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."

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

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

can respond, there's another knock at the door. I frown, wondering who it could be. When I open it, my

"Mia?"

grins, her dark hair falling in loose waves around her

What Do I

+25 BONUS

hell are you doing here?" I pull her Into a hug, genuinely glad to see her. Mia

left," she says, pulling back with a smirk. "Against mother's

raise an eyebrow. "Does

her eyes on Gabriel. "Judy's sponsoring me to come work in the U.S. She wants me at Brennan Industries.

Gabriel. I'll do whatever I want. Judy's offering me

head spinning a little. I didn't expect this. "You're staying

then?"

it's sharp, almost calculated. "Only for a few nights. Then I'm moving in with

sinks. "Wait, you're moving in

place to stay while I settle in. It's just business,

on Winona. You really want to get close

for a second, but she shrugs again. "I know how to handle myself, Cass.

head. "And your shares? What about

I didn't.

watches Mia like he's trying to figure her out. But Mia's

headstrong, and

to stay here," I say, not wanting their family argument to spiral. "For as long as

couch. "Only a few

This situation with Mia, I feel like I'm

arguments with

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