Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

15. Celia

Chapter fifteen

Celia

S ince Anton and I had started dating, I found myself making excuses to visit his office as often as I could. My heart soared like a helium-filled balloon whenever we were together. Whether it was a question about the Aiko Osaka case or something trivial, I would go to his office to ask in person, even though I could’ve called or emailed.

He didn’t mind my frequent visits. On the contrary, his eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face whenever I walked in, arms full of documents for a “quick question” that hardly required a face-to-face meeting.

We often ended up chatting far longer than necessary, stifling our laughter to keep from disturbing Olivia, whose desk was outside Anton’s office. When I left, I left with a lighter heart and an extra bounce in my step.

If Olivia suspected anything beyond work, she didn’t show it. Each time I arrived, she would subtly nod toward Anton’s door, letting me know he was inside, and I was free to enter. She was discreet like that.

Today, her smile broadened as she looked up from her desk. “Wow, Celia, did you do something new with your hair?”

I touched the curls framing my face, a nervous smile playing on my lips. “Just curled it.”

“Well, it suits you,” she said, her eyes twinkling. She then nodded toward the door. “He’s in.”

My hairstyle had been constant, a simple bun at the nape of my neck. But since arriving in New York, Maddison had suggested I change it several times. So, today, I let her style it. I couldn’t deny, I secretly wanted to see Anton’s reaction. Would he like it? I was about to find out.

The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear Anton’s agitated voice as he spoke on the phone. I hesitated, unsure if I should enter during such a tense conversation. He usually didn’t mind me coming in without knocking, but now it didn't seem right, given the tension in his voice. Olivia caught my hesitant stance.

“He’s on a call,” I mouthed.

She nodded and turned back to her typing, fingers flying across the keyboard.

I couldn’t help but overhear Anton’s words, drawing my attention back to his office. “Johan, I don’t know what to do.”

Johan—his brother. My ears pricked at his brother's name. Could this be about their father’s health? My heart clenched, and curiosity rooted me to the spot.

“What? Getting back with Reeva?”

I took a step away from the door as my heart stopped. This was an entirely different scenario than the one I had imagined. A warning inside urged me to turn and leave, to return to my desk and pretend I’d heard nothing. But my feet wouldn’t move; I was glued to the spot by curiosity. A part of me wanted to understand why he was talking about getting back with his ex-girlfriend with his brother—someone he’d only briefly mentioned before.

“Yes...her pregnancy...”

Pregnant? With Reeva?

Suddenly, my ear buzzed, louder and louder. My lungs constricted, and no matter how hard I tried to breathe, it felt like a desperate struggle to get to the surface of an ice-cold river, always just out of reach.

This had to be a misunderstanding. I must have heard wrong.

“She already had a paternity test done. I don’t know how any of this is possible-”

I stepped back, I pivoted and walked away. “I'll come back later,” I murmured to Olivia as I hurried past her.

Lost in a daze, I didn’t even realize I had pushed the elevator button until a loud ding and the opening doors snapped me back to reality.

Thankfully, I was alone for the elevator ride. With each passing floor flickering across the lighted display, my heart sank further, settling somewhere near my feet.

I felt utterly hollow inside.

Anton’s ex was pregnant, the paternity test was out—so the child was his, his brother suggested he get back with her...wasn’t that the normal course of things? After all he was the oldest of the Waltons brothers and pushing mid-thirties.

Tears welled up as I stared blankly ahead, the numbers on the elevator panel blurring together. My face and throat burned. My chest ached with each heartbeat.

The elevator dinged as it reached my floor, bringing me out of my daze with the harshness of cold reality. I was still at work and needed to maintain my professionalism. Wiping away my tears, I was determined not to let anyone see me like this. I walked briskly to my desk, avoiding my colleagues’ gazes.

However, tears threatened again as the same haunting thoughts echoed in my mind: Anton’s ex is pregnant, and he might get back with her .

I kept my head down, reached my desk, and sank into my chair. Time blurred as I stared at the computer screen, unsure whether minutes or hours had passed.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Startled, I looked up, blinking a few times before the person standing in front of me finally registered.

It was Winnie. She was one of the women who had confronted me in the bathroom during my first week here. All her accusations flashed through my mind then. Ironically, she and her friend had pegged me correctly—if not then, certainly now—as a woman involved with my boss.

A sob welled up at that thought, but I forced it down and nodded. “I'm fine.”

It was obvious she wasn’t convinced by the skeptical look she gave. “Alright then, this is your badge.” She thrusted it my way. “I found it by the elevator.”

I took it. “Oh thanks. I must have dropped it this morning.”

She nodded and walked away.

Overwhelmed by emotions, I realized I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t remain at this desk, pretending my heart wasn’t shattering into a million pieces. I knew there were risks in dating Anton, but something like this never crossed my mind. I thought I was guarding my heart, that I would date-smart and not get too attached. Now, I had to face the consequences.

After believing that Anton and I could be something more than just colleagues, imagining him reunited with his ex was unbearable. I couldn’t see myself continuing to work here. The thought of encountering him on these premises made staying impossible.

Driven by these thoughts, I quickly packed all my belongings into my oversized handbag, leaving all the case files behind. As I passed by other desks, I hoped my colleagues assumed I was taking a quick break, not realizing I was walking out on my job after just over two months.

What a shock to put time into this office romance, only to have it fall apart in two months!

In the taxi back to Maddison’s apartment, I was trying to stay composed, but it was obvious I was crying as I kept dabbing my eyes. The driver handed me a tissue, a silent acknowledgement of my unspoken hurt.

Maddison wasn’t home. Alone in the quiet of my room, I forced myself to clear my thoughts. I figured drafting a resignation letter might help, so I sat at my small desk, laptop open. I struggled to find words that could bridge my inner turmoil with the professional fa?ade I needed to maintain. After several failed attempts, things started to become clearer, and I began to type.

When I finished, I read it over. Each word sank my heart further as I realized my bank account would suffer a similar drop when I had to pay my bills without a job. But money was low on my list of concerns right now.

What would Anton think when he noticed I wasn’t at work? He didn't know I had unwittingly overheard his conversation. Had he known about the baby all along? It hurt to think he might have deliberately kept me in the dark about something like that.

I forced my brain to focus on the tasks ahead, like finding another job, but it was all in vain. If Anton came looking for me after he received my resignation letter, he would easily find me here. A clean break from that whole office was necessary for me to start fresh. My emotions were too raw and avoiding him was the best thing I could do for myself. I needed a place to go, somewhere I could stay until I figured out this mess, I’d created for myself.

My hands worked on autopilot, and soon, I’d packed my most immediate necessities. As I walked through the small living room, I pictured him in the kitchen when I offered him water, then on the couch, eating pizza. I imagined him leaning against the door as he said goodbye, that intoxicating smile turning my insides to water.

I was grieving the loss of something that had not fully materialized—the life I had lived here for such a short time and the love that might have been. But now, I would never know for sure.

More tears welled up, and I turned to leave the place that had slowly started to feel like home but now plagued with bittersweet memories.