I've Had Enough, CEO

Chapter 4 At a Standoff

Nathaniel had spent a sleepless night, restless thoughts keeping him awake. Early that morning, he drove to Elena's apartment, intending to check if she was really sick.

But when he saw her walk out, dressed flawlessly, without a hint of illness, his suspicions were confirmed.

'Sick leave? Sure looks like she's going out to meet someone,' he thought bitterly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

Without hesitation, he tailed her car, his mind swirling with anger.

After she arrived at the club, Nathaniel stayed outside, lowering the car window slightly. Through the glass doors, he could see everything—Elena laughing and talking easily with some guy.

'Just as I thought. She's already moving on,' the thought sent a wave of heat through his chest.

Nathaniel strode toward the entrance, his frustration mounting with each step.

Elena noticed him immediately, her body tensing. Instinctively, she stepped back.

She wasn't afraid of Nathaniel, but she didn't want a confrontation in front of Julian. The last thing she wanted was to drag him into her personal mess.

Julian quickly caught on, glancing at the approaching man. From the tension in Elena's eyes, it wasn't hard to guess who he was—probably the boss she had mentioned before. And clearly, things between them were far from normal.

In an easy, fluid motion, Julian stepped forward, placing himself between Elena and Nathaniel, his posture casual yet protective. With a hint of amusement, he extended his hand.

"Hey, I'm Julian Hart—Elena's friend," he said smoothly, adjusting his collar with nonchalant ease.

"We were just chatting about her sister's heart condition. Normal concern between friends, right?"

Instead of diffusing the tension, Julian's words only seemed to make things worse.

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed, and after a long pause, he let out a low, mocking laugh. "Since when did you start sharing your personal life with outsiders?"

Julian's easy smile disappeared, his demeanor hardening.

He crossed his arms, refusing to back down. "Outsider? Elena and I have known each other for years. Checking in on her family during a tough time seems pretty standard to me. But what's not standard is barging in here like you own the place. Not exactly what I'd call respectful, wouldn't you agree?"

Julian gave Nathaniel a pointed look. "And just so we're clear, Elena isn't someone you can just boss around. You might want to keep that in mind."

Nathaniel's jaw tightened. "This is between her and me. It doesn't concern you."

Julian raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, it concerns me. Elena's my friend, and I'm not about to stand here and watch someone treat her like that."

'This is getting out of hand,' Elena thought, her pulse quickening. She didn't want things to escalate any further. Desperate to end the confrontation, she quickly intervened. "Enough, both of you. It's late. I'm going home," she said, her voice firm.

Julian glanced at her, still wary. "I'll take you home. You shouldn't have to deal with this stress."

Before Elena could respond, Nathaniel's hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly. "I know where she lives. I'll take her." The finality in his voice left no room for argument as he tried to pull her toward his car.

But Julian was quick. He stepped in front of them, his eyes unwavering. "Hey, you don't have the right to force Elena to do anything. We're all adults here—let's respect her decisions. Besides, she's not someone you can just push around."

Nathaniel's gaze turned frigid, his grip on Elena's wrist tightening further. "She's mine. I'll take her wherever I damn well please."

Julian leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a calm, almost dangerous whisper. "Yours? I don't see it that way. From where I stand, Elena's an independent woman with her own choices. If you keep acting like this, you'll only push her further away."

Elena's frustration boiled over.

'I won't let this go on any longer.' She yanked her wrist out of Nathaniel's grip, her voice laced with anger. "Nathaniel, let me go! I can walk myself home."

Her outburst seemed to momentarily surprise Nathaniel, and he reluctantly loosened his grip.

Elena straightened her clothes and then turned to Julian with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about this. I'll handle it from here."

Julian looked at her with concern, clearly wanting to say more but holding back. He could tell she still cared about this man, despite the tension between them. In the end, he sighed, giving in.

"Alright. But if anything happens, you know where to find me. I'll always have your back. And I know you're smart enough to make the right choice."

Elena nodded. "Thank you, Julian. I'll be fine."

But before she could say anything else, Nathaniel grabbed her arm again, this time more forcefully, pulling her toward his car without another word.

Pain shot through her wrist as he dragged her away. She frowned, trying to understand what had triggered his sudden anger.

"What the hell are you doing? Am I not allowed to have my own life? You've ignored this... whatever this is between us for months. And now you think you have the right to control who I see?" she demanded, her frustration bubbling to the surface as she tried to pull away.

"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice edged with rising anger. "You have no right to hold me like this!"

Nathaniel didn't respond, his grip firm as he dragged her into the parking lot and shoved her into the back seat of his car.

He climbed in after her, leaning over her as if he were trapping her in place.

"Have you lost your mind? I haven't even taken my vacation or holidays, and now you're saying I can't even meet a friend while on sick leave? Who are you to control my life like this?" Elena's voice wavered, torn between anger and frustration. "What right do you have?"

Nathaniel opened his mouth to argue, but his eyes fell on something that had slipped out of Elena's bag during the struggle—a white contract with bold black letters.

The damning evidence was right there. And she was still trying to claim Julian was just a friend?

He snatched up the contract, holding it in front of her accusingly. "A friend? This looks like you've already lined up your next move."