Page 19 of Off-Limits Bad Boy Protector

I huffed, resisting the urge to retort and tell him he was a liar. Not all broadcasting agencies would want to collaborate with him! He was out of his mind! Despite my inner protest, I held my tongue because deep down, I knew he was right.

So I chose to be defensive instead. I lifted my chin, a tinge of disdain in my chocolate eyes. “Unfinished business?” I scoffed. “There’s nothing left. We’ve been down this road. If you were so good at being the best, you’d know how it ends. But, I guess your memory fails you,” I scoffed. I smiled when his jaw tightened. Good.

He spoke, his tone firm and direct. "Listen, we have two options. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. I'll earn your trust, or I'll demonstrate my capabilities and prove my worth."

I blinked and looked at him, feeling an inner struggle. My resolve weakened. The decision seemed heavy. Why was it all so complex? I tried to be careful. Yet, his words ignited desires I couldn't ignore. Even if I suppressed my wants, he still controlled me. He could make me follow his orders.

I let out a defeated sigh, my brown eyes biting into his. “Fine Leo, I’ll go on the date with you.” I stared at him as a wide grin spread across his face. I wanted to wipe it away, to erase the triumph in his blue eyes. "Of course," he smiled. My lips pressed into a thin line. Perhaps I could test the waters and see what was going on. Perhaps I could…

His voice pulled me from my stream of thoughts. "See you, Princess. La Trattoria, 6 p.m. Saturday evening," he said with a smirk, walking past me. Before I could react, he leaned in and planted a quick peck on my lips.

I froze, my eyes widening in shock as I turned towards him, but he walked away, heading into the office. Oh, goodness! There were butterflies fluttering in my belly. This was the path to heartbreak. It had to be.

Taking a few minutes to steady my beating heart, I entered the building. I nodded at the receptionist. I avoided eye contact. I was afraid she might have seen the exchange that happened outside.

I rushed towards the elevator and pulled out my phone from my bag. I dialed Lisa's number quickly. I had no doubt she would flip out when she found out I had agreed to go out with Leo.

As I pressed the phone to my ear, my heart thudded against my chest. The elevator was empty, but why wouldn't it be? I had wasted all my time sleeping. Then, I spent the few minutes I had left arguing with Leo outside the company building.

“Hey Cass, what’s up?” Lisa’s voice came off from the other end cheerful and excited. “Everything is up Lisa! Everything has been flipped on its head!” I hissed, pressing my floor number into the elevator button.Lisa laughed. “You’re being dramatic as always, What’s going on?” I let out a sigh. “You think I’m being dramatic? Leo asked me out on a date!”

There was silence on the other end of the line. I shut my eyes and let out a sigh. Lisa's voice crackled with disbelief through the phone. "Tell me you're kidding! There's no way he would do something that stupid! Not after everything he put you through. He said you were dumb enough to believe he loved you. There's no way on earth he would be asking you for a date now. You can't be serious!"

As Lisa continued her tirade, I swallowed hard, feeling the knots in my stomach tighten. Stepping out of the elevator, my heart pounded relentlessly. I hadn't even told Lisa the worst part yet. I hadn't told her the truth.

“Are you there?” Lisa’s incredulous tone jarred me as I walked towards a corner, leaning against the glass.I bit my lower lip. “I’m here Lisa. It sounded insane to me too, it's just ....”“I?” Lisa interjected, my voice cautious.

I wanted to smack my head against the glass windows. I had to be the most stupid woman on planet earth. There could possibly be no one else that was that stupid.“Lisa, I still have feelings for him!” I cried, muffling my feelings against my palm. My heart thudded in my chest.

“Oh, we agreed this wasn’t going to happen,” Lisa groaned from the other end.

It was a relief to have Lisa's support, but deep down, I feared she might be wrong. My decision to go on the date was driven by desperation for money, not by any romantic feelings. If I wasn't so desperate, I might have refused and risked falling for him again.

I knew from the moment I saw him at that interview that I would be in trouble if I took this job. Lisa's words cut through me, bringing both comfort and pain. She was right—I deserved better. But in my current situation, I felt trapped. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment, as difficult as it was.

I sighed, feeling frustrated to my core. “I get what you're saying, Lisa. Really, I do. But it's tough. There's this part of me that just won't move on. I've done my best, honestly. But whenever he's near, I still feel those butterflies in my stomach and my heart races.”

Lisa was silent for a few seconds. I could have sworn that she had given up on me. Then, I spoke. My voice was gentle but firm.“Cass, I don’t think you’re getting it. You deserve someone who treats you right and genuinely cares about you! This guy just messes with your feelings. You need to see the truth.” I swallowed. I knew Lisa was right. I knew it. I probably deserved better than Leo. My voice came out soft and I shivered. “I know, Lisa. I’ve been trying to keep myself safe and not let him hurt me again. But... we’ve both changed over the years. What if he’s different now?”

Lisa let out a bitter laugh. “Deep down, you know he hasn’t changed. Nothing has changed. All I want for you is to be happy. You deserve someone who has consistently shown that they can be trusted.” I opened my mouth to argue that there was always room for change when one of my coworkers walked past. I had my hair in a tight bun and she stopped in front of me, her brown eyes scanning mine.

"You're aware that you're late for work, right?" I asked, clutching the files I held in my hands. I curled my lips. I wanted to smack the woman in my face and retort but I pressed my lips together. The woman let out a small chuckle and shook her head. "Oh, you think the CEO's strange interest means you can fly freely like a bird?"

My eyes widened in shock. I didn't! There was no way. I staggered back. The woman's figure was clad in a white office dress. It suddenly appeared blurry. "Oh, you're in for a surprise. Mr. Woodrow doesn't play favorites. He's too bitter for that. When he catches you standing here making a phone call, you'll definitely be fired," I glared.

I wanted to roll my eyes. Oh, please! I wasn’t scared of being sacked. I wouldn’t mind it. It would force me to find a new job that would offer peace. I could not bear the torture of seeing Leo every day. I would love that. However, I doubted that Leo would let me go that easily despite all the rubbish this woman was spewing.

“Well, thank you for your kind advice Mrs Wilcox. I’ll keep that in mind” I replied, forcing a stiff smile to my lips. The woman stared at me briefly. I was sure she wanted me to hurry to the office. But, when I didn’t move, she scoffed and walked away. My heels clicked behind me.

I let out a small smile. I was going to tell the woman to do my worst and report me to livers but I resisted the urge. I pressed the phone back to my ear.“I’m so sorry Lisa. It’s one of those nosy coworkers” I apologized, turning to ensure the woman had walked far away and couldn’t hear me. Lisa chuckled from the other end.

“You’re quite rude. Taking advantage of this aren’t you?” I teased.

A small smirk appeared on my lips. "If I can, why wouldn’t I?" I shrugged. "However, I doubt that Leo would fire me, and even if he did, I wouldn’t care right now. I do have to go, though. I’ll call you later."

“Alright boo. I might be out of a town for a shoot but I’m always here for you no matter what. You just have to call.” A small smile spread across my face. Lisa wasn’t even bluffing, and I knew it. She had been with me since we were kids. She would always help me, no questions asked. Even if I needed to talk about a man who was clearly no good for me.

“Thanks Lisa. This means the world to me. I love you” I gushed.

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