Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 121

Ryan tapped his pen against the smooth surface of his desk, his eyes skimming the budget reports in front of him. Something didn't sit right, and it wasn't the numbers. Ever since Kylan had left for his much-deserved vacation with Katrina and Clarence, the office had taken on an odd atmosphere. The absence of Isabella, Kylan's assistant, was glaring. Normally, her obsessive presence was hard to miss. She hovered like a shadow around Kylan, always finding some excuse to invade his personal space. But for the past few days, she was nowhere to be seen. Ryan leaned back in his chair, his ex-cop instincts stirring. Maybe it was just coincidence. Or maybe

A knock at his office door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Ryan called.

The door swung open, and Aaron stepped in, his usual mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Hey, buddy! Thought I'd swing by and check if you're still alive under all those spreadsheets." Ryan smirked. "Barely. What's up?"

Aaron dropped into the chair across from him, propping one ankle over his knee. "Nothing much. Just got back from our client that needed tech support on their cameras and thought I'd stop by to bug you." He paused, noticing Ryan's distracted expression. "What's got you all broody?"

Ryan set his pen down and frowned. "It's probably nothing, but have you noticed Isabella hasn't been around since Kylan left?"

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Isabella? Miss 'I live to breathe Kylan's air'? Now that you mention it, she hasn't been lurking in the halls, has she?" "Exactly," Ryan said, crossing his arms. "I've been in and out of meetings, but every time I looked for her-gone. It's weird."

Aaron let out a low whistle. "Interesting. You know, I had a run-in with her last week. She was acting... off." Ryan's brow furrowed. "Off how?"

"Well," Aaron leaned forward to speak in a low voice, "Remember when Kylan called for the heads of every department to designate his workload?" Ryan nodded. "I caught her practically chaining Kylan to his desk. Poor guy looked exhausted, like he was ready to collapse. I told him to give me some of his workload. Then he told Isabella to call all heads to the conference room. I went to ask what took her so long, but I caught her staring at her calendar, looking disturbed. I saw Katrina's handwriting and found out Kylan shouldn't have been in the office that long since the schedule was evenly spread out. So I told her off. Reminded her Kylan has a family to go home to. You should've seen her face-like I'd just told her Santa Claus wasn't real."

Ryan's jaw tightened. "She's always been a little too attached to Kylan, but this sounds more like an obsession."

Aaron nodded. "She's definitely crossing boundaries. Kylan's a good guy, but he's too polite for his own good sometimes. He probably didn't want to tell her to back off."

Ryan's mind raced. If Isabella's behavior was escalating, her sudden absence could mean one of two things: either she was embarrassed and lying low, or she was planning something. And Ryan didn't like either scenario.

"I think we need to keep an eye on this," Ryan said finally. "If she's not here, she could be trying to reach Kylan. He deserves peace on his vacation, and Katrina doesn't need this nonsense either."

Aaron gave him a firm nod. "Agreed. You know I'd do anything for Katrina and Kylan. Let me know if you need backup."

"Thanks," Ryan said, appreciating Aaron's loyalty. "For now, let's keep this between us. No need to stir the pot unless we're sure."

"Got it," Aaron said, standing up. "But don't wait too long to act if she's up to something. I've seen enough bad movies to know how these things play out."

Ryan managed a small smile, but his unease lingered as Aaron left. He made a mental note to call Kylan later, just to check in. For now, he would keep his eyes open.

Because when it came to Isabella, ignoring the signs was no longer an option.

~0~0~0~

The gentle sound of the shower filled the bathroom, blending with the faint hum of the night. Katrina stepped under the warm stream of water, letting it cascade over her, washing away the traces of the day spent under the sun. She smiled, feeling the salt of the sea give way to the soothing heat of the water.

Moments later, Kylan appeared in the doorway, his presence grounding and familiar. "Clarence go down alright?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

He leaned against the doorframe, his face soft with a quiet smile. "Out like a light. She had a great day, thanks to you."

She chuckled lightly. "You helped too."

Kylan shook his head as he stepped closer. "Not as much as you think." He joined her under the spray, letting the water run through his hair. Katrina moved aside, giving him room, and watched as he tilted his head back to rinse off.

Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek against his back. "Clarence adores you, Kylan. You make her days brighter just by being there. Don't sell yourself short."

He turned in her embrace, his eyes searching hers before leaning down to kiss her. It wasn't rushed or hurried it was slow and filled with unspoken words, a quiet acknowledgment of everything they'd built together.

"You're too kind," he murmured against her lips.

"Maybe," she replied with a soft laugh. "But it's true."

His hands found her waist, steady and familiar, as he drew her closer. The water wrapped around them, but it was the warmth of his touch that made her feel entirely safe. Their movements were unhurried, their breaths mingling as they kissed again. Katrina smiled against his lips. "Do you ever stop thinking about work?" she teased lightly, her tone playful.

"Not when I'm with you," he replied, his voice low and sincere.

Time seemed to stretch in that small space, the rest of the world falling away. There were no grand gestures, just the comfort of knowing they were exactly where they needed to be in each other's arms.

When the water began to cool, Kylan turned off the shower and wrapped her in a towel, his hands lingering as he brushed droplets of water from her hair. "Come on," he said softly, his forehead resting against hers for a moment. "Let's call it a night." Her smile was gentle, her hand finding his. "Okay," she whispered, letting him lead her out.

~0~0~0~

the beach on one side and the shops on the other. She smiled at her daughter, softly singing to her as Clarence kicked her little legs and tried to sing along, though she didn't know all the words yet. Kylan walked beside them, fondly watching Katrina and Clarence. He was enjoying the day, especially after last night and this morning. The results of their fun activities were evident on Katrina's neck and chest, and Kylan couldn't help but admire her more with Clarence in her arms. Just

Dexter said, stopping in front of them. "You look stunning today, and your cute daughter... I can't

She's really a beautiful girl, just like her

Dexter

of Katrina, glaring at Dexter. "Tch, yeah, and I'm

"Ah," Dexter muttered.

his jaw.

in her

to the zoo,

just don't get blood

Dexter gulped, clearly uncomfortable. He didn't want to be

here, *sshole, what are your

some woman, but I have to say, she's one hot woman. I want her so badly. Must be hard for you not to f*ck her all the time." Kylan slammed his hand against the wall next to Dexter's head, making him jump. "Tch, listen here, you little sh*t. You're about as

"W-what?" Dexter stammered.

break every f*cking bone in your body and rip your bowels out so you can't sh*t ever again. That stunning woman is my wife. She is mine, and no one else's. Got it?" Dexter was terrified

sure you do." He slammed his foot into Dexter's groin, making him scream and drop to the floor, clutching his painful

pain. He spotted Katrina outside the zoo, pointing at pictures as she

it back

Clarence saw Kylan. "Daddy!"

"Hello, Clarence, you ready

"Yes, daddy."

bounced Clarence in her arms. "Do you want

She nodded. "Yes, Mommy."

Clarence over. "There we go. Now let's see all the pretty

Kylan's head.

was adorable. She stopped and stared at the penguins for a long time, and when Kylan tried to move, Clarence stopped him. He lifted her

held her hand

held her hand. "Ready to

She nodded. "Yes, daddy."

them. "I bet she'd

He stopped by

her little

a platform She hugged Katrina's leg, and then continued to watch the pandas. Katrina ruffled her hair and smiled. "I think

"I think

crouched down and hugged Clarence. "Do

She nodded. "Yes."

"They're very cute, aren't they? Do you want to see some

to Katrina

reached out for Kylan and held his hand. "Just this way." They came to a stop,

her cheek. "I'm glad you like them,

around Katrina and kissed her temple. "You

"She likes cute things right now. Can't blame her,

Shall

looked at Clarence. "You

her eyes and nodded.

walked with Kylan. "You

to

it's okay." Clarence yawned and rested her head against Katrina.

their daughter. "She's adorable. I can't

down at Clarence. "Neither can I. So,

He opened

body. Kylan held her

you carrying her heavy little body around. She's not that heavy, but it'll ache your arms after

then

smiled and grabbed it. "Clarence will

"I think she will."

"I'll pay."

allowed to pay

well. I have a lot of money to spare because we don't have a fancy car, or home, or

have a point. Alright, I'll let you treat our

cheek. "I want