The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 249

Chapter 249

Violet

Two Weeks Later

I had officially learned something about planning a gender reveal party..

Nobody listened. Not Rowan. Not Theo. Not Devin. And certainly not Camille.

Especially not Camille.

The reception hall buzzed with activity around me as I stood in the center of the room, trying very hard not to lose what little patience pregnancy had left me with. Sunlight streamed through the massive floor–to–ceiling windows overlooking the water, painting warm golden patterns across the polished hardwood floors. The entire venue felt elegant without being stuffy. Soft cream–colored walls, comfortable seating areas, oversized couches, and beautiful greenery made the space feel welcoming instead of formal.

The outdoor section was even prettier.

Large glass doors opened onto a covered patio decorated with hanging string lights and white draping that fluttered gently in the afternoon breeze. Beyond that sat a landscaped garden with flower beds, stone pathways, and a small pond tucked beneath a collection of willow trees.

It was exactly what Camille wanted. Beautiful. Romantic. Perfect.

And somehow still not enough.

“Violet.”

I closed my eyes, sighing, before opening them again, “No.”

Camille gasped beside me. “I didn’t even ask anything yet.”

I pointed toward her without looking. “You were about to ask about the food.”

She paused….Maybe.”

I turned to look at her.

She was holding her stomach dramatically. Again. “The baby is hungry.

The baby ate forty minutes ago.

#11 Sat, May 30 M::>

Chapter 249

The baby would like to eat again.”

I stared at her. She stared right back. Then she smiled.

I immediately regretted everything.

Across the room, Theo looked up from the ladder he was standing on. “You literally just had two muffins.”

Camille pointed at him. “Those were for me.”

Theo blinked. “And?

She placed a hand over her stomach. “The baby wants actual food.”

Theo looked toward the ceiling like he was asking God for patience.

I honestly understood the feeling.

Hi

HE

=

Meanwhile, Rowan stood beneath a partially completed balloon arch looking entirely too expensive to be handling balloons. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms while he tied ribbon around clusters of pink and blue balloons with all the enthusiasm of a man filing taxes.

I pointed toward one side of the arch. “Move those balloons.”

He looked up. “Why?”

“Because they’re uneven.”

“They’re balloons.”

“They’re uneven balloons.”

Rowan stared at me. I stared right back. For a second, neither of us moved.

Then Theo started laughing so hard he nearly missed a step on the ladder. “Welcome to my life.”

I pointed at him next. “Keep hanging streamers.”

His mouth immediately snapped shut.

Devin, who was sitting comfortably in a nearby chair with a clipboard because I refused to let him lift anything heavier than a water bottle, looked entirely too pleased with himself. “I enjoy this version of Violet.”

Thank you, Devin.”

O

2/6

Chapter 249

“No problem. It’s nice seeing someone else order Rowan around.”

Rowan looked offended. “I am not being ordered around.”

“You absolutely are.”

“I own multiple companies.”

I nodded. “That’s nice.”

“I oversee thousands of employees.”

“Congratulations.”

His eyes narrowed.

I pointed toward the balloon arch again. “Fix the balloons.”

Theo nearly fell off the ladder.

Even Devin laughed hard enough that he immediately grabbed his side. “Ow.”

I pointed toward him too. “Stop laughing. Your ribs still hurt.”

“I’m healed.”

“You complained this morning.”

“I stretched wrong.”

A

1

xx

“Exactly.”

The gift table had become one of my favorite parts of the entire venue.

It stretched nearly the entire length of one wall and was already overflowing despite guests still arriving. Beautiful gift bags, wrapped boxes, stuffed animals, handmade blankets, tiny baby clothes, books, and cards covered almost every inch of

available space.

Someone had crocheted a pink baby blanket.

Someone else had delivered a giant stuffed giraffe that was almost as tall as Camille.

Another table nearby held party favors. Custom cookies shaped like baby bottles. Pink and blue candies. Tiny candles. Mini bags of popcorn labeled Team Boy and Team Girl. Matching cupcakes. Color–coordinated ribbons.

DOIG

IIL

O

3/6

Chapter 249

I may have gone slightly overboard. Only slightly.

Across the room, Devin slowly stood and adjusted a centerpiece by what looked like half an inch before stepping back to examine it critically.

He tilted his head. Walked around it. Adjusted it again. Then finally nodded. “Perfect.”

I blinked. “You moved it maybe half an inch.”

He pointed dramatically. “And now it’s straight.”

I decided not to argue because he was technically right.

The room slowly filled with familiar faces from Ashcroft Industries as employees arrived carrying gifts and greeting one another. For the first time in months, nobody looked stressed. Nobody looked scared. Nobody looked exhausted. People were laughing. Talking. Smiling. Living.

And maybe that was why this felt so important.

6

Because after everything we’d survived, after the bombings, the investigations, the arrests, the hospitals, the fear, and the constant uncertainty, this room felt like proof that life had continued anyway.

My eyes drifted across the crowd until they landed on Rowan.

He was standing near the balloon arch, talking with several employees while fixing decorations I had apparently deemed unacceptable. One woman said something that made him laugh. Actually laugh. Not the polite corporate version he gave investors. Not the carefully controlled version he used at events. A real laugh. The kind that softened his entire face. The

kind I rarely got to see before all of this happened.

e

And then his eyes found mine from across the room. Just for a second. Just long enough for his exple to change. To

soften. To become something that belonged only to me.

My heart squeezed.

Because somewhere between the destruction and rebuilding, somewhere between the fear and healing, Rowan Ashcroft had changed. Not into a different man. Just into the version of himself he’d spent years trying to hide.

And standing there watching him argue with Theo over streamers while Camille panicked about food and Devin supervised centerpieces like they were national security concerns, I realized something.

For the first time in a very long time… everything felt okay.

My moment of peace lasted approximately thirty seconds. Maybe less.

DOIG

O

4/6

Chapter 249

Because suddenly the front doors opened and one of the venue employees hurried inside looking relieved. “They’re here.

Camille practically teleported. “The food?!”

The poor employee blinked. “Uh… yes.”

Camille gasped dramatically before grabbing my arm. “The food is here.”

I stared at her. “I know.”

“The food is here.”

“You literally just heard him.”

“The food is here.”

Theo groaned from somewhere behind us. “Oh my God.”

Camille completely ignored him. Naturally.

-34-11

The second we stepped into the foyer area, several delivery drivers were already making their way inside carrying stacks

and stacks of pizza boxes.

And when I say stacks… I meant stacks.

There had to be fifteen. Maybe twenty. Possibly more. At that point I honestly lost count.

All I knew was that there were enough pizza boxes to feed a small army.

Which honestly wasn’t that far off.

Between employees, spouses, friends, family members, and assorted guests, we had somewhere around forty–five

attending.

Maybe more.

People kept showing up.

I wasn’t entirely sure if they were multiplying or not at this point.

111

O

people

5/6