Chapter 2I Saw The Comments And Dumped The Toxic CEO

Sera never came home that night. I didn't sleep a wink either.

The next day, when I walked into the office with a knot in my stomach, she was already there, impeccably dressed and composed. The oppressive weight of the CEO radiated from her. She was a different person from the drunken, petty woman from the night before.

I nervously finished my presentation for the executive review panel. When I finished, she clapped along with everyone else. Her gaze was cool, even friendly.

I wondered, did my refusal to chase her actually calm her down?

The meeting ended, and I noticed small gifts on everyone's desks.

The CFO next to me gasped, eyes shining. "Wow, having a CEO girlfriend is great! Presents for everyone when her man gets promoted!"

The admin sister cleared her throat. "That's the new Executive Assistant's welcome gift to the staff."

The CFO was shocked. "A limited-edition perfume for a welcome gift for everyone? What new form of rich-kid humiliation is this?"

The admin gave me an uneasy look and pulled the CFO aside. "The new assistant is the only son of the Albright Group’s owner. And Ms. Kingston paid for the gifts. She said she was 'supporting her childhood friend.'"

So, Leo Albright. It all clicked into place.

Leo had been trying to use a job at Kingston Global as an excuse to get closer to Sera. The Albright family had repeatedly proposed a merger-by-marriage, a power couple linking the two families. Sera had refused because of me.

But after one night, she’d given in. She'd hired him for the Executive Office—a place so sacred, even I, her long-term boyfriend, had never been allowed a permanent seat.

I fought to block out any thoughts of what might have happened between them the night before. I opened my laptop, ready to work.

A colleague told me Sera was looking for me. I had something to discuss with her as well, so I headed straight for the Executive Suite.

I walked in and saw Leo sitting on the edge of Sera’s massive desk, his back to me. His body was pressed close to hers.

A searing pain shot through my palms. I never thought I would see Sera in such an intimate position with someone else.

I cleared my throat. Leo jumped up, startled.

He turned, and the smile vanished from his face. He pouted. "You've worked here for years. Don't you know how to knock?"

I paused, momentarily stunned. Knocking had never crossed my mind when entering Sera’s office.

"My apologies," I said flatly. "Next time you two are doing something inappropriate, you should remember to close the door."

Sera had been waiting for me to explode, but my words made her face twitch. Still, she remained outwardly composed.

"Did you call for me, Ms. Kingston?"

"The board has decided to put your promotion on hold," she replied calmly.

Leo shot me a look of triumph.

I stared at the tips of my shoes. I’d known it, of course. She hadn't been bluffing. She had personally stalled my promotion just because I hadn't groveled.

My chest felt like it was crushed by a thousand-pound weight. My eyes stung, but thankfully, the earlier pop-up warnings had prepared me. I managed to remain calm.

"Understood."

The silence was deafening.

"If you want to fight for it—"

I cut her off. "I don't. If there's nothing else, I’ll get back to work."

I turned sharply, but she called after me.

"One more thing. The West Coast project is being reassigned to Leo. You won't be in charge of it anymore. Please hand over the brief to him today."

I spun back around. "What did you say?"

I had poured six months of my life into the West Coast project. I hadn't taken a day off in months. The pressure had been so immense that I needed medication every night just to get a few hours of sleep. This project was my hope, my lifeblood. I needed it to prove my worth, to show everyone I wasn't just Sera’s kept man.

Sera knew how obsessed I was with it. She had even secretly leveraged her resources to support me. And now, when the project was on the cusp of success, she was giving it to Leo?

"Leo just joined the company. He needs a high-profile project to gain a foothold," she explained. "The West Coast project has a great reputation and is about to deliver results. It's the perfect training ground for him."

I fought back tears, my voice breaking. "You know this project is everything to me. Why would you do this?"

She smiled, a cold, vengeful smile. "I told you, I'm petty and I hold a grudge."

"Besides, I'm the owner. I don't need your approval to assign work. If you're unhappy, you're free to quit anytime."

Leo covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.

I glared at both of them. One smug and gleeful, the other poised and unbothered. They both believed I was too pathetic to walk away.

"Fine. I quit."

Sera's smile vanished. She looked at me in disbelief.

"Rhys Sullivan," she snapped, raising her voice. "Don't think your status as my boyfriend gives you the right to throw a tantrum. Don't think I won't let you walk out that door!"

I met her cold eyes. "Ms. Kingston, are you forgetting? We broke up."

She was momentarily speechless. Leo, seeing the tension, smirked but feigned concern.

"Sera, maybe let's just forget it. Don't fight because of me," he whined, then smiled a little too widely at me. "I'm clumsy. What if I mess up Mr. Sullivan's hard work?"

Sera caressed his head, her voice soft with indulgence. "It doesn't matter if you mess up. It's just a small project. Nothing to worry about."

My blood rushed to my head. It took every ounce of strength to keep from lunging at them. My fists were clenched so tightly my palms were bleeding.

"A company that uses projects to reward a lover isn't worth staying at. I'll consider these last few years of hard work a donation to the dogs."

"Who are you calling a dog?" Leo yelled, furious.

I laughed, a harsh, cold sound. "You know who you are."

"Rhys Sullivan!" Sera’s face was ashen.

I turned and walked out, not looking back.