All Chapters of The CEO I was never meant to love : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The door was cold under her palm.“Lena.”Mason’s voice in her ear wasn’t loud, but it held something sharp.She didn’t turn the handle.“I’m still here,” she said quietly.Outside, Evan shifted his weight, watching through the glass.“Are you going back to him?” Mason asked.The question wasn’t jealous.It was controlled.“I don’t know,” she admitted.Silence followed.Not empty—measured.“Are you safe?” he asked.Her fingers tightened slightly on the handle.“Yes.”“That’s not what I meant.”She closed her eyes.“Yes,” she repeated, softer.Behind the glass, Evan checked his watch.“I’m not asking as your boss,” Mason said.“I know.”“Then answer me honestly.”She let go of the handle.“I’m confused,” she said.“That’s not the same as unsafe.”“No,” she agreed.She stepped back from the door.Through the glass, Evan’s posture changed when he realized she wasn’t coming out.“Are you coming upstairs?” she asked Mason.A pause.“I wasn’t planning to.”That hurt more than it should have

Evan stood in her doorway.“You forgot your jacket,” he said lightly.Lena didn’t move.The hallway light framed him in soft yellow, almost harmless.“I didn’t leave a jacket,” she replied.He lifted the leather coat slightly.“The one you used to keep at my place.”Her chest tightened.“That was months ago.”“I kept it,” he said.“Figured you’d come back for it.”She stared at the coat.“I didn’t.”He lowered it slowly.“Can I come in?”“No.”The answer came faster than she expected.He smiled faintly.“You always get defensive when you’re overwhelmed.”“I’m not overwhelmed.”“Your hands are shaking.”She curled her fingers into her palms.“I said no.”He studied her face for a moment longer, then sighed.“Fine.”He didn’t leave.“You said seven tomorrow,” he continued.“I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t back out.”“I won’t.”“Good.”He hesitated.“There’s something else,” he added.Her stomach tightened.“What?”“I need to talk to you about something important.”“We can talk t

The wind pushed against them, sharp and restless.“Don’t,” Lena whispered, her voice breaking before she could steady it. “Don’t say something you can’t take back.”Mason stood a few feet away from her, his chest rising hard under his jacket, eyes darker than she had ever seen them. The parking lot lights cast long shadows between them, stretching the distance wider than it was. His hand was still half-raised, like he had tried to reach for her and stopped himself. For a moment, neither of them moved.“Because I care,” he said.The words didn’t explode. They landed softly, but they hit harder than anything else he could have said.Lena blinked, her throat tightening. “You don’t get to say that,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t get to interfere in my life and then hide behind that.”He took a step closer. “Interfere? I handled it. Quietly. No one else even knows.”“That’s not the point!” Her voice cracked, and she hated that it did. She folded her arms across her chest, not for

The phone kept ringing.“Don’t answer it,” Mason said quietly.Lena’s fingers trembled around the device. “What if it’s important?”“It is,” he replied. “That’s the problem.”The screen glowed between them like a challenge. Unknown number. No name. Just that empty space where certainty should have been.Her breathing had turned shallow, almost fragile. He could hear it. He hated that he could hear it.“It could make this worse if I ignore it,” she whispered.“It’s already worse,” he said, his jaw tightening.The ringing stopped.Silence rushed in, loud and sharp.For a second, neither of them moved. Then the phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn’t a call. It was a voicemail notification.Lena looked up at him. Her eyes weren’t panicked anymore. They were exhausted.“I’m so tired,” she admitted.The words did something to him. Something heavier than anger.“Give me the phone,” he said.She hesitated.That hesitation cut deeper than it should have.He extended his hand anyway. “Lena

The door clicked open down the hallway.“Did you hear that?” Lena whispered.“Yes.”Mason’s hand tightened around hers without thinking. The red emergency lights cast long shadows across the glass walls, turning the office into something unfamiliar.Another sound followed. Slow. Measured.Footsteps.Lena’s pulse jumped into her throat. “You said the building was empty.”“It was.”The footsteps echoed again, closer this time, rubber soles against polished tile.Mason released her hand only long enough to reach for his phone. No signal.Of course.“Stay behind me,” he said quietly.“I’m not hiding,” she replied, though her voice shook slightly.He glanced at her. Even now, stubborn.“This isn’t about pride.”“I know.”The footsteps stopped.Silence expanded, thick and suffocating.Mason moved toward the door of his office, every step deliberate. Lena followed despite his earlier instruction, her fingers brushing the back of his shirt like she needed proof he was still there.The hallway