DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter My CEO 343
343 What Do I Want? 13 What D
(Cass) I
I sit in my small, cluttered apartment, staring at the text Gabriel sent an hour ago. He's pushing me again, wanting me to go with him while he builds his venture. My excuse is always work. I love my job.
I'm still learning, still growing in the kitchen, even if the chef is a bit of a hard-ass.
Gabriel doesn't get it. He keeps talking about this hospitality business he's setting up-food, accommodation, a destination for corporate team-building weeks, conferences, whatever.
It sounds impressive, sure. But the idea of working under him, tied to him like that...it doesn't sit right. I don't want to be part of his empire, whatever that is.
He has a conditional green card now and blind Freddy can see our lives are moving away from each other.
I glance around my apartment, a mess of half-folded laundry, mismatched furniture, and the faint smell of weed that lingers no matter how much I air the place out.
Maybe the pot's been a bit too frequent lately, but it helps. Work's been stressful. The chef at the restaurant has been on my case constantly, and I've already had one warning for being late too many times. But I'll figure it out. Winona and the kids are leaving soon. So what? I'll be fine.
There's a knock at the door and already I know it's Gabriel. He's been trying to talk since last night. I open the door, and he's standing there, that serious look on his face. He's always so damn intense.
"You ready to talk now?" he asks, stepping inside without waiting for an answer.
I shrug. "Sure. If you're ready to hear the same thing again."
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Cass, this is a big opportunity. The money's secured. My conditional green card came through, and the business is ready to go. Why can't you see how good this could be for us? We could build something together."
"I don't want to work for you, Gabriel. I've got my own thing going on." I turn away from him, busying myself with folding some laundry I'd left on the couch. "I love my job. I'm not going to just drop everything."
"You wouldn't be working for me. We'd be partners," he insists, his voice getting that edge it always gets when he's frustrated. "And I'm going to be away a lot, traveling for business. It's not like we'd be tied at the hip."
I toss a shirt into the pile, more aggressively than necessary. "I'm not interested in going into business with you. It's way too much commitment. It is what it is, Gabriel. You do what you want to do, and I'll do what I want."
Before he can respond, there's another knock at the door. I frown, wondering who it could be. When I open it, my jaw nearly hits the floor.
"Mia?"
She grins, her dark hair falling in loose waves around her face. "Surprise!"
343 What Do I Wand?
+25 BONUS
"Mia! What the hell are you doing here?" I pull her Into a hug, genuinely glad to see her. Mia gets me even though we haven't known each other that long.
"I left," she says, pulling back with a smirk. "Against mother's wishes, of course."
I raise an eyebrow. "Does Maria know you're here?"
"She knows, but she doesn't approve." Mia steps inside, glancing around the apartment before landing her eyes on Gabriel. "Judy's sponsoring me to come work in the U.S. She wants me at Brennan Industries. I'll be learning the business," Mia air quotes dramatically. Gabriel's face hardens. "Mia, that's a mistake. Judy can't be trusted."
Mia shrugs him off with a laugh. "Please, Gabriel. I'll do whatever I want. Judy's offering me a chance, and I'm taking it."
I watch the tension between them, my head spinning a little. I didn't expect this. "You're staying with me
then?"
Mia smiles, but it's sharp, almost calculated. "Only for a few nights. Then I'm moving in with Judy
My heart sinks. "Wait, you're moving in with her?"
Mia nods. "She's giving me a place to stay while I settle in. It's just business, Cass. Don't worry."
"Don't worry?" I repeat, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. "Judy's pulled a lot of crap on Winona. You really want to get close to her? This isn't just business, Mia. She manipulates everyone around her."
Mia's face softens, just for a second, but she shrugs again. "I know how to handle myself, Cass. I'm not Winona. This is about the future I want to build for me.
Gabriel shakes his head. "And your shares? What about those? We all agreed-no selling to Judy."
my shares." Mia's grin turns smug. "You agreed. I didn't. I can do whatever I want with
I can see Gabriel's jaw tighten. He doesn't say anything for a moment, just watches Mia like he's trying to figure her out. But Mia's always been hard to read.
She's impulsive, confident, headstrong, and more than a little reckless.
"Well, you're welcome to stay here," I say, not wanting their family argument to spiral. "For as long as your need."
"Thanks," Mia says, throwing her bag onto the couch. "Only a few nights. But time for us to go party and catch up."
Gabriel's still standing there, silent, but I can see the storm brewing behind his eyes. This situation with Mia, I feel like I'm getting dragged into something I don't want to be part of.
I have enough arguments with my own sister.
Gabriel throws his hands into the air. 1 guess I'll go and let you two catch up. Not like anyone listens to me anyway."
I don't respond as he leaves. We've grown apart. I'm already regretting a lot of things. Like getting involved with Gabriel. Like letting my life spiral down the way it has. Like biting off way more than I can 343 What Do I Want?
chew with this work schedule.
+25 BONUS
The truth is, I miss my mom so damn much. Gabriel feels like a stupid mistake more and more every day.
He wants to settle down, to build a life together, but I'm not ready for that.
He gets angry when I don't fit into his mold and fall at his feet
The age difference, the cultural differences... it's all becoming so clear now.
I don't want to be tied down like that.
"Hey, you got any? You know?" Mia asks with a wink.
"Sure."
We head into the tiny bathroom.
Work isn't for two hours, I'll be fine.
+25 BONUS
344 Mid Flight Worry