All Chapters of The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Not the kind of tired sleep fixes. The kind that sits in your chest and refuses to leave. I dropped my bag on the small table by the door and slipped off my heels, exhaling as the silence of my apartment wrapped around me. Finally. No eyes. No whispers. No him. I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a glass of water, and leaned against the counter. Today had gone well. Objectively. The presentation was solid. The feedback was positive. I should have been satisfied. Proud, even. But all I could think about, was that moment. That hesitation. The way Ethan had noticed it. Of course he had. He noticed everything. I shook my head slightly, pushing the thought away. No. I wasn’t doing this. Not here. Not when I finally had space to breathe. I took another sip of water and was just about to move towards my room when… A knock. I froze. A knock? At this time? My brows pulled together as I gla

The rest of the day passed in a strange kind of tension. Not loud. Not obvious. But constant. Like something just beneath the surface, waiting. I kept my focus where it belonged, on my work, on deadlines, on anything that didn’t require me to think about him. And for the most part, it worked. Until it didn’t. “Ava, you’re doing it again.” I looked up from my screen. “Doing what?” Lila leaned against the edge of my desk, arms crossed, watching me too closely. “Thinking too hard.” “I’m working.” “No,” she said. “You’re overworking. There’s a difference.” I exhaled quietly. “I have deadlines.” “You always have deadlines.” “And I always meet them.” “That’s not the point.” I leaned back slightly in my chair. “Then what is?” Her gaze sharpened just a little. “You’ve been off all day.” “I’m fine.” “You’re not.” I didn’t respond. Because arguing with Lila when she got like this was pointless. She tilted her head slightly. “Did something happen?” I hesitated. Just f

The office felt different after the morning meeting. Not in a way anyone else would notice. But I did. Because I was trying too hard not to. I stayed at my desk longer than usual, reviewing documents that didn’t need reviewing, replying to emails that could have waited. Anything to keep myself anchored. Focused. Untouched. Unaffected. “Ava.” I looked up. Lila again. Of course. “You survived the early meeting,” she said, sliding into the chair across from me without asking. “Barely.” “That bad?” “No. Just… long.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “And?” “And what?” “And you’re avoiding something.” “I’m working.” “You’re deflecting.” I sighed softly, closing the file in front of me. “What do you want, Lila?” “The truth.” “You can’t always have that.” “I usually do.” A pause. “Did something happen this morning?” I hesitated. Then shook my head. “Nothing important.” “Which means something definitely happened.” “It was just a meeting.”

By midday, I had already read the same document three times. And retained almost nothing. That alone was enough to irritate me. I didn’t get distracted. I didn’t lose focus. That wasn’t who I was. And yet… here I was. Staring at numbers that blurred together because my mind refused to stay where it should. “Ava.” I looked up, already knowing. Lila stood there, arms crossed, expression knowing. “You’ve been on that same page for ten minutes.” “I’m reviewing it.” “You’re staring at it.” “I’m thinking.” “You’re spiraling.” I sighed, leaning back slightly. “Can you not diagnose me right now?” “I can if it’s accurate.” “I’m fine.” “You’re not fine.” “I’m working.” “You’re distracted.” “That’s temporary.” She tilted her head slightly. “Is it?” I didn’t answer. Because I didn’t know. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Did something happen in his office?” “No.” “Ava.” “It was work.” “That’s not what I asked.” I closed the fil

The next morning, I woke up feeling… clear. Not calm. Not settled. Just… clear. Like something had shifted during the night, even if I couldn’t fully explain how. I got out of bed, moving through my routine with quiet focus. No overthinking. No lingering hesitation. Just action. By the time I stepped into the office, I had already made a decision. No more confusion. No more half-measures. Whatever this was, it needed to be handled directly. “Ava, you look… different.” I glanced at Lila as I set my bag down. “Different how?” “Like you’ve either figured something out… or you’re about to make a questionable decision.” “Maybe both.” Her brows lifted slightly. “That’s not reassuring.” “I’m not trying to reassure you.” “I can see that.” I pulled out my laptop and sat down. “I’m just done overthinking.” “That sounds dangerous.” “It sounds necessary.” She studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright. I’m listening.” “I’m not going to avoid