ENCOUNTERS
1090 Words
CHAPTER 12
"I wasn’t supposed to kiss him…"
(Hazel’s POV)
---
The knock on my door was soft—but it thundered in my chest.
I paused, heart stuttering in my ribcage. It was late. Almost 7 p.m. Why was someone—
I opened the door.
And froze.
Alexander Wilson stood there. Impeccable in a crisp black suit, his tie loose at the collar, eyes unreadable.
“I need you tonight,” he said simply.
My brain short-circuited.
“...T-tonight?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he handed me a thick, gold-embossed invitation.
The Carter Foundation Charity Gala.
Formal attire. By invitation only. Elite society, press coverage, powerful people. I’d only ever seen such events in movies.
“You’ll accompany me,” he added, voice clipped. “As my assistant.”
I blinked. “I—don’t have anything to wear to something like this—”
Before I could finish, he stepped aside, revealing Rose standing behind him. In her hands: a garment bag and a small velvet box.
“I had it prepared,” he said.
“Prepared?” My voice cracked a little.
Rose offered the items silently.
I took them with trembling hands and opened the bag.
Inside was the most breathtaking dress I had ever seen. Deep emerald green, made of silk that shimmered faintly under the lights. Elegant yet sensual. It looked like it was made for royalty.
The velvet box revealed delicate drop earrings of emerald and gold.
My breath caught. “Sir, I can’t—this is too much. I can’t accept something this expensive—”
He cut me off without looking at me. “You’re representing my company. Consider it an investment.”
An investment. Right.
Then why did his voice sound so... cold?
Or was it something else hiding beneath the calm?
I clutched the dress and earrings to my chest and murmured, “Yes, sir.”
---
Later — The Gala
I stood beside him, arm lightly hooked around his as we walked into the ballroom.
Glittering chandeliers. Marble floors. Elegant couples. Photographers flashed from every angle.
And me?
I was trying not to collapse in heels while the cameras tried to devour him.
Alexander was unreadable—his stride confident, gaze fixed forward. A man used to being watched, whispered about, envied.
But every now and then… I felt his hand subtly adjust at my lower back. Like he was keeping me close. Shielding me.
Or warning the world I was his.
Either way, my heart couldn’t stop fluttering.
“Relax,” he murmured under his breath.
I couldn’t. He looked too good. The kind of good that made women across the ballroom whisper, Who’s the girl with him?
And then... Damien Carter appeared.
Slick, smug, smiling like the devil in designer shoes.
“Well, Alexander,” he said, eyes sweeping to me. “And who’s this stunning creature?”
“She’s my assistant,” Alex said flatly. But the way he subtly moved me behind him was anything but impersonal.
“Lovely,” Damien drawled. “Assistants these days do everything, don’t they?”
My jaw clenched.
Alex’s fingers brushed my arm as he led me away. “Ignore him.”
But his hand didn’t leave me the rest of the night.
---
One Hour Later — Disaster Strikes
The emcee took the stage, grinning. “And now… our tradition! One couple will be chosen for the Lucky Kiss! One kiss, for good fortune!”
I blinked.
What?
Spotlights scanned the ballroom like searchlights in the night.
And then—
“CEO WILSON! CEO WILSON! KISS! KISS!”
The crowd erupted. People clapped, some laughed. Chants started.
I froze.
Alex leaned in, voice like a low warning. “We’re not doing this. You don’t need to—”
I panicked.
No way could I kiss him in front of this crowd. And yet, if we didn’t, the gossip would be worse.
So I did the first thing that popped into my head.
I gasped loudly… and pretended to faint right into his arms.
Gasps echoed. A few chuckles followed. Laughter rippled through the crowd.
I peeked up through my lashes.
Alexander held me effortlessly—one arm beneath my back, the other under my knees, his jaw tight.
“You little fox,” he murmured, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips.
My cheeks went up in flames.
---
Back at the Penthouse
The drive was silent.
I could barely breathe. My mind ran in dizzy loops—his hands, the crowd, the feel of his body so close.
Inside the penthouse, I turned to him near the stairs.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you…”
He didn’t respond.
His eyes just searched mine, dark and intense.
I tried to move past him.
But fate had other plans.
My heel caught the smooth marble.
I stumbled—
—and grabbed his shirt.
He tried to steady me.
Instead, I pulled him down with me.
And then—
Our lips met.
A spark. A jolt. A collision of heat and silence and chaos.
His lips were warm. Soft. Hesitant for a moment—then demanding.
I felt his breath catch. My hands fisted in his shirt.
But just as suddenly—
He pulled away.
His eyes wide. His chest heaving.
We stared at each other for what felt like eternity.
“I-I’m sorry,” I blurted and scrambled away, nearly tripping again as I fled up the stairs.
---
Alexander’s POV
Damn it.
Her taste lingered.
Her hands still burned on my skin.
I leaned against the wall, dragging a hand down my face.
She wasn’t supposed to kiss me.
I wasn’t supposed to want her.
But she had. And I did.
So badly it scared me.
And worse…
I wanted to do it again.
---
Hazel’s POV — Alone in Bed
I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding like it wanted out of my chest.
That kiss…
It wasn’t supposed to happen.
He didn’t even like me.
But…
His lips.
The way he looked at me right before…
I buried my face in the pillow, muffling the scream in my throat.
> "I wasn’t supposed to kiss him."
"But why can’t I stop thinking about it?"
---
TO BE CONTINUED…
💋 Next Time: What happens when the kiss changes everything?
💭 Comment: “CHAPTER 13 NOW!” if you felt the fire in this one!
📌 #FatedEncounter #ForbiddenKiss #CEOandAssistant #EnemiesToLovers #EmotionalTension #SlowBurnRomance
- Writer
