My Alpha CEO

Two weeks

MARIE

Two weeks.

Two excruciating, soul-crushing weeks of endless overtime. My days have been consumed by paperwork, late nights, and fatigue. Every morning I dreaded the new torment Sebastian had in store for me.

It almost feels like Sebastian is trying to break me, testing my patience in a sick way with every impossible task he dumped on me.

“I can’t do this. Not like this.” I groaned.

If he keeps dumping his work on me, I might drop dead at my desk. It’s bad enough that he nitpicks everything I do, but the nagging? It’s like working for a pregnant woman. Frustrating doesn’t even begin to cover it. I know this is some sick endurance test, a game to see how long I’ll last, but I’m hanging by a thread.

I can feel it, the exhaustion pressing down on me, making my limbs heavy, and my head foggy. Any minute now, I might just collapse, and I doubt he’d even care.

The shrill ring of the telephone cuts through my thoughts, grating against my nerves. For a brief second, I consider throwing the damn thing at the wall, just to see if it would shatter as easily as my patience.

I snatch it up with a sigh, but before I can get a word out, his cold, clipped voice comes through the receiver.

“Come to my office. Now.” Then he hung up.

“Gosh, he is so annoying. No greeting. No explanation. Just a demand.”

I let out a frustrated huff, dragging my exhausted body to his office. If he’s about to dump even more work on me, I might just lose it.

“You called, sir.”

“We will be traveling for a three-day conference starting tomorrow. You have an hour to pack your things. Make it snappy, I hate waiting.”

I stood frozen, eyes wide.

Is he crazy?

“And don’t forget your passport. Now move it, Marie! I don’t have all day,” he added with an eye roll.

Why was I stuck with this asshole again?

Explaining my sudden departure to my parents was a blur. By the time I made it back, Sebastian was already waiting in the car, looking as impatient as ever.

The driver collected my luggage and loaded it into the trunk, while I opened the car door only to be greeted by the sight of my hot but infuriating boss.

“I said an hour, not an eternity,” he scoffed.

“I’m sorry, sir. It took longer because of traffic.”

If only you had picked me up from my house, I wouldn’t be late, I added silently.

“Whatever.”

I slid into the seat beside him, and the car pulled away immediately. Exhaustion settled into my bones, and my tired eyes drifted to the source of my frustration.

Sebastian sat beside me, focused on his iPad, his sharp eyes scanning the screen as he typed away. His expression was unreadable, like always. Completely void of emotion.

Annoyingly handsome.

“What a waste,” I muttered under my breath.

“Meaning?” His piercing gaze locked onto mine.

I swallowed. Crap. Did I say that out loud?

“Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a nervous laugh.

His eyes lingered on me for a second before he returned to his work. I let out a silent breath of relief.

As we followed the bellboy to the elevator, exhaustion weighed down on me. The journey had been long, and dealing with my insufferable boss had drained whatever patience I had left.

The soft chime of classical music played in the background, but the silence between us was deafening. I could feel Sebastian's eyes on me, but I refused to look at him.

The moment we reached the third floor, I was ready to bolt to my room.

Sebastian handed me one of the key cards. “Try not to oversleep. I don’t need you dragging behind like a lost puppy tomorrow.”

I exhaled sharply. "You just love killing my mood, don't you?"

"I don't have to try very hard," he shot back, his smirk deepening.

I snatched the card from his hand and forced a tight smile. “I’ll be sure to set an alarm, sir.”

His smirk deepened like he enjoyed my irritation. “Good girl.”

I rolled my eyes and stormed into my room before I said something that would get me fired.

The second the door clicked shut behind me, I let out a long, frustrated sigh.

“Why did I even take this job again? Oh right because it paid ridiculously well.”

I tossed my suitcase onto the bed and flopped down beside it. The mattress was soft, the room smelled like expensive lavender-scented candles, and for a brief moment, I let myself relax.

God, why did I have to be stuck with Sebastian of all people? The man was hot, yes. But his personality? A nightmare.

I sighed into the pillow. “I just had to survive these three days.”

Early the next morning, I had to drag myself out of bed for the conference meeting. Every bone in my body protested, and my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. To make matters worse, Sebastian sat beside me during the ride to the company, watching me suffer with a knowing smirk that made me want to smack it right off his face.

I barely survived the grueling hours in that boardroom. Every slide, every report, every discussion felt like torture. Just when I thought I was free, Sebastian swooped in with one last blow, a charity event in a few hours.

He conveniently forgot to mention this earlier. With a smug smile, he handed me an invitation and walked off like he hadn’t just ruined my evening.

Back in my hotel room, my exhaustion vanished the moment I laid eyes on the stunning collection of dresses spread before me. A group of women had arrived, courtesy of Sebastian, to ensure I was event-ready. At least he had an eye for detail.

“I think this would look lovely on you, miss.” A gorgeous blonde held up a sleek red gown, the fabric shimmering under the light.

“With your shape and the jewelry we’ve picked out, you’ll be breathtaking,” Mila, the stylist in charge, added with a satisfied grin.

I had to admit, they knew what they were doing. With a shrug, I surrendered myself to their expertise. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Mila smirked. “Take a seat and let me work my magic.”

Two hours later, my hair was styled to perfection, my makeup flawless, and the red gown fit me like a second skin. When I finally looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. I looked hot.

A slow smile spread across my lips as I admired the finished look. “Time to see what Mr. Grumpy Pants has to say about this.”