Making the CEO Kneel and Beg: I won’t Let Him Control Me!

"Anne, you came!" Valentine greeted brightly as I stepped into the VIP room of the restaurant.

Her hand lingered deliberately on Raymond’s chest before she pulled it away in a mock panic, as if she’d been caught in the act.

Raymond, meanwhile, adjusted himself in his chair, silently picking at the last piece of pie he’d been about to feed her.

His eyes narrowed, glaring at me with a silent question: 'Why are you here?'

I shrugged, strolling over and setting a grocery bag with two bottles of cola on the table.

I hadn’t bothered to dress up—just a hoodie, joggers, and my bag slung over one shoulder. Ignoring their stares, I fished a small file folder from my bag, keeping my attention on it instead of them.

Sensing the tension rising, Valentine’s expression shifted nervously. She leaned closer to Raymond, cooing, "It was my idea to invite her, Ray. Don’t be mad at her.” Her voice was sickly sweet. “I just really wanted cola, so I borrowed your phone to ask her to bring us some. I didn’t mention it right away... I guess I felt a little mischievous today.”

Raymond's irritated expression softened almost instantly as Valentine pouted. He tapped her forehead gently, his earlier stiffness melting away.

"What a naughty rascal," he murmured with a fond smile.

Seizing the moment, I pressed an open document into his hands, already flipped to the page where I needed his signature. He pulled back slightly, confused, but I didn’t give him a chance to read on it.

“This needs your signature,” I said flatly.

“You came all the way here just for this?” he asked, trailing off.

“First, it was for the cola,” I replied. “I’ll be on my way once we’re done. Clearly, I’m not exactly welcome here.”

Raymond looked at me, caught off guard by my bluntness, but with a slight shake of his head, he picked up the pen I’d set beside the document and signed the bottom of the page.

Under normal circumstances, he would have read through it first, but my sudden arrival, Valentine’s clinginess, and his clear desire to end this encounter quickly nudged him into signing without much thought.

He hadn’t noticed my resignation letter slipped neatly between the pages. If HR had accepted it yesterday, I wouldn’t have needed to resort to these tactics.

As Raymond flipped to the next page to sign, I noticed Valentine watching me out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh! That black ring you’re wearing looks so familiar," she chirped suddenly.

I glanced at her, waiting for her to continue.

“Raymond, doesn’t that ring look just like the one you tossed in the trash the other day?” she asked, her voice syrupy and sweet.

I saw a flicker of panic in Raymond’s eyes as he hastily signed the last page. I simply smiled at their little charade.

“Rings like these are pretty common, Val,” I replied calmly, tucking the signed document back into my bag.

Before leaving, I glanced down at the ring—a custom piece I’d ordered to symbolize the bond between me and Raymond, once a symbol of hope that he’d replace it with a wedding band.

I slipped it off, a small smile forming as I turned it over in my hand.

Time to part ways with this ring, too.

“Would you like it, Val?” I asked, turning to her, holding the ring out with a casual shrug. “I’m getting a bit bored with the design myself.”

“Oh! Well…” Valentine stammered, clearly taken aback.

I gave her a nod and shrugged. As I made my way to the door, I spotted a trash can nearby. Stepping on the pedal to open the lid, I dropped the ring inside before heading out of the restaurant.

The night breeze greeted me as I stepped outside, crisp and cool—a fresh start.

Buzz! Buzz!

Seeing my mother’s name flash on the screen, I pulled my phone from my hoodie pocket and picked up immediately. "Hey, Ma! Everything okay?"

"Anne! Why didn’t you reply to my messages? Are you really coming home soon? Did you buy tickets already?” My mom bombarded me with questions, her usual way of following up whenever I updated her in chat.

I let out a sigh of relief, glad she was alright. “I haven’t bought a ticket yet, Ma. Probably tomorrow.”

“Ticket? Ma? You’re going home?” My heart skipped a beat as Raymond’s voice sounded behind me.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I replied, “Yes, I mentioned to you that my mom’s been unwell since last month, right?” I fibbed, gripping the strap of my bag just a bit tighter. “I just want to check in on her. I haven’t been home in a while.”

Raymond studied me, his expression unreadable. “I see.”

I hoped he’d leave it at that, but instead, he continued to stare, his gaze almost probing.

What did he want?

Without another word, he commanded, “I’m done eating. Come with me,” his tone firm.

I blinked. “Huh?”

Ignoring my confusion, he took hold of my uninjured arm and led me to his car without waiting for permission.

“I’ve booked a hotel nearby. Come,” he said without even looking back at me.