CEO's Runaway Lover: My Cold Ex Begs For My Love Again
Chapter 1
"If she stays on this project, I'm out." Louis Barrett placed his glass down with controlled force. It wasn't loud, but the message was clear.
The lively chatter and clinking of glasses in the room came to an abrupt halt.
The Dawson Group's production head stiffened mid-motion, drink still in hand, an uneasy smile frozen on his face.
Madelynn Douglas quietly set her utensils aside and lifted her gaze.
Louis—a popular movie star and Caiden Dawson's longtime friend—lounged back in his chair with careless ease. His sunglasses rested atop his head, his shirt casually unbuttoned at the collar. Despite his relaxed posture, his eyes were gleaming with sharp hostility.
His gaze locked onto Madelynn across the table, open disdain evident in his expression.
Danny Willis, Madelynn's direct superior, dabbed at his forehead nervously, forcing a polite smile. "Mr. Barrett, you're acquainted with Madelynn?"
Madelynn remained silent.
Louis let out a short, mocking laugh. "Acquainted? I know her better than I'd like."
His eyes flicked sideways toward the man in a dark gray suit seated nearby. Throughout the entire exchange, he had remained silent and focused on his phone, seemingly detached from everything happening around him.
The man was Caiden, the heir of the Dawson family and the current CEO of the Dawson Group.
It had been four years since Madelynn had last seen him.
Time hadn't changed him much. He still carried that same distant, unapproachable air, an invisible pressure that unsettled everyone in the room.
Danny's anxiety grew, and he shot Madelynn repeated looks, silently urging her to respond.
Madelynn understood exactly what he meant.
This project was the most important contract Infinity Entertainment had secured all year, so losing it wasn't an option.
Drawing a deep breath, she spoke evenly. "Mr. Barrett, we're here for business. If there are personal matters, perhaps we can address them another time."
"Personal matters?" Louis straightened, his tone sharpening. "So you admit it's personal? Then why don't you explain to everyone what exactly I have against you?"
Madelynn gave no response, and her silence only fueled Louis' anger further. "Fine. If you won't speak, I will—"
"Louis."
Caiden finally spoke, cutting him off.
He placed his phone aside, his tone quiet but authoritative.
Louis fell silent immediately, his earlier aggression restrained.
Without sparing Madelynn a glance, Caiden addressed Danny directly, saying, "If you have another producer available, we can proceed with them instead."
Relief flooded Danny's face. "Yes, of course! Please give me a moment, Mr. Dawson. I'll arrange for Miss Abby Thorpe to take over immediately."
As he hurried to make the call, he discreetly tugged at Madelynn's sleeve and whispered, "You should leave."
Madelynn, however, stayed where she was.
Her eyes remained fixed on Caiden, searching for any hint that he might reconsider or explain things to her.
But there was none.
Four years ago, he had ended things with the same indifference—so calm that it made her wonder if what they had shared had ever meant anything.
And now, just one sentence from him was enough to make her lose the project she had been working on for a year.
Madelynn rose to her feet and left.
She didn't say goodbye to anyone, didn't reach for her belongings, and never once looked back.
The corridor stretched ahead, the carpet softening the sound of her steps.
She quickened her pace, but behind her, the room had already returned to its earlier liveliness, laughter and conversation resuming as if nothing had happened.
That only made something inside her sink even deeper.
***
The moment Madelynn stepped out of the restaurant, a late-spring chill swept over her. The night air was sharper than expected, making her instinctively pull her coat closer around herself.
She lingered by the entrance, exhaling softly as she waited for a ride to be accepted on her phone. The screen flickered on and off in her hand—time passing, request after request ignored. Nearly twenty minutes went by. Even after raising the fare, no driver took the job.
The location was too remote. Hardly anyone was willing to come this far out.
She was just about to give up and walk toward the main road, two kilometers away, when a cab finally approached, slowing as it neared her.
The driver rolled down the car window and looked her over before naming his price.
"One hundred dollars."
Madelynn glanced at the meter out of habit. The base fare read fourteen. "It's only about ten kilometers to the hospital in the city," she said calmly.
The driver scoffed, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, "Doesn't matter. I had to come all the way out here on my own. You think that's free? A hundred. Take it or leave it."
Madelynn slipped her phone back into her pocket.
That amount could cover two days of her mother's care.
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
"Hey! Miss!" the driver called after her.
She ignored him, her heels striking the pavement in crisp, echoing clicks.
After a short distance, discomfort began to set in at the back of her feet. The shoes, bought for last year's company gala after weeks of hesitation, had barely been worn. They weren't really comfortable.
She should have chosen something practical.
The thought had just crossed her mind when a pair of bright headlights stretched her shadow across the road from behind.
A sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom soon came to a smooth stop beside her.
The window slid down, revealing Louis leaning out, wearing a smirk. "What a coincidence. Stuck without a ride?"
Madelynn didn't even spare him a glance and kept walking forward.
The car crept alongside her.
"You sure you don't want a lift? Plenty of room up front," Louis continued casually.
Madelynn stopped.
Front seat. That meant Caiden.
Still facing forward, she answered flatly, "I'll pass. I prefer walking."
"In those heels? And for ten kilometers?" Louis raised an eyebrow.
"I don't mind."
Louis looked like he was about to keep pushing when a quiet voice came from inside the car.
"Let's leave." Caiden's tone was calm, carrying no trace of emotion.
Louis shrugged, leaning back into his seat.
Moments later, the car rolled forward, passing Madelynn and disappearing down the road at an unhurried pace.
Madelynn stood still for a moment, watching the red taillights fade into the distance.
Then, she turned around. Retracing her steps, she returned to the waiting cab and pulled the door open.
"A hundred dollars, right?" she said. "Let's go."
The driver blinked, clearly caught off guard, before hurriedly putting out his cigarette and starting the engine.
After a while, he glanced at her through the rearview mirror, curiosity getting the better of him. "Those guys from earlier... you know them?" he asked.
That kind of car wasn't something one could see every day; only the wealthy rode in those.
Madelynn leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.
"No," she replied, her voice distant.
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