My Secret Night With The CEO

Giselle Montague had just entered the office when a colleague pulled her aside. "Big news! The Boss was drugged last night and slept with someone. Now he's searching everywhere for that woman!"

Giselle's body stiffened.

Her colleague whispered on, oblivious. "His neck is covered in hickeys. So intense! The Boss has always stayed away from women—twenty-eight and never had one. Some tried to sleep with him before for power, but he destroyed their reputations and ruined their families. If that woman is caught, I can't imagine the consequences!"

Giselle's face paled. She dug her nails into her palm.

She couldn't say she was that reckless person.

But she hadn't meant to. Yesterday at the company team-building, she'd drunk too much and stumbled into the wrong room. Valentin Dobbins had also been drinking. Somehow, they ended up together.

When she woke, he was in the shower. She saw his passport and realized who he was. Knowing his ruthless methods, she fled immediately.

Listening to her colleague, Giselle's heart sank. But she was just a low-level intern—after three months, she'd never even seen him. He probably wouldn't recognize her.

With faint hope, she said casually, "That woman is bold. I hope he finds her soon."

Before her colleague could respond, their supervisor Ryder Martin strode in. "All interns, prepare for a meeting in the main conference room at ten. Mr. Dobbins is holding it personally. Don't mess up."

Giselle's heart tightened. Why would Valentin meet with interns? Had she left a clue?

She nodded uneasily with the others.

Meanwhile, in his office, Valentin recalled last night's absurdity. He'd been drugged by a minor celebrity. Before he could call a doctor, a drunk girl stumbled in. Her light fragrance made him unable to resist.

For the first time in twenty-eight years, he'd felt interest in a woman.

But his consciousness had been hazy, and the hallway surveillance was broken. Finding her would be difficult.

His assistant Brian hurried in with an envelope. "We searched the room and found only this."

Valentin opened it. Inside was a paper with neat handwriting and a name at the bottom: Stella Montague.

His eyes glinted. "Investigate her. Bring her to me."

Brian nodded, then said, "The new interns are here for the meeting. Here are their resumes."

Valentin flipped through them, then paused at one.

"Giselle Montague?"

The handwriting looked familiar, but he set it aside. "Prepare for the meeting."

By ten o'clock, Giselle headed upstairs. Just as she reached the stairs, her phone rang. Worried about wasting time, she hung up, but it kept ringing persistently.

She finally answered. A shrill scolding voice erupted.

"You bastard! Where did you go last night? I told you to help Stella write an application letter to that art school in Astoria. Did you do it?"

Giselle's nails dug into her palm.

The caller was her mother, Susan. Stella was her pampered sister. Giselle had grown up like a weed—her parents hadn't even wanted her to go to college. Only scholarships saved her from being forced into marriage. Meanwhile, Stella got art school funded by the family.

Suppressing bitterness, Giselle said, "Yesterday was a company team-building event—"

"Useless! Is your little job more important than Stella? Mail that letter now! If you delay her application, you'll pay, you bitch!"

The line went dead.

Giselle took a deep breath. She'd mail it after the meeting. But when she reached into her bag, the letter was gone.

How could it be lost?

Ryder's voice came from behind. "Giselle, why aren't you at the meeting?"

She apologized and rushed upstairs, but it was already 10:03.

The other interns were seated. Valentin sat at the head in a black suit, his hawk-like eyes cold and unfathomable. Just his presence was overwhelming.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gaze locking onto Giselle.

Her scalp tightened as his icy voice echoed. "You—your name is Giselle?"

Her fingers trembled. Had he recognized her? So fast?

"Yes, I am..." she forced out, her mind flashing back to last night—how he'd gripped her waist, bitten her, taken her.

What would he do to her?

Before she could compose herself, he rotated his pen, his tone ice-cold. "I thought after three months, everyone here would know Dobbins Group's employee code. The meeting was at ten. You're five minutes late, Ms. Montague. Do you have any regard for company rules?"

Giselle stood frozen.

Did he mean...

The next second, Valentin put down his pen.

"Pack up your things. Your internship is over. The company will not be hiring you."