Lily's POVAn alarm that shrieked at 6:00 a.m. like it had a personal vendetta against her peace.A five-minute internal argument about quitting life and becoming a houseplant.A cold shower that attacked her like it had been waiting all night to do exactly that.And finally the ritual. A silent, desperate plea to the universe.Please. Not a bad mood today. Not even a good one. Just… neutral. Neutral is fine. Neutral I can work with.Ethan Cole on a neutral day was survivable.Ethan Cole on a bad day was a natural disaster in a tailored suit.I pulled my hair back, grabbed my bag, and was out the door by 7:10.By 7:30, I drove through the gates of Cole Tech Enterprises.Even after three and a half years, the campus still did something to me.Eight buildings spread across perfectly landscaped grounds like polished chess pieces someone had arranged just to make the rest of the world feel underdressed. Seven of those buildings had nothing to do with me. Corporate territory suits, presen

Ethan Pov Sunday mornings in the Cole mansion were never quiet.I sat at the long dining table, scrolling through emails even though it was the weekend. A habit. Or a curse. Hard to tell anymore."Ethan," my mother started in her usual warning tone, "keep the phone away during breakfast."I ignored her.She cleared her throat louder."Ethan. Phone. Down."I dropped it on the table with a sigh. "Happy?""No," she said immediately. "I'll be happy when you give me good news."Here we go.My father folded down his newspaper slightly. "By 'good news,' your mother means—""I know what she means," I muttered, reaching for my black coffee."No, clearly you don't," my brother Ryan chimed in, grinning like the idiot he proudly was. "Because you're still single. At thirty-two. Tragic.""Oh, I am," he said, stuffing a bite of toast into his mouth. "I'm just also focused on your sad bachelor life. You sure you're not just married to your laptop, bro?"Before I could respond, my sister Sierra chim

**Lily's POV**I reached home around 10 in the morning, belly full of Diana's pancakes and heart full of Ava's koala-hugs. I wasn't tired — slept like a log, actually. I was just… profoundly, beautifully lazy.Sunday.My sacred day.The only day that belonged entirely to me.Which obviously meant doing absolutely nothing.I took a cool shower, put on my softest pajama set, did my skincare routine with the grace of a woman who finally had time to pamper herself, and flopped onto the couch. Remote in hand. Blankets. TV time. Peace.A day without deadlines.A day without answering calls.A day without dealing with Ethan sir's six different shades of grumpy.I swear, the second — literally the exact second — I thought of his name, my phone buzzed.I froze.Because I only have one friend. Diana. If it buzzes on a Sunday, it's usually her. But no.Fate hates me.It was him.*From Ethan Sir: "Are you home, Lily?"*What now?A Sunday emergency?A missing file?A crisis?I crossed my fingers l

lily's POV After Ethan left, i. let out a breath i hadn't even realized I'd been holding.What the heck.What the heck.What the heck.i grabbed her phone and called Diana.*"Girl, come home. We need to talk. Bring Ava. I'm ordering pizza."*i didn't wait for a reply i just hung up and placed an order for three, hands moving on autopilot.Time crawled.When the doorbell finally rang, she practically jogged to the door and peeked through the peephole.Diana.i opened it and immediately regretted standing so close.*"AUNT LILY!"* Ava launched herself at me*"Oof. Hello to you too,"* i laughed, scooping her up. *"Missed you, babyyy."**"I missed you more,"* Ava declared seriously, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck.Diana stood there, hands on her hips. *"Wow. Great. I see how it is."*Ignored. Again.*"You know what happened?"* Ava whispered dramatically, fiddling with the buttons of my shirt. *"Mommy didn't buy ice cream."**"That's unacceptable,"* i gasped. *"I'll scold her."*Ava

**Lily's POV**I woke up at six, like always, with a headache sharp enough to kill.I had slept late. Or maybe I hadn't slept at all. I honestly didn't remember when my thoughts finally shut up.I got ready mechanically, ate toast without tasting it, and left for work. I wasn't ready to face him. Not today. Not after everything.The drive felt longer than usual.I parked my car, scanned my ID, and took the elevator straight to the top floor. Ninth floor. Every second upward felt heavier.My hand hovered over the door handle.Should I open it?Should I turn around and run?Before I could decide, the door opened on its own.He stood there.Crisp suit. Perfectly pressed. Sharp eyes that pinned me in place like I'd been caught doing something illegal.*"Planning to stand outside forever or what?"**"I was just getting in,"* I muttered.*"Get in."*I stepped inside and stopped awkwardly in the middle of the room, like a misplaced piece of furniture.He shut the door and moved behind his de

Lily's POV**My chest felt warm.And oddly, a little jealous.His mother sounded so genuinely happy. So excited. Like she'd already accepted me, claimed me. I could practically hear her smiling through the phone.He was lucky to have a mother like that.But she would be my mother figure soon too.I glanced at Diana through the rearview mirror. She'd clearly connected all the dots. Her eyes softened, the skepticism easing just a little. She gave me a small, reassuring smile.I smiled back.Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be as terrifying as I thought.I texted Diana the entire way, telling her everything — from me saying yes to the sudden engagement announcement.We reached the mall in about half an hour.It was his uncle's mall.Big. Grand. Shiny and polished in the way that made you feel slightly underdressed just walking through the entrance.He didn't even park the car himself. We just stepped out at the entrance and a guard appeared out of nowhere to take the keys and drive it aw

All Chapters of His obsession : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

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