Todos los capítulos de I’m Back, Mr. CEO : Capítulo 211 - Capítulo 220

I shouldn’t be looking at her I.n.s.t.a.gram.I know this. I’ve told myself this approximately fifteen times in the last hour. But here I am, sitting in my hotel room at 9 PM on a Friday night, scrolling through Maya’s social media like some kind of stalker.She doesn’t post often. Mostly company updates, industry news, the occasional landscape photo of San Francisco at sunset. Her account is professional, curated, exactly what you’d expect from a CEO who values her privacy.But tonight, there’s something new.A photo from two hours ago. Maya in a stunning red dress, hair styled in waves, makeup perfectly done. She’s standing in front of what looks like an expensive restaurant, the kind with valet parking and a three-month waitlist.And next to her, his hand on the small of her back, is Cameron Blake.The caption is simple: “Celebrating successful Q3 results.”My chest tightens.I zoom in on the photo like that’ll somehow change what I’m seeing. Cameron’s smiling at the camera, but Ma

Three weeks pass, and somehow everything changes without me noticing until it already has.It starts small. Maya begins texting me outside of work hours. Not about projects or deadlines, but random things. A funny tweet about startup culture. A photo of her coffee with “This is my third cup today, send help” as the caption. A question about whether I’ve seen the new sci-fi series everyone’s talking about.I respond every time, probably too quickly, definitely too eagerly.Then she starts seeking me out during the day. Not just for scheduled meetings, but for opinions. She’ll pop into the workspace Sterling Industries set up for me, lean against the doorframe, and ask what I think about a potential investor or a marketing strategy.“Why are you asking me?” I said the first time, surprised.“Because you have good instincts,” she replied, like it was obvious. “And you don’t bullshit me like everyone else does.”If only she knew how much I’m actually bullshitting her.But the biggest chan

{NEXT DAY}I’m grabbing coffee three blocks from Sterling Industries when I see her.Lin Sterling-Chen.Maya’s mother.She’s walking down the sidewalk with the kind of purpose that says she knows exactly where she’s going, designer purse clutched in one hand, phone in the other. She looks older than the photos I’ve seen online, harder, like grief carved permanent lines into her face.And she would recognize me in a heartbeat.I turn away fast, pretending to study the pastry case like my life depends on it. My heart’s hammering. She’s here. In San Francisco. Probably to visit Maya.The barista calls out a name. Lin’s. She steps forward to grab her drink.I keep my back to her, willing myself to be invisible. If she sees me, if she recognizes the eight-year-old boy who used to play with her daughter, everything is over. She knows what the Moore family did to hers. She’d tell Maya immediately.“Ethan?”I freeze. That’s not Lin’s voice. That’s Maya’s.I turn slowly. Maya’s standing in the

**3 Days Later**{ETHAN POV}The Metropolitan Ballroom is packed with tech industry elite.I adjusted my bow tie for the third time, scanning the crowd for Maya. She texted twenty minutes ago saying she’d arrived, but I haven’t seen her yet. The space is massive, all crystal chandeliers and marble floors, with enough wealth concentrated in one room to fund a small country.I spot Mom across the room, standing with Lucas near the bar. She catches my eye briefly, then looks away. Good. We agreed they’d keep their distance tonight. The last thing I need is Maya seeing me interact with Serena Moore and putting the pieces together.“You look nervous,” a familiar voice says.I turn. It’s Rachel, Lucas’s and Serena's daughter. She works at ETHEREAL and occasionally helps with family events.“Rachel. What are you doing here?”“Mom’s being honored tonight. Lifetime Achievement Award.” She grins. “Didn’t expect to see you though. Thought you were still in San Francisco doing your whole secret i

**Few Days Later**{MAYA’S POV}Sophie’s been staring at me for five minutes straight.“What?” I finally ask, looking up from my laptop.“You’re doing it again.”“Doing what?”“Sketching stars in your notebook margins.” She points at the page I’ve been doodling on during our strategy meeting. Sure enough, there are little stars scattered across the edges. “You always do that when you’re thinking about him.”I close the notebook. “I’m not thinking about anyone.”“Liar. You’ve been distracted for weeks. Ever since the gala.” Sophie leans forward. “What happened in New York? You said you’d talk to Ethan, clear the air, but you’ve been weird ever since you got back.”“Nothing happened. We talked. He explained some things about his background. That’s it.”“What things?”I hesitate. Ethan asked me to keep his family wealth private, and I’ve been respecting that. But Sophie’s my best friend, and the secrets are starting to weigh on me.“His real name is Ethan James Grant. He comes from money