Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO novel Chapter 799

Chapter 799: Scared that she might end up hating him.

Zenith paused in her steps. Her back remained towards him, and she didn’t turn to look back at him immediately. Instead, she waited to register his words. Her brows furrowed, and when she finally heard the soft screech of his chair pushing back, she turned to face him.

"What do you mean, Sir?" Her tone was again carrying the same politeness that Ryan had started to hate. "Did I do something wrong in the report? You can tell me, and I will make the necessary rectification right away."

"I am not talking about that," Ryan spoke through the grit of his teeth. "I am talking about the stupid date you are persistently planning on going. You don’t have to force yourself into such stupid things. You can —"

"Sorry, sir," Zenith interrupted him. "But it’s not something stupid. It’s just our way of finding the partner we would love to spend our lives with. After all, people like us do think of having a family with whom we can grow old with. And I think you misinterpreted something. I am not getting forced into it."

"You are not?" Ryan’s tone held a challenge which Zenith matched evenly. Her gaze remained levelled as she replied, nodding firmly.

"I am not. My parents aren’t the kind who would force me to do things like this. If I am going on blind dates, then it means that I am getting serious about the next phase of my life."

Ryan couldn’t hold himself from grimly scoffing. "The next phase of your life. Is that what you think it is?"

Zenith frowned, not liking his attitude. It was giving her all the wrong hints that she didn’t want to consider. "Yes, sir. The next phase of my life. I am already approaching my late twenties. It’s time for me. I —"

Before she could finish, Ryan charged in her direction, almost scaring her off every reason.

Grabbing her by the arms, he forced her to the door, pressing her hard against it, but at the same time careful enough not to hurt her. "Zenith. Zane!" His nostrils flared, and for the first time, Zenith saw his gaze darkening up so close. It almost made her stiffen in his grip. "Do you really think you will be able to find your partner for life like this? Going on dates with some random men about whom you don’t know anything and you can’t even be sure?"’

She felt scared under his glare. And his tone only weakened her further. But there was something that emboldened her at that moment. Something that gave her the courage to stand in front of him and stare right into his eyes.

Maybe it was his touch. Firm, yet gentle. That gave her the courage to stand against him, even if she knew that it could be dangerous.

"I don’t know whether I will be able to find someone reliable or not, sir. Nor do I care. But I don’t find it wrong because it’s not something I am doing alone. Almost half of the country relies on arranged blind dates to find their partners. And they even do. So, it’s not about random men, it’s about my choice. And you, out of all, have no authority to speak into my personal choices like this."

Ryan’s fingers tightened around her arm. His voice dropped low and dangerous. "Say that again."

Zenith winced under his hold, but her gaze didn’t falter. Staring at him, she said, "You are my employer, sir, and I truly respect you. But we share a boundary, and it would be better if neither of us tries to cross it."

And with that, she tried to step away. It was difficult since he had been holding her, but looking into his eyes, she slowly reached and uncurled the fingers that were holding her.

Ryan resisted at first, but he allowed her to pull away when he saw the confidence in her gaze. That gaze undid something within him. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at her, unblinking.

But at the same time, her words rang in his ears. The mention of a boundary that he couldn’t cross. He didn’t want to admit but it hurts undoubtedly.

"You don’t want me to cross that boundary with you, but how did you forget that just a few nights before you were begging me to cross the boundaries that would have been far intense than this. How did you not remember then that I was your employer and you were merely an employee? How did you —"

Slap!

Before he could say more, the sharp sound made him pause. He would say that it stung, it woke something up inside him. And he realized, how easily he had crossed the line that he didn’t mean to.

He turned to her to apologize, but when he saw her gaze glazed with tears, his jaw tightened and fury unfurled inside his gut. He couldn’t help but clench his fingers.

"I-I never thought you would bring that night like this, sir," Zenith said, shaking her head in disappointment. "I k-know I crossed a line that day, but I thought you would understand that it was never my intention. If I had been in control, I wouldn’t have done that. I was —"

"Zenith, I am sorry. I —" Ryan leaned forward to hold her and explain. However, she avoided his touch as though she was repulsed by it.

"It’s fine, Sir," she said, her voice suddenly grounded as though she had accepted something within. "I understood how you saw me that night. I haven’t apologized for it then, but today, I —" taking a step back, she bowed her head, "am apologizing for it. I am sorry. Even in that vulnerable state, I shouldn’t have forgotten my boundary. I shouldn’t have leaned on you for help. After all, that safety, that help, wasn’t something you owed me."

Ryan knew what he had said was wrong, and he truly didn’t mean it. But right now, her words pierced him the worst. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth. Her repetitive mention of boundaries only further fueled his anger. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Nodding, he finally said, "I accept what you said. We are employer and employee and we shouldn’t cross any boundary between us that we shouldn’t."

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