Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3: My Boss Was Here!

Ana’s POV

I collapsed onto the bed, papers scattered everywhere across Zoe’s sheets.

Zoe was my best friend. We had been inseparable since high school, complete opposites in every way. I was the shy, awkward nerd who got bullied for spending lunch breaks buried in notebooks, while Zoe was the bubbly, beautiful, free-spirited girl everyone wanted to be around.

She never cared about popularity or appearances, she just… saw me. Somehow, she decided that the shy, awkward bookworm was worth her time, and over the years, our differences had forged a bond that neither of us could ever break.

I had been living with Zoe ever since my mom kicked me out. According to her, writing wasn’t a real career, it was just my excuse to be lazy and useless. I had contributed nothing to the family, not like my picture-perfect older sister, Bianca, the business analyst with a stable job at a top firm.

I was completely drained, my eyes burning as I stared at the mountain of paperwork that had taken me hours of nonstop work to finish.

Finally, a shaky breath of relief escaped me as I collapsed onto the bed, my body heavy with exhaustion, yet my mind refused to rest. His voice still echoed in my head, low and commanding, reminding me of his warning about consequences.

Why did that thought send a chill down my spine?

I shook my head hard, trying to snap myself out of it. “Anna, freaking hell. Get it together.”

I pressed my forehead against the pillow, trying to will away the panic. I couldn’t lose this job. Not now. Not ever. I had bills to pay, a life to rebuild, and no family willing to take me in again.

The door swung open, and Zoe waltzed in, humming one of those pop songs she had been obsessed with lately, the kind she blasted every morning on her speakers until the neighbors complained.

Her humming stopped the second her eyes swept across the bed. “Whoa,” she said, blinking. “What happened here? Did a storm hit? Or maybe a train?”

Before I could answer, she plopped right onto the mess.

“Careful!” I hissed, diving forward to snatch a few crumpled pages from beneath her. “Don’t wrinkle those, I just finished working on them!”

“Oops, sorry!” she laughed, shifting to one side and trying not to crush another stack. “But seriously… wow. My guess is, Mr. Ocean Eyes must be really pissed to dump this much work on you.”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I kind of brought it on myself.”

Her brows arched, curiosity lighting up her face. “How so?”

I let my head fall back against the pillow. “I got distracted during an important meeting.”

Zoe’s grin was immediate, mischievous. “Oh! Let me guess… you were writing about your CEO again?”

Guilt washed over me. “I was not,” I snapped, too quickly, knowing the truth was worse and praying she wouldn’t see through me.

“Uh-huh,” she smirked knowingly. “I think we both know you’ve been crushing on Mr. Blackwood since the day you started working for him.”

“No! I am not crushing on him!” I protested, waving my hands like that would erase the truth. “He’s my boss, okay? That’s all!”

“Sure…” she drawled, eyes sparkling. “Then why are you writing about him?”

I blinked rapidly, panic creeping in. “Wait, did you go through my laptop? You didn’t, right?”

“Well…” Zoe stretched out her legs, squinting at me like she was enjoying this far too much. “You dozed off with your laptop about to fall, and I was just about to move it… when I saw…”

She placed a hand on her chest, mock guilt on her face. “I promise I didn’t really go through all of it. But I saw enough to know… you adore this man.”

“Personal space, Zoe! You need to learn that,” I scolded, tugging a stack of papers closer.

“I’m sorry, Ana,” she said, shrugging innocently. “But the write-up was too juicy to pass over. I mean… especially the chapters. You were practically drooling over him, longing to be kissed by him.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “I was not drooling! It’s fiction, Zoe. Purely creative writing. It’s for my readers.”

Zoe chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Right. Your readers. Sure thing.” She winked. “I’ll drop it… for now.”

“Thanks,” I muttered with a weak smile, and began gathering the papers back, carefully stacking them before Zoe could wrinkle more of them.

“But seriously, Ana,” Zoe said, snatching a few papers from my hands before I could stop her. “You need to breathe. You’ve been working nonstop since you got back. Maybe… just a tiny break wouldn’t hurt. And I have the perfect idea.”

She pulled out her phone, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she waved it in front of me. “Guess what? I got exclusive tickets to Zetrov’s birthday party.”

I blinked. “Who?”

“Zetrov,” she stressed the name like it should have come with fireworks. “As in the Zetrov. The billionaire. The one who owns half of downtown.”

I frowned. “Zoe, you can’t be serious. I can’t go clubbing. I have work tomorrow.”

“It’s not a club,” she countered, her grin spreading, the kind that always spelled trouble. “It’s a birthday party. An exclusive one. I got invited… VIP tickets, Ana. Do you know who’s going to be there? Actual billionaires, influencers, people who sneeze and get sponsorships. Just this one night… come on, it’s not like Mr. Ruthless CEO is literally going to fire you… yet.”

“Yes,” she sang, already sliding one glass toward me. “Come on, Ana. Just one.”

I shook my head. “I have work tomorrow.”

“You also have no life,” she teased, raising her glass. “So for tonight, let’s pretend.”

I hesitated, then sighed. Maybe she was right. Maybe I needed to forget for one night. I downed the shot, wincing as the liquid burned its way down.

A few minutes later, the room felt lighter. The tension in my shoulders eased as the alcohol began to kick in.

Zoe slid another shot toward me. I shook my head, but she just grinned and lifted it to my lips. I opened my mouth, and before I knew it, I had gulped it all down.

Zoe giggled. “That’s my girl. Now… let’s get down to why we’re here.”

I had never been much of a drinker. One shot and my brain felt fuzzy, everything spinning slightly, warm and soft around the edges.

Zoe nudged me, eyes sparkling like she had just discovered treasure. “Okay, don’t look now, but see that man over there near the center? That’s Zetrov. The young heir. Took over after his father passed. Isn’t he gorgeous?”

I followed her gaze, pretending not to care, though curiosity pricked at me. “Zetrov?” I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Mhm.” She nodded eagerly, eyes fixed on him. “He’s the reason half the people here showed up. Youngest billionaire in the country, inherited an empire from his late father. And that jawline? God must have lingered a little longer on him.”

I rolled my eyes, but Zoe kept going, starry-eyed. “Seriously, Anna, just look at him. So handsome, so put together…”

Despite myself, I turned to look.

And froze.

My mouth parted in silent horror. “Oh… shit.”

Zoe blinked, snapping her attention to me. “What? What is it?”

I tore my gaze away, then looked again, hoping I was seeing things. But no. There he was. Roman Blackwood, my boss, was here.