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Novel Catalog
Chapter 93 Hire An Acting CEO
Nathaniel’s eyes flickered with something unreadable as he heard Cecilia’s suggestion. He could feel the temptation building in his chest, the urge to be near her once more. He had tried to remain distant, tried to shut off those feelings that had been gnawing at him for years, but now they were surfacing with an intensity he couldn’t ignore.
He fought the pull for a moment, his mind grappling with the weight of everything. The humiliation, the resentment, the unresolved feelings. But despite all of that, he couldn’t deny the familiar ache in his chest when she was near.
“I suppose I can spare a little time this afternoon,” he said after a moment, his voice steady but his heart racing. He hadn’t expected her to make such a request, and yet here she was, standing before him, still so beautiful and effortlessly composed. A reminder of everything he had lost and everything he still wanted.
Cecilia smiled lightly, sensing the subtle shift in his demeanor. “Thank you,” she said softly, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment at his indifference. She had hoped, in some small way, that Nathaniel might still care enough to engage with her on a deeper level, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
As she turned to leave, she hesitated, as though caught in a moment of indecision. “Mr. Rainsworth,” she began, her voice unexpectedly quiet, “You still don’t understand, do you? It’s not just about the project. It’s about us… about what we once had. I know things aren’t the same, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s a chance… if we could ever go back to what we were.”
Nathaniel froze at the sound of her words, his breath catching in his throat. The vulnerability in her voice, the way she phrased it, hit him harder than he expected. For a moment, he was back there, in the past—those nights they spent together, the way she looked at him, the way she made him feel.
But he quickly pushed the thought aside, unwilling to let the warmth of those memories cloud his judgment. His jaw clenched, and he forced himself to focus on the present.
He exhaled sharply, his gaze hardening as he replied, “I don’t think we can go back to anything, Cecilia. Too much has happened between us.”
Cecilia’s heart sank at the coldness in his tone, but she refused to let it show. She had come here with a purpose, and she wasn’t going to let Nathaniel’s distant attitude deter her. “I see,” she replied, her voice steady but with a hint of sadness. “Well, we’ll see how the afternoon goes.”
With that, she turned and left his office without another word, leaving Nathaniel to grapple with the whirlwind of emotions that her presence had stirred within him.
As the door clicked shut behind her, Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, his mind a storm of conflicting thoughts. He had told himself over and over that he no longer cared for her, that he was past the pain she caused him. But when she was in the same room, when she looked at him with those eyes full of history and regret, it was impossible to ignore what still lingered between them.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then reached for his phone, making a quick call to Mason. “I’ll be out this afternoon. Handle anything urgent in my absence,” he said curtly before hanging up.
A part of him knew this trip to the children’s charity project wasn’t just about the cause—it was about seeing Cecilia again, trying to understand what she wanted from him, and maybe, just maybe, figuring out if there was a way forward for them.
When they arrived at the charity, the atmosphere was completely different from the cold, corporate world Nathaniel was used to. The children’s laughter and energy filled the air, and for a moment, he felt out of place. Cecilia, however, seemed perfectly at ease, moving among the children with a kind smile, her demeanor completely different from the sharp, business-like persona she often displayed.
She introduced him to a few of the staff and made sure to explain the specifics of the project, but Nathaniel found it hard to focus. His attention kept drifting back to her—how she interacted with the children, how she moved with such ease and grace, and how, even after everything that had happened, she still had the power to draw him in.
At one point, as Cecilia knelt down to speak with a child, Nathaniel noticed the soft, caring way she touched the little girl’s hair, her face lighting up with warmth. It was a stark contrast to the distant, guarded woman he had seen in his office just hours before.
For the first time in a long while, Nathaniel felt a pang of something—something he couldn’t quite place, but something real. Something that made him question all his assumptions about her and about their relationship.
When Cecilia stood up and turned to him, catching his gaze, she offered a small, almost hesitant smile. “I know things aren’t easy between us, Nathaniel,” she said quietly, her voice sincere. “But I believe in this cause. And I believe that, in time, we can find a way to work through everything else.”
Nathaniel stared at her for a long moment, torn between the old feelings he had buried and the bitterness that still clung to him. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “I’m not sure what you want from me, Cecilia. But if this is your way of trying to get closer… it’s going to take more than just charity work.”
Her heart skipped at his words, but she didn’t flinch. “I’m not asking for anything from you, Nathaniel. Not right now. I just want to help. I just want to make things right… in some way.”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened, his resolve wavering. The walls he had so carefully constructed were beginning to crack, and he didn’t know if he was ready to let them fall. Yet, something in her eyes—the same look that had always captivated him—was making it harder to hold on.
The afternoon stretched on, but in Nathaniel’s heart, time seemed to stand still, as he was pulled back into the orbit of the woman who still held far too much power over him.
