Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Trapped Between My Plan and the Reality of Him

Anna’s POV

This was all Zoe’s fault.

If she hadn’t spent hours curling my hair into perfect waves, if she hadn’t contoured my face like I was walking

a runway, I wouldn’t be late, walking into this boardroom like a disaster, drawing every eye.

I’d lied about the emergency. Words tumbled out before I could stop them, some nonsense about a family crisis that didn’t exist. What else could I say? Sorry I’m late, everyone, I was busy doing my makeup and squeezing into this dress to get revenge and make my CEO realize what he’s missing?

Yeah, that would’ve gone over well.

Now I looked unprofessional, unserious; like I didn’t value this job, this meeting, or the millions on the line.

Sitting this close to Roman felt like being near a live wire, every nerve screaming to move, run, escape before I combusted.

I tried to summon courage, tried to remember everything Zoe drilled into me. Be bold, be confident, make him see what he’s missing, make him regret it.

I finally forced myself to meet his gaze. Gone was the cool blue I’d grown used to.

His eyes had darkened, almost black, glowing with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

If I could disappear, melt into the floor, vanish into thin air, I would. God, I would. But I couldn’t. I was trapped between my plan and the overwhelming reality of him.

I quickly looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer.

Laurent’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Anna, I can see you’re still a little unsettled, but seriously, do you need any assistance? I want to be there to help, if you would let me.”

I felt Roman tense beside me, his body going rigid.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself back into character. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? To make Roman jealous? To show him I had options?

“Thank you for the offer, Mr. Beaumont. Really. But everything’s sorted now. I appreciate your concern.”

Roman shifted like he was about to speak, but before he could, Maison cut in smoothly.

“Wonderful to hear everything is sorted, Anna.” His eyes swept over me with genuine warmth. “You look absolutely beautiful, by the way. It’s great to have you here.”

Heat crept up my neck. “Thank you.”

“Now,” Maison continued, his gaze sweeping the room with the knowing look of a man who’d seen too many power struggles to count, “I believe there’s no need to waste any more time.”

Roman straightened immediately, seeming to welcome the shift. “Absolutely. The contracts are all drawn up and placed before you. All we need are signatures.”

Maison chuckled, leaning forward to examine the pages of documents. “Ah, the moment of truth. Once we sign on the dotted line, there’s no backing out. You’ll be stuck with us, Roman. I hope you’re ready for the Beaumont chaos.”

Roman’s lips curved into a slight smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ve built my career on handling chaos. I think I’ll manage.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Maison said, picking up the expensive pen that had been placed beside the contract. “Let’s make this official, shall we?”

He drew a bold signature across the bottom of the page.

Then he slid the contract toward Laurent.

Laurent picked up the pen, twirling it between his fingers as he leaned back in his chair. “Before I sign this, I

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Chapter 69. Trapped Between My Plan and the Realit….

have one more request.”

The room went still.

Roman’s expression shifted instantly into a scowl. “What do you mean, one more request? Everything was finalized days ago. Your legal team approved every clause.”

Maison frowned, turning to his son with visible confusion. “Laurent, what are you talking about? We went over this contract thoroughly. You approved it yourself. What request?”

Laurent’s smile was mischievous. “Since this is going to be a long-term partnership, and we’re investing millions of dollars, I think it’s only right that I have an office here. At Blackwood.”

Roman stared at him like he’d spoken another language. “An office? You want an office here?”

“Yes,” Laurent said smoothly, leaning back further in his chair with an arrogance that made me look at him sideways.

“The building is massive. Surely you can spare one office. We’re going to be working closely together for the foreseeable future. I’ve officially moved all my operations to the US. Europe is in my past. So it only makes sense that I have a workspace here.”

Maison’s frown deepened. “Laurent, we discussed this. We can rent office space elsewhere. There’s no need to impose on Roman’s company like this.”

“It’s not an imposition,” Laurent countered. “It’s practical. This is a partnership, not just a regular advertising deal. We’ll be collaborating constantly. Having an office here streamlines everything.”

Roman’s hands curled into fists on the table. “You don’t need an office here. We can communicate perfectly fine through scheduled meetings and emails. That’s how every other client operates.”

“But I’m not every other client, am I?” Laurent shot back, his smile widening. “This is different. You know it is.”

They stared each other down, the tension so choking I could barely breathe.

Roman’s mind was clearly working, weighing his options. I could see the internal battle playing out across his face. He knew what Laurent was doing. Knew this was about more than just office space.

Finally, Roman exhaled sharply. “Fine. You want an office? You can have an office.”

Laurent’s eyes gleamed with victory. “I want an office close to Anna.”

The words hung in the air like a bomb.

Roman’s expression went from controlled anger to pure fury in an instant. “You’re fucking kidding me. What do you think this is, Laurent? Some kind of joke?”

“I’m completely serious,” Laurent said calmly, though his eyes danced with amusement. “I already told you, I’ve taken an interest in Anna, and I want us working together frequently. It makes sense.”

“Like hell it does.” Roman snapped, rising to his feet. “Anna is my personal assistant, and she’s off limits to you or anyone else. She works strictly for me. If you need staff assistance, Michelle here can show you to our HR department and they’ll assign someone to you.”

He leaned against the table, his whole body radiating barely controlled rage. “I’m done playing your stupid games. This is a serious deal, not some playground for whatever the hell you think you’re doing. And if this is how you intend to run this partnership, then we can…..”

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