Chapter 3 — Catty CHAPTER 3 — Catty's POV
(The CEO Who Shouldn't Love Me)
The office was quiet.
Too quiet.
I sat at my desk, hands folded tightly over my notebook, pretending to work. The faint hum of the air conditioning did nothing to calm the storm inside me. My heart still raced like it had just escaped from my chest, and my thoughts refused to obey.
Alexandre Knight.
Why did he have to exist?
Why did he have to be so impossibly… dangerous?
I kept replaying last night over and over—the rooftop. The rain. His voice. The way his forehead brushed mine. The confession.
"Because I think I'm already falling for you."
I had heard it. My ears didn't lie. But maybe my mind did. Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe it was some cruel trick he played to keep me close.
No. I had to be realistic. This was Alexandre Knight. Billionaire. Cold. Calculated. Untouchable. Yet somehow… he had allowed me to see something he never showed anyone.
Something human.
And now he had me working under him again. My "promotion" to his personal assistant felt less like a reward and more like a trap.
I glanced around the office. Everyone else was busy typing, making calls, or pretending not to notice my existence. My hands shook slightly as I picked up my pen. The meeting notes blurred before my eyes. I couldn't focus.
And then I felt it—a familiar chill creeping up my spine. The kind of cold that didn't come from air conditioning or rain. It was his presence.
I looked up.
Alexandre Knight was standing near my desk. Hands in his pockets. Eyes fixed on me like I was the only thing in the room that mattered.
My stomach clenched.
"Good morning," I whispered, keeping my voice low, careful.
He didn't respond immediately. He just looked. That stare… it was heavy, suffocating, intimate. I felt exposed, and yet, I couldn't look away.
Finally, he spoke. Low, steady, commanding, yet softer than usual:
"Catty, sit with me for a moment."
I swallowed. I wanted to refuse. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide somewhere, anywhere that wasn't near him. But I couldn't. Not while he looked at me like that.
I rose and followed him to the lounge area just outside his office. His office doors were wide open, a silent warning to anyone who dared watch.
Once we were seated, he leaned back, his eyes never leaving mine. The air felt thick, charged, like the calm before a storm.
"I meant what I said last night," he said, almost whispering.
I froze. My fingers tightened around the edge of my chair. "You… you did?"
"Yes," he replied simply. No hesitation. No evasion. Just… the truth.
And that scared me. More than anything.
"Then… what do I do now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My throat was tight. My pulse thundered in my ears.
He tilted his head, studying me like a sculptor examining a masterpiece. "Stay."
I blinked. "Stay?"
"Yes. Here. With me."
My heart jolted violently. My mind screamed that this was impossible. Unprofessional. Dangerous. Everything in my life had always been about boundaries, rules, and survival.
And now… all of that had been shattered by one man who had decided, for no reason, that he wouldn't let me leave.
"Alex…" I began, and then caught myself. No. Not Alex. Not here. Not now. "I… I can't—this isn't…"
"Stop talking," he interrupted. His voice, low and firm, sent shivers down my spine. "I know it's wrong. I know it's impossible. I know the risks. But I can't… I can't let you go. Not yet. Not ever."
I wanted to protest. I wanted to scream. I wanted to leave. But I couldn't move.
And then he leaned slightly forward, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my knees feel weak.
"You're involved now," he continued. "Not just in my business… in my life. And I don't make exceptions for anyone. Especially not you."
My breath caught. His words were like fire, burning through every wall I had built around myself. I couldn't run. I couldn't hide. I couldn't fight the way my heart fluttered when he said those words.
I wanted to. I should have.
But I didn't.
Instead, I nodded slowly. "I… I understand."
He exhaled, tension leaving his body in a fraction of a second. It should have been a sign of relief. But all I felt was the weight of what I'd just agreed to.
This wasn't just about a job.
This wasn't just about staying close to my boss.
This was something else. Something deeper. Something dangerous.
Something I didn't know if I could survive.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur.
He gave me instructions, deadlines, tasks. I nodded, took notes, typed emails. But I wasn't really listening. My thoughts kept drifting back to last night. Back to his hands brushing mine. Back to the way his forehead had touched mine. Back to the confession I didn't know how to respond to.
And then… there was the way he watched me. Always watching. Not like a boss watching an employee. Not like a man watching a woman. But like a man who had already claimed something—no, someone—without permission.
It was terrifying.
And intoxicating.
I couldn't breathe when he leaned over my shoulder to point at a spreadsheet. His hand brushed mine, deliberately, or maybe by accident, I didn't know. The air between us ignited. My pulse raced. I wanted to pull back, but I couldn't. I wanted to run, but my feet refused.
The world narrowed to one thing: him.
And in that moment, I realized… I was lost.
Completely.
I should hate him.
I should fear him.
I should run.
But I didn't.
Because somewhere deep inside, a tiny, reckless part of me wanted him to fight for me.
To protect me.
To claim me.
Even though I knew it was wrong.
Even though I knew it was dangerous.
Even though I knew falling for Alexandre Knight could destroy me completely.
And the worst part?
I didn't care.
Not anymore.