The CEO's Obsession

CHAPTER THREE : STAY AWAY FROM HIM.

Evelyn Hart's POV.

Damien didn't wait for my response, After adjusting the cuff of his tailored suit, he accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and effortlessly disappeared into another conversation with a group of influential investors, as though he hadn't just warned me to stay away from the one man everyone in the ballroom seemed desperate to meet.

I remained where I was, my tablet clutched tightly against my chest.

"Men like him never approach a woman without wanting something".

His words echoed relentlessly through my mind, Maybe he was right. Men as powerful as Adrian Vale didn't stop to notice ordinary women, especially women like me. If they did, there was almost always a reason behind it, and people in Damien's world rarely did anything without expecting something in return.

"Evelyn."

I turned at the familiar voice and saw Mia weaving her way through the crowd, her bright smile making her impossible to miss.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

A genuine smile found its way onto my face.

"You made it."

"I almost didn't," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Traffic was an absolute nightmare."

Her eyes immediately began scanning the ballroom before she leaned closer.

"Did you see him?"

I blinked in confusion.

"Who?"

She stared at me as though I'd committed an unforgivable crime.

"Seriously?"

I gave an innocent shrug.

"There are at least three thousand people here. You're going to have to be more specific."

"Adrian Vale."

She sighed dramatically before repeating his name with even more emphasis.

"The Adrian Vale."

Realization dawned on me.

"Oh..."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You've already met him, haven't you?"

I hesitated just long enough to answer my own question.

"...Maybe."

Mia grabbed my arm.

"You did!"

"He introduced himself."

"And?"

I laughed softly.

"And... that was all."

She looked genuinely disappointed.

"That's all?"

I couldn't help smiling at her reaction.

"What exactly was supposed to happen?"

"Evelyn," she groaned, "women literally invent excuses to attend events like this just for the chance that Adrian Vale might notice them."

Before I could respond, my phone vibrated inside my purse. The screen lit up with one simple word.

Mom.

Everything else faded into the background.

"I need to take this."

Mia nodded understandingly before slipping back into the crowd.

I stepped away from the music and conversations before answering.

"Hi, Mom."

"There you are."

The sound of her voice instantly softened something inside me. She sounded tired, weaker than she used to, yet there was still warmth in every word she spoke.

"I was beginning to think your fancy boss had stolen you away."

A quiet laugh escaped me.

"He keeps trying."

"Are you eating properly?"

I smiled despite myself.

"I should be asking you that."

As usual, she ignored my question entirely.

"I watched one of those cooking shows today."

"Oh?"

"The chef managed to burn everything."

I laughed.

"That bad?"

"Worse than your first attempt at spaghetti."

I groaned dramatically.

"Mom... I was sixteen."

"And somehow you still managed to burn water."

"I honestly don't know how I accomplished that."

Her laughter rang softly through the phone, filling me with a warmth I'd almost forgotten existed.

For a few precious seconds, everything felt normal again, She wasn't lying in a hospital bed, I wasn't drowning in medical bills, We were simply mother and daughter teasing each other the way we always had and Then she asked the one question I'd been hoping to avoid.

"When are you coming to the hospital?"

The smile slowly disappeared from my face.

"Soon, Mom."

"Evelyn..."

"I just have one more work event."

"You don't have to stay."

"I know."

"Your job can wait."

My eyes drifted across the elegant ballroom filled with billionaires laughing over champagne.

If only she knew.

No...

My job couldn't wait, Not when thirty-eight thousand dollars stood between my mother and the treatment that could save her life. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I forced confidence into my voice.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Drive safely."

"I will."

A brief silence settled between us before she spoke again, her voice gentler than before.

"And sweetheart?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

My throat tightened so suddenly that it hurt to breathe.

"I love you too."

The call ended, but I remained standing there, staring silently at the dark screen while trying to steady the emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

"You have a beautiful smile."

The familiar voice startled me again as I looked up to find Adrian standing a few feet away, holding two glasses of sparkling water.

"I noticed it disappeared the moment your call ended."

"You really shouldn't sneak up on people."

A quiet smile tugged at his lips.

"I wasn't sneaking."

He held one of the glasses out to me.

"You were simply somewhere else."

"I don't remember asking for a drink."

"No."

His smile deepened ever so slightly.

"But you looked like you needed one."

For a moment I considered refusing but Instead, I accepted the glass with a small nod.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

For a few moments, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. If anything, it felt surprisingly easy, as though neither of us needed to fill it with meaningless conversation.

Eventually, Adrian broke the silence.

"So... how long have you worked for Damien Laurent?"

"Five years."

His brows lifted in genuine surprise.

"And you're still alive?"

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"Barely."

"I've heard stories about him."

"So have I."

"No," he said, the amusement in his eyes fading slightly. "I've heard the real ones."

I looked at him curiously.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

He took a slow sip from his glass before answering.

"It means most people think Damien Laurent is impossible to work for."

I smiled faintly.

"They're not entirely wrong."

"And yet you stayed."

The question lingered between us for a moment.

"I had my reasons."

He studied my face carefully, as though searching for an answer I hadn't spoken aloud.

"Family?"

I looked at him in surprise, I was certain I'd never mentioned my mother.

"How did you know?"

A small smile returned to his face.

"Just a guess."

I wasn't convinced. Something about the certainty in his voice made it feel like far more than a lucky guess. Before I could question him further, a photographer approached us with an apologetic smile.

"Mr. Vale, would you mind taking a few photographs?"

Adrian glanced toward me.

"Would you mind waiting?"

A smile tugged at my lips.

"I wasn't waiting."

He laughed quietly.

"Fair enough."

As he turned toward the cameras, I seized the opportunity to slip away. The last thing I needed was to become the subject of gossip because I'd spent too much time talking to one of the country's most eligible billionaires.

"Evelyn."

My steps came to an immediate stop, I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Only Damien could make my name sound like both a command and a warning. He stood near the balcony doors with one hand tucked casually into his pocket.

"Walk with me."

Without another word, I followed him onto the quiet terrace overlooking the glittering city skyline. The cool night air brushed against my skin, offering a welcome escape from the noise and suffocating elegance of the ballroom.

For a while, Damien said nothing Then, without looking at me, he spoke.

"You spoke with Adrian again."

It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"What did he want?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know."

His gaze finally settled on me.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"He was just being polite."

A quiet, humorless laugh escaped him.

"There is no such thing as just being polite in our world."

Frustration slowly built inside me.

"You don't know him."

"I know exactly who he is."

His voice turned noticeably colder.

"Adrian Vale doesn't waste his time."

I folded my arms across my chest.

"So?"

His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.

"So if he's interested in you..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"...it's because you have something he wants."

The words settled heavily between us before he added,

"Or because he intends to use you to get it."

The accusation stung far more than I wanted to admit. I searched his face, hoping to find some sign that he didn't truly believe what he'd just said Instead, I found only the same unreadable expression he always wore.

"So you think the only reason anyone would talk to me is because they need something?"

For the first time that evening, Damien hesitated, It lasted only a heartbeat, but I saw it. His expression softened ever so slightly.

"That's not what I said."

"No."

A bitter smile touched my lips.

"It's what you meant."

I turned toward the ballroom.

"Evelyn."

I stopped walking but didn't look back.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Laurent?"

Silence stretched between us. The city lights shimmered below while the music from inside drifted faintly onto the terrace. When he finally spoke, his voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear it.

"...Be careful."

I didn't answer Instead, I walked back into the ballroom, unable to understand why those two simple words affected me far more than everything else he'd said that night.

The moment I stepped inside, my eyes instinctively found Adrian across the room, He wasn't smiling anymore. He was watching Damien And Damien...Was watching him.

For one brief moment, I had the unsettling feeling that I wasn't standing between two powerful CEOs.

I was standing between two storms.