Intrigued by the CEO: Paranoid Obsessions

Blaze smirked triumphantly at her.

Harper shot him a cold glance and then continued hopping towards the kitchen.

Blaze followed, stealing a glance at her feet and then scooped her up, carrying her into the kitchen.

Harper remained silent, allowing him to carry her without protest.

Blaze set her down, but she didn’t even look at him, immediately getting busy in the kitchen.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“What’s your deal, Harper? You giving me the silent treatment?” Blaze was annoyed at being ignored.

Harper didn’t respond.

“Harper!” Blaze grabbed her hand.

Harper shook his hand off, her expression cold.

Blaze grabbed her hand again, this time with a tight grip, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, his grip turning her hand red.

Harper tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was too tight, and she could only endure the pain spreading through her wrist, didn’t make a sound. If he kept this up, he might actually break her wrist. But there was no hint of surrender on her face.

Shit!

Blaze released her hand abruptly, “Harper, I’m such an idiot!”

Harper glanced at him, then turned back to the sink, continuing her work.

“I’m such an idiot for getting involved with a woman like you! I’m an idiot for worrying about you getting hurt and letting you out of the car! I’m an idiot for caring more about you than that kid!” Blaze shouted from behind her, kicking a nearby cabinet before storming off in anger.

Harper stood frozen by the sink, shocked by his words.

‘He said… He let me out of the car because he was worried about me getting hurt? He cared about me more than that kid? Cared… Could it be that Blaze had fallen for me?’ Harper was taken aback by her own thoughts, ‘Ever since he insisted on me signing the contract, I knew Blaze must have some interest in me, but his current behavior made it seem like he was in love with me and couldn’t get a response… Love, that word couldn’t possibly apply to me and Blaze, but he had just said he cared…. If Blaze really has feelings for me, what should I do?…’

After a while, Harper regained her composure and prepared lunch.

She waited in the dining room.

An hour passed, then two, and Blaze still hadn’t shown up.

Harper ended up eating some food by herself. It wasn’t until evening, when her prepared meal had gone cold again, and Blaze hadn’t shown up, that she realized Blaze was genuinely upset this time… He didn’t even touch the food she made.

Harper hopped to the study, leaning against the wall for support.

Dylan passed by with a suitcase, “Miss Shaw.”

“Mr. Foster, where are you off to?” Harper inquired politely.

“Master is staying at the forest castle, so I’m doing some packing,” Dylan replied courteously.

“So Blaze was staying at the castle, which explained why he hadn’t come for dinner. Does that mean he won’t be coming over for a while?” Harper asked.

Dylan nodded, “Yes, Master seems to be planning to stay there for a while.”

‘Staying for a while… That meant Blaze wouldn’t be coming over for some time?’ She felt conflicted. Honestly, she didn’t know how to face Blaze now. Not seeing him would be the best option.

…

Deep in the forest, on the golf course behind the castle.

Blaze stood on the green, dressed in crisp white sportswear, looking unusually youthful. He gripped the golf club in his hands, his gaze fixed on the ball on the ground, not making a move. He seemed lost in thought, and no one knew what was on his mind.

Linda and a few other women, dressed in revealing outfits, sat under a parasol, sipping drinks.

Suddenly, Linda approached Blaze with a cup of juice, “Mr. Wychwood, take a break.”

Blaze shifted his gaze away, staring at her expressionlessly.

As she leaned in, a strong scent of perfume wafted over.

Blaze immediately pushed her away, frowning, “What perfume are you wearing? It’s awful.”

Linda fell to the ground, looking aggrieved, “But isn’t this your favorite perfume?” Blaze’s taste had changed? He used to love the scent she wore.

Blaze furrowed. ‘It seems I needed to ask Harper what perfume she wear next time. That subtle scent is really nice. And I am thinking about Harper again… Damn it. That ungrateful woman…’ Blaze started cursing her in his mind.

Dylan drove the golf cart over from a distance, placing the suitcase on it and strolling leisurely toward Blaze.

Blaze glanced at him. ‘Dylan, the old man, is going really slow.’

He turned his attention back to swinging the golf club.

“I’m back, Master,” Dylan said, lowering his head as he approached.

“Hmm…” Blaze didn’t bother looking at him, focusing on hitting the ball instead, “Is that woman feeling sad now?” he asked, “Now I am gone, she must be crying and begging for me to come back, right?

Dylan coughed lightly and replied, “No.”

“Oh really? Then she must be begging you to bring her to see me, right?” Blaze asked casually, “Arrange for a car to pick her up. Her foot is injured.”

“Uh…” Dylan reluctantly broke Blaze’s unfounded confidence, “Miss Shaw hasn’t asked me either.”

Blaze gripped the golf club tightly. He glared coldly at Dylan, “What did you say?”

“Miss Shaw appears quite calm,” Dylan explained.

“Calm? So, she was well aware of my numerous female companions and remained unperturbed?

Harper, you’re really something!” Blaze angrily smashed the golf club in his hand to the ground. “Economically restrict her!” he ordered, determined to make her beg for forgiveness this time.

“Uh, Master, aside from the house, you haven’t given Miss Shaw any money,” Dylan kindly reminded him.

Blaze’s voice faltered, “What? I hadn’t given her any money? What about the groceries…”

“It seems Miss Shaw bought those with her own money,” Dylan cut in, matter-of-factly. Harper didn’t like others invading her space, so Dylan didn’t arrange for servants. She always did the shopping and cooking herself.

“She bought them?” Blaze was stunned, “So, I’d been living off this woman’s money all this time? Wasn’t the bank card she used at the supermarket last time given by you?”

“It’s hers…”

“Damn it.” Blaze was furious, glaring at Dylan, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You’re becoming more and more unruly, old man! Making me live off her! Shameful!”

“It’s my fault, Master,” Dylan admitted.

“In that case, impose various restrictions on her. I want her to come begging to me! Got it?” Blaze said coldly, striding toward the golf cart up ahead.

Several women immediately followed, wanting to get on the cart together, but Blaze kicked each one off, one by one. The ones he wanted to see didn’t come looking for him, and the ones he didn’t want to see were all over him. It was annoying!

…

Harper pulled back the curtains, and the dazzling sunlight poured in, warming her up.

Another brand new day.

Since last night, she had realized that such a huge apartment was not suitable for living alone. Speaking here alone would create echoes, and the loneliness would be amplified many times over.

Harper looked at the empty house and sat down at the desk to start sketching…

Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was already dark outside.

Finishing the last panel, Harper rubbed her empty stomach, stood up, and hopped out.

“Thud, thud, thud.” The echoing sound of her footsteps in the empty house felt especially lonely.

Harper struggled to hop forward. Suddenly, everything around her went dark, plunging into darkness. Her hand, reaching out to steady herself against the wall, missed, and she fell heavily to the ground.

“Ouch, that hurts.” Harper lay on the ground, the pain in her bandaged foot intensifying.

‘What’s going on? Sky Harbor is supposed to be the best and most expensive neighborhood. How can there be a power outage?’ Harper was in too much pain to move and lay on the ground, waiting for the power to come back on.

She had always been afraid of dark houses since she was a child.

When she was young, her foster parents went on a three-day field trip with Fiona, leaving her with relatives. But the relatives also went out to play, locking her in the house.

That night, there was a power outage too. At just seven years old, she spent the whole night in the dark house. No matter how much she cried and pleaded, the lights didn’t come back on, and no one came to rescue her.

Later, when Logan came to The Shaw Family, he would accompany her every time there was a power outage. Being blind, he could walk around in the dark with ease and take her anywhere, so she gradually became less afraid.

Actually, rather than being afraid of the dark, she was more afraid of being alone in the house when darkness fell.

And now, the same situation was playing out again.