The CEO Who Wants Her Back

Chapter 5

The assistant stepped away from Dave’s table immediately after his instruction, moving quickly through the crowded VIP section toward the manager’s office. The noise below the balcony continued, but Dave’s attention remained fixed on the floor where Maya had been seen moments ago, his expression unreadable, controlled, and slightly impatient now.

The assistant delivered the message clearly, but the manager misunderstood the urgency. Instead of sending Maya directly, he called one of the other waitresses first, thinking it was a general request for service in the VIP section. The wrong girl immediately fixed her appearance, assuming she had been specially chosen for a wealthy client upstairs.

She entered the VIP section with confidence, her steps slower, more intentional. She smiled slightly when she reached Dave’s table, trying to appear composed and attractive. “Good evening, sir,” she said softly. But Dave didn’t even look at her properly. His eyes stayed cold, uninterested, already irritated at the delay.

The girl tried again, leaning slightly closer, attempting to engage him. “I can take care of anything you need tonight,” she added, her voice softer now. That was when Dave finally looked up properly, his expression sharp and annoyed. “Get out,” he said flatly, without hesitation, making her freeze instantly in embarrassment.

Silence fell for a second before she quickly left the table, humiliated. Dave leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly through his nose. “Useless,” he muttered under his breath, not bothering to hide his irritation anymore. Jerry glanced at him carefully but said nothing, sensing his mood was getting worse.

Moments later, the manager returned, now fully aware of the mistake. He bowed slightly before speaking carefully. “Sir… we misunderstood your request,” he said nervously. “The girl you’re referring to is one of our regular staff downstairs. I’ll bring her up immediately.” Dave didn’t respond, only staring forward coldly.

Maya was called immediately from the main floor. She was confused at first, still adjusting trays when the message reached her. “VIP section,” her coworker said quickly. “They want you upstairs now.” Maya frowned slightly. “Why me?” she asked, but before she could get an answer, she was already being guided upstairs.

The waitress, who had gone before, burned in jealousy and hate. Maya didn't notice it, but a colleague did. Then she said, "I'd advise you focus on what you came here for." Then the waitress continued her work.

When she entered the VIP section, the atmosphere immediately felt different. Her eyes scanned the room briefly before landing on Dave, sitting calmly at the center of the space. His gaze met hers instantly, and for a second, neither of them moved or spoke at all.

Before she could fully process the situation, the assistant gestured for her to come forward. “Sir wants you here,” he said firmly. Maya didn’t move immediately. “I’m here to work, not be dragged around,” she replied coldly, surprising even herself with the firmness in her voice under pressure.

Dave raised his glass slightly without breaking eye contact. “Pour it,” he said simply, pointing at the drink in front of him. Maya hesitated but stepped closer cautiously. The air around the table felt tense now, not welcoming. His friends at the table watched her with amused expressions, whispering among themselves.

One of them laughed quietly. “She looks too serious for this place,” he joked. Another leaned back smirking. “Let’s loosen her up a bit.” Before Maya could step back, one of them carelessly splashed a small amount of drink onto her sleeve. The room went silent for a second.

Maya froze. Then slowly looked at her wet sleeve. Her expression changed in anger. She placed the bottle down carefully on the table, looked at each of them once, then stepped back slightly. “I’m not part of your entertainment,” she said firmly before turning to leave.

“Sit down,” Dave said suddenly, his voice colder now. Maya paused mid-step but didn’t turn. "Sir, I'd like to clean up this mess," “I said Sit down,” he repeated, more controlled but sharper this time. The entire table went quiet again. But Maya slowly turned her head slightly, her expression steady, not shaken anymore.

“I came here to work,” she said calmly, “not to be disrespected.” Then she turned fully and walked out of the VIP section without rushing, despite every eye in the room following her. Dave didn’t stop her immediately, but his expression tightened slightly as she disappeared down the stairs.

Outside the VIP section, Maya finally stopped walking for a second, gripping the edge of her tray tightly. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she forced herself to stay composed. She didn’t cry. She didn’t break. Instead, she exhaled sharply and continued walking, choosing silence over reaction.

Downstairs, the noise of the bar swallowed her again. But something inside her stopped just aware. And upstairs, Dave remained seated in silence, staring at the empty space she had left behind, his expression darker than before, as if something about her refusal had unsettled him more than expected.

Maya continued walking quickly through the corridor behind the VIP section, her grip still tight on the tray she was supposed to return. Her mind was still burning with anger, but she refused to let it show on her face. She only wanted space, air, distance from the disrespect she had just walked out of.

Without fully paying attention to the signs on the doors, she turned into what she thought was the staff restroom. The lighting was dimmer here, the hallway quieter, and for a moment she relaxed slightly, thinking she was finally alone. She pushed the door open and stepped inside without hesitation.

But something felt wrong almost immediately.

The space was unfamiliar.

Before she could step back out, a male staff member inside turned sharply, surprised by her presence. “Hey, this is the men’s restroom,” he said immediately, stepping closer too quickly, blocking her way out. Maya froze for a second, realizing her mistake as tension tightened in her chest.

“I’m sorry, I... I didn’t know,” she said quickly, trying to move past him. But he didn’t step aside immediately, lingering in her space longer than necessary. Maya’s hand tightened around the door handle behind her as her calm started shifting into discomfort.

“Just give me a second,” he muttered, not moving. The air in the small space suddenly felt heavy. Maya’s expression hardened slightly as she realized she needed to leave immediately. “Please move,” she said firmly this time, her voice no longer soft.

Before the situation could escalate further, the restroom door suddenly pushed open again.

“Step away from her.”

Dan’s voice cut through instantly.