The CEO WHO Erased Me

Chapter 1 The first time I saw him again, I forgot how to breathe Not the dramatic kind you see in movies, not the soft gasp or shaky inhale, I mean it literally felt like my chest locked up and my lungs refused to work, like my body recognized him before my mind could catch up Sebastian Steele I hadn’t said his name out loud in two years, not since the night he walked away from me like everything we had meant nothing And yet there he was Standing at the far end of the conference room, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture straight, his presence filling the entire space like he owned it… which, apparently, he did My fingers tightened around the file in my hand as I stood frozen by the door No No, this wasn’t happening I had checked the company name, the department, everything, there was no way I would have accepted this job if I knew… “Miss Carter?” The voice snapped me back I turned quickly, forcing myself to move, forcing my feet forward like they didn’t want to betray me “Yes… sorry” I walked into the room like nothing was wrong, like my heart wasn’t pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it, like the past wasn’t standing right in front of me wearing a cold, unreadable expression He didn’t react That was the worst part No shock No recognition Nothing Sebastian Steele looked at me the same way he looked at everyone else in the room—calm, distant, professional Like I was a stranger Something twisted painfully in my chest So this is how it was going to be Fine I could do this too I straightened my shoulders and took my seat, placing the file neatly on the table, pretending my hands weren’t slightly shaking The meeting started Voices filled the room, numbers, strategies, plans, but none of it registered properly, my mind was too busy trying to process the fact that the man who once held me like I was everything… now acted like I was nothing I stole a glance at him Big mistake His eyes were already on me Dark, steady, unreadable For a second, just a second, something flickered there Something familiar Something dangerous Then it was gone He looked away like it didn’t matter Like I didn’t matter I swallowed hard and forced my attention back to the meeting This was just a job Just a job That’s what I told myself over and over again Until the meeting ended Chairs moved, people stood, conversations started, and I stayed seated a second longer than necessary, trying to steady myself I just needed to leave That’s all Get out, go home, pretend this never happened “Miss Carter” My name His voice Low, calm, and way too familiar My heart skipped I closed my eyes for a brief second before standing up and turning to face him “Yes, sir?” The word tasted strange in my mouth Sir As if I hadn’t once whispered his name in an entirely different way He studied me for a moment, his gaze sharp, almost like he was searching for something “You’re new” It wasn’t a question “Yes” A pause Too long Too heavy “You’ll be working directly under me” The words hit harder than they should I felt it That slight shift in my chest, that uncomfortable tightening Of course I would Because life clearly had a sense of humor “I understand” I said, keeping my voice steady His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, then he gave a small nod and walked past me like nothing had just happened Like we had never happened I stood there, unmoving Trying to breathe Trying to think Trying to convince myself that I could handle this I had survived him once I could survive him again Right?.... By the time I got home, my head was spinning I dropped my bag on the couch and sank into it, staring at nothing Of all the places in the world Of all the people It had to be him I let out a shaky breath and leaned back, closing my eyes “Get it together, Amelia” I muttered to myself This changes nothing He left He made his choice And I… I moved on At least that’s what I had been telling myself My phone buzzed beside me I frowned and picked it up Unknown number For a second, I considered ignoring it But something made me answer “Hello?” Silence Then a voice Low Unfamiliar And yet… not entirely “You shouldn’t have gone back to him” My grip on the phone tightened “What?” A soft chuckle came from the other end Cold Unsettling “Some memories are better left forgotten, Amelia” My heart started pounding “Who is this?” No answer Just breathing Then— The call ended I stared at my phone, my mind racing What kind of nonsense was that? A prank? But the way he said my name… It didn’t feel like a joke A strange uneasiness settled in my chest I shook my head and dropped the phone, trying to ignore it I was overthinking That’s all I stood up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water But as I lifted it to my lips… My hand paused A sudden sharp pain shot through my head I gasped, gripping the counter as memories—no, flashes—hit me A dark room Voices arguing Sebastian’s voice… urgent… desperate “Do it now, before it’s too late” My breath caught What… was that? I blinked rapidly, the pain fading just as quickly as it came The glass slipped slightly in my hand That didn’t make sense I had never My phone buzzed again I froze Slowly, I turned Same unknown number My heart pounded as I picked it up This time, I didn’t speak The voice came immediately “You’re starting to remember… aren’t you?” A chill ran down my spine “…remember what?” I whispered A pause Then “Ask your boss what he took from you” The line went dead And this time… I knew something was very, very wrong