All Chapters of CRAVING THE BAD BOY: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

Ariana POVThe strangest thing about graduation wasn't the ceremony itself. It wasn't receiving the diploma, throwing caps into the air, or taking hundreds of photographs with family and friends. Those moments felt exciting, emotional, and memorable exactly as everyone had promised. The strange part came afterward, when the celebrations began to slow down and reality quietly returned.By late afternoon, the campus looked different. The crowds remained, but they were changing. Families were beginning to leave. Decorations were being taken down. Students who had spent years seeing each other every day were suddenly talking about flights, road trips, new apartments, and future jobs.The future had officially arrived. And it wasn't waiting for anyone. Ariana stood near the university fountain while watching students move through the campus. Some carried flowers while others dragged suitcases behind them. Everywhere she looked, people were saying goodbye. Not forever. Just goodbye to this

Ariana POVBy the end of my second week at work, I had learned three important lessons. First, office coffee was somehow worse than university coffee, which should have been scientifically impossible. Second, meetings could have been emails ninety percent of the time. Third, no matter how professional a workplace appeared from the outside, drama always found a way inside.I discovered the third lesson on a Wednesday morning. The day had started perfectly. I arrived early, organized my tasks, and planned to finish a major project before lunch. My supervisor had complimented my work the previous day, and for the first time since joining the company, I felt like I was finally settling into a routine.Naturally, that was when everything went wrong. "Ariana, can you come to the conference room?"The request came from Vanessa, one of the senior managers. I immediately stood. "Of course."At first, nothing seemed unusual. Vanessa rarely interacted with junior employees unless there was an im

Ariana POVSaturday morning arrived with an unfamiliar luxury. No alarm. No meetings. No deadlines. No office politics. After the week she had endured, Ariana planned to spend the entire day doing absolutely nothing productive. She intended to sleep late, order food she didn't need, and avoid thinking about work for at least twenty-four hours.Unfortunately, her friends had different plans. Her phone started ringing at eight-thirty. Ariana stared at the screen. Maya. She immediately declined the call. The phone rang again. Declined. Then again. And again. By the fifth call, Ariana finally answered. "What?""Good morning to you too."Ariana groaned into her pillow. "Maya, it's Saturday.""Exactly.""People sleep on Saturdays.""Not today."Ariana already knew where this was heading. "No.""You don't even know what I'm asking.""I know enough.""You're coming.""I'm not.""You're absolutely coming."Ariana sat up and rubbed her face. "Coming where?"Maya sounded entirely too cheerful. "

Ariana POVTuesday afternoon was supposed to be uneventful. Ariana had spent the entire morning reviewing reports, responding to emails, and trying to stay ahead of an increasingly demanding workload. By lunchtime, she felt productive for the first time in weeks. The day was moving smoothly, which should have made her happy.Instead, it made her suspicious. Life had taught her that peace rarely lasted. Her suspicion proved correct when Maya stormed into her office building just after work. Not walked. Not entered. Stormed. The dramatic entrance immediately attracted attention from several employees near the reception area.Ariana closed her eyes. "Maya.""There you are.""Maya.""We have a problem."Ariana sighed. "What happened?"Maya placed both hands on her shoulders. "We're in a competition."Ariana blinked. "What?""We're in a competition.""Who is we?""Us.""There is no us.""There is now."Ariana already regretted asking questions. "What competition?"Maya pointed toward the s

Ariana POVAriana arrived at the office nearly forty minutes earlier than usual. The roads were quieter. The parking lot was half empty. Even the reception area felt unusually calm. Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, tension sat heavily in her chest. She barely slept the previous night. Vanessa's words had replayed in her mind for hours. "We identified who accessed the files."The statement wasn't a complete answer, but it was more progress than anyone had made in weeks. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Vanessa appeared from the end of the hallway. "You came early.""You said it was serious."Vanessa nodded. "It is."Without another word, she led Ariana toward a conference room. The moment they entered, Ariana noticed two other people already waiting inside. One was from the company's security department. The other worked in information technology.Neither looked particularly happy. That wasn't a good sign. Ariana took a seat. "So what happened?"The security manager open