In Her Pond: The CEO’s Obsession

---- Chapter 13 "Then why aren't you putting me down?" "Because I'm drunk and I need your help." Iwas speechless. "Right. That's what drunk looks like, huh?" I thought. "Can I, honey?" I didn't answer. 'The only reply was the sound of water spilling over the edge of the tub. The next morning, I woke to find myself turned toward the wall, his arm loosely wrapped around my waist. His slow, steady breaths brushed against the back of my neck. Flashes of last night -his hands, the warmth of his touch- drifted through my mind, and heat crept up my cheeks. (Wait, what?

Later, he simply held me close, brushing away my tears and whispering me back to sleep. He carried a faint, calming scent that made me feel safe. As time passed, the nightmares slowly faded away. His kisses were no longer gentle. Even the way he lulled me to sleep had changed. He wore me out completely and strangely enough, it worked. ---- When we returned home, I found myself trending again, exactly as I'd expected. "The high-profile engagement everyone's talking about-the bride's fiancé just died recently, didn't he? I even sawa video of her crying by the river." "Unbelievable.

Her fiancé just passed away, and she's already moved on, How heartless can she get?" "Theard a rumor that the guy didn't actually die-someone found him downstream, and when he finally came back, his fiancée had already married someone else." The internet was full of people condemning how quickly P''d moved on. Iwas about to contact my media friend and release the information we'd kept in reserve when, suddenly, the trending posts vanished. Every related tag showed nothing but a blank page. Liam's team had clearly acted faster than I did. The uproar died down within hours.

Two days later, I saw Hubert outside my company building. ---- He looked thinner, his cheeks hollow, exhaustion written all over his face. 'The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened. "Rose, it's me, Hubert." My face stayed cold. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, but he still choked out, "Yes, I'm alive. I was just-" "You were swept downstream and rescued by a family, lost your memory for a while," I finished for him. "That's what you were going to say, right?" He froze. "If you already knew, then why didn't you come looking for me?" [Is this a "try not to laugh" challenge?

Because I'm losing it.] [Does he seriously think he's the male lead of some tragic romance? Wait, oh right. He actually is.) (Doesn't matter if he's the male lead or not. A cheater's still a cheater.] His voice rose, trembling with frustration. "Do you even know what people are saying about you? They're calling you heartless. They' re saying you moved on before my grave even ---- had time to settle! They're all tearing you apart online, don't you care?"