30 Conversation with the CEO

Gemma's POV.

I pull Jacob away, escaping Luke's gaze.

"Hey, you just kissed me," Jacob says cheerfully, dragging his feet, so I have to struggle to keep him moving.

"I know."

"You flirted with me," he adds.

"It was a necessary move," I reply.

"But we can't just leave it at that. You have to take responsibility for me."

I turn my head, feeling like something's off. "Isn't that something guys usually say to girls?"

"But my parents now know we're in a relationship, and you admitted it in front of your ex," Jacob raises an eyebrow. "At the very least, we should pretend to be a couple now, right?"

I think about it and realize he has a point.

"You could also get a head start in experiencing the benefits of being my girlfriend," Jacob smiles.

In fact, ever since I kissed him on the cheek, his entire mental state seems a bit off.

I frown slightly. "But we need to set a deadline for this game."

"A year?" He raises an eyebrow.

"A year is too long, two months," I think seriously.

"Eight months?"

"Three months."

"Six months?"

I get impatient, shake off his arm, and stride forward.

"Three months it is," Jacob catches up to me from behind. "Don't stay quiet. That counts as emotional neglect and can hurt a couple's relationship."

I roll my eyes.

The weekend passes quickly.

At night, after my shower, I sit on my bed with my laptop, organizing client data when a sudden important email notification pops up in my work inbox. Group CEO Mr. Elias is visiting the New York branch on Monday, and everyone is expected to prepare for the reception.

I've never met the ceo, only seen his photo. He's around 60 years old, a chubby man with a round, kind-looking face.

But no matter how kind someone appears, as long as they hold the title of CEO with the power to decide employees' futures, they can make anyone nervous.

On Monday, after carefully dressing up, I arrive at the dealership ten minutes early.

However, my colleagues have all beaten me there.

Just as I blend into the crowd, the CEO arrives, flanked by several senior executives.

I hold my breath as I look toward the CEO in the group, but my attention is drawn to the man beside him—Luke.

Under the dazzling lights of the lobby, Luke strides in, his custom suit making him look especially striking and sharp.

My eyes unconsciously follow him until the CEO blocks my view, snapping me back to reality.

The worst part is, the CEO is looking right at me.

He smiles kindly at me, "You must be Gemma Dawson?"

Suddenly, I become the center of attention, and everyone's eyes are on me.

"Yes, Mr. Elias, she's the top sales rep at our branch," Luke introduces me to the CEO.

"Hello," I smile, hiding my nervousness.

The CEO smiles back, but behind his kindness, there's something I can't quite place, sending a chill down my spine.

After that, the CEO gives a brief speech.

Then, Luke leads the CEO into his office, and we all return to work.

Today, everyone's working efficiency is unusually high.

Even the cleaning lady, who usually flirts with the security guard during work hours, pretends not to know him and hasn't put her mop down once.

I'm on the phone with a client, confirming car purchase details, when I hear Luke's voice behind me after I hang up, "Gemma, the CEO wants to see you in the office."

I swallow hard, almost choking on my own saliva.

But that's not even the scariest part.

When I walk into the office, I find Jacob's mother sitting across from the CEO.

"Miss Gemma, please take a seat," the CEO continues to smile kindly.

I sit in the empty seat next to Jacob's mother.

Luke stays in the office too, sitting on the couch slightly behind the CEO. From my position, I can see most of his profile.

"You graduated from the University of California?" the CEO glances at my file.

"Yes."

"You did your graduate studies at NYU?"

"Yes."

"And after graduation, you started working at Allum Motors?"

"Yes, it's been three years now."

Jacob's mother is starting to lose patience. She clears her throat and says to the CEO, "Are you planning to fire this woman or not?"

"Amy, you're as impatient as you were in school," the CEO replies.

Turns out they know each other.

As I process this information, a flash of insight hits me, and I suddenly understand Jacob's mother's plan. She found out where I work and is trying to pressure me into quitting, forcing me to give up on Jacob.

The CEO finally gets to the point.

"Here's the situation," he begins. "Jacob's mother, the lady sitting next to you, came to see me earlier and told me some things about you. We want to know if they're true."

I sit up straight, mentally preparing for the accusations Jacob's mother is about to throw at me.

"I heard you have a drinking problem?"

"I heard your sales methods are unethical, and you've had improper relationships with clients?"

"I heard you seduced the innocent Jacob, forced him to live with you, and made him cut ties with his family?"

The CEO pauses before dropping the biggest bomb. "And I heard that in California, you were someone's mistress?"

Everyone is staring at me, waiting for my response.

In the silent room, I smile.

"The first three aren't true. As for the last one—" I draw out my words, "that one's true."

Jacob's mother leaps to her feet, pointing a finger at me but speaking to the CEO. "See? I told you! How can you employ someone like her? You should fire her right now!"

The CEO closes the file in front of him, intertwines his fingers, and asks, "Miss Gemma, don't you want to explain anything?"

"There's nothing to explain," I take a deep breath and pull out my phone from my pocket. "I just have proof."

I open the voice recorder and play a recording I had saved. Back when Dmitri's ex-wife, Sophia, confronted me, I had the foresight to secretly record our conversation.

The background noise from the café is a little distracting, but our conversation is still clearly audible.

Even Jacob's voice is captured in the recording. When my phone plays his memorable line—"A man's sexual performance declines after the age of 25"—I catch Luke in the corner of my eye. He's calmly sipping his coffee, but I notice his hand tremble ever so slightly.

Oh. I suddenly remember—he's already 31.

A wave of amusement lightens my mood.

When the recording ends, the room falls into a brief silence.

Then the CEO speaks. "See, Amy? Your son and my employee are genuinely in love. There's no real issue here." He even chuckles softly.

It seems like I won't be getting fired anymore.

Just as I'm about to breathe a sigh of relief, the CEO, still smiling, throws me another curveball. "Miss Gemma, please tell me honestly—would you say Jacob is the best man you've ever been with? Far better than your ex-boyfriends?"

Jacob's mother widens her eyes in shock.

I'm puzzled, unsure how to respond, when suddenly Luke's coffee cup slips from his hand and crashes to the floor.

"Sorry, my hand slipped," Luke says softly, facing the room's curious stares. He calmly picks up the pieces and tosses them in the trash.

"Miss Gemma, please answer my question," the CEO persists, still smiling at me.

Surprisingly, it's Jacob's mother who comes to my rescue this time. "Hey, does that question even relate to our situation?"

"It does," the president continues, still smiling. "If Miss Gemma's ex-boyfriends were all terrible, then her decision to leave them and pursue a relationship with someone as outstanding as Jacob would be a smart move."

Ex-boyfriends?

Something must be off. My résumé doesn't list how many boyfriends I've had, and aside from Dmitri, whom Jacob's mother had dug up, how does the CEO know I've dated two or more men?

"Dude, can we get to the real issue here?" Jacob's mother is losing patience.

"Of course, sure. Don't worry. I'll give you an answer as soon as I've handled this," the CEO reassures her.

He then turns to Luke and gives an order, "Luke, please escort this Lady out."

Satisfied with the promise, Jacob's mother stands up, shoots me a glare, and follows Luke out of the office.

Suddenly, it's just me and the CEO left in the room.

I swallow hard, unsure if Jacob's mother's persistence will cause trouble for me. So I quickly try to defend myself. "Mr. Elias, I do enjoy drinking, but I'm not an alcoholic. I don't depend on alcohol."

"And I've never done anything inappropriate with clients to boost my sales numbers."

"I come to work every day, and the only thing on my mind is my job."

"Is that so?" The CEO smiles. "Even when you were dating Luke?"

My eyes widen, my mouth falling open, unable to respond.

"You were in a relationship with him. Don't bother denying it," the CEO says.

"How—"

How does he know that?

The CEO answers it for me. "I'm Luke's father. Of course, I know everything."