The CEO’s Contract Wife

Chapter Three

I kept my head down for the rest of the morning. Every time I heard his voice coming from the conference room, my stomach flipped. It was deeper than I remembered–calm, deliberate, like he was holding something back with every word. Nothing like the man who whispered against my skin last night.

I typed nonsense into the computer just to keep my hands busy. Tessa kept stealing glances at me, but she didn’t say anything. Thank God for that.

By noon, the managers walked him around the floor, introducing him to different departments. People straightened in their chairs, smiles plastered on their faces, desperate to make an impression.

I prayed he’d walk past me. That he wouldn’t even look. Maybe, somehow, he’d forgotten me.

But when he reached our row, his eyes landed on me instantly.

It was only a second, a flicker but I knew. He knew.

My throat went dry. I stared at the screen, willing myself to disappear.

“Miss Bennett,” my supervisor said cheerfully, gesturing toward me. “This is our new CEO.”

I forced myself to stand. My legs felt shaky, but I smiled like everyone else. “Welcome, sir.”

His gaze didn’t move. He studied me with the same intensity as last night, but now colder. Controlled.

“Thank you,” he said finally. His voice was even, unreadable. Then, after the smallest pause: “I believe we’ve met.”

My heart stopped.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I forced a polite laugh. “I… I don’t think so.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “Interesting. You look familiar.”

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

“Back to work,” my supervisor said, ushering him forward. Relief flooded me as he moved on, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking when I sat down again.

Tessa leaned over immediately, whispering, “He knows.”

“Shut up,” I hissed.

“You can’t lie your way out of this. Did you see the way he looked at you?”

I pressed my palms against the desk. “I just need to keep my head down. He’ll get bored, forget about it. He has bigger things to deal with than me.”

But deep down, I knew I was lying to myself. A man like him didn’t forget.

And the way his eyes lingered on me… it felt less like forgetting, and more like waiting.

*************

I thought maybe I’d made it through the day.

He hadn’t said another word to me. He’d walked the floor, shaken hands, sat through meetings. By mid-afternoon, I was almost convinced myself he’d let it go. Maybe I was just another face to him after all.

Then my phone rang.

“Miss Bennett,” the receptionist’s voice said, “the CEO would like to see you in his office.”

My stomach dropped.

I sat frozen for a moment before Tessa nudged me. “Go,” she whispered. “You’ll look guilty if you don’t.”

I wanted to tell her I was guilty, but instead I forced myself to stand. My legs felt heavy as I walked down the hall, every step echoing like a warning.

His office was big, all glass and sharp lines. He sat behind the desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, looking like sin in daylight.

“Sit,” he said, without looking up from the papers in front of him.

I lowered myself into the chair, clutching my hands in my lap.

Finally, he lifted his gaze. Those dark eyes pinned me in place.

“So,” he said slowly, “you really don’t remember me.”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you mean.”

His mouth curved slightly, not a smile, more like disbelief. “You expect me to believe that?”

I looked away. “I was drunk. Whatever happened… It’s not important.”

“Not important,” he repeated, leaning back in his chair. “That’s an interesting choice of words.”

Heat crept up my neck. “Look, if you’re worried I’ll tell anyone. I don’t want people to know any more than you do.”

His eyes narrowed. “You think I’m worried about gossip?”

I bit my lip. “Aren’t you?”

“No,” he said simply. “What I’m worried about is having an employee who lies to my face.”

My chest tightened. “I’m not lying.”

“You are,” he said, his voice low, calm, almost dangerous. “And I don’t like liars.”

I sat there, gripping the arms of the chair, waiting for the blow. For him to say I was fired. For everything to fall apart.

But instead, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. His eyes locked on mine.

“I’ll give you another chance,” he said softly. “Tell me the truth.”

My throat was dry. I wanted to deny it again, to walk away, to keep my dignity. But his gaze stripped me bare.

So I whispered, “Fine. I remember.”

Something flickered across his face—satisfaction, maybe. Or something darker.

“Good,” he said. Then he leaned back, dismissing me with a nod. “You can go now.”

I stood quickly, too quickly, almost stumbling. My heart hammered all the way back to my desk.

Maya gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. I couldn’t speak. Not yet.

Because now I knew for sure he wasn’t going to forget.

And neither was I.