Chapter 6: CEO's Private Apartment
795 Words
The fire at the warehouse was everywhere on the news by the time we got to the car.
“Cross Enterprises CEO Saves Worker.”
“Accidental CEO, Real Hero.”
“Who Is The Mystery Woman At The Fire?”
Evan threw his phone into the seat. “Stop reading it.”
“I’m not,” I said. “The driver is.”
“Then tell him to stop.”
I didn’t. Because for the first time, people were calling him a hero. Not an accident.
The ride to his apartment was silent. The only sound was the sirens in the distance and Evan’s jaw ticking.
He was mad. Not at me. At everything.
His apartment was on the 80th floor. All glass. The whole city of New York lit up under us.
“This is...” I couldn’t finish.
“Home,” he said. “For now.”
For now. Until the contract ends.
28 days left.
The smell of smoke was still in my hair. On his shirt.
“Go shower,” Evan said. His voice was rough. “There’s clothes in the guest room. Don’t worry, they’re new.”
I nodded and escaped to the bathroom.
The hot water helped. But I couldn’t stop seeing it. The beam. The fire. Evan pulling me out.
He could’ve died. For me.
When I came out, I was wearing an oversized white shirt and sweatpants that said “Cross Enterprises” on them.
Evan was on the balcony. Tie gone. Top 2 buttons undone. Hair messy.
“You look different,” I said from the doorway.
He turned. “So do you.”
Without the $20,000 dress. Without the CEO mask.
Just us.
“I ordered pizza,” he said. “Is that okay?”
“The Accidental CEO eats pizza?” I teased.
He almost smiled. “The Accidental CEO eats whatever he wants.”
We sat on the floor. No table. Just pizza boxes and city lights.
It felt wrong. And right.
“My mom loves pizza,” I said before I could stop myself. “On chemo days, it was the only thing she could keep down.”
Evan stopped mid-bite. “How is she?”
“Better. Because of you. Because of the contract.”
“I didn’t do it for thanks,” he said quietly.
“I know.”
Silence again. But not awkward. Heavy.
“Heaven,” he said.
“Hm?”
“Why did you run into that fire?”
I looked down. “I don’t know. I just... couldn’t let you lose someone else on your first day.”
His hand moved. Brushed my knuckles.
“You could’ve died.”
“So could you.”
Our eyes met. The city was behind him. And for a second, I forgot about the contract. About Victoria. About the 28 days.
The doorbell rang. Loud.
Evan cursed and stood up. “Pizza.”
But when he opened the door, it wasn’t the delivery guy.
It was Victoria. In a red dress. At 11pm.
“What are you doing here?” Evan’s voice was ice.
“We need to talk. About today. About the board. About her.” She looked past him, straight at me on the floor with pizza.
“You can talk to my lawyer,” Evan said, trying to close the door.
“Or I can talk to the press,” Victoria said sweetly. “About how the Accidental CEO is sleeping with his contract wife.”
My stomach dropped.
Evan stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
I heard their voices. Low. Angry.
“She’s using you,” Victoria hissed.
“She’s my wife,” Evan shot back.
“A wife for 30 days. Don’t be stupid.”
I pulled my knees to my chest. The pizza got cold.
5 minutes later, Evan came back in. He looked furious. And tired.
“What did she want?” I asked.
“To remind me that this is all temporary,” he said. He sat down, but not close. “That in 28 days, you walk away with $5,000,000 and I go back to being the spare.”
“Is that what you think too?” I whispered.
Evan didn’t answer. He just looked out at the city.
“I should go to bed,” I said, standing up. My legs were shaking.
“Heaven,” he called as I walked away.
I turned.
“Thank you. For today. In the fire.”
I nodded and went to the guest room.
Lying in a bed that wasn’t mine, in a shirt that smelled like him, I stared at the ceiling.
The Accidental CEO saved me today.
But who was going to save me from falling for him?
- Writer
