Vindication of the Cold CEO

Today was supposed to be just another Monday, but Celeste Marshall could already feel her stomach doing backflips the moment she stepped out of the elevator. The air in Sterling Enterprises was so crisp and clean it almost smelled like money itself. The kind of place where people walked like they had gold bars in their pockets and secrets in their eyes.She adjusted her blazer, trying not to think about how expensive everyone’s shoes looked compared to her perfectly decent okay, maybe slightly worn black pumps. Six months without a stable job and now she was here, about to start the biggest contract of her career. A whole events planner gig for the most prestigious firm in the city. The kind of job people bragged about at dinner parties.Her focus? Stay professional, keep her head down, and deliver flawless work. Her reality? The moment she thought about who she’d be reporting to, she could already feel trouble brewing. Julian Sterling. Thirty, CEO, and the kind of man whose picture c

Celeste’s POVThe thing about working with Julian Sterling was that it was like trying to navigate a minefield blindfolded, barefoot, and with him holding the detonator.It was only day two of working on-site at Sterling Enterprise, and I was already reconsidering my entire life’s career choices. The meeting room was sleek and all white, the kind of modern minimalism that screamed money, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking downtown San Diego. From up here, you could see the ocean glimmering in the distance. Beautiful view. Terrible company.I set my laptop down, opened my notes, and told myself to breathe. Today was our first full run-through for the Sterling Enterprise Anniversary Gala. It was supposed to be a straightforward collaboration between me, the hired event planner with years of experience; him, the CEO who should’ve just signed the contract and left me to do my job. Instead, I had him sitting across from me, in a tailored navy suit that probably cost more than

(Celeste POV)The soft hum of the office copier filled the silence of the break room as I stood there, holding my mug like it was the only thing keeping me from unraveling. The steam curled upward, fogging my vision for a moment before disappearing into the air. My hands still trembled slightly, a side effect of the adrenaline that had pumped through me all morning. Yesterday’s incident at the meeting was still replaying in my head like a bad home video me tripping in front of everyone, papers scattering like leaves, my cheeks burning while every pair of eyes tracked my humiliation. And then Julian Sterling, with that unreadable, too-sharp gaze, just… staring.Not saying anything. Not helping. Just watching.I told myself I didn’t care. I told myself his opinion didn’t matter. But it did.I was halfway through my first sip of coffee when Marcus stepped into the room. He wasn’t dressed as sharply as Julian, but his navy suit looked comfortable, like he knew he didn’t have to overcompen

Julian’s POVThe day had been long, but not unusually so for me. Sterling Enterprise didn’t run itself, and I didn’t have the luxury of fatigue. Still, there was something different in the air when I walked into the boardroom that morning. An undercurrent. A subtle shift in the way people moved, like a storm was about to break.And I knew exactly where it was coming from.Elias.He was leaning casually against the far wall, his arms crossed, that faint smirk on his face that had always made me want to break his jaw. Elias Moretti, Senior Vice President of International Operations, was good at his job annoyingly good, but he was better at politics. The man could spin a rumor faster than anyone I knew, and right now, I could feel the heat of his game.“Sterling,” he greeted, his tone oily. “Heard you’ve been… involved in the events planning department lately.”My eyes narrowed. He didn’t need to name Celeste for me to know where he was going.“Keeping tabs on everyone, Moretti?” I asked

Emma's povIf there is one thing I’ve learned working at Sterling Enterprise, it’s that the walls have ears, and the hallways have eyes. This place is like a living, breathing gossip machine no matter where you walk, someone is whispering. And today, it felt like the whispers were about me.Not that I’m paranoid or anything… okay, maybe a little paranoid. But when you catch three people in a row glancing your way and then suddenly pretending to be fascinated by the coffee machine, you know something’s up.The thing is, I’m not here for gossip. I’m here for my job, my paycheck, and maybe a little harmless flirting to keep life interesting. Which brings me to Marcus.Marcus the tall, broad-shouldered, annoyingly kind project manager who somehow manages to make every single person in the office like him. Including me. Which I hate. Because I swore to myself that I wouldn’t get tangled with anyone here. I told myself that mixing work and feelings is a one-way ticket to career disaster. But