Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Roman’s POV

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“I’m sorry.” Her voice was lower now. “I didn’t know…”

I ran a hand through my hair. I have always kept my life in order. I think ahead. I do not walk in blind. But with her? None of it sticks. I act before I mean to, and I fucking hate it.

She blinked at me like I had just switched languages.

“What?”

“This.” I gestured between us. “You lied just to be with Laurent.” I swallowed. “Do you like him? Do you want to be with him?”

She looked away for a second, but it was just enough.

“I… I don’t know.”

There it was again. Not the truth, just space to hide in. My father used to say patterns do not lie, people do. And patterns always repeat. First the small lies, then the bigger ones. Then the betrayal you never see coming because you believed the excuses. I had watched it cost him everything because he could not see past what he

wanted to believe.

I needed to pull back before I lost myself completely.

“I’m giving you an out.” I kept my voice even. “From me and all of this.”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“What?” She moved around the bar now. “Are you serious?”

I turned away, refusing to look at her. If I saw her face, I would change my mind. I always did with her. It was safer to let her go now, before this thing between us grew roots too deep to pull out.

“First you drag me out of a restaurant like I’m your… property.”

She grabbed my hand, forcing me to face her. “And now you want to send me back to him without asking if that’s what I want?”

“Because I detest liars, Anna!” The words came out louder than I intended.

She flinched, then let go of my arm.

“You lied to go see another man.” My face hardened. I could not hold back the anger anymore. “You could have just said the truth.”

“I knew you would react like this. That’s why I didn’t tell you!”

17:32 Mon, Mar 2

Chapter 127

:

“You can’t put this on me.” I slammed my hand on the bar. “When you’re the one who lied.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do!”

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“Then what?” I moved toward her. She backed up until the bar pressed against her spine. “What are you trying to do, Anna?”

Her breath hitched, but she did not look away.

“This isn’t how I am.” I grabbed her arm, not hard, but firm enough that she felt it. “I don’t react. I don’t walk into rooms looking for a fight.”

“Roman…”

“Back there? I almost put my hands on Laurent. In public. Over you.” My other hand came down on the bar beside her, caging her in. “That’s not me.”

Her chest rose and fell faster now.

“I don’t move without thinking it through. I don’t let things get under my skin like that.” I leaned closer, unable to resist the slender softness of her.

I breathed in her scent, raspberry and vanilla mixed with fear and desire radiating off her. “But you do that to me. You make me step forward instead of step back. You make me act first and deal with it later.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing…”

“And I don’t like that version of myself.” My grip on her arm tightened just slightly. “The one who loses control. The one who stands his sister up all because of a woman who lied to him instead of just letting her go.”

She swallowed. Her free hand came up and rested against my chest, not pushing me away.

“This is why I have to let you go, before this gets worse.” The words scraped from the back of my throat. “So take the offer. It might not be on the table for long.”

Her lips parted. I saw the protest forming in her eyes, the argument rising to her tongue.

Then my phone buzzed, cutting through the moment,

Maison Beaumont.

For him to call this late, it had to matter..

My blood ran cold for a second. Had he heard about the restaurant? Had Laurent gone running to him about the scene?

I looked at Anna. “I have to take this.”

She shook her head. “Roman… can’t we just…”

17:32 Mon, Mar 2

Chapter 127

I was already walking.

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I did not look back when she called my name again. I went straight to my office and shut the door behind me.

The phone started ringing again before I reached the desk.

“Maison.”

“Roman. Hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

“Kind of,” I replied, keeping my tone even. “But I’ll make the time. What’s going on?”

“Apologies, but this is important.”

“Go ahead.”

“Listen, I’m hosting a gala in two weeks. A high-profile event. Investors, press, the works. I want to do a runway presentation, a pre-launch for the Maison Beaumont campaign. Get people excited before the official

release.”

I frowned. “Maison, we’re not ready for that. The runway isn’t scheduled until…”

“I know the timeline,” he interrupted. “But this is an opportunity we can’t pass up. The guest list alone is worth millions in exposure. I want Beaumont’s latest collection front and center. Your team can make it happen.”

Two weeks.

“That’s a tight turnaround.”

“You’ve handled tighter. That’s why I entrusted you with our business.”

I paused. “Have you spoken to Laurent about this?”

“I’ve tried. He seems to disagree with the direction.” Maison’s tone shifted slightly. “But I expect you to get him on board.”

It was not a request, but a decision already made.

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