The CEO'S RULEBOOK

Lips & Snaps

Mila’s POV

I still couldn’t believe it.

I sat in my cramped office, the walls closing in around me. The air felt too thick, every shallow breath stinging with the weight of confusion and betrayal. My gaze locked onto the blank white wall ahead, tears streaming down my face as my mind spiralled.

Why would he do this to me?

Why would he, of all people, demote me without even a word, a conversation?

Was this about the kiss? My stomach twisted at the thought. I couldn’t stop asking myself the same question, each time more desperate. Was this his way of punishing me for what happened at my house?

No. It had to be something else. This had to be a misunderstanding, I told myself, clinging to the hope that this wasn’t real. But the truth gnawed at the edges of my mind like an unshakable shadow.

I grabbed my phone and dialled his number, fingers trembling with urgency.

“Come on... please, pick up,” I whispered, each ring tightening the knot in my chest.

Nothing.

I called again. And again.

Silence.

It was as if the earth had swallowed him whole.

“Damn it!” I shouted, throwing my phone onto the desk. My reflection in the black screen stared back at me, red-rimmed eyes, a flushed face, and the look of someone who had been utterly blindsided.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pinching myself hard as if the pain could wake me from this nightmare. But it wasn’t a dream. This was my reality.

Mr. Harris had demoted me. He hadn’t even had the guts to look me in the eye and explain. Instead, he shoved me aside, tucked me away somewhere out of his sight, out of his way.

How convenient.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I wiped away my tears. He thought he could just push me out of his life so easily? Fine. If this was the game he wanted to play, I’d show him how wrong he was.

I wasn’t going to break. Not for him. Not for anyone.

(*)

The rest of the day dragged on like a bad dream. Olivia handed me my first task in my new, humbling role: fetch coffee for the entire marketing team.

Coffee.

Like I was some damn intern.

I wanted to scream, to throw the mug in her face, but I bit my tongue instead, swallowing my pride. If this was what they wanted, I’d do it. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me falter.

Outside, the sun beat down relentlessly, and the air was thick with the heat of the afternoon. I walked to the nearest café, trying to focus on the mindless task ahead rather than the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

“Mila! Wait up!”

I turned to see Marie hurrying toward me, her face drawn with concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked, breathless from the sprint.

“Great,” I said, forcing a smile that felt too tight. “Just thriving in my demotion.”

Her face fell. “I tried to talk Olivia out of it. You’re too qualified for this... but she said the orders came directly from Mr. Harris.”

I stiffened. Of course, it came from him.

“I’m sorry, Mila,” she said, pulling me into a hug.

“It’s fine,” I lied, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. “This is my new normal.”

But the truth was, this “new normal” gnawed at me with every step I took.

(*)

By the time the day ended, I was drained, emotionally and physically.

The errands. The constant, pitying glances from my colleagues. Olivia’s smug smile as she barked out orders. It felt like a calculated attempt to break me. But I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.

I texted Maya, asking her to meet me at the bar. I needed something stronger than anger to numb the ache in my chest.

“Mila, slow down,” Maya warned, pulling the shot glass from my hand as I went for another.

I hiccupped, swaying slightly on the barstool. “Goddamn it, Maya. You know me too well.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Clearly. So what’s going on?”

I exhaled sharply, the truth spilling out before I could stop it. “I was demoted today by my coward of a boss. And all because of a damn kiss.”

Her eyes widened. “Wait… you kissed your boss? Mr. Harris?”

“And he spent the night at my house, in my bed, holding me like I was his damn possession,” I slurred, my words muddled by the alcohol. “But nothing happened. Thank God. Then he just disappeared the next day. And today, boom, a demotion.”

“That doesn’t add up,” she said, frowning. “Are you sure that’s why....”

“I don’t need him to explain. It’s obvious, Maya.” I grabbed my glass and raised it in mock celebration. “So here’s to freedom from that spineless bastard!”

Maya shook her head, though her teasing smirk softened the tension in the air. “Okay, Mila, I think it’s late, and you’ve had enough. Let me put you in a cab to get you home.”

“But why? It’s Mr. Harris’s fault that I’m like this! Since I met his sorry ass, I’ve been a regular at this damn bar.” I tried to protest, but the flash of intimidation in Maya’s eyes shut me up instantly.

“Fine…” I huffed.

Maya soon put me in a cab, and in no time, I was on my way home.

Even as the alcohol dulled the sharp edge of my emotions, my thoughts kept circling back to him. His soft lips. The way they kissed me was so damn fervent.

Fuck.

I hated that he’d invaded my mind so completely. And even though I was supposed to hate him, my body refused to cooperate. I couldn’t forget the feel of his touch, his presence, the way he made me burn in all the wrong ways.

The cab dropped me off at my door, and I stumbled out, the ground beneath my feet spinning. I was so drunk, I couldn’t even feel my legs.

I continued stumbling toward the door, frantically searching through my bag for my keys.

Still rummaging, I heard a voice that made my knees weaken and my heart hammer in my chest.

“Looking for these?”

The deep voice froze me in place. My pulse quickened, and the familiar scent of expensive cologne and scotch wrapped around me like a suffocating cloud.

I turned slowly, and there he was.

Mr. Harris.

The moonlight bathed him in silver, his chiselled jaw sharp, his piercing gaze like an electric current that seared through me. His black suit fit him like it had been tailored by the gods themselves, and his hair, tousled in the most maddeningly perfect way, made my breath catch.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest, trying to shield myself from the fire his presence ignited within me.