Alle Kapitel von Pregnant for My Ex’s Ruthless Boss: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

ARIA'S POV“Tell me,” I said to Tyler, my personal assistant, as we rode the elevator. “What’s new?”The doors opened onto the fifth floor. I stepped out, scanning the bustling open-plan office.Today I had dressed down deliberately, no power suits, no obvious designer labels. Just a simple blouse and trousers.I wanted to see the company as it truly was, without the polished CEO filter.The energy here felt productive at first glance. Keyboards clacking, phones ringing, people moving with purpose.For a moment, I allowed myself a small breath of relief. Maybe today wouldn’t be as chaotic as I feared.I approached a woman at the nearest desk. “Good morning. I’m new here. Where do I start?”She glanced up, gave me a quick once-over, then went back to chewing her gum without answering. Strange.I moved on to a man a few desks away. His eyes lit up with a lecherous glint that made my skin crawl. He stood immediately, grabbing my wrist.“You must be a newbie,” he murmured huskily. “Let m

DOMINIC'S POV“Are you really going through with the plan?” Jorah asked one more time as he settled into the driver’s seat.I glanced at him properly this time, deciding to indulge the question. “No. You’re going in my place.”“Huh!” He nearly choked, his head snapping around so fast I thought he’d pull a muscle. He searched my face for any sign that I was joking.I kept my expression perfectly blank, though my lips twitched with the effort. Jorah turned back to the steering wheel, muttering under his breath.“I can’t sit through more than thirty minutes with a complete stranger,” I explained, leaning back. “Even when they’re investors. That’s why I came up with this plan.”“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” I continued, tone calm and reasonable. “You get to go on a date. I’ll stay in the car. She’s apparently a pretty lady, and you have a painfully boring life. Consider this a bonus for your years of hard work.”Jorah started the engine without another word. “I am not intereste

DOMINIC'S POVMy entire body froze.The front page of the article showed Aria — not the woman from the engagement party in the grainy clips I had seen before, but a powerful figure standing tall, chin lifted high, exuding undeniable authority. She looked like someone born to command rooms, to bend empires to her will. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable.The headline beneath her photograph read:Cole Heiress Faces Leadership Purge Scandal Amid Internal Company Crisis.Cole heiress.I read it again.Aria Cole.The woman I had been searching for had been right in front of the entire city this whole time. I scrolled down slowly, absorbing every word.The article detailed the growing controversy surrounding her sudden return to Cole Group: the abrupt resignations of several senior executives, the suspension of key staff members, and persistent rumors that she was ruthlessly purging anyone who dared oppose her leadership.Leadership purge.I almost scoffed out loud. The woman I had spent

ARIA'S POVThe bell above the café door chimed softly as I stepped inside. The rich, comforting smell of freshly brewed coffee wrapped around me like a warm embrace. For one blissful second, I nearly moaned in relief. My pounding headache and exhaustion felt momentarily bearable.I made my way to the counter, my eyes scanning the menu board overhead. A hot caramel latte suddenly sounded like the perfect cure for the miserable day I'd had."A large caramel latte and a blueberry muffin to go," I said, fishing my card out of my purse. "And please make the coffee as strong as legally allowed.”The barista smiled and tapped my order into the register, I tapped my fingers on the counter absentmindedly, humming good for you playing in the background.Then my gaze caught something — someone, sitting quietly in the coffee shop, apparently the only customer around.I stared longer than usual, trying to get a proper look at his face.I definitely need glasses more than I care to admit.Still star

DOMINIC'S POV“I thought the whole plan was to make her like you,” Jorah asked as soon as I slid into the back seat. “Why did she walk out looking so pissed?”“I don’t need anyone to like me,” I replied simply, my mind replaying the way her face had flushed red with every word I’d spoken. “And I didn’t do anything to her.”I genuinely didn’t understand what had set her off. I hadn’t said anything particularly offensive. At least, not in my view.“So what were you like?” Jorah pressed, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.I frowned. “What do you mean?”“Describe the conversation.”“There isn’t much to describe.”“Try.”I leaned back against the leather seat with a sigh. Thinking about how it all happened, she looked really cute when she was actually angry.“She approached me….”“Good start,” he shrugged.“She said she didn’t expect to see me there.”He nodded.“I said neither did I.” His expression remained carefully neutral.“She asked if I was going to ask how she’d been.”“An