All Chapters of The CEO'S Little Lamb : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWELVE LARA’S POV Work ended later than usual that evening. My neck hurt. My eyes hurt. Even my brain felt overworked. I shut down my laptop with a tired sigh while other employees gradually filtered out of the office floor. “Finally,” Amelia groaned from the desk opposite mine. “If I stay here another ten minutes, I’ll sue this company.” I laughed softly while packing my bag. “You say that every day.” “And one day I’ll mean it.” She stretched dramatically before narrowing her eyes at me. “You’re going straight home?” “Hopefully.” “You sound unsure.” “Because my Uber app hates me.” Amelia snorted. “Fair enough.” We left together, talking casually as we entered the elevator. “So,” she said suddenly, “have you settled into your apartment properly now?” “Kind of.” “Kind of?” “I still eat noodles three times a week.” “That’s not settling in. That’s surviving.” I laughed. The elevator doors opened to the lobby and we stepped outside

CHAPTER 14LARA’S POVThe next morning felt… wrong.Not loud wrong.Not dramatic wrong.Just that quiet heaviness in my chest that made everything feel slightly out of place.I barely slept.Sadie had already left for work, leaving behind a sticky note on my fridge:“Don’t cry again. Eat. I’ll come later.”I stared at it for a few seconds.Then smiled faintly.At least someone in my life still knew how to care without questioning my integrity first.I sat down slowly and ate. Then, forced myself into the routine. Shower. Clothes. Makeup—light enough to look like I was fine, heavy enough to hide what I wasn’t.Fine. That was the word everyone liked.I was fine.Work at Blackstone felt different too.Or maybe I was different.People greeted me normally, but I kept noticing things I never cared about before.Whispers when I passed.Quick glances.That subtle shift when someone thinks they know something about you but won’t say it.I hated it.My desk phone rang mid-morning.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN ADRIAN’S POV Dinner with my father was something I usually avoided. Unfortunately, avoiding Alessandro Romano required effort. And patience. Two things I barely possessed. I stepped into the Romano estate just past eight in the evening, handing my car keys to one of the guards before entering the mansion. The place still felt the same. Cold. Grand. Empty despite the luxury dripping from every corner. The massive chandeliers. The marble floors. The expensive silence. None of it ever felt like home. “Mr Romano is waiting in the dining room,” a maid informed softly. Of course he was. Always waiting like a king expecting obedience. I loosened my cuffs slightly and walked toward the dining hall. My father sat at the head of the long table already eating calmly. Perfect posture. Perfect suit. Perfect control. Even at sixty-two, Alessandro Romano carried danger effortlessly. His dark eyes lifted toward me briefly. “You’re late, Adriano.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN AUTHOR'S POV Ignoring Lara Finn should not have bothered Adrian Romano this much. Yet somehow, it did. The entire week felt strangely irritating after he ignored her at the café. He had expected satisfaction. Relief maybe. Instead, every single time he remembered the way her face subtly fell after he walked past her, something inside him tightened unpleasantly. It annoyed him. Everything about Lara annoyed him lately. Her laugh. Her curious eyes. The way she occupied his thoughts at random moments without permission. Even worse, Adrian found himself unconsciously searching for her whenever he entered Blackstone. A habit he absolutely despised. That Thursday afternoon, Adrian stood inside his office, staring absentmindedly through the glass windows overlooking the city. The weather outside looked gloomy. Gray clouds stretched across the sky while rain drizzled lightly over the streets below. Behind him, Ken sat lazily on the black leather couch scrollin

CHAPTER TWENTYLARA’S POVBy Thursday morning, my cramps had reduced enough for me to function like a normal human being again.Thank God.I was starting to believe my uterus had personal issues with me.Still, as I stood in front of my mirror getting ready for work, my thoughts kept drifting back to last night.To Vincent standing at my door with bags full of food and medication.To Adrian.Or more specifically—to the fact that Adrian Romano noticed things.Too many things.I adjusted the sleeves of my fitted dusty-pink blouse before tucking it properly into a white pencil skirt.Simple. Elegant. Soft.I paired it with nude heels and minimal jewelry before curling the ends of my hair slightly.Fashion was therapy honestly.And today—I needed confidence.Because after overthinking all night, I had decided something very important.I was going to thank Adrian properly.Not through Vincent. Not through awkward texts i would never send.Face to face.Like a mature adult.Unfortunately—