Charmed by the CEO

Kylie Moore stared at the shattered glass on the floor,her hands trembling as Mark's words echoed in her mind. "It wasn't real, Kylie. None of it. You were a distraction.Nothing more." Her heart felt like it had been ripped in two. She had loved him,trusted him,and for what? A lie. For months,mark had strung her along, promising her love and a future,while secretly seeing someone else. When she found out,he hadn't even bothered to deny it. His cold, callous confession had broken something inside her. Mark had walked out of her life because of her background, because she's an orphan. He had left without so much as a backward glance, leaving her standing in the wreckage of their relationship. Now,hours later,she sat in the quietness of her tiny apartment, replaying the painful conversation over and over again.Her phone buzzed on the table but she ignored it. There was nothing more to say. Nothing that could undo the damage. But despite the hurt and betrayal gnawing inside her, Kylie knew she couldn't afford to fall apart. At least,not now. She had to get to work. Carl wouldn't care about her broken heart,and rent was due in a week. With a deep breath,she grabbed her bag and headed out to the door. ******* By the time she reached the silver lounge,the usual buzz of the bar drowned out her thoughts, though the ache in her chest remained.The neon lights and loud music were a temporary escape from the chaos inside her mind. She had barely been there an hour when Carl,her boss, called her over."Kylie! Table seven,"he barked pointing to the corner of the room. She glanced at the table, instantly recognizing the sleazy looking man who had been harassing the other waitresses earlier. He was already drunk, slouched in his seat with a smug grin plastered across his face. Kylie shook her head."I don't want to deal with him tonight, Carl. Can't someone else..." "No,"Carl cut her off,his voice firm."You deal with him or you don't get paid.And trust me, you'll need that paycheck." Kylie's jaw clenched. He was right. She couldn't afford to walk away. Not with rent, college fees,and now,the mess of her break up weighing her down. Reluctantly,she grabbed a tray and made her way to the table, trying to suppress the swirling emotions threatening to overwhelm her. As soon as she approached,the man's eyes lit up and he gave her a sleazy smile."Well, well,look what we have here,"he drawled,his words slurred from too many drinks. Kylie forced a smile."What can I get you sir?" She asked,keeping her voice neutral, though her nerves were frayed. He leaned back,his gaze slowly raking over her."How about you bring yourself over here huh? Sit on my lap and we'll have a good time." Kylie stomach turned,but she kept her voice steady."I'm just here to take your order," The man's smile vanished, replaced by a dark scowl."Don't play hard to get,"he said,his voice low and dangerous."You think you're better than the other waitresses here?" Before she could respond,he reached out, grabbing her wrist with enough force to make her wince."You're gonna learn to be nice to men like me." Panic surged through Kylie as she struggled to pull away,her heart pounding in her chest."Let go of me!" She yelled, trying to twist out of his grip, but he only tightened his hold. Just as she thought things couldn't get any worse,a calm but firm voice cut through the noise. "That's enough," The man's grip flattered as both he and Kylie looked up to see a tall figure standing a few feet away. His eyes were sharp,filled with barely concealed anger as he glared at the drunk man. The man sneered."Who the hell are you!" The stranger's expression didn't waver."The guy who's telling you to let her go. Now." The tension between them was palpable,but after a moment,the drunk man released Kylie with a snort."I was just having a little fun." The young man didn't move,his eyes locked on the man."If you touch her again, you'll regret it." The drunk man mutter under his breath before stumbling out of the bar, leaving Kylie standing there,her wrist throbbing and her heart racing. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Are you okay?" The stranger asked,his voice gentler now. Kylie nodded, though she wasn't sure if she was. Between Mark's betrayal and the near assault,she felt like she was drowning."I...yh. Thanks" The young man nodded,his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Kylie stood there for a moment,the weight of everything pressing down on her. She had been decieved,broken,and nearly assaulted.All I span of a few hours. But as she watched the door where the stranger had disappeared,she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe,just maybe, this night wasn't the end of her story.