Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Anna’s POV

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I looked away, avoiding his intense gaze. The truth was, maybe I just wanted him to see what I had seen in him. But I was not ready to admit that to him yet.

“Of course not. I’m simply pointing out the obvious.”

Roman opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, the elevator slid open with a soft chime.

Elena.

Roman jumped up immediately and walked toward the elevator. Elena stepped out, looking radiant and happy.

“Brother!” She greeted Roman warmly, then her eyes swept over him with amusement. “You look very well. A bit disheveled, but well. Lily must have kept you on your toes.”

Roman ran a hand through his hair, which was indeed more tousled than usual. “You have no idea.”

They both walked into the living area, and Elena’s smile grew wider when she saw me still on the floor.

“Anna, thank you so much. Truly. I know babysitting was not what you signed up for today.”

I stood up, brushing off my clothes. “It was my pleasure. Really.”

“Where’s my little angel?” Elena asked, looking around.

I pointed at Lily, who was still playing with her blocks, completely absorbed in her task.

“Lily,” Elena cooed.

Lily recognized her mother’s voice and turned around, her face lighting up with pure joy. Her eyes immediately filled with tears, the happy kind.

“Mama!” Lily squealed, crawling fast across the floor toward her mother, her little legs moving as quickly as they could.

Elena scooped her up, covering her face with kisses, “Oh, my baby! I missed you so much!”

“Mama! Mama!” Lily wrapped her tiny arms around Elena’s neck, clinging to her.

Elena turned to us, her eyes shining with emotion. “Once again, thank you so much, Anna. You’re such a lifesaver. And you too, Roman. I know this was not easy for you.”

Roman shrugged, his expression carefully neutral. “She’s my niece. Of course I had to step in when left me no choice.”

you

both

Elena looked Lily over, checking her outfit, her hair, and her diaper with the experienced eye of a mother.

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Chapter 145

“She looks so well taken care of. Clean, fed, and happy. You two did an amazing job.”

“It was mostly Anna,” Roman noted.

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“Elena, do not let Roman fool you,” I interjected. “Roman helped greatly. I think he is really great at babysitting. It could be a side gig for him.”

Elena laughed. “Roman Blackwood, professional babysitter. Now that is an image.”

“He’s talented, such a natural with kids,” I continued, enjoying the way Roman’s jaw tightened. “And Lily loves him.”

As if on cue, Lily looked over at Roman at that moment, reaching out her little hand toward him. “Ro-Ro!”

Everyone laughed except Roman, who shot me a look. “Ganging up on me with my sister, Anna? You forget I am your boss.”

Elena’s eyebrows shot up. “You work for my brother?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “I am his personal assistant.”

Elena looked genuinely surprised. “Roman has never let any of his workers visit his house. Even his last assistant, he fired her after a few weeks. And yet here you are.”

Her eyes moved between us knowingly. “Learning the dynamics of your relationship is even more interesting than I thought.”

Heat crept up my neck. “We’re not in a relationship. I just work for him. There’s nothing more.”

I saw Roman stiffen beside me, his entire body going rigid as his eyes flashed with anger. But he did not say a word. He just stood there in stony silence.

Elena waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, no need to explain. I understand.” But her smile suggested she understood something entirely different.

“But you see, there is obvious chemistry between you both, and I found you both in bed together this morning. So there is no need to pretend. I, better than anyone, understand these dynamics.”

Roman stepped in, cutting Elena off, his voice sharp. “How did the investor meeting go?”

Elena’s face lit up, accepting the change of subject. “Really well, actually. I am feeling pretty confident. They seemed genuinely interested in the concept and asked all the right questions. They said they will let me know within a week.”

“Do you want me to follow up with them?” Roman offered, his business persona sliding back into place. “I can make some calls, put in a good word. I know a few people on their board.”

“No,” Elena said quickly but firmly. “I appreciate it, Roman. I really do. But I want to win this on my own. I need to know I did it myself, that they invested because of my idea and my pitch, not because of my last

name.”

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Chapter 145

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Roman nodded, and I saw genuine pride in his expression. “Alright. But if you need anything, anything at

all…”

“I’ll let you know,” Elena promised, squeezing his arm affectionately.

Elena gathered Lily’s things, tucking toys and containers back into the diaper bag while Lily babbled happily on her hip.

We all walked them to the elevator.

“Say goodnight, Lily,” Elena prompted.

“Ni-ni!” Lily waved her little hand, her eyelids already drooping.

“Goodnight, princess,” Roman said softly, pressing a kiss to Lily’s head. His hand lingered for a moment, gently stroking her hair.

“Goodnight, sweetie,” I added, giving her chubby cheek a gentle squeeze.

They stepped into the elevator, and Elena gave us one last knowing smile before the doors closed.

The penthouse suddenly felt too quiet. The silence was almost oppressive after hours of Lily’s laughter and squeals.

I turned to Roman, who was still staring at the closed elevator doors, his expression unreadable.

“It’s officially over,” I started with a small smile. “I think it’s safe to say we did great.”

“Yeah.”

Just one word after the day we had.

I blinked, confused. “Roman?”

His shoulders tensed. I could see the muscle in his cheek ticking, the way it did when he was angry or holding something back.

He was upset.

And I knew exactly why.

Because I had told Elena nothing was going on between us. Because I had denied whatever this was in front of his sister. Because I had reduced what happened between us to just a working relationship.

“Roman, I…”

“I’m going to take a shower,” he cut me off, his voice flat and emotionless. He finally turned to look at me, but his eyes were cold and distant. “Then we need to work. The deadline for the Beaumont project is not going to be pushed back.”

He was putting the walls back up, shutting me out, retreating into the safety of business and contracts.

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Chapter 145

“Roman, wait…”

But he was already walking away, his back rigid as he headed toward his bedroom.

The door closed loudly.

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And I was left standing there alone, my heart sinking, wondering how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.