THE CEO AND THE CHAOS CONTINUES
650 Words
Liam Carter’s morning had started calmly. Too calmly, for his liking.
He sipped his espresso while scrolling through the latest reports on his tech company, Carter Innovations. A minor scandal had erupted overnight — someone leaked a prototype video, and the internet was already buzzing with theories, memes, and insults.
Liam sighed. “Perfect. Just perfect,” he muttered, pushing the tablet aside.
His assistant, Ethan Blake, peered over his shoulder. “Sir, the charity gala prep starts tomorrow. Our CEO image rescue mission begins. And you promised to meet the planner today.”
Liam grunted. “Right. The planner. Hopefully someone competent this time.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’ll see.”
Meanwhile, Aria Lawson was trying to contain her excitement in the elevator of Carter Innovations. She straightened her blouse for the third time and rehearsed her greeting in her head:
“Good morning, Mr. Carter. I’m Aria Lawson, your event planner. Pleasure to meet you. I assure you… I’m completely competent.”
By the time the elevator doors opened, she was already sweating.
And then she saw him.
Tall. Dark. Impossibly handsome. Wearing a perfectly tailored suit that looked like it cost more than her entire apartment. He was standing by the reception desk, scrolling through his phone.
Aria swallowed. “Okay, breathe. You can do this.”
She approached him confidently… and promptly tripped over the corner of the carpet.
Her laptop bag flew forward, smacking Liam squarely in the shins.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed, steadied himself, and looked down at her.
Aria’s face turned fifty shades of red. “I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t—”
“It’s okay,” Liam said, hiding the smirk that threatened to escape. “You’re… enthusiastic, I’ll give you that.”
Aria gulped. “Yes, very… enthusiastic.”
Ethan, watching from a distance, shook his head subtly. Oh, this is going to be interesting.
Liam led her to the conference room. “So, you’re the genius behind tomorrow’s charity gala?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Yes! I’ve already drafted some concepts. I—”
“Before you start,” Liam interrupted, “I need to be clear. This event is extremely important. The company’s reputation depends on it. Any mistake… and it reflects badly on all of us.”
Aria nodded vigorously. “Absolutely. No mistakes. Flawless. Perfect. I—”
“You get the point,” Liam said, smiling faintly.
She noticed the corners of his mouth twitch, and a small spark of hope flared in her chest. Maybe he’s not completely terrifying.
Just then, the door opened, and in walked Maya Rivers, Aria’s best friend, carrying three bags of snacks, a tiny emergency sewing kit, and a portable speaker blasting upbeat music.
“Aria! I knew you’d need backup!” Maya declared, dramatically tossing a granola bar in Aria’s direction.
Liam blinked. “Uh… who is she?”
“Best friend,” Aria said quickly, trying to push Maya behind her. “She… helps me… morale… yes.”
Maya waved. “Hi, CEO dude! I’m Maya! Don’t hurt my friend!”
Liam’s expression went from amused to stunned to thoroughly entertained. “I think I’m going to like working with you,” he said, smirking.
By the end of the day, Aria had survived:
Tripping over carpets (twice)
Dropping her laptop bag on Liam’s foot (also twice)
Accidentally scheduling two caterers for the same time slot
And somehow, she still felt like she was winning.
Liam, on the other hand, was silently plotting. This woman is chaos wrapped in charm. And somehow… I like it.
As Aria left the office, she turned back once and caught Liam watching her with a faint, rare smile.
She walked into the city sunset, thinking, This is going to be the adventure of my life.
Little did she know, it had only just begun.
- Writer
