Romance With The CEO

Chapter33: Started 2

At the same time, a middle-aged woman arrived. She greeted politely, and Velia welcomed her inside.

Her name was Diana Martin. At the age of 52, she still had a fresh and energetic appearance. She was the household assistant who came every day.

"Good morning, Diana."

"Good morning," Diana replied with a friendly smile. "How are you? Are you feeling well?"

Diana always asked about Velia's well-being every morning. In the limited life she had now, she could at least find joy in that care. It somewhat filled Velia's longing for warmth and attention from her parents.

"I'm well, thank you."

As usual, Diana immediately started her work. She took care of the dirty laundry, cleaned, and tidied up. Meanwhile, Velia relaxed in front of the television, occasionally flipping through a magazine.

How boring. So, it wasn't surprising that half an hour later, Velia got up and decided to cook something. She needed to find something to do to avoid getting bored, even though it was technically Diana's task.

Time passed by. Unconsciously, Velia kept glancing at the clock once Diana had left. Now she felt truly lonely and could only hope that Lucas would come back soon.

Just as she hoped, Lucas arrived before the sun completely disappeared on the western horizon, bringing relief to Velia.

"Finally, you're home."

Lucas let Velia take over his work bag. "Were you waiting for me?"

"I-I..."

Velia stammered, feeling embarrassed.

"...made pudding for you."

Lucas did not smile, but there was a different kind of smile flickering on his face. When Velia intended to head to Lucas' workspace, he embraced her briefly, planting a fleeting kiss on her forehead.

"Your new phone is in the bag," Lucas half-whispered. "I'll take a shower first, and then we can enjoy dinner."

Velia nodded obediently, like a small child following a parent's command. While Lucas took a shower, she retrieved her new phone.

It was advanced, luxurious, and exuded a feminine charm-a perfect combination for a woman like Velia.

The phone was ready to use. Vlora had transferred her SIM card, and her email was already connected, along with the new number that had been saved.

Velia was greeted by various notification symbols filling the top of the screen. Among them was a message from Mecca, which she promptly opened. The message had arrived earlier in the afternoon, precisely at one o'clock.

Mecca:

Ve, are you okay?

Can I reach out to you?

There's something important.

Velia:

How about tonight?

Maybe nine o'clock.

I'll call you.

There was certainly a reason why Velia chose nine o'clock. Thanks to Lucas's habits, she knew that after dinner, he usually continued working. At least she had free time until ten o'clock.

"Hello, Mecca."

Alone in her room, Velia contacted Mecca as promised. She did not have to wait long. Practically five seconds after the call connected, Mecca picked up.

"Hello, Ve. You finally called me. Seriously. I've been restless all day because your number wasn't active."

"I'm sorry. My phone broke, and..."

Velia thought there was no point in explaining the phone's damage or the fact that she had a new one.

"... um, what's the matter? You mentioned something important. What is it?"

Mecca's response caught Velia off guard. Her face conveyed disbelief, and she quickly pulled up the unread notification.

Mecca's words were true. There was an email, and it was from the company.

"Oh, my goodness,"

Velia's thoughts immediately turned to Lucas. She had to thank him.

"Ve."

It seemed Velia had to hold back her intentions for a moment. Mecca's tone suggested that their conversation would not be finished anytime soon.

"To be honest, your call put me in a dilemma. On one hand, I'm glad you can find a job again. But I can't forget what Mr. Bell did to you."

Lucas vanished from Velia's mind. Now, it was the dreadful memory that filled her thoughts.

"M-Mecca."

"Forgive me, but you haven't forgotten what Mr. Bell almost did to you, have you?"

Velia swallowed hard. The dreadful memory not only resurfaced but also brought back her fear. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

"I-I won't forget," Velia replied, stuttering. "On the day I was fired, Mr. Bell tried to assault me. He tried to manipulate me with the termination."

A brief silence followed. Velia lowered her head and found her fingers shaking intensely.

"Sometimes, I find Mr. Bell's behavior strange. It's like he's overly determined to call you back. So, I hope you'll be careful. If anything happens, I hope you won't meet him alone. Take me or anyone else with you. Just don't be alone, understood?"

"Of course. I'll remember that. Thank you so much."

After the call ended, Velia needed some time to calm herself down. The fear returned, and it was too difficult to control. It was only of Lucas' name that Velia decided to leave her room.

She needed something to drive away the bad memories from her mind. She hastily prepared a cup of tea and some snacks. Shortly after, she knocked on Lucas' workspace door and called out.

"Luc?"

Lucas closed his laptop and stood up. They approached each other as if drawn together, meeting in the middle.

Velia placed the tray on the table. "I'm all set-Luc?"

Her words were interrupted by a surprised gasp. Lucas suddenly rushed forward and embraced her tightly.

"Luc."

There was something strange about it. Velia could clearly feel the tension in Lucas's embrace. He was not his usual self.

"You belong to me, Ve. I won't let anyone touch you."

Velia was taken aback. Her heart seemed to stop beating. Fear quickly surfaced, and she asked hesitantly.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Lucas loosened his grip. He created a small distance to cup Velia's face.

"No."

However, the glare in Lucas' eyes made Velia feel the opposite. There was a threat and a promise of death in his gaze.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Lucas assured, looking straight into Velia's eyes. "I just want to kill anyone who intends to hurt you."

*