ONE NIGHT WITH THE CEO

CHAPTER 4 : TRAPPED BETWEEN HIS EYES

TESSA'S POV

“I can’t sleep,” I whispered into the dark. “Every time I close my eyes… he’s there.”

I turned on my pillow and stared at the ceiling.

“Why did his eyebrows move like that when I said we’d never met?” I asked myself softly. “Why did he look at me like he remembered something?”

It felt like he knew me. Like he was trying to remember something I didn’t want him to remember at all.

By morning, I felt like a tired zombie that had been running around for ten days. My head hurt, my eyes were puffy, and the three cups of coffee I drank before leaving the house only made things worse . But I still had to go to work because that’s what grown-ups do, we pretend everything is fine even when our entire world is collapsing.

When I walked into the office, I forced a tiny smile at Daisy.

She gave me a strange look. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“I did,” I said softly before I even realized it.

“Huh?”

“Nothing!” I said quickly and hurried to my desk.

I opened my laptop and tried to focus on my designs. I kept sketching and erasing and re-sketching because my mind wouldn’t sit still. Something in the air felt weird, like when the sky gets dark before rain. My heart kept beating fast for no reason. Ethan's face kept popping up in my head.

Then around noon, the glass doors opened.

Ethan walked in.

He was not even talking. He was just walking, but the whole office changed. People sat straighter. Someone fixed his tie. Another person clicked his mouse even though nothing was on the screen. Everyone became serious immediately.

Ethan walked like someone who didn’t need to say “I’m the boss.” You just knew it by looking at him. His eyes moved around the office, just checking things, and for one tiny second, they passed over me.

Just one second.

But my stomach turned upside down anyway.

He went into his office, and the glass door closed behind him.

I finally breathed out.

Daisy pinched me. “Girl, stop staring or I will call HR.”

“I was not staring,” I said.

“You were staring AND drooling.”

I threw a pen at her. She laughed.

Right when I thought the day would end normally, Miss Jones from HR came to my desk.

“Tessa, Mr. Davis requested your file.”

My whole body froze. “He… he did?”

She nodded kindly. “He reviews every new staff member. Don’t worry.”

But I DID worry. A lot.

I nodded weakly and watched her walk away.The whole day after that, I couldn’t concentrate, my brain refused to concentrate. Every little sound made me jump. Every footstep sounded like his. Every time someone said “sir,” my heart almost stopped.

When the clock hit 8:00 PM, everyone else had already gone home. I was still there, finishing the last part of my draft. It was quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your heartbeat sound louder. That was when I noticed the faint light coming from his office. He was still there too.

I tried to ignore it and pack my things quickly. Just grab your bag and leave, Tessa. Do not make eye contact with your billionaire boss who may or may not recognize you from a wild night at a club. But the moment I turned toward the elevator, I heard his voice.

“Tessa.”

It was low, calm, but it made every muscle in my body freeze.

I turned slowly. “Yes, sir?”

He stood near the glass, jacket off now, sleeves rolled up. His tie was loosened, his hair slightly messy. He didn’t look like a CEO anymore. He looked... human.

“You should not stay this late,” he said quietly. “It’s not safe.”

. “I just wanted to finish something, sir.” I said

His eyes softened a little. “Then let me walk you down. The building gets empty after hours.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine, really”

He was already walking toward me.I didn’t argue again.

We stepped into the elevator together. The doors closed with a soft ding. I stood at the far end, pretending to scroll through my phone, while he stood beside me tall, quiet, unreadable.

The silence was thick. I could hear my heartbeat sounding in my ears. Then suddenly, the elevator gave a short jolt.

I gasped and grabbed the metal railing. The lights flickered once… twice… then went out completely.

Everything turned dark.

“Are you okay?” his voice came from somewhere close. Too close.

“I think so.”

My hands trembled slightly. I have always hated tight spaces.

“Don’t panic,” he said calmly. “It will come up soon.”

Ethan pressed the emergency button but nothing happened, The elevator stayed still.

Of all the elevators in the world, of all the time in the day, I had to be stuck with him.

He sighed. “It is probably a wiring issue. They’ll notice soon.”

For a moment, I was pressed against him, my palms flat against his shirt, my head leaning on his chest. It was steady,warm and it felt safe.

And then, as the backup light flickered on, soft and yellow, our faces were suddenly too close. Close enough that I could see the faint scar near his jawline,close enough that he could see the panic or maybe something else in my eyes.His expression changed. Confusion first then surprise, then something like realization. He whispered it so softly I almost didn’t hear it.

“You.”

My breath caught. “Sir?”

His voice dropped lower. “I know you…”

Every part of me went completely still.

He leaned in a little, his eyes tracing my features, confusion mixing with shock.

“I have seen you before,” he whispered. “Not here. Somewhere else.”

My heart jumped.

He couldn’t remember.

He was not supposed to remember.

But then

His facial expressions changed

And he whispered the words that made my whole body go numb:

“I know you… you’re the girl from that night.”

The elevator light flickered again and the elevator went completely dark.