Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 2 Five minutes later, the car was pulling into the massive parking garage beneath the behemoth all-glass building, that was Ross Corp's headquarters. Oscar parked next to several other standard issued black SUVS and then cut the engine. She walked inside with him, before he finally had to turn down to the security office, and she to the elevator that would take her upstairs to the top floor of the building.

"Thank you, Oscar," she said with a wave.

Oscar smiled at her. "Don't let him push you around too much today, Katrina," he reminded her.

She sighed and nodded her head. "Absolutely not." She smiled at him one more time, before she walked to the elevator, giving a polite greeting to today's receptionist along the way. She wasn't at all surprised that it was someone she didn't recognize, yet again. The employee turnover rate was impacting every department, after all.

A few minutes later, Katrina was walking out into the familiar top floor that housed the various higher-ups of Ross Corp. She walked by Ryan's office, realizing he was on the phone. She gave him a nod and then continued on her way. This floor of the building was always relatively quiet. Kylan demanded it is that way.

The only sound she heard, was the clicking of her heels on the polished laminated flooring beneath her feet. It unsettled her at times, how lifeless this area of the company seemed to be, but she was mostly used to it by now.

She reached her office at the end of the hall, taking a moment to set down her coffee on her desk, followed by her briefcase next to it. She knew she had a million emails waiting for her eyes to go over, but she also knew that Kylan's tea would be getting cold, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

She left her office, his tea in hand, and continued next door. She didn't bother knocking, she never did anymore. Kylan knew it would be her at this tof day. She pushed open the heavy, oak door, and stepped inside.

Kylan was pacing in front of the window, phone pressed to his ear, and one hand in the pocket of his perfectly tailored navy blue suit. She moved to sit in the chair in front of her desk, setting her tea down in front of her computer. She sat back in her seat, crossing her legs while her eyes trailed Kylan's walking.

He was always pacing. Even more so, when he was in a mood like he seemed to be today.

"It's not my fault the fucking paparazzi don't understand boundaries. I will not be paying to replace their shitty camera," Kylan quipped into his phone.

Katrina knew exactly the incident he was referring to. He had broken another camera upon leaving a business dinner a few nights ago. She had been there, and she was likely the only reason he got into the waiting car without causing a further commotion. She apologized profusely for Kylan's thoughtlessness, citing the fact that he absolutely detested having his picture taken in such fashion, but it seemed the company the photographer worked for, wasn't interested in pleasantries. She honestly couldn't blthem, either.

No matter how many times she, or Ryan, tried to explain to Kylan that things like the press and paparazzi were going to be a part of everyday life when he was an incredibly young CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company, it never seemed to get through to him. He chose instead to be personally offended by the lack of privacy, and she was left to pick up the broken pieces of Kylan's public image each the acted out.

There was a knock on Kylan's office door, and the face of her most trusted friend poked around the small opening they had created. Katrina cringed, noticing that Kylan flashed her a dangerous look before he turned back to pacing and looking outside. She took the hint, standing swiftly from her seat and ushering the person outside and back into the hallway. She closed the door behind her quietly, and then she turned to look at her friend.

"He's in a mood today, Aaron. Is that the new prototype?" she asked, referring to the small machine in Aaron's hands.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "He's always in a f*cking mood. I don't know how you put up with his shit. Lucy and I think- || She cut him off with a hand pressed to his mouth. Katrina had to stretch to reach his face since he was so much taller than herself, but she managed just fine.

"Aaron, shut up," she warned him sweetly. "I'm not interested in what you or your girlfriend think of my job, you know that," she reminded Aaron, for the umpteenth time.

Aaron huffed, his warm breath covering the palm of her hand. He stuck his tongue out, licking her. She squealed and removed her hand.

"You are disgusting," she groaned as she shook her hand out.

"Better wash your hands before you go back in there. It's like he has a damn detector for all things germs." Aaron shivered, his brown hair falling into his eyes momentarily.

"You're not wrong," she relented begrudgingly. "But is that the new prototype?" she pressed.

Aaron nodded. "It is indeed. I call it the "Nightfall 2.0"," he told her proudly.

"You were meant to have it completed last week," Katrina reminded Aaron.

He smiled at her sheepishly. "It was a little more difficult to program than eitheror Harry anticipated," he admitted nervously.

You nodded your head in understanding, though you really had no idea how something like programming worked. "All right, I'll back you up if Kylan loses his shit," she promised.

Speak of the devil, or in this case just their boss, his office door swung open at that moment. He eyed her for a second before he turned his narrowed gaze to Aaron.

"Marquez, you were meant to have that prototype tolast week," Kylan said lowly.

Katrina noticed Aaron's ears turn red at the tips. "I know, Sir. Harry and I are sorry. It was difficult to get the programming down just right. But we finally did it. I have no doubt the mayor will implement this one into the police force, with no issue," Aaron told Kylan, doing his best to sound confident.

She watched her boss while the cogs turned in his mind. His stark grey eyes were unreadable, as they usually were. His sharp features looked neither too angry nor kind at that moment. The black hair of his bangs threatened to fall into his eyes, and his normally plump lips were pulled in a thin line.

"Very well. Run one more round of diagnostics, and sendthe completed reports by this evening," he said curtly.

Aaron's shoulders fell a few inches with obvious relief. "Absolutely," breathed. He looked at Katrina for a moment. "Drinks tonight?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "We have a late dinner meeting tonight. But Friday, I'm all yours," she promised.

He rolled his eyes but didn't dare make any sort of biting remark right in front of Kylan. "See you later, then," he said, turning around and heading back toward the elevator.

"If you're done socializing," Kylan deadpanned, gesturing for her to enter his office.

Katrina bit back a retort, instead walking inside and over to her usual chair in front of his desk. Kylan moved to sit in his oversized, black leather office chair behind his desk. She internally remarked, not for the first time, as to how small he looked sitting in such a chair. But even though he looks short in that humongous office chair, his domineering presence demanded undeniable respect. She was used to the energy he always carried with him, but it still surprised her at times. "Schedule?" Kylan asked her flatly. He lifted his tea to his lips and took a small drink of it. "Not bad," he remarked.

Katrina sighed with relief. She wouldn't have to find a new coffee shop yet, and she was more than glad. She cleared her throat and picked up the tablet she usually kept on Kylan's desk. "You have a meeting in half an hour with Kyla&John Techno Corp. They still want you to choose to use their technology, for the new release of the doorbell camera." She skimmed down the schedule a little further. "We have a free lunch, and then you have a conference call with Jordan Hughes, at two o'clock. He's the CEO of Elorde Enterprises. He's the one who keeps trying to get you to play golf with him. He also wants you to use his design on the blackout drones for the military," Katrina finished before looking up for his reaction.

Kylan scoffed. "Why the f*ck would I play golf? That's the definition of rich men standing around, parading their d*ck's in their hands, and bragging about their accomplishments." He scowled at nothing in particular before taking another drag from his tea.

Katrina nodded her head in agreement. Kylan was many things, but he never openly gloated about his money. She had no idea of his background before Ross Corporation, apart from the scarce information on his company bio. However, she had the distinct impression that Kylan most likely didn't cfrom a wealthy background. The very air about him didn't scream "old money" by any means, anyway.

"I need you to contact Isabel. I'll probably need a lawyer to deal with this latest paparazzi shit," Kylan informed her.

She watched as he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, and she took in the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Have you not been taking your sleeping medication?" Katrina asked him while she jotted down a reminder to call Kylan's lawyer. She knew the attorney wouldn't like hearing from her again so soon, but Kylan's temper had been something else lately. Kylan glared at her. "It doesn't do a damn thing to help my insomnia," he said sternly. Katrina sighed. "Have you taken it for more than a night or two?" she asked with a quirk of her brow.

Kylan's glare intensified, and she had her answer.

"It won't work unless you're consistent with it, Sir," she reminded him.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Get off my f*cking back," he groaned.

Katrina shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself," she glanced down at the schedule in her hands@gain. Other than that we have the stock meeting with Ryan, and then dinner with Charlie. Do you needfor that one?" she asked Kylan curiously. Kylan sighed and nodded. "The old shit likes you, and it makes it easier to deal with him where I'm not the entire focus of the conversation," he explained.

He reached into his pocket and pushed his phone her way. She glanced down at it, taking in the severely cracked screen.

"What happened this time?" she asked him, doing her best not to sound too annoyed. Kylan went through a lot of phones, especially lately.

"F*cking Litter," Kylan responded curtly.

Katrina didn't fight the roll of her eyes this time. "I thought Ryan and I told you to stop going on there. You need to not engage with the trolls, Sir," she chastised him.

Kylan glared at her. "F*ck off. They're insufferable," he mumbled bitterly.

She laughed slightly. "They're almost always children, Sir," she reminded him. "They're just bored, and you're famous, by all People for means. Oftentimes, you're just a person behind the public image you put out to the world. In your case, it's not as likely to be much diffHarryt behind closed doors, but they don't know that for sure," she explained with a shrug.

"If someone wants to point out my height, or suseless shit like that, I don't care. But the second someone e starts saying y have ulterior motives for my drones, I can't stand it," Kylan told her, his eyes downcast and his tone dark. Katrina nodded sympathetically. "I get it. But reacting the way you do, is exactly what they want," she told him honestly.

Kylan rolled his eyes. "F*ck off until I need you, Katrina," he said with a flick of his hand toward the door.

She not so quickly stood from her chair and took her leave without another word.

Kylan didn't like to talk much about his personal feelings, and she never pushed him to. It was one of the many reasons she had lasted as long as she had at Ross Corp., she was sure of it.