Where it all began

Ariana's POV Today was Tuesday. It was also the three-hundredth day I had spent at Coop Enterprises. I was currently engaged in a very serious task which was the stapling of reports. If you had told the teenage version of me that I would eventually land a position at a multi-billion-dollar global empire, I probably would have laughed in your face. Coop Enterprises was the kind of company people sold their souls to join. The lobby was all glass and expensive looking, the air smelled like expensive cologne. We didn't just make tech here, we made the tech that made the tech. And at the top of it all sat Nathaniel Coop. He was the city’s most eligible bachelor, though "eligible" was a strong word for a man who seemed to have been carved out of a block of ice. I had seen him a few times in the lobby. He was always followed by a wall of security guards and a secretary who looked like she had never eaten junk food in her life. Mr. Coop never looked left or right. He never smiled. He just

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

High altitude

Nathaniel Coop didn’t say hello. He didn’t even acknowledge that a human being had just stepped onto his helipad. Instead, he gave me a slow once-over. His eyes traveled from my wind-blown hair down to my scuffed flats and back up again. It didn't look like he was impressed with what he saw. Without a word, he turned on his heel and climbed into the cabin. "Quickly now, we’re behind schedule," the secretary said, nudging my shoulder. She ushered me inside the aircraft. I had expected a cramped helicopter, but this was a high-end transport. It was spacious, with cream-colored leather seats that looked more comfortable than my bed and enough room for a small party. There were four of us: Nathaniel, the secretary, the pilot up front, and me. As soon as I was seated, the secretary handed Nathaniel a slim, white laptop. He took it without looking at her and immediately began typing. The door sealed shut, the roar of the blades muffled to a low hum, and we lifted off. I sat across from

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

The bad news

The transition from the helicopter to the long-range jet happened quickly. We landed on a private tarmac in California that looked more like a luxury resort than an airport. Black SUVs were already waiting by the side of the helicopter. No one asked for my ID, and no one checked my bag. We were simply whisked across the asphalt to a massive, sleek jet that had the Coop Enterprises logo embossed in white on the tail.As I climbed the stairs into the jet, my jaw dropped in amazement. It had plush swivel chairs, a dining area, and even a small bedroom at the back. Ms. Davies pointed me toward a seat near the window while Mr. Coop went straight to a desk bolted to the floor.Once we were in the air and the "fasten seatbelt" sign went off, I forced myself to open the leather binder. I couldn't afford to be caught sleeping again. I needed to prove I was worth the space I was taking up.The Southern Dialect was a beautiful, complex language. It wasn't just about words; it was about the rhyth

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

The crash

It is a strange thing to know exactly when you are going to die. As the jet rushed toward the ocean, the world outside the window turned into a blur of blue and white. My heart was hammering against my ribs so hard it felt like it might burst before the plane even hit the water. I never thought about how I would go. I always figured I’d be old, maybe in a bed somewhere quiet. I never imagined it would be in a metal tube in the middle of the Pacific. I felt a sudden, sharp grief for all the things I hadn't done. I’d never seen the world on my own terms. I’d never fallen in love with someone who actually loved me back. I’d spent my whole life just trying to survive my father, and now, it was all for nothing.I wondered if he would cry. In his own twisted, broken way, he cared about me. He could have left me at a foster home when my mom ran off, but he didn't. He kept me. He fed me. Even if he made me pay for it in fear, I was the only thing he had left.The pressure in the cabin was b

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

All Chapters of Stranded on an Island with Mr. CEO: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

Where it all began

High altitude

The bad news

The crash