Exclusive Romance

My friend Olivia came up with a "get-rich-quick" scheme for me: flirt with a CEO, then wait for his mother to show up and pay me off to leave him alone.

What I didn't expect? The CEO's mom did come, but she cried – tears of joy. "Oh, finally, someone dares to make a move on my son!"

I was speechless.

1

There were a thousand ways to make money, but I picked the hardest one.

After countless attempts and setbacks, I was finally summoned by the CEO's mother. Contrary to what every TV drama would have you believe, she wasn't intimidating at all. In fact, she was sweet, soft-spoken, and even took me to a hot spring.

With snowflakes swirling around in the dead of winter, I soaked in the outdoor hot spring, feeling both relaxed and a bit on edge. All those scenes of family feuds and suspicious disappearances started running through my mind, and I couldn't help but shiver.

I wanted to be upfront with her. "A nobody like me can be paid off easily – there's no need for drastic measures!"

"So, Caroline, tell me, how did you meet my son Cayson?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned in close, using my name as if we'd known each other forever.

Of course, she already knew everything about me. She'd brought me out to this deserted hot spring, with no money, no way to escape, and had me strip down to soak in the water. I was well and truly trapped.

This was what I got for listening to Olivia's bad advice and trying to flirt with a CEO.

Honestly, I'd never even dreamed of winning over someone like Cayson Greene. He's way out of my league. I was just aiming to make a bit of noise, that's all.

"Mrs. Greene, I really didn't do anything... It's just that Mr. Greene..." I stammered, trying to look pitiful to cover up my slip.

"I knew it – it's that brute's fault!" Her eyes narrowed, and then she looked at me with gentle sympathy again. "Go on, sweetheart, tell me everything. I'll make sure justice is served."

Wow, no wonder she was a powerful woman. She could switch between being as fierce as a judge and as tender as a saint without missing a beat.

Now, how was I supposed to untangle myself from this lie?

Everyone knew that Cayson, as a notorious workaholic and one of the most famously unapproachable men in the business world, was the epitome of a strict, no-nonsense type. He had an intimidating face and zero interest in romance, which had sent many hopeful women packing.

It took a lot of courage for me, a small nobody, to try to get his attention, all because Olivia dared me into it.

"Mrs. Greene, it's just that... Cecelia Norris from Mr. Greene's secretarial office went on maternity leave, and I was transferred over two months ago. During those two months, there were at least 48 days when he didn't say a single word to me," I explained hurriedly.

And that wasn't even an exaggeration. He communicated with me primarily through killing glares.

My total time in his office usually didn't exceed ten seconds.

"Oh? And after that?" she asked, intrigued.

"Well... then he started speaking to me. One word. Sometimes even two," Those early days had been hard to relive.

Cayson's scolding was notoriously concise.

"Out," "Redo," or "Get out."

I was practically crying three times a day. According to Ryan Ashton, his special assistant, I was doing better than most. Other girls barely lasted a day or two before quitting in tears. I was only the second woman, after Cecelia, to survive there.

Yep, that was right. Cayson's office was a sea of men, with me as the sole woman – though I was treated just like any other guy.

2

Seeing Mrs. Greene's eager expression, I had no choice but to keep going.

"Then, after that, Mr. Greene started giving me things – sometimes lunch, sometimes makeup."

The truth was, the lunches I bought for him looked so awful he'd throw it back at me. And the makeup? Those were samples from a brand partnership. Since I was the only woman in the secretarial office, he figured I should be the one to take them instead of letting them go to waste.

Mrs. Greene's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she urged me on, "So what happened next? Did he finally make a move on you?"

My smile was as strained as it could get. What kind of mom would hope her son was the one getting "taken advantage of"?

Now that I thought about it, there was one time Cayson ended up a little compromised by me. It happened because, well... I was young and foolish, and I let his good looks get to me.

"One night, I was driving Mr. Greene home from a gala. He'd had some drinks, and when we arrived, the power was out at his place. I, uh, got scared in the dark and just held onto his jacket without letting go, practically creasing his tailored suit."

The power came back in a few minutes, but by then, I was clinging to him like a koala. He stared down at me with utter disdain.

And, well, then it started raining, and I ended up staying over in his guest room.

That's when I found out he has a serious cleanliness streak. The next day, he threw out that suit because it had makeup and even my tear stains on it.

Mrs. Greene clutched my hands, her excitement reaching a new peak. "And then what happened?"

What happened? Well, that's when I started thinking, maybe this plan could work. Listening to Olivia's "foolproof" advice, I figured Cayson was too much of a workaholic and too indifferent to women to ever fall for me. I thought, if his family finds out and wants me gone, maybe they'd pay me off for my trouble.

So, I got to work.

When he didn't like my store-bought lunches, I started cooking for him – but purposely made it worse than the takeout.

When he complained my files weren't marked up well enough, I put a little heart sticker by every highlight – bright red and impossible to ignore, except for him.

And I threw in a few classic moves, too: a little water spill here, a "lost" pen there, a softer tone when speaking.

Soon enough, the rest of the office thought I'd lost my mind. But, it worked – Mrs. Greene reached out for "a little chat."

I went into that meeting thrilled at the prospect of a payout. The future was so bright, I hadn't even decided which neighborhood to buy a place in yet.

Of course, I didn't tell Mrs. Greene any of my actual plans. Instead, I told her all about the little "thoughtful gestures" I did for Cayson.

She listened intently and then fell into a deep silence.

That's when I started to panic. A strange dread washed over me.

Finally, Mrs. Greene sighed and murmured, "Finally, someone with the courage to go after my son."

Wait... What? Wasn't she supposed to try to scare me off?

Then came the check I'd been waiting for, except it wasn't exactly what I'd expected.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Mrs. Greene took my hands and beamed at me. "You're such a dear. Here's a million dollars for spending money – just to help you keep on... 'pursuing' Cayson. If you need more, just ask!"

3

Tears almost welled up... What on earth was happening?

Where was the "routine" here? This was supposed to be a tried-and-true method, but instead, I felt completely lost.

Trying to flirt with Cayson wasn't just challenging; it was a life-risking venture.