The CEO’s Stolen Kiss

Chapter 3

Several hours BEFORE the incident of kissing a stranger…

"Adelia, your grandfather called to remind you about your lunch meeting today. He said you should not miss it or else he won't eat the whole week." Bertha, Adelia’s personal assistant, AKA Bestfriend relayed as soon as she was inside Adelia’s office.

Bertha grinned seeing the sudden distressed look of Adelia. "I'm just a mere messenger," Bertha whimpered as Adelia gave her a sharp look. She immediately bid her leave and ran out of the office.

Adelia scrunched up her face and heaved a frustrated sigh as she looked at the door where Bertha left. Her grandfather was now even pestering Bertha to remind her for those stupid meetings.

Her grandfather had set up another blind date for her. Lately, the old man is being mean, blackmailing Adelia with his health, to force her not to ditch every blind date he was arranging.

Well, her mother wasn’t left out either. The woman is practically the old man’s accomplice.

"What?!" Adelia hissed at her friend Rose who was grinning mischievously, sitting opposite her. They were having tea in her office while discussing various cases.

"Girl… Relax. Why are you so annoyed? You should appreciate your grandfather's efforts to make you a woman!" Rose teased and hurriedly stood up from the couch to run out of Adelia’s office. Adelia sighed, another crazy friend. One more minute's delay and she would surely have received a good beating from her friend.

Adelia irritatingly brushed her already messed up hair. She hated all this… Going on blind dates and meeting men with their cunning smile and fakeness just to catch her attention, then asking her a lot of personal things.

'Irritating!'

She looked at her wrist watch and grieved with defeat. At first she ignored her mother and grandfather's rant about her settling down already. But her grandfather suddenly thought of blackmailing her using his health as the bait just to force her to entertain the candidates he had selected for becoming his son-in-law.

He insisted that Adelia should at least meet them and she might find someone to her liking among them. It was more like the saying, collect and collect then select.

'Men…’ she impatiently mused. She, unlike many women, was not fond of interacting with men at all. She did not trust them because according to her men were all vicious and vile. Her belief was that all men simply wanted to use women by leaning on them and reap all benefits from them.

After checking out a few case files, Adelia stepped out of her office to go to meet her today's blind date. She saw a small commotion as she passed by the HR department, some of the lawyers stood there and were loudly discussing something.

She turned her head a little and asked Bertha, who was walking behind her, "What's going on?"

Bertha smiled and excitedly exclaimed, "It's about the incoming lawyers… The HR already finalized the pick and they had chosen a lot of pretty and handsome newcomers this time."

Adelia’s face cringed as she whispered, "Look at those losers, excited like predators when actually they would end up being the prey…"

Bertha shook her head then she coughed and cleared her throat before commenting, "Well not all men are that bad Bestie…Geez. How can you get a perfect mate if you are always this pessimistic about men? You have to move on Adelia. Not all men are like..."

Adelia paused and turned around to give Bertha a glare… a gesture for her to stop…

Bertha stopped talking and just ended up with a frustrated sigh. She and the rest would soon go crazy because of Adelia’s temperament against men. To be honest, it was because of the rumor that the Sterling’s only heir might actually liked women was the reason why Grandpa Thompson Sterling was this desperate for Adelia to settle down soon. He could not accept the fact that the lineage of Sterling would be cut down to Adelia.

Grandpa Thompson Sterling actually had three grandchildren, Adelia, Emma and their gosh… handsome cousin Reed. But Grandpa Thompson wanted Adelia to have a husband.

"Good morning Attorney. Adelia." Adelia was startled when Attorney. Cole, one of the newly hired lawyers in their firm, greeted her in the hallway as they walked towards the elevator. What startled her was not his greeting but the paperbag he was trying to hand her.

"What is this?" She snapped, not accepting the paper bag from his hands.

"I just want to show my admiration to you and express my liking for you." Adelia heard the man whisper. "I like you…"

Adelia ears reddened with anger as she looked around. Good thing no one was around except for Bertha.

Bertha, who witnessed that could not believe how brave and bold the man was for a newcomer. But hats off to him, to pull a brave confession as this in front of the witch herself...

"If you keep liking me… Then I will have no choice but to remove you from my firm." Adelia plainly cautioned with a cold stare at Attorney. Cole before she entered the elevator.

Bertha followed Adelia inside the elevator and shook her head as she looked at attorney. Cole who dropped his jaw and stood like a statue where he was.

"Bestie… Seriously? Firing him because he likes you? Gosh it's a loss again and we have to pay for another penalty because it's against the labor code." Bertha cried because it was not the first time Adelia had fired an employee who bravely confessed his feelings about liking her.

"I don't understand you guys. You should have briefed all men you are about to hire regarding this matter because I don't want an embarrassing moment like this again." Adelia complained.

Bertha’s face twisted as she sarcastically countered, "What? Do you want the HR to say it beforehand like -Hey you, make sure not to like and confess your feelings to our CEO, because you will lose your job...- Seriously Bestie?"

"Why not? Better brief the HR about it Bestie if it bothers you to see all this happening all over again." Adelia plainly answered. Bertha no longer said a word

As they reached the parking lot, Adelia turned at her and said, "Give me the keys…"

Bertha shook her head and said, "No… Your grandfather will kill me. I have to drive you at the meeting place myself."

Adelia laughed and scorned, "Bestie… I will not run away anywhere and hide, alright? I will go and meet him. Remember… grandfather will starve? I'm not that heartless Bertha!”

Bertha grinned and muttered, "You are heartless bestie. I'm surprised you're not aware of it. Anyway, be nice to your date Adelia. Men have feelings too even though you hate them…"

"Such a feminist…" Adelia mumbled with her blank face. And Bertha only shrugged her shoulders then threw the keys towards her. "Here…"

Bertha watched Adelia get inside the car. She stood there staring at the car which moved smoothly and left. She wondered how many more dates Adelia would have to attend and how many more men would curse at her.

Men were so handsome and passionate, she didn't know why Adelia’s thick walls were still barring her to look at men differently. She was hoping Adelia could meet her match soon. Someone who could bring her heart back from the deep abyss she had thrown it into.

"Adelia Sterling, you are a heartless lawyer indeed." Bertha murmured before going back inside the Sterling Law Firm building.