Four Hot CEOs Are Obsessed With My Face

Makenzie had just finished washing her hands when a sudden grip on her wrist yanked her into a dimly lit supply closet. Her back hit a row of mops, and she winced. As she recognized the figure in front of her, recognition—and wariness—flared in her eyes. “Jason Carter? What do you want?”

Under the dim light, Jason's hands clamped down on her shoulders, his voice edged with anger. “What's going on between you and Theo Mason? Kristen told me you're having an affair with him.”

Makenzie glanced at her purse lying on the floor, praying it was still recording. A cold smile curved her lips as she got ready to put on a show. “You believe every word she says, but you won't take my word for anything. So why bother asking?”

“I trust you,” Jason said urgently. “If you say you're not involved with him, I'll believe you.”

With a hard twist, Makenzie broke free of his grip. She could already feel the red marks blooming on her shoulders. “You're about to marry Kristen. So why do you care about me?”

“I— You know I never loved her,” Jason said, his face twisting with pain. “Three years together, from school to work—I can't just turn that off.”

He was serving up the same tired story, but Makenzie wasn't buying it. “If you love me and trust me, then hear me out.”

She paused, then let out a humorless chuckle. “I was left with nothing. I have to make a living. Whatever garbage Kristen is spreading about me being somebody's mistress, you should know better. I graduated top of my class from a prestigious university, taught myself jewelry design, and now I'm Theo Mason's personal assistant. I can stand on my own two feet.”

Jason went quiet. He knew how competent she was—how much of that polish came from a privileged upbringing, despite her family's recent betrayal.

“And you were the one who ended things, Jason. We're done. Don't come looking for me again.”

Makenzie scooped up her purse and made for the door, but Jason wasn't letting her go that easily. “Don't work for Mason. I'll take care of you.”

She arched a brow and glanced back. “So you want to be my sugar daddy?”

“Someone like Theo Mason wouldn't bother keeping you. I would,” Jason said, with insulting earnestness. “I'll marry Kristen, but you'll still be my priority.”

What about the fact that Theo Mason is already my mentor? System 66 cut in, disgusted. “What a piece of work!”

Makenzie kept her face blank and silently labeled him a jerk. “When we were together, you were already tangled up with Kristen. Now you expect me to be your kept woman? You make me sick.”

“How did you know?” Jason asked, genuinely thrown.

She'd guessed—this was straight out of a melodrama. “Stay away from me. You've already ruined my reputation. I just want to get on with my life.”

When she tried to shove past him, Jason caught her hand and backed her into the corner. “Don't be like this, Makenzie. I really love you. Can't you compromise just a little?”

System 66 erupted. “Is he even human?”

Makenzie kept her cool and curled her fingers around a nearby mop handle. When he leaned in for a kiss, she drove her knee hard into his groin.

“Ah!”

As he staggered back in pain, she jammed the mop into his gut and shoved him aside. In one swift motion, she dropped the mop and bolted for the door—just as it swung open from the outside. Caught off guard, she stumbled forward and smacked headfirst into a solid chest. A pained whimper slipped out as she clutched her forehead.

“Makenzie?” Theo Mason's voice rang out as he caught her.

She looked up into dark, ink-black eyes and froze. “Mr. Mason.”

Seeing her distress, Theo slid an arm around her waist. His voice went icy. “What happened?”

Jason limped out, one hand clamped over his groin, face twisted in pain. The moment he saw Theo's cool, impassive expression, he went rigid. “Mr. Mason.”

“What did you do to my assistant?” Theo asked, voice stripped of emotion. Under the lights, he looked downright formidable.

“Nothing... just an old friend saying hello,” Jason stammered. He avoided Theo's eyes, ducked his head in a nervous bow, and beat a hasty retreat.

The second Jason disappeared, Makenzie exhaled and finally let herself relax. She glanced up at Theo, her voice soft. “Jason tried to hit on me. Disgusting.”

Theo paused and glanced at her. “And you weren't interested?”

Makenzie's eyes went wide. “Mr. Mason, you transferred money to me yesterday, and today you're already pretending you don't know me?” Did he really think it would be that easy?

Theo's expression stayed aloof. “I don't do things against someone's will.”

“Can I have a contract with Mason Group?” she asked, biting her lip.

“What for?”

“To permanently deal with Jason Carter,” she said, her resolve clear.

Theo recognized the steel in her eyes and nodded. “I'll take care of it.” New as he was to relationships, he understood one thing: he had to handle his new companion's problems.

“I'll handle it myself,” Makenzie said with a smile. “It's not all about the money with you.” After all, she couldn't give the boss subpar service.

“Theo, the matriarch is looking for you again,” came a gentle voice from behind them.

They turned to see a couple whose soft auras somehow matched perfectly—Lila Roberts and Kelvin Diaz.

Theo instinctively tightened his arm around Makenzie's waist, his fingers digging into her side. She let out a soft yelp. “Ow.” She laid a hand over his, and felt his grip slowly loosen.

“You look well,” Theo said, voice steady, expression blank, his gaze flicking briefly to the hand resting on Lila's shoulder.

Kelvin regarded Makenzie with obvious disinterest, looked away, then smiled lightly. “Would you like to join us?”

“Sure.”

Apart from the flicker of emotion he showed in front of Mrs. Diaz, Theo kept his icy composure.

A steady stream of guests came over to toast him, and he accepted every glass, one after another.

After he downed ten glasses in a row, Lila finally shot him a worried glance—though she stayed in Kelvin's loose embrace, unable to pull away.

His severe ulcer couldn't take that pace. It was asking for trouble.

Noticing Lila watching, Theo tipped back another glass.

Makenzie caught the shift in his mood. She picked up a glass of red wine, linked her arm through Theo's, and toasted the guest beside him with a smile. “I'll drink for Mr. Mason.”

She tipped her head back and downed the wine in one go.

She'd drunk it too fast. She coughed several times, set the glass down, and wiped her mouth, cheeks flushing hot immediately.