MY CEO

Lines And Looks

Monday mornings weren’t supposed to feel like interviews with fate.

Ethan smoothed his sleeves again as the subway lurched under his feet, trying not to overanalyze the minor detail that he’d changed outfits three times before leaving the apartment. Not because he cared what anyone thought, really.

Just… professionalism. That was all.

Not because of Adrian Blackwell.

Definitely not that.

Even if his words from last week were still echoing in Ethan’s head.

“Some lessons aren’t best taught in meetings..”

Maybe it was just a mistake and the message wasn't meant for me. Nothing special.

Maybe he wasn’t special.

He glanced down at his phone. No new messages from Alex. Just the silence of a very busy roommate and a calendar full of deadlines waiting for him.

Today was the start of his first full week at Blackwell & Co.

Time to focus.

By the time he stepped off the elevator onto the thirty-fourth floor, the glass-paneled kingdom of high-end marketing was already humming with activity. Staff moved quickly, typing as they walked, voice notes playing softly in wireless earpieces. The place thrummed with the same silent intensity it always had.

Ethan liked it. The pressure. The noise behind the quiet. It felt like stepping into a machine where every cog had a purpose.

He wanted to have a purpose.

“Morning, intern,” Laura Chu said as she passed him by, her fourth coffee already in hand.

“Morning,” Ethan replied, picking up his pace to follow.

“You’re joining the Valencia meeting today. We’re are going to be structuring the client angle after Friday’s discussion.”

“Got it.”

“Oh, and Mr. Blackwell will be sitting in . Don’t flinch.”

Ethan did flinch, just slightly.

Laura caught it. “Are you ok?

“I’m good,” he lied. “Just wasn’t expecting him to be in today's meeting, that’s all.”

“Get used to it. He’s more hands-on than people realize. Especially when he’s invested in a campaign.”

Or an intern, Ethan thought, then immediately shook the thought from his brain.

It didn’t mean anything. The message. The glance. The way Adrian had said his name.

Right?

The Valencia meeting took place in a bright corner room overlooking half the city. The skyline framed the window like a painting, but Ethan barely noticed. His focus was on the concepts being pitched, the language used, and the micro-reactions of the people at the table.

He liked observing.

He was good at it—reading between words, catching the shift in tone, the moment when confidence cracked or doubled down.

Which was exactly why he noticed it when Adrian entered the room—five minutes late, with no announcement—and casually took the seat across the table from him.

Ethan’s pen slipped in his hand.

“Please, continue,” Adrian said smoothly.

Laura didn’t miss a beat.

As the meeting resumed, Ethan kept his eyes on the printout in front of him. Still, he couldn’t ignore the presence across the table.

Adrian didn’t interrupt. Didn’t dominate. Just sat quietly, occasionally flipping through notes, occasionally… looking directly at Ethan.

Not for long. Not enough to call it out.

But enough for Ethan to notice.

The first glance came when Ethan offered a soft-spoken comment about aligning the brand voice with the updated social campaign. Laura nodded, someone else murmured agreement, and Adrian… looked up.

Just a flick of the eyes. A pause. A ghost of a smile, maybe?

Then it was gone.

The second came fifteen minutes later, when Ethan leaned over to help a junior strategist with her tablet. Adrian’s gaze lingered—again, only for a moment—but it made Ethan’s spine straighten.

Was he imagining it?

By the time the meeting ended, Ethan’s head was spinning.

He wasn’t sure what had just happened. Or if anything had happened at all.

Later that afternoon, he found refuge in the open office lounge, nursing a third cup of coffee and staring blankly at his screen.

He needed to stop obsessing. It was nothing.

“Staring that hard at an email won’t make it disappear,” said a familiar voice.

Ethan turned.

Alex.

Dressed in his usual off-duty graphic tee and black jeans, with a smug look that said I know something’s up and you’re about to tell me everything.

“Did you sneak in again?” Ethan asked.

“I have connections,” Alex said with a wink, dropping into the seat next to him. “Also, the receptionist likes me.”

“Of course she does.”

“So?” Alex leaned in. “Has your brooding billionaire boss seduced you with eye contact yet?”

Ethan groaned. “Don’t start.”

“I’m serious! You were a mess all weekend. Either spill or I’m hacking into the internal email server.”

Ethan hesitated.

“He sat in on our meeting today.”

“And?”

“He… looked at me.”

Alex blinked. “Looked at you.”

“I know how that sounds, but it wasn’t a normal look. It was like—” Ethan paused, flustered. “Like he was paying attention. Not just as a boss. Like—” he lowered his voice, “—too much attention.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Was he smirking?”

“No.”

“Winking?”

“No!”

“So what you’re saying is, he glanced at you like a professional CEO in a room full of employees?”

Ethan hesitated. “Maybe.”

“Babe,” Alex said gently, “you’re spiraling. A hot man gave you attention. That doesn’t mean he’s planning to r****h you against the boardroom window.”

Ethan flushed. “It’s not that I want that to happen.”

Alex just raised a single skeptical brow.

“…Okay, maybe I thought about it once.”

“There it is.”

“But I’m serious,” Ethan insisted. “It’s the way he looks at me. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Look,” Alex said, more softly now. “Maybe he’s just naturally intense. Maybe he does have a little crush. But unless he says something—or does something—you’re better off focusing on your work.”

“I know. I just... feel like something’s happening. And I’m not sure what it is.”

Alex patted his hand. “That’s the worst part. The waiting.”

By Wednesday, Ethan had convinced himself to be completely normal.

Professional. Focused. Immune.

Which was immediately tested when he walked into the office kitchen for tea and found Adrian already standing there, alone, stirring sugar into a mug.

He froze for a half second.

Adrian didn’t look up at first—just added a final dash of something from a sleek little silver tin, stirred again, and turned.

“Morning,” he said simply.

“Morning,” Ethan replied, voice tighter than he wanted.

Adrian glanced down at Ethan’s ID badge.

“No tie today,” he said casually.

Ethan blinked. “Oh. Uh, yeah. I figured… the dress code’s flexible?”

“It is. But I think this color doesn't suit you.”

Then, without waiting for a response, Adrian picked up his mug and walked past him, nodding politely on his way out.

Ethan stood there, completely motionless.

What the hell was that?

That wasn’t just polite. That wasn’t nothing.

But it wasn’t quite something either.

Just a line. Just a look.

Thursday brought another test of his professionalism.

Laura had called in sick, and Ethan was left to assist with a branding review presentation for a new skincare startup. Which was fine. He could handle himself.

Until he walked into the conference room and saw Adrian sitting at the table—this time, as the lead on the account.

There were only five people in the meeting. No hiding.

Adrian acknowledged Ethan with a simple nod. “Mr. Reyes.”

“Mr. Blackwell.”

The formality helped. Kind of.

Until halfway through the review, when Ethan made a casual comment about visual tone, and Adrian looked at him like he’d just said something brilliant.

“You have a good eye,” Adrian said, to the whole table—but his gaze was locked on Ethan’s. “Don’t lose that.”

Ethan swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”

Then the meeting moved on like nothing had happened.

Friday evening arrived like a sigh of relief. Ethan made it through the week.

He didn’t implode. He didn’t cross a line. He did his work, kept his head down… and tried very hard to ignore the CEO who kept glancing his way like Ethan was an unsolved equation.

But when Ethan opened his inbox to shut things down for the weekend, one message stopped him cold.

From: A. Blackwell

Subject: Feedback

Body:

Your input during today’s review was insightful. I appreciate the clarity you bring to new client perspectives. Looking forward to more of that next week.

– A.

Professional. Simple. Harmless.

So why did Ethan feel like his chest was full of fireworks?

He closed his laptop and grabbed his coat.

“Going out?” asked a voice behind him.

Ethan turned. Adrian stood near the office door, adjusting his cufflinks.

“Just heading home,” Ethan said quickly.

Adrian nodded once. “Rest well, Mr. Reyes. Monday will be another full week.”

“Yes, sir.”

Their eyes met. Just for a second.

Then Adrian walked away.

Ethan walked out trying not to pay too much mind into Adrian comment. Walking through the Crowded city of Bangkok at 9:00pm tried from work.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

He almost didn’t check it, expecting a text from Alex about dinner.

But it wasn’t from Alex.

Unknown Number

Eat well and sleep more. Take the weekend. Rest.

You’ve earned it. This week was really backed with work.

– A

Ethan stood frozen on the sidewalk.

It was short. Vague. Not quite inappropriate.

But personal.

Very personal.

He stared at the message for a long time, heart thudding in his chest.

He didn’t respond.

Couldn’t.

Because what do you even say to something like that?