The CEO Who Wants Her Back

Chapter 4

Dave’s eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward, his thumb already moving toward the screen to replay the video again, but before he could touch it properly, the phone suddenly flickered once before going completely black in his hand. Silence filled the room immediately. Dave stared at the dead screen for a few seconds, he then let out a quiet curse under his breath and threw the phone carelessly onto the couch beside him.

“Seriously?” he muttered, running a frustrated hand through his hair before leaning back heavily against the chair. He hated interruptions. Especially when something had his full attention. And somehow, without even understanding why, that short glimpse of the girl standing behind the counter had managed to stay stuck in his head longer than it should have. He hadn’t even seen her clearly enough to recognize her face properly, yet something about her expression kept replaying inside his mind anyway.

Meanwhile, across town, Dan still hadn’t driven away from the store parking lot yet. The engine was running softly, but his hands rested loosely against the steering wheel while his thoughts wandered somewhere else completely. His mind kept replaying the scene inside the store over and over again without permission.

Dan leaned his head back slightly against the seat and laughed softly to himself in disbelief. “You’re actually sitting here thinking about a girl you just met,” he muttered quietly. But strangely enough, he didn’t feel embarrassed about it. If anything, he felt confused by how naturally comfortable her presence had felt around him despite the awkward situation they met in earlier tonight inside the crowded store.

After sitting there for several more minutes doing absolutely nothing useful, Dan finally drove home. The entire ride back, Maya’s face crossed his mind at random moments. He kept remembering small things instead. Her tired eyes. The softness in her voice when she thanked him. The way she still tried smiling politely after the customer embarrassed her publicly.

Back at the Parker mansion, Dave had already switched to his laptop after charging his phone slightly, but his attention wasn’t fully on work anymore. His fingers paused occasionally above the keyboard while random flashes from the video replayed inside his head again. He still couldn’t understand why the girl looked familiar when he barely saw her properly. And honestly, that unanswered feeling irritated him more than anything else tonight.

“Forget it,” he muttered coldly to himself before forcing his focus back onto work again. But even while reading through documents, his thoughts still drifted unwillingly toward the unfinished video sitting somewhere inside his dead phone. He hated unfinished things. Hated unanswered curiosity even more. And somehow, that unknown girl had managed to leave both behind without even realizing it herself tonight somehow.

Hours later, Maya finally finished her shift at the convenience store. By the time she stepped outside, exhaustion weighed heavily across her entire body. Her feet hurt painfully from standing too long, and the earlier argument with the customer had drained the little emotional energy she still had left inside her. Even so, she still smiled politely while saying goodbye to coworkers before quietly walking home alone afterward.

The streets are calmer now compared to earlier. Maya adjusted her bag slightly against her shoulder while walking slowly beneath the dim streetlights. But no matter how much she tried to distract herself with thoughts about tomorrow’s responsibilities, her mind kept drifting back toward the same person again and again tonight. Dan. The stranger, who stepped in calmly without making her feel weak or embarrassed afterward, was in front of everyone.

She frowned slightly at herself while continuing down the street. “Why am I even thinking about him this much?” she muttered softly under her breath. It honestly made no sense. She barely knew him. They exchanged only a few words. Yet somehow his calm expression and quiet concern kept replaying inside her head stronger than the humiliation from the customer herself earlier that evening.

By the time Maya finally got home, the house was quiet except for the soft sound coming from the television inside the living room. Tracy looked up immediately the moment the front door opened. Concern softened her face almost instantly after noticing Maya’s exhausted appearance tonight. “You’re finally home,” she said gently while lowering the volume slightly. Maya smiled weakly before stepping fully inside the small house quietly.

“The store was terrible today,” Maya admitted tiredly while slipping off her shoes near the entrance. Tracy’s expression softened even more. “I could tell,” she replied carefully. Maya paused slightly at that answer before looking toward the television screen properly for the first time tonight. Her footsteps slowed almost immediately after realizing what was playing on the screen in front of them both right now.

It was a video from the store.

Someone had already uploaded the entire argument online.

Maya’s eyes widened slightly in shock while Tracy glanced between both the screen and her face carefully. The video showed the customer yelling loudly, the surrounding crowd watching, and then finally Dan stepping calmly into the situation. Maya felt her stomach tighten immediately from embarrassment after realizing strangers online had probably watched the entire humiliating situation already by now tonight.

“Oh God,” she muttered quietly, immediately looking away from the screen. Tracy switched the television off at once before Maya could feel even more uncomfortable. “I didn’t know it would upset you this much,” she said softly. Maya forced a small shake of her head. “No… it’s fine,” she answered automatically, though her voice sounded weaker than usual while speaking tonight honestly.

Tracy studied her face silently for a moment before asking carefully, “Are you alright?” The question itself sounded simple, but something about the gentleness behind it made Maya’s chest tighten unexpectedly. For a second, Dan’s face crossed her mind again. His calm eyes, steady voice. The way he looked at her afterward without pity. Maya quickly pushed the thought aside before it could settle deeper inside her emotions tonight.

“I’m okay,” she replied softly while moving toward the kitchen to help organize things automatically like she always did after work. Tracy watched her carefully from behind before standing slowly too. “Maya,” she called gently again. Maya paused slightly but didn’t turn immediately. “You know you don’t always have to pretend you’re strong all the time, right?” Tracy asked quietly from behind her.

For a brief second, the exhaustion she spent the entire day hiding suddenly felt heavier inside her chest. But instead of answering honestly, she only smiled faintly before finally turning around again. “If I stop pretending,” she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, “I might cry for three business days straight.” Tracy laughed softly at herself after hearing that.

The small joke eased the heaviness inside the room slightly, but even while helping Tracy prepare things for tomorrow morning, Maya’s thoughts still drifted elsewhere, sometimes without permission. Toward a calm stranger with gentle eyes who appeared unexpectedly in the middle of her worst moment today. And somewhere deep inside herself, she hated how comforting that memory actually felt tonight.

After helping Tracy finish arranging the kitchen, Maya finally glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and immediately froze. “Oh no,” she muttered softly under her breath, quickly grabbing her bag again before Tracy could even ask what was wrong. Her foster mother frowned in confusion. “Where are you going again at this hour?” she asked carefully, already knowing the answer probably wouldn’t make her happy tonight.

Maya forced a guilty smile onto her tired face. “Night shift,” she admitted quietly while avoiding direct eye contact. Tracy’s expression dropped immediately. “Again?” she asked in disbelief. “Maya, you just came back from work.” Maya laughed weakly while adjusting her hair quickly in front of the mirror nearby. “Bills don’t really care if I’m tired,” she joked softly, though both of them knew it wasn’t actually funny anymore.

Tracy sighed heavily, concern filling her face completely now. “You can’t keep exhausting yourself like this,” she said gently. Maya walked over immediately and hugged her briefly before she could continue worrying too much. “I’ll be fine,” she promised quietly. “It’s only a few hours.” Tracy didn’t look convinced at all, but she still nodded slowly anyway because she knew Maya had already made up her mind completely.

Less than thirty minutes later, Maya stepped inside the crowded bar, immediately greeted by loud music, flashing lights, and the overwhelming smell of alcohol filling the air. The atmosphere felt completely different from the short warmth of home. Here, everything moved fast. Too fast. Customers laughed loudly while waitresses rushed between tables, trying desperately to keep up with endless orders again tonight.

“Maya!” her coworker called immediately after spotting her. “You’re late!” Maya groaned softly. “I know, I know,” she replied while quickly tying her apron around her waist. Her body still ached from the earlier store shift, but there wasn’t time to think about exhaustion now. The manager was already yelling for drinks, and customers were growing impatient everywhere around them tonight already.

“Table seven needs their order now!” another waitress shouted while rushing past her quickly. Maya picked up the tray carefully before moving through the crowded space skillfully despite her exhaustion. She kept her expression calm, polite, professional. Even when strange men stared too long. Even when customers acted difficult. Working here taught her how to survive uncomfortable situations without reacting emotionally anymore over time.

Meanwhile, upstairs inside one of the private VIP sections, Dave sat lazily against the leather couch while half-listening to the surrounding conversations. Expensive drinks covered the glass table nearby while several businessmen laughed loudly about something unimportant. Dave looked completely uninterested. His expression stayed cold, distant, detached from everything happening around him tonight despite being physically present there himself.

“You look bored,” Jerry commented quietly from beside him. Dave scoffed lightly before reaching for his drink. “Because I am bored,” he replied bluntly. His eyes drifted absentmindedly across the crowded lower floor below the VIP balcony without real interest. But then suddenly, his gaze paused slightly after noticing a familiar figure moving carefully between tables carrying drinks through the loud crowd downstairs tonight.

At first, he didn’t think much about it, but then the waitress turned slightly and Dave froze for half a second. He saw Maya and was very sure of it.

Then he calls his assistant and points at her, "Tell the manager I want her services."