The CEO Is Obsessed With Me

AURELIA

“Does this look good?”

I offered Olivia a warm smile as she pulled out an ankle-length satin dress from the clothing rack, her bright eyes looked up at me expectantly, waiting for a reply.

I nod in acceptance, running my hands over the smooth fabric. “It’s beautiful.”

Olivia seems unsatisfied by my response, a scowl curling on her lips. She huffed an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes, finally settling with a pointed stare that made me shift uncomfortably in my spot.

“What?” I couldn’t help but ask, even when I was aware of the reason.

“That’s what you said for the last five dresses I’ve shown you.” She puts forth, setting the dress back on the rack to turn to me, her expression solemn. “You’ve been spacing out Auri, what’s wrong?”

Ah. So it was that obvious.

“Nothing,” I said a little too quickly, and Olivia narrowed her eyes at me, obviously unconvinced by my poor attempt to deflect the topic.

“There are so many beautiful dresses in this mall, Olivia, it’s hard to pick one.” I shift my gaze to the rack and pull out a random dress, pretending to be awestruck by the design. It was a floral dress.

“Wow, I’m sure this would look really great for your dinner with Kendall’s parents.”

As I continued to admire the dress, I could feel Olivia’s prodding gaze burning into the side of my head, penetrating deep into my skull.

“Aurelia Ravenwood.” She calls, and I flinched slightly at her firm tone. Oh no, she’s gone into mom mode, I’m cooked.

Olivia wouldn’t stop until she got a satisfying response, and she did well to make sure she did.

Kendall has definitely got his hands full, but then again, her occasional sternness was one of her redeemable traits. Kendall always says she ate nails with hot water for breakfast instead of cereal.

“Yes?” I refused to meet her gaze, focusing my attention on the dress.

Soon I heard Olivia heave out a heavy sigh.

“Is it about the CEO?”

I stiffened, my breath hitching in my throat. Slowly, I turned to face her, trying to mask my shock with a tight smile.

Does she know? No, it can’t be.

“W-What about the CEO?” I unconsciously held my breath as I waited for her to reply, which was a long time because she assessed me like a doctor would do to his patient.

“Is he giving you a hard time at work? You know you can talk to me.” She finally said.

My eyes fluttered close as I heaved out a sigh of relief. Damn, that almost gave me a heart attack. At least my secret is safe for now.

“No, it’s not,” I answer her, keeping my voice as chirpy as ever. I set the dress back on the rack, plastering a wide grin on my face. “He hasn’t even been to work in the past three days, so it’s kinda like a mini vacation for me,” I note with a shrug of my shoulders.

Please buy my dumb excuse.

Olivia shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re lying. Something’s bothering you, it’s been that way since the gala.”

I swallowed hard, my smile flattering for a moment. Olivia was not an easy opponent.

I sighed, my shoulders slumping as I flopped on a bench in the corner of the boutique. Olivia followed, taking a seat beside me.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

She placed her hand on my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze as I tried to collect my thoughts, picking out what could be said about what couldn’t.

My heart was heavy, and it was getting harder to act like everything was fine. I needed someone to talk to.

“Olivia…” I hesitated, and she urged me to continue with a warm smile, her gaze softening. “What is it like … . to be loved?”

Olivia blinked, obviously taken aback by my question. Her gaze flickers to her ring, and in her eyes, I saw more than adoration, it was an emotion that was far beyond what I could comprehend. I looked at her ring, highlighting its intricate features.

Her ring was a beautiful diamond solitaire set in platinum, with delicate filigree work along the band that caught the light in a way that made it seem almost alive

.

“It’s a mix of heaven and hell.” She said after a while, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “To love and be loved.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Olivia’s smile widened, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. “It means that sometimes love can be the most wonderful thing in the world, making you feel like you’re floating on air. You know all giddy, with butterflies raising havoc in your stomach.” She chuckled softly, shifting her gaze back to me. ” And other times, it can be challenging, testing your patience and strength. Sometimes you’ll feel like banging your head against the wall.”

“Sounds painful.” I mused, causing Olivia to burst into a high-pitched laugh. I joined her, chucking softly. It made my heart feel a little lighter and I was grateful for that.

“Yeah maybe.” She caught her breath, raising the hand that bore the ring up high, letting it flicker and shine in the light. “But it’s always worth it, with the right person.”

I let her words sink in, feeling a pang of longing deep within me. “I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced that kind of love,” I admitted softly.

Olivia’s hand moved to cup my cheek, forcing me to meet her eyes. “Auri, you deserve to be loved in the best way possible. Don’t settle for anything less. And don’t be afraid to open up about what’s bothering you. Keeping it all inside will only hurt you more.”

If only she knew how I was hurting. I knew my contract with the CEO was forced on me, but there was a side of me that had already given in to him. I knew that he only saw me as a means to pleasure himself, but when he showed subtle signs of vulnerability, it made me want more. And the crazy part was I didn’t even know what I was looking for.

He’d shunned me so easily, humiliated and disregarded me, and yet….. when he didn’t show up to work…I missed him.

I missed him and worried about him. That can’t be normal right?

My eyes stung as unshed tears clouded my vision. I turned away from Olive, sniffling as I took a deep breath.

I knew the CEO didn’t love me. And I didn’t love him….. it hasn’t gotten to that point, but he still plagued my mind. Should I owe it to the physical attraction between us? Was that all that was there?

Soon I felt Olivia’s arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight hug. I stiffened at first, but I soon settled into her embrace; a lone tear gliding down my cheeks.

“It’s going to be okay, Auri,” Olivia whispered, her voice soothing and maternal. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Just take it one day at a time.”

I nodded against her shoulder, appreciating the comfort she offered. It felt good to let some of the weight off my chest, even if just a little.

After a moment, we pulled apart, and Olivia gave me a reassuring smile. “Let’s find a dress that makes you feel amazing, alright? Something that brings out your inner goddess.”

I laughed softly, wiping away the tears. “Alright, let’s do it.”

We spent the next hour sifting through racks of dresses, Olivia’s enthusiasm contagious. By the time we left the boutique, it was already noon, and we bid each other farewell.

Now I sat curled up in my living room, Chelsea huddled in my lap as sketched some designs that had come to mind after my date with Olivia. It also served as a perfect distraction from the thoughts of the CEO.

A sudden, loud knock on the door jolted me out of my thoughts, causing my pencil to slip across the page, crossing over the design I’d been working on. My heart pounded in my chest as I glanced towards the door, dread pooling in my stomach. The knocking came again, more insistent this time.

Chelsea perked up at the sound and I quickly put her down and stood up, my mind racing. Who could it be at this hour? It was past midnight, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. My immediate thought was danger.

I rushed to the kitchen, my eyes scanning for anything I could use as a weapon. My hand hovered over the knife block, fingers trembling as I hesitated. The knocking continued, growing louder and more urgent, sending a shiver down my spine. I took a deep breath, grabbed the largest knife, and steeled myself before moving towards the door.

As I approached, I could hear my own rapid breathing and the relentless pounding on the door. I paused, hand on the doorknob, heart thudding in my ears. I tightened my grip on the knife, its weight comforting yet terrifying in my hand.

With a final deep breath, I unlocked the door and flung it open, knife raised defensively. The sight that greeted me made my blood run cold. There, hunched over and bloodied, was the CEO, his hand pressed tightly against a bleeding wound on his abdomen. His usually composed and authoritative demeanor was replaced with pain and desperation.

“Aurelia,” he gasped, his voice weak and strained. “Help… me.”