My Ex Is Now My Boss

I never thought I would see Ryan Carter again. Three years. For three years, I had convinced myself that I was over him. That the boy who had shattered my heart into a million pieces in college was just a distant, painful memory. I was wrong. "Mia Roberts? You're late." The voice stopped me cold at the entrance of the conference room. My files slipped from my hands and scattered across the floor. Every head in the room turned to look at me. And there he was. Sitting at the head of the table. In a perfect black suit. His hair a little shorter, his jaw sharper, his eyes... his eyes were exactly the same. Cold, arrogant, and piercing. Ryan Carter. My ex-boyfriend. Now... my boss. "Mr. Carter, I... I'm sorry, the traffic..." I stammered, bending down to pick up my papers. My hands were shaking. He didn't even help me. He just watched me with that unreadable expression. "At Carter Enterprises, we value punctuality, Miss Roberts. This is your first day. Don't make it your last." His voice was ice. As if he didn't know me. As if we hadn't spent two years together, as if he hadn't once told me he would love me forever. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger. I quickly sat down in the only empty chair, which was unfortunately right across from him. The meeting continued, but I couldn't hear a single word. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it. Why is he here? He was supposed to be in New York. This company was supposed to be owned by his father. As if reading my mind, his father, Mr. Thomas Carter, stood up. "As you all know, I am retiring. From today, my son, Ryan Carter, will be the new CEO of Carter Enterprises. Please give him your full support." Applause filled the room. I clapped mechanically, my eyes locked on Ryan. His eyes finally met mine across the table. And for a second, just a second, I saw something flicker in them. Something that looked like... anger? Hurt? Possession? Then it was gone, replaced by cold indifference. After the meeting, I rushed to my desk, wanting to disappear. I work as a junior marketing associate. It's my dream job. I can't lose it because of him. "Mia, in my office. Now." He didn't even stop walking. He just ordered me as he passed my desk. My colleagues looked at me with pity. Great. On my first day, I'm already being called to the CEO's office. I took a deep breath and knocked on his huge glass door. "Come in." I entered and closed the door behind me. His office was massive, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. He was standing with his back to me, looking out the window. "Close the blinds." "What?" "I said close the blinds, Mia." I did as he said, my heart racing. What does he want? He turned around slowly. And in two long strides, he was in front of me. So close I could smell his familiar cologne. The same one he used in college. "You've changed," he whispered, his voice suddenly not so cold. He lifted his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch burned. I stepped back as if electrocuted. "Mr. Carter, please. This is... this is inappropriate." A cruel smile appeared on his lips. "Inappropriate? You think this is inappropriate? You have no idea what inappropriate is." "You left me, Ryan. You left without saying a word three years ago. And now you pretend you don't know me?" "I left? You were the one who decided your career was more important than us!" His voice rose. The hurt in his eyes was now unmistakable. "My career? You got an offer from Harvard and you just disappeared! You didn't even say goodbye!" He stared at me, breathing heavily. Then, his expression hardened again. He went back to his desk and sat down, becoming the CEO again. "You're right. We have a past. But that was college. This is business. I don't mix business with personal life." He picked up a file. "Your first assignment. The Anderson proposal. I need it on my desk by 8 AM tomorrow. If you can't do it, you can resign." 8 AM? That's 14 hours from now! It's impossible! "It's impossible, you know it is," I said. "Then prove you're still the brilliant girl I fell in love with." He looked up at me, his eyes challenging me. I grabbed the file from his desk. "Fine. You'll have it." I walked out of his office without looking back. But inside, I was breaking. I thought I was done with Ryan Carter. But clearly, he was not done with me. And I have a feeling this is just the beginning.