All Chapters of Stranded on an Island with Mr. CEO: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

74 Chapters

Getting to know

Nathaniel's POVThe St. Jude Private Clinic didn't look like a place for the sick. It looked like a five-star hotel for the wealthy who wanted to be pampered while they recovered. The floors were polished marble, and the air smelled faintly of expensive lavender. I adjusted my suit jacket and walked toward the reception desk purposefully.A young nurse with a neat bun looked up at me. Her professional smile faltered for a second as she took in my appearance. I knew I stood out; I wasn't there for a check-up, and I certainly wasn't there to browse the brochures."Welcome to St. Jude," she said, her voice dropping an octave. "Do you have an appointment, sir?""No," I said, leaning slightly over the counter. "But I need to see the gynecologist, Dr. Hugh. Right now."She blinked, looking confused. "Dr. Hugh is in the middle of a consultation block. He only sees patients by referral. May I ask what your name is so I can check if he’s expecting you?""Nathaniel Coop," I said, letting just e

Unseen helper

Ariana's POVBy Wednesday morning, I had actually started to enjoy the rhythm of my new life. There was something grounding about the repetitive click of the keys and the predictable rows of data on my screen. It was a far cry from the life-or-death stakes of the island. I was sitting at the small kitchen table, twirling a fork into a bowl of spaghetti for breakfast when my new phone buzzed.I had picked up a cheap android phone and a new SIM card a couple of days ago, giving the number to only a few trusted people. I looked at the screen and saw the name Jones. I let out a long, heavy sigh.Jones was someone from my college days. Back then, he had followed me around like a lost puppy, confessing his "undying like" for me but constantly making it clear he wasn't ready for the burden of a real commitment. I hadn't had time for games then, and I certainly didn't have time for them now.Seeing him at the beach the other night had been a shock. He had been so genuinely happy to see me ali

Missing him

Ariana's POVThe silence in the guest room was heavy, broken only by the distant hum of the city and Maya’s soft, rhythmic breathing from the other room. Maya had crashed out an hour ago, exhausted from the marathon of overtime she was pulling to finish her eighteen-month internship. I sat on the edge of the bed, the glow of my laptop screen the only light in the room, but I wasn't looking at data anymore.I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened recently.I wasn't stupid. Things like that didn't just happen to people. Someone was moving the pieces of my life from behind a curtain. The "who" wasn't even a question. It had to be Nathaniel. My father didn't have that kind of grace, and he certainly didn't care if I was eating tropical fruit.But if it was Nathaniel, then my heart didn't know whether to soar or sink. If his influence reached this far, if he could track my cravings and infiltrate a company’s payroll just to subsidize my salary, then he already knew exactly

What to do?

Nathaniel's POVThis was the third night in a row I had found myself parked in the shadows of that nondescript Astoria street. I leaned my head back against the leather headrest and closed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion deep in my bones. I was supposed to be in my home office, buried in spreadsheets and legal briefs, preparing for the shareholders' meeting next week. God only knew what my father had planned, but I knew him well enough to know it wouldn't be a fair fight.I had already spoken to Gurner. My instructions were clear: buy more shares by hook or by crook. I knew what I was doing. I was essentially giving a man like Gurner a green light to use less than honorable means to force people to sell. It was a necessary evil. I had built Coop Enterprises from the ground up with my own sweat. I couldn't let my father swoop in and take over the management of my life's work just because he had a god complex.I looked at the apartment building again. The lights in the living room went

Stalker father

Nathaniel's POVMy phone pinged again, the vibration rattling against my palm. I pulled it out, my eyes narrowing as the screen illuminated a series of high-resolution, night-vision photos. They were grainy but clear enough to see a man crouching in the shadows of an alleyway, just a few yards from Maya Donovan’s front door. He was leaning against a rusted dumpster, a cigarette dangling from his lip, the cherry-red tip glowing every time he took a drag.Then came the video.I hit play. The man looked like he was just lounging, just a loiterer killing time in the dark. But his eyes never left the building. He was tracking the windows. When he turned his head slightly toward the camera, my blood turned to ice.I recognized that face. It was the bastard. Ariana’s father.The man who had tried to break her spirit. The man she was terrified of. My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles turned white.I quickly typed out a reply to the encrypted number.Nathaniel: When were these take

Drunken display

Ariana's POVIt was Sunday night, and the apartment was unnervingly quiet. I was curled up on the sofa, mindlessly scrolling through a news app while digging into another bowl of the tropical fruit. I was down to the last two cartons now, and the mystery of where they came from still sat in the back of my mind unresolved. I had finished my data entry hours for the day, my fingers slightly stiff from the repetitive motion, and now I was just waiting.Maya had been gone for hours. She’d actually gone to church in the morning, which was a sentence I never thought I’d say. Maya Donovan and organized religion usually didn't mix, but apparently, when a handsome, wealthy gynecologist invites you to his parish, you suddenly find a reason to pews-hop. She was totally smitten by Dr. Hugh. I just sat there, chewing on a piece of sweet, creamy fruit, hoping that neither of them was playing the other. Maya deserved a win, but I knew how these high-society men could be.I was just about to get up a

Suspicions

Ariana’s POVI woke up to the sound of silence. The apartment felt different with the leftover scent of Maya’s wild Sunday night. I tiptoed into the living room and found her exactly where I’d left her—sprawled across the sofa like a fallen soldier, snoring softly with a throw pillow half-covering her face.I felt a pang of sympathy. I went to the kitchen and placed two painkillers on the coffee table alongside a fresh bottle of water. She was going to need them when she woke up. For myself, I prepared a warm cup of almond milk with a splash of honey which was my healthy substitute for coffee lately and swallowed my prenatal supplements.The walls of the apartment felt like they were closing in. I needed air. I needed to take a stroll. I dressed warmly, layering a thick knit sweater over my jeans and pulling on a heavy parka. I made sure to wrap a scarf around my neck because the New York morning air still had a bite to it.The walk was refreshing. The neighborhood was waking up, the

The confrontation

Nathaniel's POVI was driving past the park, my mind a mess of shareholder data and security reports, when I saw her. That familiar silhouette, the way she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, it was Ariana. My heart gave a violent leap, a mixture of pure joy and agonizing longing."Stop the car," I barked at the driver.He pulled over immediately. From this distance, through the tinted glass, I could see her fairly well seated on the benches. It wasn't enough. I needed to see her face. I needed to know she was okay with my own eyes."Wait here," I told him. I stepped out of the SUV, keeping my head down. There was a small kiosk nearby. I grabbed a random newspaper, tossed a bill at the vendor without waiting for change, and walked toward the benches.I found a seat three rows behind her. I opened the broadsheet, hiding my face behind the headlines. Every time she shifted, every time she turned her head in my direction, I pulled the paper higher. I felt like a ridiculous teenag

Reunion at last

Ariana's POV Seeing Nathaniel again, really seeing him, nothing could have prepared me for the ache that rippled through my heart. It was a physical pain, a tight tug in my chest that made it hard to draw a full breath. I looked at him and felt a surge of irrational anger mixed with overwhelming relief.He should have known. He should have understood that I wasn't running from him, but from the chaos his world represented. He should have come for me earlier. I didn't want to stay away or hide in this cramped apartment, I was just scared. Every time I thought about the pregnancy, his family, the media, and my father’s obsession made my blood run cold.But as I looked into his ever-familiar eyes—those deep, dark pools that held so much intensity—my anger began to melt. I couldn't resist him. I never could."You already know, don't you?" I asked, my voice low.Nathaniel went silent. That silence was my answer. He didn't deny it, didn't look surprised. He just watched me with a gaze so h

Setting things right

Nathaniel's POVFor the first time since the rescue, everything seemed alright with the world. Seeing Ariana, touching her, and knowing that she wasn't just safe but willing to let me back in, it was the ultimate motivation. I felt like a man who had finally found the ground beneath his feet after months at sea."To the office," I told the driver. Then, I pulled out my phone and messaged Gurner.Nathaniel: Status update on the acquisition?Gurner’s reply was almost instantaneous—a single, mischievous smirking emoji. I didn't want to worry about what he meant by that response, but with Gurner, results were the only thing that mattered.When we pulled into the parking lot of Coop Enterprises, I didn't wait for the driver to open the door. I stepped out and began a brisk walk toward the glass-and-steel lobby. Normally, I breezed through the halls like a god, barely noticing the faces of the people who kept things running. Today, I found myself noting them. The receptionists, the security

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