Entangled With My Rival CEO

Chapter 52

Camilla winced as her intern delicately dabbed antiseptic on the gash above her eyebrow.

The searing pain caught her off guard, causing her to instinctively recoil.

Despite her best efforts to remain still, her body betrayed her as she tensed up with each subsequent touch.

"Sorry ma'am." The young lady said but her words barely registered in Camilla's mind as she winced, feeling the pain in her forehead intensify.

She nodded in acknowledgement, unable to form a coherent response as she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, hoping to block out the throbbing sensation that was spreading through her head like a relentless drumbeat.

She took deep breaths, trying to steady herself, but her efforts were interrupted by the sound of her office door slamming open, causing her to jump in her seat.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she whipped around to see Alexander barging into her office, his expression fraught with concern and his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

Camilla's surprise quickly turned to annoyance as she realized her assistant had overstepped her boundaries by calling Alexander without her permission.

She turned to Lauren, who stood in the corner looking sheepish and guilty.

"You called him?" Her voice sharp and accusatory, and Lauren visibly flinched at her tone.

Alexander looked confused, his breaths starting to slow down as he regained his composure.

"Why would you have an issue with her calling me?" he asked, his tone curious but still tinged with concern.

Camilla dismissed Alexander's overprotectiveness with an eye roll and proceeded to ignore him.

She signaled for the young lady tending to her injury to continue, as she was also a bit startled by Alexander's sudden appearance.

Once the wound was dressed, Camilla gave the go-ahead for the young lady to leave to continue with her own duties, leaving only her, Alexander, and Lauren in the office.

With the intern gone, Lauren took the opportunity to explain herself and began, "Ma'am-"

However, Camilla held up a hand to cut her off. "It's alright, Lauren. You can go." She said, her voice firm but not unkind.

Lauren looked visibly relieved as she gathered her things and hurriedly left the office, offering Alexander a small smile as she passed him on her way out.

As Alexander returned the gesture, Camilla took a deep breath, trying to shake off her irritation and silently chastising herself for feeling annoyed earlier.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, she took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak. "I'm sorry for my reaction earlier," she said, her tone contrite.

Alexander nodded, his concern etched on his face as a small smile crept onto his lips.

"I'm also sorry for barging in like that too. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, his tone reflecting his worry. "What happened?" he asked.

Camilla took in another deep breath, attempting to steady herself. "It was just a minor accident. Nothing serious," she said, trying to downplay the situation.

However, Alexander's expression revealed that he wasn't easily convinced. "Nothing serious?" he repeated incredulously.

"Have you seen your head?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern and Camilla lifted a hand to her forehead, feeling the bandage that covered the wound.

Exasperated, she let out a sigh,

feeling the weight of the day's events finally catching up to her.

She knew that Alexander's concern was genuine, but she couldn't help starting to feel annoyed at his overprotectiveness again.

Alexander's tone softened as he spoke, "If you had called me, I would have come immediately."

She responded, "I know, but I didn't want to inconvenience you."

He looked at her with a mixture of frustration and concern, and reassured her, "You should never hesitate to call me. I am here for you, always."

"I understand, Alexander," she replied. "But I have told you before, I am capable of taking care of myself."

Although he felt saddened that she still felt she didn't need him, he respected her independence.

Their eyes locked as Alexander gazed at her tenderly and with concern, his hand reaching out to touch the bandaged area on her head.

But Camilla pulled back, not yet comfortable with such intimacy. Understanding her reluctance, Alexander quickly retracted his hand.

Instead, he opted to carefully examine her body without physically touching her and found no other visible injuries apart from the wound on her head.

Despite feeling guilty for not being able to prevent the incident, he was grateful that she was not seriously harmed.

"We should go to the hospital," he said.

"It's just a scratch... there's no need for that," Camilla replied, rolling her eyes.

Alexander frowned slightly, insisting, "But we need to make sure you're okay, Camilla. You need to get checked out."

Camilla shook her head, persisting, "I'm alright, Alexander. There's no need for it, really." But despite her reassurances, Alexander remained unconvinced.

"I understand that you feel okay, but it's important to confirm that you're really okay. Going to the hospital is just a precautionary measure," he insisted, his tone gentle yet firm.

Camilla shook her head, still unsure about going to the hospital.

Alexander then added, his tone softening, "At least for the baby." His plea hung in the air for a moment, and Camilla paused to consider it.

Finally, she spoke up, sounding curious, "So, all this fuss was just about the baby?"

Alexander looked at her with surprise at her statement. "It's not just about the baby, Camilla. I care about your well-being too, and I just want to make sure that everything is okay."

Camilla raised her eyebrows skeptically, "Really?" she asked again.

After a brief moment of silence, Alexander nodded and said, "Okay, can we go now?"

Camilla sighed but agreed reluctantly and just as he was about to help her up from the seat, his phone rang.

He quickly retrieved it from his pocket and saw that it was his mother calling, likely concerned about Camilla's situation.

"Excuse me for a second," he said to Camilla before answering the phone.

"Hello, Mom... She's alright," he reassured his mother, while keeping his eyes fixed on Camilla.

He paused briefly to listen to his mother's response before continuing.

"Yes, we're heading to the hospital now... No, it's not serious, just a minor injury... Yes, I'll keep you updated." He then ended the call and turned his attention back to Camilla, who had been watching him curiously.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, a sheepish smile on his lips. "My mom called to check on you. I was at my grandma's when I got the call, and everyone was just worried when I told them what happened."

Camilla nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Please don't apologize, Alexander. I understand,"

"Your family cares about me a lot, don't they?" she remarked, and Alexander felt a sense of warmth spread through him at her words. "Yes, they do."

"And I do too," he added in a tender tone.

He then offered his hand to help her stand up, but she declined, thinking she

could manage on her own.

However, as she attempted to get up, she wobbled, and Alexander instinctively caught her, his hands gently supporting her waist without applying too much pressure.

For a fleeting moment, their eyes met and locked in a gaze that seemed to last longer than it actually did.

It was as if time stood still, and the rest of the world fell away, leaving only the two of them in that moment.

Eventually, Alexander broke the spell, tearing his gaze away to ask, "Are you sure you're okay?" He kept his hands on her waist, not wanting to let go until he was certain she was steady on her feet.

Camilla nodded, feeling a rush of warmth at his touch and a slight flutter in her chest.

"Thanks," she murmured, slightly embarrassed, her eyes flickering to meet his before quickly looking away. "I guess I'm still a little shaken up."

Alexander flashed her a reassuring smile. "It's completely understandable," he said in a gentle tone, but he kept his hand on her waist, almost as if he didn't want to let her go.

"Umm... Alexander," she called out, hoping to break the awkward silence that had descended between them.

"Yes?" he replied smoothly, his gaze fixed on her.

"You can let me go now," she said, her unease growing with their close proximity.

His hand lingered for a moment longer than necessary before he finally nodded.

With an inscrutable expression, he gradually loosened his grip and finally let go, allowing the cool air to fill the space between them.

To collect her thoughts, Camilla immediately walked towards the exit of her office, with Alexander trailing silently behind her, watching her with a protective gaze.