All Chapters of One Reckless Night With Mr. CEO : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The drive to the Grand Central Terminal was filled with brittle silence. I pushed the secure sedan through the evening traffic. Tessa sat rigidly beside me, clutching the burner phone in her right hand like it was the only thing grounding her to reality.Her expression was deeply troubled, her delicate brows furrowed into a serious concern. She was probably feeling bad about what I made her do to Austin, manipulating her ex boyfriend for the good of my company.I felt a tight, hard twist of guilt in my chest. I hated that I had involved her in this, forcing her to leverage her own pain, but I had no choice. She was the key.She hadn't trusted me completely to let me know every bit of information she had about Austin, but she was the only one who could truly convince him. She had sold the lie to Austin perfectly. She proved she was capable of the strategic cruelty that was needed to survive my world. It was a mirror of my own professional instincts, deepening my admiration."Listen T

The lights of the documentary crew immediately focused on us. The director, Sarah rushed over, her face masked with professional excitement, this was viral news for them. “Mr. Carter! Ms. Hayes! We were so worried! The newsfeeds are saying there was an incident!” Owen didn't release me. He simply tightened his hold, his voice deep with fatigue.“We had an argument, and it was interrupted by an overly aggressive physical pursuit by paparazzi. Tessa was shaken, I had to ensure her safety, which is my absolute priority.”I played my part, leaning to his side, absorbing the physical heat of his body. I didn't have to fake the residual tremor. My voice was low, and I made sure my hand lingered on his chest as I spoke.“I'm fine. Just exhausted.” I murmured.“I realized…I just need him near me. That's all.” If I knew I could be this good at lying, maybe I'd have done it more. The director bought the lie, a satisfied look plastered on her face, already calculating the ratings boost from ou

The silence of the suite was not letting me rest. I lay rigid, consumed by the agonizing awareness of Tessa's presence inches away.My body was coiled with tension, every nerve ending screaming a violation of the control I had built my life upon.This was a necessity, I told myself. Yet, the smell of her shampoo, the soft sound of her even breathing made me want to pull her close, to hold her against my bare chest and stroke her hair.A vulnerability I could not afford.I rose slowly from the bed trying not to wake her, the pre-dawn stillness filling the room. I ignored the faint light catching the silk duvet and walked directly to my study, wanting to focus only on data, the only constant I trusted. After a while of going through news posts, headlines, and internal company reports, I confirmed my fear. My mother was behind the takeover attempt. She was using her own money and my father's old moral mistake to take over the company. But there was no way she could win. She was not mu

A few days had passed since my hospital stay, and Owen had made sure I was properly taken care of.Sometimes he'd get me my favourite pastries on his way back from work. I had slowly started to get used to this kind of life. Maybe being a trophy wife wasn't so bad after all. Today, Sana and I had decided to go on a shopping spree with the money Owen had given me, since I was finally feeling better. We ran through the mall like teenage girls, trying on outfits and taking pictures with ridiculous poses. I even got presents for my parents.I hadn't had this much fun in a long time I thought as I laughed hard with Sana. As we were browsing through a particular designer store, Sana suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Oh no no, Oh no," she whispered, her eyes fixed on a figure across the room. I followed her gaze and saw a guy who looked vaguely familiar. "Who is that?" I asked, amusement and curiosity getting the better of me. "Ryan! Don't you remember? We hooked up a lot earlier this

A Few Weeks Ago,I held onto Tessa's hand, watching as the nurses bustled in and out of the room, checking her vitals and administering medication .I had no idea she had allergies, or that the reactions were this bad.My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, fear and anxiety clawing at my chest. What if she didn't wake up? What if...? I pushed the thoughts aside, focussing on the soft rise and fall of her chest. I watched, a nurse injected something into her IV, and I felt slightly uneasy. "What's that?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. The nurse smiled reassuringly. "Just a little something to help her rest, Mr Carter."I nodded, my eyes never leaving Tessa's face. My phone rang soon after. It was my personal assistant, a welcome distraction. "What is it?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even. "It's Ms Juliette sir. She's causing a scene in the office. Aiden's trying to calm her down, but it's getting ugly. And the board members are still waiting for you so they can start the m