The CEO’s Secret Lover Watched Him Choose Another Chapter 02

The CEO’s Secret Lover Watched Him Choose Another Chapter 02

The media room was packed with snacks and fruit.

The moment Ethan sat down, he moved the strawberries in front of Sophia.

A girl next to them giggled. “Ethan’s so obvious. He knows Sophia loves strawberries, so he’s saving the whole plate for her.”

More teasing followed. Sophia blushed and tried to push the plate toward the middle. “Everyone should have some. Ethan got me a ton. If we run out, I’ll make him go back to the room for more.”

But Ethan pulled the plate back, smiling warmly. “I’ll grab more. You eat those.”

He got up and left, and the room erupted again. “One word from Sophia and Ethan jumps. Total whipped!”

Sophia bit into a strawberry, a satisfied smile on her face, then suddenly called out to me. “Olivia, when Ethan comes back, you should have some. I remember you like strawberries too.”

The door opened. Ethan walked in with two plates of strawberries and set them both in front of Sophia.

He knew too.

In three years, I’d bought strawberries more times than I could count. And every single time, he’d frown and say, “Don’t eat so many. They’re too sweet, they’ll make you break out.”

I grabbed an orange instead. Jake called out, “Olivia, where’s Liam?”

Everyone looked over. I kept my eyes on the orange I was peeling. “He had something come up.”

Jake looked disappointed. “Well, that pairing might be a bust. But hey, at least the other one’s working out.”

Ethan’s gaze flickered over me for a moment, then moved away. “The documentary’s starting.”

There was a breathiness in his voice as he casually handed Sophia a strawberry.

The documentary was two hours long.

Everyone watched with enthusiasm, laughing and calling out whenever Ethan and Sophia appeared.

“Look at Ethan, wiping Sophia’s sweat. She ran fifty meters and he was right there the whole time, closer than the cameraman.”

“Check it out—he’s got bottled water, a fan, even sunscreen.”

“Sophia, he was so public about going after you back then. How did you even say no? Guy stayed single for four years and still can’t get over you.”

Sophia looked at Ethan, her eyes glistening. “I just thought college relationships never last. I wanted to wait until after graduation. I didn’t know he’d wait that long.”

A guy egged them on. “Ethan, those four years must’ve been rough, right?”

Ethan held her gaze and nodded slightly. “Worth it.”

Those two words, heavy with four years of longing.

Everyone sighed dreamily. I was the only one who found it funny.

Worth it? What exactly was worth it?

He’d pursued Sophia for six months, gotten nowhere, then switched to tennis. I was the captain of the tennis team. He asked me to coach him for half a semester, and by the beginning of sophomore year, he’d confessed to me.

Of course it was worth it for him.

We kept our relationship private, but we were happy. At least, I thought we were happy.

Or maybe I was the only one who felt that way.

I bit into my orange. A girl next to me suddenly pointed at the screen. “Olivia, why was Liam holding an umbrella for you? Was he trying to get with you?”

All eyes turned to me.

“No. He just happened to be walking that way.”

She shrugged. “Too bad he’s not here. He was totally into you, though. You should think about it. I think you’d be cute together.”

Across the room, Ethan was pouring Sophia a glass of water. Smooth, unhurried, like he hadn’t heard a word.

I smiled faintly. “No thanks. Actually, I have a boyfriend.”

Ethan’s body went rigid. His fingers curled into a fist.

I knew him. He was afraid I’d say something stupid.

But the girl grabbed my arm and demanded, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Who? Is it someone in our class?”

Dozens of eyes locked onto me. I kept smiling and nodded. “Yeah.”