The CEO's secret smile

Afterhours

Elena

I got back to the office and slumped into my seat like someone who had just returned from a battlefield. I didn't even get the chance to breathe properly before Nina turned to me with one of her usual knowing smiles.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her brow raised like she already had five possible answers in her head.

I gave a tired chuckle, stretching my legs under the desk. "Mr Mark sent me to drop off some documents at the top floor. Then HR asked me to deliver a parcel to a client who was downstairs. After that, I had to run an errand to the logistics department because someone from admin couldn't locate their files."

Nina whistled. "Wow. They're really stretching your intern title like a rubber band."

I nodded slowly, resting my head against the chair. "Feels like it might snap soon."

She stood up from her chair, collecting a small stack of documents from her side of the desk. "You're doing good work, Elena. Just keep it up. It gets easier, I promise."

"Tell that to my legs," I muttered.

She handed me the documents with a grin. "Photocopy these and bring them to my desk, will you?"

I groaned playfully and rolled my eyes, giving a half-dramatic sigh like I was about to die. We both burst into laughter.

"Please tell me the copy machine won't jam today. I don't think I can survive another paper war," I added, already walking off.

"If it does, talk to it nicely. Maybe it'll behave," Nina called after me.

The day dragged slower than a Monday in hell. Everyone looked half-dead by 4 pm. Some started packing up, while others pretended to still be working, waiting for the clock to strike five. I had a list of tasks still pending, and my instincts told me I'd be better off staying back and finishing up. That way, maybe tomorrow wouldn’t suck so much.

So when it hit 5:45, the office floor began to thin. Nina came over, bag slung over her shoulder.

"You're not leaving yet?" she asked.

I shook my head, sipping from a water bottle. "Nah. I’ve got a few things to sort. Might as well do it while it’s quiet."

She gave me a nod. "Don’t forget to eat. I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," I murmured.

The silence that followed her departure was oddly peaceful. I grabbed my notepad, went through some files, updated an Excel sheet I had neglected earlier. But by 6:20, my eyelids were fluttering. I stood up, stretching my arms, and decided to get some coffee from the dispenser at the end of the hall.

The hallway lights were still on. I walked past the conference room, then the CEO’s office. A faint glow of light filtered under his door. I paused.

Curious, I knocked gently. No response.

I twisted the handle. It wasn’t locked.

"Hello?" I peeked in.

The office was empty.

He probably left it on by mistake. Maybe he rushed out.

I stepped in.

The room was bathed in soft yellow light. His scent lingered,sharp and masculine, like cedarwood mixed with something dark and rich. I hesitated, my fingers brushing the edge of his polished table.

His seat looked so regal, like it belonged to someone too powerful to be touched. But there I was, standing in the middle of his world. The weight of it all hit me.

I glanced at the chair.

Just for a second. What could it hurt?

I sat. The leather wrapped around me like a second skin. I gripped the armrest and leaned back slowly, then swung side to side, eyes shut.

My head was spinning, but not from fatigue.

I imagined him standing behind me, his warm breath hitting my neck as he leaned down to whisper something inappropriate. My face flushed. I clutched the sides of the chair and grinned like an i***t.

My eyes fluttered open.

That’s when I heard it.

A throat cleared.

Sharp and deliberate.

I froze.

Slowly,terrifyingly,I turned.

He was standing by the door.

Mr. Edward Thorne. CEO. My boss. My fantasy.

He had his arms folded, one brow slightly raised, and a half-smirk playing on his lips like he was thoroughly entertained.

I launched out of the chair like it had caught fire.

"Sir…I…I'm so sorry! I thought…you weren’t here,I didn’t mean to…"

He walked in slowly, closing the door behind him.

I swallowed hard.

I had been caught. Red handed. Living out my fantasy in real time like a bloody i***t.

He didn’t say anything immediately. Just stared. Watching me squirm.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, looking anywhere but at him.

The silence between us was loud. Deafening. My heart thudded so hard I could swear he could hear it from where he stood. His arms were still folded and his eyes, God, those cold unreadable eyes were locked on mine like he could see right into my soul and all the nonsense I had just been imagining in his chair.

"Sir… I… I thought you went around," I stammered, my voice barely coming out.

He didn't say anything immediately. Just stood there. Watching. I could feel the heat crawl up my neck, my cheeks on fire from embarrassment. My hands were shaking and I didn’t know what to do with them. I placed them awkwardly behind me like that would make the whole thing disappear.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" he finally asked. His voice was calm. Way too calm. Like a trap.

I swallowed and looked down at my shoes. "I stayed back to finish some things. Then I came to grab coffee and… I saw the light on in your office. I thought you left it on so I came to switch it off."

He raised an eyebrow, still not moving from the door. "So you thought sitting on my chair and playing around was part of switching off the light?"

I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole. What was I supposed to say to that? That I was pretending he was kissing me right here in this chair? That I was lost in a fantasy where we were more than just intern and boss? He would think I was insane.

"I'm sorry," I said, blinking fast so I wouldn't cry in front of him. "I didn’t mean to cross the line. It won’t happen again."

He walked slowly into the office, his eyes never leaving mine. I took a step back without even realising it. He wasn’t angry. Or shouting. But that made it worse. That silence and the way he was looking at me like I was a puzzle.

"You're not in trouble," he finally said.

That shocked me.

"I'm not?"

He shook his head and walked over to the desk. He touched the edge where I had trailed my fingers minutes ago and looked back at me.

"You like it here?"

Was that a trick question? My throat was dry but I nodded. "Yes, I do. I really want to be a part of this company. Permanently."

He studied me for a moment. "You work hard. I’ve noticed."

My eyes widened. "You’ve noticed me?"

That made him smile a little. A small smile. Secretive.

"I notice everything in my company, Elena. Even interns who stay back late to finish work."

My knees were about to give out. This man was dangerous. Not because he was mean or strict. But because he was kind in a quiet way. And charming without trying. And the way he just said my name like that, it made me want to fall to my knees and cry from how stupid I had been crushing on him this whole time.

"Thank you, sir," I whispered.

He nodded. Then he looked at his watch.

"It’s late. You should be getting home."

"Yes sir."

I turned quickly to go, my heart still pounding but relieved it didn’t end worse. As I got to the door, he called my name again.

"Elena."

I stopped and turned.

"Don’t let Nina work you to death."

I laughed. I actually laughed. It came out weird and nervous, but it was real. "I won’t."

"Good night."

"Good night, sir."

I practically ran out of the office and didn’t stop till I got to the main floor. The place was mostly empty now. Security waved at me as I passed and I waved back like nothing happened. Like I didn’t just get caught dreaming in the CEO's office. Like I didn’t feel something shift between us. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I imagined it.

I stood by the roadside, arms folded over my chest, shifting from one foot to another as I kept glancing down the road. The sky was already turning a darker shade of blue and my legs were starting to ache from standing too long. Ten minutes had passed, maybe even more, and not a single taxi had shown up. Just my luck. I sighed heavily, hugging myself tighter against the faint evening breeze.

Then I heard it. The low purr of an engine that didn’t sound like the rough cough of a regular cab. It was smoother. Stronger. I turned to look and saw headlights sweeping toward me, then slowing down right where I stood.

The car was sleek. Black. Shiny. One of those luxury types you only see in music videos or parked outside fancy hotels. I squinted a bit, trying to make out the logo. Bentley. A damn Bentley. My eyes widened.

The tinted window on the passenger side began to roll down slowly, almost like a scene in a movie. I stepped back slightly, still trying to process what was happening. Then I saw him.

Him.

The CEO.

His face was calm, that same unreadable expression he always wore at work. Dark eyes locked on mine like he already knew what I was thinking.

"Get in," he said, his voice low and smooth like velvet.

I blinked. Was this a prank? Some sort of test? But I didn’t even think twice. My body moved before my brain could say anything. I opened the door and slid into the leather seat. The car smelled expensive. Clean. A mix of subtle cologne and new car scent that made me inhale a little too deeply.

My hands rested nervously on my thighs. I didn't even know where to look. The dashboard looked like something from a spaceship. I swallowed and kept my gaze forward.

Silence.

My mind was racing. This couldn’t be real. What if this was a dream? What if he’d touch my hand right now and tell me he’s had eyes on me since the first day I walked into the company? I pictured it all,the fantasy, the closeness, him whispering my name, us laughing about nothing. My cheeks burned as the thoughts spiraled.

“Elena,” his voice cut through like a blade.

I snapped back. My head turned quickly. “Yes, sir?”

“Your address,” he said again, a slight edge of amusement in his tone.

Shit. He’d asked me before. I was too lost to hear it.

I cleared my throat, flustered. “Right. Um... 43 Parkhill Street, sir.”

He nodded once, then returned his focus to the road. He didn’t say another word, didn’t even glance at me again. Just kept driving, hands firm on the wheel, eyes forward like I wasn’t even sitting beside him.

When we pulled up in front of my apartment, I scrambled to unbuckle my seatbelt.

“Thank you... for the ride,” I mumbled as I opened the door.

He gave a short nod but said nothing. The door clicked shut behind me and the car sped off, disappearing into the night like it was never there.

And I just stood there on the pavement, heart pounding like mad.

What the hell just happened?