The CEO’s Bride

3

Andre’s POV

I watched them all carefully.

Every person standing in front of me represented something—the reputation of Hilton Hotels, the future of this company, and whether they were capable of handling the changes I planned to make.

People revealed more when they thought they were being unnoticed.

The nervous smiles.

The forced confidence.

The whispers.

I noticed everything.

Taking over Hilton Hotels was not something I took lightly. This company had my family’s name attached to it, and I had no intention of allowing anyone to damage what my father built.

“Congratulations.”

I turned to see a familiar face approaching me.

“Grazie,” I replied.

She smiled and stepped closer.

“It’s been ages since I last saw you. When did you return?”

“Two or three weeks ago.”

I kept my hands inside my blazer pockets, showing little interest in continuing the conversation.

“Oh, really?” she asked, studying my face.

“Sì.”

Her smile remained.

“You’ll make a great CEO. I’m glad you’re back.”

“Thanks. Excuse me.”

I didn’t wait for a response before walking away.

She wasn’t a stranger. We had worked together before, and I respected her professionalism. But whatever interest she had in me outside of business was something I had no intention of entertaining.

I had more important things to focus on.

Then I saw her.

The waitress from yesterday.

The woman who had accidentally destroyed my watch and looked at me as if she had no idea who she had collided with.

Unlike everyone else in this room, she wasn’t trying to impress me.

She was trying to avoid me.

Interesting.

I watched as she moved through the crowd, keeping her head down. The moment she noticed me, her entire body stiffened.

So she remembered.

A small smile almost formed on my face.

Almost.

I decided to see how far she would go pretending not to know me.

By the time the event ended, I had already memorized the hotel layout and observed enough of the staff to know who took their responsibilities seriously.

I stepped into the hallway and called Peter.

“I’m done here. Send the driver to pick me up. Make it quick.”

After ending the call, I walked toward the exit.

That was when I heard it.

A quiet sigh of relief.

I stopped.

Someone was nearby.

I turned slightly and saw her trying to walk away as quietly as possible.

The same woman who had been avoiding my gaze all day.

I walked toward her.

Before she could disappear, I placed my hand on her shoulder.

She froze.

Her reaction was immediate.

Fear.

She slowly turned around.

Her eyes met mine, and I watched every emotion cross her face.

Shock.

Panic.

Recognition.

She looked exactly like someone who had been caught hiding.

For a moment, she avoided my gaze.

I knew what she was thinking.

She was hoping I had forgotten.

I decided to give her what she wanted.

“Wait…”

I pretended to think for a moment.

“Are you the girl I promised 2.2 million dollars to?”

The confusion on her face was immediate.

She stared at me like she was trying to understand what I meant.

Interesting.

She was relieved.

So she thought I didn’t recognize her.

A small, amused feeling crossed my mind.

She was easier to read than she thought.

Maybe this woman would be more interesting than I expected.

“Unfortunately for you,” I said calmly, “I remember you.”

Her eyes widened.

“What?”

I almost smiled at her reaction.

She really thought she had escaped.

“You didn’t think I would remember the woman who damaged my watch, did you?”

Her expression changed, but before she could respond, I continued.

“I’m your new boss.”

I let the words sink in.

“Your new CEO.”

She looked completely stunned.

Good.

Then I decided to test her.

I tilted my head slightly.

I watched the emotions change on her face.

Fear.

Confusion.

Defiance.

She was trying to convince herself that she could escape the situation, but she had no idea who she was dealing with.

My expression hardened.

“I remember exactly who you are,” I said, my voice firm. “And you owe me a total of 2.2 million dollars. I don’t joke about my money, Miss Taylor. You can’t take something from me and walk away like nothing happened.”

Her eyes widened.

For a moment, she looked speechless.

Then she found her voice.

“Excuse me? I didn’t take anything from you!”

Her words came out quickly, fueled by frustration.

“I accidentally bumped into you, and we both know it wasn’t intentional. Your watch broke, and I apologized. You can’t seriously expect me to pay 2.2 million dollars for a watch, no matter how expensive it is!”

I studied her reaction.

Most people would have immediately apologized again or begged for forgiveness.

Not her.

She was actually arguing with me.

“That was a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime,” I replied calmly. “One of the most complicated watches ever made. It is worth 2.2 million dollars.”

Her eyes widened even further.

For the first time, I saw genuine shock.

“I’m just a waitress,” she said, her voice lowering. “I don’t have that kind of money. I apologized, and I’m willing to make it right, but I can’t pay that amount.”

I looked at the identification card hanging around her neck.

Rose Taylor.

I reached for it, lifting it slightly to get a clearer look at her name.

Before I could say anything else, my phone rang.

I glanced at the screen and answered.

“Ho appena concluso. Sto arrivando,” I said briefly.

I ended the call and looked back at her.

“Miss Rose Taylor,” I said, letting go of her identification card. “See me in my office tomorrow at twelve. We’ll discuss the payment arrangements.”

Her mouth opened slightly, clearly ready to argue.

But I had already turned away.

I walked down the hallway, leaving her standing there with a confused expression.