The CEO’s Secret Fiancé

004: The Cunning Cousin

|Draven's POV|

Emily is back and to be very honest, her voice is starting to nag me a little.

"...and she takes a double shot of espresso twice a day, one right after her first meeting of the day that is usually after 9 a.m. and the other around 4 p.m. Along with that, you will need to read this binder," as she drops a thick ass file on my desk with a bold title, "it has all of the details on Ms. Young's personal and professional relations because being her assistant, it falls under your set of responsibilities to know everything about everyone in her life so that you may help her out with the utmost efficiency."

I do wish to know everything about everyone in her life but doing so with the help of a binder feels weird.

I look up and find Casmira sitting behind her desk, watching Emily and I with a heated glare, and I know that it has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of jealousy and everything to do with her fear that I will tell someone about the night we spent.

If only she knew how special the night has become for me since this morning.

I look back down at the monstrosity of the binder and nod my head, pulling it towards myself, knowing that this is how I will have to begin.

"Alright."

Emily bats her eyelashes at me and I give her a cool smirk, knowing well enough that she will instantly drop everything for me if I ask her to.

"And before we proceed any further, Ms. Young wants you to sign this." Emily states as she places a sheet of paper in front of me on my desk and when I look at the contents of the page, I feel like rolling my eyes.

"An NDA?" I question staring at her with a raised brow, waiting for her to actually say it out loud.

She looks taken aback and suddenly nervous as she nods her head, glancing towards Casmira sitting inside her office before she meets my gaze again, "you're going to be working closely with one of the most influential person in this country. You will find out things about her that media houses will kill to know. Being privy to such knowledge comes with its fair share of due diligence." She explains and I have to bite my tongue to not say something which might get me fired on my first day here.

"Alright, I'll sign." And muttering that, I scrawl out the initials on the paper without bothering to think about the absurdity of this entire situation.

"Great, now, I'm going to ask Ms. Young when she wants to begin your orientation into the company, and—" Emily's words get stuck in her throat as her eyes widen at something behind me.

I furrow my brows and turn around to find an angry blond making his way towards Casmira's office and just as Emily leaps out to stop him, he snaps at her, "GET OUT OF MY f*****g WAY DARBY!"

Emily shrinks in her place as he glares heatedly at her before storming into Casmira's office just before Emily squares her shoulders again and hurries in after him, hoping to stop him or give Casmira an explanation on how he could walk in unannounced.

Already feeling irritated by the blond's behaviour, I push my chair back and stand, following Emily and this new hothead as he barges into Casmira's office. The door slams open, and there's a split second where all I can hear is the echo, followed by Casmira's sharp intake of breath. Her hands pause over the paperwork on her desk, her expression shifting from composed to something harder, colder.

The blond glares at her, his face twisted with a mix of arrogance and irritation that's almost impressive in its intensity. I watch Casmira's face carefully, noticing how her eyes narrow, but she doesn't flinch.

"Donovan," she says, voice smooth as silk, yet sharp as glass. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this...surprise visit?"

"Pleasure?" He scoffs, his tone dripping with disdain. "You really think you've earned the right to talk to me like that, Casmira? Especially after last quarter's disaster?"

I glance over at Emily, who's hovering near the door, looking like she'd rather vanish into thin air than deal with the drama unfolding. For a split second, I think about calling her out, but Donovan's voice cuts through my thoughts, louder and angrier.

"This company is on the verge of going down, and everyone knows it," he sneers. "The board is talking. They're seeing that maybe you're not up for this. Maybe, just maybe, they're looking at someone with...more experience, more dedication."

Casually leaning against the doorframe, I fold my arms, not saying a word but taking in every nuance. Casmira's cousin—Donovan, was it?—radiates bitterness, the type that festers over time and seeps out whenever there's even a whiff of opportunity. And right now, he's locked in on Casmira, like a hawk circling its prey.

"Are you quite finished?" Casmira asks, her voice dangerously calm. She doesn't stand up, doesn't even bother to raise her voice. That seems to rile him up even more, which, I'll admit, I'm finding oddly satisfying.

"I'm finished when you acknowledge the mess you're making of this company!" Donovan spits out, leaning over her desk, trying to assert some sort of dominance.

Without missing a beat, Casmira finally looks up, a steely gaze cutting through his bluster. "I don't owe you any explanations. You may think you're a big player, Donovan, but remember who actually has the authority here."

I hide a smirk as I watch Donovan's face contort with frustration. He's trying hard to maintain his facade of power, but it's clear Casmira has him outmatched. And she knows it.

"Keep telling yourself that, Casmira," he hisses, voice laced with venom. "But sooner or later, the board's going to see what a liability you are. You're not cut out for this—never have been."

A part of me itches to intervene, to put him in his place, but I restrain myself. This isn't my fight. Not yet, anyway.

"Funny," Casmira replies smoothly. "Because last I checked, you're the one who keeps dropping the ball in client meetings. If anyone's a liability, Donovan, it's you."

I have to bite back a chuckle as her words land like a punch. Donovan looks like he's about to explode, and there's a moment where he visibly struggles to find something—anything—to say in response. His face is flushed red, his jaw clenched so tight it looks like it might crack.

"You've been lucky so far, Casmira," he says, his tone low and seething. "But don't think for a second I'm going to let you keep running this company into the ground."

With that, he turns on his heel and storms past me, barely sparing me a glance. Emily looks as if she's debating between following him and staying put, but I give her a nod, silently telling her to let him go. The last thing Casmira needs right now is anyone bringing him back.

As soon as Donovan's footsteps fade down the hall, I step forward and close the door quietly, turning back to Casmira. She's sitting rigidly in her chair, her hands clenched into fists on the desk. Her calm facade is cracking, and I can see the exhaustion creeping in around the edges.

"Quite the family reunion," I remark, keeping my tone light but steady. Her eyes flick up to mine, and for a moment, she looks almost vulnerable, stripped of the layers of armor she usually wears.

She forces a tight smile, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "You'll get used to it. Donovan likes to play the game, but he's more bark than bite."

"I don't doubt it," I say, crossing my arms and leaning against the edge of her desk. "But he seems...determined to bring you down. Why is that?"

She lets out a bitter chuckle, rolling her shoulders as if trying to shake off the tension. "Because he thinks he's the rightful heir to this company. Our fathers were business partners. When my dad passed away, Donovan's father tried to take control, but my mother refused. She made sure I had the final say. Ever since, Donovan's been trying to undermine me at every turn."

There's a brief silence, and I take a step closer, watching her carefully. "He's not exactly subtle about it."

Casmira's mouth quirks up into a sardonic smile. "No, he's not. But subtlety was never his strong suit."

I nod, observing the way her fingers tighten around the pen in her hand. "So...do you want me to keep an eye on him?"

She looks at me, eyebrows raised, as if surprised I would even suggest it. "And why would you want to do that?"

I shrug, feigning nonchalance. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in seeing you succeed, Ms. Young."

She lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head slightly. "You're quite the enigma, Draven. One minute, I'm sure you're here to sabotage me, and the next, you're offering to watch my back."

"Consider it...job security," I say, giving her a smirk. "The longer you're in control, the longer I get to enjoy this position."

She rolls her eyes, but there's a flicker of warmth in her gaze, a hint of something that feels almost like trust. "Alright. But don't think I won't hold you to that offer."

I give her a nod, a silent agreement. In that moment, something shifts between us—a sense of mutual understanding, as if we're both acknowledging that, for now at least, we're on the same side.

As I turn to leave her office, I catch one last glimpse of her, sitting tall and resolute behind her desk, eyes gleaming with determination. Donovan might think he's got the upper hand, but Casmira's not about to back down. And for reasons I can't quite explain, I find myself hoping she never will.