't interested in making connections in his corporate world. That he had no intention of taking over a part of his business empire. But his father hadn't bothered to listen in the past. Lucas doubted he would now. So he let him run the show. All the while, he kept his attention elsewhere. While his father tirelessly narrated of his achievements abroad, Lucas's eyes
The CEO's Love 17
"What do you want from me, Keith?" Amanda demanded, whirling on him when he followed her to the terrace on the west side of the room."Calm down, I just wanted to see how you're doing.""I'm doing fine. It's really none of your business."He sighed. "I know Rebecca has been giving you a hard time with the company. I tried to talk to her but--"Amanda couldn't stop the chuckle that left her lips. "You what?""Amanda, I want to help.""I don't want your help, Keith." She walked to the railing and stared at the ground below. "And please stop following me.""I can't help it. I find myself worrying too much about you of late, Mandy."She gritted her teeth. There he went with the Mandy thing again.What exactly did he want?"Worry about your wife.""I admit. I was wrong. I made a mistake back then." He stepped closer to her. "I pretended to not know how you felt. I wasn't looking for somethi
The CEO's Love 18
With Amanda gone, Lucas disappeared to the other side of the room, heading for the balcony. The restaurant had a wraparound terrace on the first floor, great for getting some fresh air.He was thinking about what he would have to do to get Amanda to open up to him when the sound of sobbing reached him.The lights on the terrace were muted, so he hadn't noticed he had company. He stared into the darkness in the direction the sound was coming from, trying to see who it was.He caught the glimpse of a glint in the night, then his eyes finally adjusted and made out the woman standing several paces away."Hello? What's wrong?" He asked, reaching for his pocket handkerchief as he walked closer. He recognised her. She was the woman who had introduced herself to him in the elevator last week. "Ah, it's you." He pushed the handkerchief towards her. "Here, use this. It's clean."She took the cloth and wiped below her eyes. "Thank you," she whis
The CEO's Love 19
On Sunday afternoon, Amanda walked out of her family home, feeling dejected.Half an hour ago, she had walked into the house, feeling optimistic.Thanks to a call from Rachel, the housekeeper, she was finally able to catch her father alone, outside work. She had hoped to make a last plea and hope that he backed off where Lemaiyan Fits was concerned."I know you feel as if you have no control over anything at the moment," he had told her, pouring her a cup of tea. "But it's only for a moment.""Why? Why now? Do you also believe that I'm not capable of running the company?"He had shaken his head. "No, of course not, dear. Amanda, you checked the reports. The board is concerned about the profit margin.""The profit margin is pretty satisfying, Dad.""It is, but it's not on par with the other companies. It could be better if you tapped into the market we're targeting with the new collection.""Dad. We a
The CEO's Love 20
“Welcome to my humble abode.”Amanda’s gaze moved from Lucas to the trawler docked in front of them. “You live on a boat?”Lucas nodded and stepped onto the deck. He reached his hand out and beckoned for her. “Come on.”Amanda went after him as he led the way to the door on the port side. He unlocked it and pulled it open, then stepped aside. “After you.”Amanda looked from him to the open doorway then walked forward. She went through the door and lingered there, her eyes taking in the interior. Everything was neat and in place, and there appeared to be much more space than she had anticipated. She turned back to him. “It’s so nice in here.”Lucas smiled. “Flattered you like it.”Amanda left her shoes at the door and stepped further into the room. A few seconds
The CEO's Love 21
Amanda kissing him was the last thing Lucas expected. But he didn’t waste a lot of time being surprised.His lips moved against hers, his hands going around her waist. She wrapped hers around his neck and pressed her body into his, closing every little distance between them.The kiss was short but intense. She pulled back first, keeping her hands around his neck. Her brown eyes sought his. “This is not a good idea for me, Lucas. Right now, I really want you. But I don’t know what I’ll think about it tomorrow.”He more than understood. She wanted him in the same way he wanted her. It just wasn’t as easy for her. And he wasn’t going to make things harder. “That’s fine. You’ll know when tomorrow comes. I’ll respect whatever you decide.”He sure as hell hoped she wouldn’t push him away. But since this was just s
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