The CEO's Secret Affair-Chapter 25: A New Deal

~Anne’s POV~

For the first time in a long while I felt good. Things were good with Riccardo, and it felt as though I had crossed a whole new bridge with James. I was still in awe, still surprised by his confession and everything that had happened. I never would have guessed that James felt that way about me, not even in a thousand years. And it made me wonder just how long he’s had those emotions, how he’d coped whenever I said anything about other men, and how he’d coped.

Perhaps I was a bad friend for not being able to figure out his true emotions. But unlike me, James was really good at hiding his emotions. And after his confession, I felt like there wasn’t any need to hide anything from him again. He already suspected that I and Riccardo had something going on, and he was clearly okay with that. It was only right that I was honest to him, I owed him that much.

"About me and Riccardo..."

I paused, taking a second to fully convince myself that it was okay to tell James the truth. He was still standing close, his arms loosely around me from the hug I’d initiated, his chin resting lightly on the top of my head. He didn’t pull away, but I felt a subtle shift in his body..

I took a slow breath to regain my composure. I owed him this. After everything he’d just laid bare, hiding it felt cruel.

"There is something," I said quietly, my voice muffled against his shirt. "Between Riccardo and me. It’s... complicated. Messy. New. And honestly, I still don’t know what it is half the time."

James’s hand moved gently up my back, a soothing stroke that didn’t demand anything. He didn’t interrupt. He just listened.

"I didn’t plan it," I went on, the confession spilling out now that I’d started. "It just happened.."

I felt James’s chest rise and fall in a deep, steady breath. He pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression soft, no trace of judgment.

"And you?" he asked, voice low. "How do you feel about him?"

I swallowed, searching his eyes. There was no jealousy there, only genuine concern for me.

"I don’t know yet," I admitted. "I care about him more than I expected myself to. More than I probably should.."

"You know how he is, don’t you? Mr Antonelli doesn’t look like the kind who dates for love." James said, but I could tell he hadn’t said that from a place of hate. Riccardo had a reputation with women, and sadly it wasn’t a good one. Any good friend would definitely warn their loved ones against falling for Riccardo Antonelli.

"I know..." I answered, a little bit embarrassed. "He seems different now...like he actually cares"

I wondered how many girls had convinced themselves of the same thing. How many girls that had told themselves that Riccardo Antonelli was in love with them? I definitely wasn’t the first, and might not even be the last. But I was genuinely hoping I was right here. I didn’t know how I’d react if it turns out that everything had been a lie.

"There’s nothing to be scared of if you want this, Anne. And there’s no way I’d let him go unscathed if he dares hurt you, it’s a promise. I don’t care if he’s the boss or not."

I chuckled at those words and wrapped my hands tighter around his waist. I know he meant every single word, and having that reassurance was a bit comforting.

"You’re too good to me," I murmured.

He huffed a quiet laugh. "Someone has to be."

We stayed like that for another moment, the awkwardness from earlier completely gone.

When we finally pulled apart, he gave me a small, lopsided smile.

"So," he said, trying for lightness, "does this mean I get to vet the boss now? Background check? Interrogation over coffee?"

I rolled my eyes, swatting his arm. "Absolutely not. Don’t even think of speaking a word of this to anyone. Riccardo would kill me if he found out i said anything to anyone. It’s against work ethics, he can’t have an affair with an employee."

James recoiled a bit, his face twisting in a rather unfriendly manner.

"That means you two can’t be seen together in public—"

"Yes." I answered before he had the chance to complete his question. I knew what he was thinking, and sometimes I felt that way too. Maybe Riccardo was lying, maybe he was just ashamed of me. After all, I was nothing compared to the calibre of women he used to date. I was ordinary when compared to any of them.

"As long as you’re happy, Anne, I won’t judge."

His expression softened again, the concern easing into something warmer. He reached out and squeezed my hand gently.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "For trusting me with this. For not shutting me out. It means more than you know."

I smiled, my throat tight with emotion. "You deserve the truth. Always."

His thumb brushed over my knuckles once before he let go.

My phone vibrated sharply in my pocket, shattering the quiet. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Riccardo.

"I should take this," I said, giving James an apologetic look.

He nodded, stepping back. "Go. I’ll see you later."

I answered as I stepped out of my office and into the hallway, closing the door softly behind me.

"Hello?"

"Anne." Riccardo’s voice was low, clipped with that focused intensity he got when he was in full business mode. "I need to talk to you. Are you free?"

"I am now," I said, leaning against the wall. "What’s going on?"

There was a brief pause, the rustle of papers on his end. "We just received an offer from Nakamura Holdings—one of the biggest conglomerates in Japan. High-value contract, multi-year potential. They want to partner with us on a new tech infrastructure project in Southeast Asia."

My stomach tightened. Nakamura deals were huge. Career-defining. "That’s incredible."

"It is," he agreed. "But there’s a catch. Their due diligence includes a joint venture component. They’ve specified that Skye Industries will be brought in as a secondary partner for the software integration layer."

Skye Industries. Thomas’s company.

I went very still, my fingers tightening around the phone.

"Anne?" Riccardo prompted when I didn’t respond.

"I... heard you," I managed. "So we’d be working with Thomas?"

"Not directly," he said quickly. "It’s structured through Nakamura. Separate teams, separate deliverables. Minimal overlap. But yes, there will be joint meetings, shared timelines, coordination calls. It’s temporary. Four months, maybe six."

I closed my eyes, a wave of nausea rolling through me. The idea of working with Thomas, it made me feel sick just thinking about it.

"I want you with me on this," Riccardo continued, his voice softening. "You’re good at what you do, and I don’t think I’d be able to deal with Thomas without you around. I want you there. Beside me."

The words should have warmed me. Instead, they felt like a trap closing.

"I can’t," I said, the words out before I could soften them.

Silence stretched on the line.

"Anne—"

"No, Riccardo. I can’t." My voice shook, but I didn’t care. "I can’t be in the same room as him. I can’t sit across a table and pretend everything’s professional when just hearing his name makes me want to throw up. You know what he did to me."

"I do," he said quietly. "And if it were up to me, I’d tell Nakamura to find another partner. But this deal...it’s too big. The board’s already salivating. Refusing it would tank our stock."

"Then send someone else," I said. "Anyone else."

"You know I can’t. No one here can handle me better than you, it’ll take months for me to a newbie to accustomed to my schedule—"

I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "So I’m just supposed to suck it up? For the company?"

"For us," he corrected, voice low. "I’ll be there the whole time. I won’t let him near you. I’ll handle every interaction—"

"You can’t be everywhere," I cut in. "And I shouldn’t have to hide behind you like I’m still the broken woman he left."

"That’s not—"

"I have to go," I said abruptly. "I need air."

"Anne, wait—"

I ended the call.

My hands were shaking as I shoved the phone into my bag. The hallway felt too small, the walls pressing in. I couldn’t stay here. I needed space. Fresh air.

I took the elevator down and stepped out into the crisp afternoon. There was a little café two blocks away, with outdoor tables and decent coffee. I’d go there. Clear my head. Figure out how to say no to something Riccardo clearly expected me to say yes to.

I walked quickly, head down, weaving through pedestrians. The café came into view, its green awning fluttering slightly in the breeze. I was almost there when a black van pulled up beside me, tires silent on the pavement.

I didn’t think much of it at first, city traffic, delivery drivers, nothing unusual.

Then the side door slid open. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Two men stepped out fast, big, dressed in dark jackets, faces half-hidden by caps. Before I could react, one grabbed my arm, the other clamped a hand over my mouth. A third was behind the wheel, engine already running.

I tried to scream, but the sound was muffled against a gloved palm that smelled faintly of leather and cigarette smoke. My bag was yanked away. My heels scraped against the sidewalk as they dragged me backward.

Panic exploded in my chest. I kicked, twisted, clawed at the arm around my waist, but they were too strong. One of them muttered something low and harsh, Italian, maybe? And then a sharp prick bloomed in my neck.

Cold spread through my veins almost instantly, heavy and numbing.

The world tilted. The café blurred. The last thing I saw was the green awning receding as they pulled me into the darkness of the van.