PREGNANT AND TRAPPED WITH THE CEO

chapter five

AVA

“You must be the new girl” she said leaning on the desk with a knowing smirk.

“Ava Smith” I introduced myself.

“Vivian Carter,” she said, holding out her hand. “Welcome to Saddles’, where the coffee is terrible, the men are worse and overtime is your best friend”

I laughed and just like that we clicked.

Vivian was sharp, funny and brutally honest. Our friendship was fast and amazing, I loved her in no time. Another perk of having her as a friend was that she knew the office gossip before it spread and saw things others didn't.

I was happy to be fresh out of college and already employed. I thought it was the start of my career but boy was I wrong!

I did everything for Damon- prepared his contracts, set up meetings, organized his schedule down to the last second. And that was not all.

When he struggled with presentation ideas, I was the one brainstorming late into the night feeding him pitches that he later took full credit for. When he panicked before meetings with the higher-ups, I was the one rehearsing with him, calming his nerves.

And when the promotions came? They were all his.

One night while I worked overtime as was frequent with him, everyone else had already left. My fingers ached from typing, my eyes burnt from staring at the screen but I stayed back because Damon needed my report ready for a big presentation early the next morning. I had just rounded up and was packing up when I heard footsteps approaching.

“Ava”

I looked up and it was Damon. Tall, confident, effortlessly handsome in his tailored suit, his tie hung loosely on his neck, his grey eyes focused on me.

“You're still here” his voice was warm, appreciative.

I forced a tired smile “Just making sure everything is perfect for your presentation”

He sighed and leaned against my desk, his gaze never leaving mine, “you do too much for me”

“That’s my job” i said with a light laugh

“You’re amazing Ava” he said with that charming smirk. Couldn't do all these without you”.

I blushed a bright red color and when I got home that night I couldn't stop thinking about that conversation. Vivian who had become my roommate at the time noticed of course.

“Ava, you have to be careful about men like that” she said “They’re too ambitious and do not mind using anyone as a stepping stone to get to the top”

I dismissed her concern with a laugh . Damon was ambitious yes but he was my boss and him complimenting me that night proved he was sensitive and not at all what Vivian thought.

After that night I noticed a shift in our relationship. He smiled at me more frequently, stared at me longer and found the slightest opportunities to give me lingering touches.

Then one night after one of his biggest deals closed- a multimillion dollar contract that I had helped finalize.

“Drinks “ he said to me loosening his tie as he leaned against my desk “to celebrate”

I hesitated. “You mean, the whole team?”

“No, Just you and me”.

That was the moment I should have said no, But I didn’t.

We went to an upscale bar, the kind where deals were made over expensive whiskey and low-lit booths. The conversation started off easy, future goals, ambitions. But somewhere between the second and third drinks, the shift happened.

“You know you’re more than just my secretary right?” His voice was smooth, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of his glass.

“What do you mean?” I asked, I had an idea but I didn't want to presume.

“You don’t just Organize my life, you make it better”

My breath caught. I had spent so much time admiring him from a distance and now he was looking at me like he wanted me.

“I couldn’t have done any of these without you” he murmured, reaching for my hand. His thumb brushed against my skin, slow and deliberate “You know that right?”

My pulse hammered.I should have pulled away. I should have remembered Vivian’s warning but I was so enamored of the man in front of me.

So I let him kiss me.

And that was the beginning of our relationship.

I followed him home that night not as his secretary but as his girlfriend.

When we kissed it wasn't rushed it was deliberate. His hands moved over my body like I was the most important thing in his world.

“You’re incredible Ava” he murmured against my skin, his lips tracing a path down my neck. “I don’t deserve you”

I silenced him with a kiss because it was me that didn't deserve him.

That night wrapped in his arms I felt safe, wanted and chosen.

After that night, I threw myself even deeper into my work. I stayed later, worked harder, and pushed myself beyond exhaustion, not just to keep Damon at the top but to prove that I was worth the risk he had taken by choosing me. I wanted him to see that I wasn’t just his secretary or some fleeting office affair—I was his partner. Every late night, every extra hour spent perfecting his reports or rehearsing his pitches wasn’t just about ambition anymore. It was about us. I thought if I gave him my best, he would see my worth. That he would never regret me.

And Damon made me believe I mattered to him.

He started bringing me coffee in the mornings, already knowing exactly how I liked it. He’d stop by my desk just to check in, a soft smile on his face as he asked if I was okay. When I stayed late, he’d sometimes stay too, ordering takeout and pretending it was for both of us when I knew he had already eaten. “You work too hard,” he’d say, brushing a stray hair from my face, his touch sensual. “You do so much for me, Ava. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He made me feel seen, Important and Loved.

And that was all I ever needed to keep giving him more.

I thought I was in love.