All Chapters of HIS SECRET ADDICTION: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CHAPTER ONEAlex's Pov"Tell me what you're thinking right now."I stared at the message glowing on my phone screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. It was past midnight, and I should have been asleep, but these conversations had become my addiction. Three months of talking to someone who didn't know my last name, didn't know where I worked, didn't know anything except the parts of myself I chose to reveal."I'm thinking about how strange it is that you know me better than people I see every day," I typed back.The response came quickly. "Maybe because I'm not looking at your surface. I'm listening to what's underneath."I smiled in the darkness of my bedroom, feeling that familiar warmth spread through my chest. This stranger had become everything, my confidant, my escape, the person I thought about during boring meetings at Cross Industries.Another message appeared. "What's stopping you from being yourself with the people around you?""Fear, I guess," I typed. "Fear of judgmen

CHAPTER THREE Alex's Pov Damien's fingers traced lazy patterns on my shoulder. "Monday morning, you walk in like always. Professional and distant"I pulled back to look at him. "You can't be serious. After this?""I'm completely serious." His expression hardened into the CEO mask I knew from work. "What we do in private is ours. But at Cross Industries, I'm your boss and you're my employee. We keep them separate.""That's insane.""That's survival." He sat up, and I immediately missed his warmth. "You think the board won't use this against me? You think they won't claim I'm giving you preferential treatment or that you slept your way up?""I would never…..""I know that. You know that. But perception matters in business." He stood and walked to the bar, pouring two glasses of whiskey. "I've already lost everything once because I trusted the wrong person with my private life. I won't make that mistake again."The reminder of his ex stung. "I'm not him.""No, you're not." He handed me

CHAPTER FIVE Alex's Pov Damien snatched the phone from my hand, his jaw clenched tight. "Block the number.""That's your solution? Just ignore it?""Until we know who it is and what they want, yes." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "It could be a bluff. Someone fishing for information.""Or it could be someone who actually knows." My heart hammered against my ribs. "Someone who saw us together.""We've been careful…..""Have we?" I stood, pacing the room naked. "You had me working directly with you today. You think people didn't notice? You never pull junior executives onto projects personally."His expression darkened. "So what do you want to do? End this before it really starts?""I want to know what we're dealing with." I grabbed my phone back. "I'm responding.""Alex, don't…."I typed quickly: "Who is this?"The response came within seconds: "A friend. Meet me tomorrow. 2pm. The coffee shop on Fifth and Madison. Come alone.""Absolutely not," Damien said, reading over

Damien's POVHR called me at 7 AM Monday morning, before Alex and I could schedule our disclosure meeting."Mr. Cross, we need to see you immediately. It's regarding a complaint filed Friday evening."My blood ran cold. "What kind of complaint?""We'll discuss it in person. Please come to conference room B."I texted Alex: "Don't come in yet. HR called. Someone already reported us."His response was immediate: "On my way anyway.""Alex, don't—""We do this together or not at all."I wanted to argue, to protect him, but I knew he was right. Whatever was coming, we'd face it together.Twenty minutes later, we sat across from Jennifer Chen, head of HR, and Marcus Webb, the company's legal counsel. The atmosphere was glacial."Mr. Cross, Mr. Parker." Jennifer opened a folder. "We received an anonymous complaint Friday at 5:47 PM alleging an undisclosed intimate relationship between you two. Is this accurate?"I glanced at Alex. He nodded slightly."Yes," I said. "We were planning to discl

Damien's POVThe first month apart was hell.We talked every night, video calls that stretched past midnight, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to touch him, to see him in person, not through a screen. The apartment felt empty without him. Work felt pointless."You look terrible," my grandmother said during one of her rare lucid moments. I'd been visiting her at the hospice, something I did twice a week now."Thank you, Eleanor.""It's that boy, isn't it? The one you gave up the company for.""I didn't give up the company. I'm still CEO.""Barely." She coughed, her nurse immediately stepping forward with water. "You're distracted. The board notices. Catherine called me, said you're not yourself.""I'm fine.""You're miserable." She gripped my hand with surprising strength. "When does he come back?""Eleven months.""That's too long.""It's the deal we made.""Deals can be renegotiated." She studied my face. "You really love him.""I do.""Then go get him. Life's too short for waiting, Da