Clashing with the ceo, p.30
Clashing with the CEO, page 30
I thanked him and hung up, then swallowed a couple of painkillers before crawling back under the covers. Neil would probably think I was faking illness to avoid him, but so be it.
One day off stretched into two, then three, as I battled with sinus congestion, aches, chills, and fatigue. My doctor confirmed it was a virus, likely brought on by stress.
On the fourth day, I called the office again. My voice came out strained and hoarse. “Hey, James, it’s Milly again. Still not feeling well.”
“Yikes, you sound terrible!”
I let out a pathetic half-laugh, half-cough. “I guess this bug is really doing a number on me.”
“Don’t worry about it, just focus on getting better. I’ll pass it along.”
I shuffled to the kitchen and prepared a coffee, hoping the caffeine might help clear my brain fog. Since falling ill, I hadn’t had the mental clarity to think about Neil’s rejection and what to do about his order to resign or change positions. Cradling the warm mug, I curled up on the couch and tried to think things through again. Did Neil seriously want to get rid of me, or did he say that in the heat of the moment? If I made it clear that I wanted to keep working with him, would he let me, or would he fire me? A job loss now meant I’d have to take up cleaning again to fill in the gap before going overseas.
I lay down, feeling another headache coming on. The leather cushions squeaked beneath me as I shifted, trying to get comfortable. At some point, I must have drifted asleep, because I stirred sometime later to the shrill tone of my phone ringing. I fumbled to grab it off the coffee table, but missed the last ring. My heart constricted at the sight of Neil’s name on the missed-call message. I wondered what he wanted to say to me, but I didn’t have the courage to call him back, so I just left it. This wasn’t the first time I had ignored a call from him either.
In the afternoon, I found the energy to clean the house, put on a load of laundry, and restock the barren pantry from a grocery delivery. Bit by bit, I started to feel like myself again.
I was in the middle of preparing an afternoon snack of crackers and cheese when my phone rang. I tensed, expecting it to be Neil again, but saw an unexpected name instead: Christine Liu.
That’s weird. Why would she call me?
I picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Milly. It’s Christine. How are you? Neil said you’ve been unwell.”
Hearing her voice lifted my spirits. “Oh, hi, Christine. I had a bad sinus thing going on, but I’m feeling a bit better now. I think I’ll be able to go back to work on Monday.”
“Neil will be relieved. He sounded so worried about you on the phone. He asked me to check in and see how you’re doing.”
I blinked, unable to fathom Neil fretting over my absence when he had been so cold the last time we spoke. “Did he?”
“He sounded quite distraught, actually.” A teasing lilt crept into her tone. “Did something happen between you two? He seemed to have the impression you’d be more likely to answer a call from me than from him.”
I hesitated, weighing how much to confide in her.
“You can vent to me,” Christine said. “I won’t tell on you.”
I supposed if anyone could help me decode Neil’s behaviour, it would be Christine. “Well, actually… Yes. Something did happen. I… made a mistake, and now Neil is upset and wants me to leave my job.”
“What?” She sounded genuinely shocked. “But I thought you two were getting along really well.”
“We were.”
“What happened?”
I shuffled my feet. “I don’t want to say. It’s kinda embarrassing.”
“Oh really? Well, I’m sure Neil has his reasons. He can be stubborn at the best of times. What did he say exactly?”
“He told me he’s not a good man, he’s done terrible things, we can’t be friends…”
Christine let out a soft sigh, as if Neil’s reasoning didn’t surprise her at all.
“Do you know what he meant by that?” I asked.
“I think he has a guilty conscience. Zelthia’s not exactly known for good working conditions across their companies. Not to mention all the blackmail and bribery and corruption. He’s tried to keep his hands clean throughout the years, but that hasn’t always been possible.”
I reeled, struggling to reconcile this darker version of Neil with the man I knew. Of course, I was aware he couldn’t have achieved his success through wholly ethical means. Cutthroat tactics were par for the course in the corporate world, especially at his level, but hearing the stark reality laid bare still came as a shock. “So when he said those awful things about himself, that’s what he meant?”
“Most likely.”
“That’s quite a lot to take in.”
“You deserve to know who you’re dealing with.”
“But he doesn’t seem to be a bad person. Not anymore, right?”
“I don’t know how much he’s told you, but he’s doing the best he can behind the scenes to reform the business.”
“I have some idea. I just wish he’d let me support him instead of pushing me away.”
“Milly, you know what I think?” Christine’s voice took on a conspiratorial hush. “I’ve heard the way Neil talks about you, seen the way he looks at you… I think he cares an awful lot about you—even more than he lets on. If he’s pushing you away, it’s because he’s trying to do what he thinks is best for you.”
I frowned. “Why would pushing me away be what’s best for me?”
“Because he’s trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Christine paused, then her tone turned serious. “Neil is involved in something very dangerous right now. If the wrong people were to find out about his plans… Well, look what happened to Alex Patterson.”
I shuddered. “So you also think his death was orchestrated?”
“I don’t know. But I do know Neil is worried.”
“That he could meet the same fate as Alex?”
“No. He accepted that possibility a long time ago.”
“Then what?”
“I think he’s afraid of what could happen to you, Milly. He’s afraid you could become a target.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Ihad a lot to discuss with Neil, but before that, I needed time to process everything Christine had revealed.
The breeze stirred my hair as I ventured outside for the first time in days. I hoped a walk would help me organise my thoughts.
The harbourside promenade was busy with couples strolling hand in hand, groups of friends bar-hopping, and families eating alfresco. I wove between them, inhaling the salty sea air. In the distance, the harbour bridge sparkled from the stream of car headlights as the sun descended.
Despite feeling better physically, my mind felt like a tangled mess. Christine’s words had validated my instincts about Neil while simultaneously adding new layers of confusion. Was she right? Did his rejection stem from a desire to protect me rather than a lack of interest? The more I mulled it over, the more it made sense. His hot-and-cold behaviour, the way he dismissed me yet looked pained as he did so—it aligned with someone who cared for me but felt he had to cut ties for self-sacrificing reasons.
And this dangerous succession scheme Neil was involved in… Why did it suddenly matter how close we were now, but not back in Singapore when Daniel literally thought Neil and I were sleeping together? Was it my attempted kiss which triggered Neil into defensive mode?
And what about the theory I could become a target? My life had never been smooth sailing, but never before had I faced such a threat. I frowned, chewing my lip. Maybe distancing myself from Neil was the wiser choice, no matter how much it hurt.
But then again, Neil was the closest person I had in my life right now. Maybe ever. I’d confided in him, opened up to him in ways I’d never imagined I could with another person. Was I willing to walk away from that because of some perceived threat that might never materialise?
I ambled along with my head down, lost in my thoughts. At some point, I wandered off the main stretch. My surroundings grew quieter as I found myself on a footpath running alongside the marina. Gleaming yachts bobbed in their moorings, their towering masts swaying like metronomes in the breeze. I stared out at the rippling water.
A familiar bark put a pin in my ruminations, then I felt something rough and tickly on the back of my leg. I looked down and saw Archie’s scruffy face nuzzling my leg, his tongue licking me, tail wagging. My gaze lifted, following Archie’s leash to the man holding it. Our eyes locked. In that charged moment, my internal debate crystallised into a single, resolute thought: No matter what dangers or difficulties lay ahead, I knew with utter certainty that I could never walk away from him. I was going to fight for him, for us—whatever that meant—no matter what it took.
He was dressed in dark shorts that showed off his toned, lightly tanned legs. A fitted t-shirt hugged his broad shoulders and athletic frame, the short sleeves emphasising the bulge of his biceps. The fading sunlight lit the harsh angles of his face. I was entranced.
Archie let out a low, grumbly whine, begging for my attention.
“He’s missed you,” Neil said, eyes crinkling with a fond look directed more at me than the dog.
“Have you missed me?” I asked, emboldened by the strength of my desire for him.
“Yes, I have.” His voice was raw, making my stomach flip.
“Me too. I’ve missed you too.”
Neil stepped closer, searching my face with lingering concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better now, thanks. I have a doctor’s note if you need it.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m glad to hear you’re okay.”
I bit my lip. “Were you worried about me?”
Christine had told me as much, but I yearned to hear it directly from him.
“I had to stop myself from going to your apartment to check on you. I didn’t want to invade your privacy.”
I imagined him showing up at my door, his concern laid bare for me to witness. I almost wished he had done so. “It’s probably for the best you didn’t. You could have caught my bug.”
“I thought you might have been avoiding me on purpose.”
“Maybe I wanted to avoid you so much that I physically manifested an illness.”
I meant it as a light-hearted jab, but Neil seemed to take it seriously. He tensed. “I’m sorry. The other day… I was too harsh with you.” He touched his face. “I guess I’m not doing a very good job at keeping my feelings in check. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you. It was never my intention—”
“Are you trying to protect me?”
Neil recoiled. “Did Christine say that?”
“She might have. Is it true?”
Neil looked around, then he leaned in. “We’ve become… close. Certain people could use that knowledge to their advantage.”
“You mean Daniel? He’s in Singapore, and we’re here. How could he know anything? Even a spy in the company wouldn’t know how we’ve been spending time together outside of work. The very fact he thought we were sleeping with each other when we weren’t proves he doesn’t know what’s really going on.”
“Yes, well, maybe I am being a touch paranoid—but all the same, you don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Then help me understand.” I lifted my chin and faced him eye to eye, gathering my courage. “I want to keep working with you. I want to stay here, and I want to help you as much as I can, both with Luxmore and Zelthia business. Whatever you need. Whatever the risk.”
Neil’s pupils flared. “You don’t know what you’re asking—”
“Yes, I do. I’ve played it safe my whole life, and I don’t want to be that person anymore. Even if it could put my life at stake, I want to stay by your side and help you achieve your goals, for my sake, as much as yours.”
Neil searched my eyes, as if trying to verify the truth of my words.
I held his gaze. “Besides, won’t it look suspicious if you suddenly fired your new secretary, who you used to get along so well with, without a good explanation? It might draw unwanted attention.”
Neil rubbed his chin. “That thought has crossed my mind.”
Sensing his weakening resistance, I pressed on. “Wouldn’t it be better if I stayed close to you so you can watch over me?”
“I shouldn’t. We shouldn’t…” His voice lacked conviction. His will was crumbling.
“I’ve made up my mind. This is what I want.”
After a weighted pause, Neil let out a ragged sigh and nodded. “Very well. If that’s what you truly want, I won’t stand in your way.”
“Thank you.”
“But if you ever want to back out, I won’t blame you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to back down.”
“And I swear to God, I won’t let anything happen to you.” The intensity of his voice gave me chills.
“I know.”
We stayed locked in each other’s sight, the significance of our exchange sinking in. I suddenly felt very conscious of how I had tried to kiss him, how I had felt him on the verge of yielding to my lips and mouth before he pulled away… I turned my attention to Archie to distract myself, scratching his floppy ears and patting his back. “You’re such a good boy, Archie. Has Neil been looking after you well?”
“I took him in to work today. He loved it.”
“He’s looking so much healthier and more energetic than he did at the shelter.”
Neil watched on with a tender look while I doted on Archie. Meanwhile, the last rays of sunlight slipped away, leaving us bathed in the soft glow of street lamps and lit windows.
“Let’s head back,” Neil said.
Archie trotted along in front of us as we walked towards our apartment building in the distance.
“Did Christine mention the work dinner to you when she called?” Neil asked.
“No, she didn’t.”
“I’ve invited a few people out to a restaurant next Friday. Christine and Ed, James, Winston and Carol. You’re invited too, of course. If you would like to attend.”
I perked up at the prospect of a fancy dinner shared with my work family. “I’d love to come!”
“Great.”
We fell silent again until we passed through the lobby. Riding up in the lift, I snuck glances at Neil in my peripheral vision, still hardly believing I had broken through his defences. When we stopped at my floor, Archie yanked Neil towards me as I stepped out.
“He’s quite attached,” Neil said, trying to rein him in. “He doesn’t want to leave you.”
“Then why don’t you walk me to my door? Or is that off-limits?”
Neil’s exasperated sigh didn’t cover up his amusement. “I suppose I can manage that.”
We walked down the hall. Outside my door, I stooped to give Archie one last ruffle of his fur. When I straightened up, I saw Neil staring at me with heated intensity. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it.
I took an uneven breath. “Well… good night.”
“Good night, Milly.”
We lingered, neither of us making a move to part ways, almost like we had forgotten what to do next.
At last, Neil turned to leave, but he hesitated and faced me again. “Just so you know, if things were different… If I wasn’t…” He huffed, raking a hand through his hair. “Well, I wouldn’t even have to think about it.”
With that cryptic remark, he strode back to the lift, tugging Archie along in his wake.
Chapter Fifty-Two
When I returned to work, Neil and I carried on business as usual, yet the subtle shift in our dynamic was palpable. Every shared glance and fleeting brush of contact felt loaded with unresolved tension. Surely it wasn’t my imagination. Neil had to feel it too.
On Friday afternoon, we emerged from a meeting on the fourth floor to head back to our office on the twentieth floor. One lift was out of order, and the other one taking its sweet time to arrive. When the door finally opened, the interior was packed to the brim. Everyone shuffled to make a sliver of space for us. I squeezed in first, while Neil hesitated on the periphery until someone said, “You can get in. There’s room.”
Neil reluctantly jammed up to me. My breath hitched as I noticed every point our bodies made contact: my arm against his, my hip grazing his thigh, his chest centimetres from my face. I dared to glance up at him. He stared straight ahead, jaw clenched. Meanwhile, my whole body was on fire, painfully attuned to his proximity. The lift stopped at nearly every floor on the way up. When enough people exited to create some distance between us, I could breathe again. Neil fidgeted with his tie and watch, avoiding eye contact, until we arrived on our floor.
Once we were both seated at our desks, I tried to re-focus my attention on work, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Neil felt against me, and how good it would feel if he pressed me up against the wall in his office…
I shook the fantasy out of my head. If I had any hope of maintaining a sense of professionalism, I had to restrain myself. I sighed and forced my eyes back to the computer screen, determined to get some work done.
Sometime later, a private message from Neil popped up on the work chat.
Can you please take a final look at the strategy document for me? Then print it out. I need sex
What did I just read?
I did a double take, peering close at the last sentence to make sure I hadn’t hallucinated it. Nope. It was there, all right. S… E… X. I responded with a question mark, then Neil typed three messages in quick succession.
Sex copies
6 copies
Sorry
After I had dislodged my left eyebrow from the top of my forehead, I proceeded with the task at hand. It was just a typo, I told myself. Still, it wasn’t like Neil to make such an egregious error.
The full read and review of the complex document took me over an hour. As the papers came through warm on the printer tray, the sound of Neil’s voice on the phone drifted from his office. He had a consoling tone, and he mentioned the dinner tonight. I figured he must be speaking to either Christine or Winston. I hoped nothing had derailed the dinner plans. James had already dropped out due to a scheduling conflict.
