Intrigued by the CEO: Paranoid Obsessions

Harper took out a waist-cinching dress from the wardrobe, custom-made by Chanel, with a sweet style, the most understated among them.

After changing into the dress, Harper turned off the TV and headed out.

Blaze was sitting on the leather sofa in the hall, scrolling through his phone, his handsome face expressionless.

“Mr. Wychwood, I’m going out,” Harper said as she approached.

“Get lost,” Blaze replied without even looking at her.

“…” Hoping for Blaze to be polite was impossible… Harper glanced at him, said nothing, picked up her bag, and left.

The moment Harper disappeared from the house, Blaze fiercely smashed his phone to the ground, growling in frustration, “Where’s the system optimization? Why can’t I see it? What’s different from the last update?”

“…” Dylan stood by, head bowed, saying nothing.

“Redo it!” Blaze kicked the phone away, “A bunch of useless people, can’t even perfect a phone system optimization.”

“Yes, Master, I’ll call the headquarters right away,” Dylan nodded and silently wondered, ‘Master said yesterday that this optimization was okay, why is it suddenly not okay?’

Ten minutes later, in the gym. Blaze slammed the dumbbell onto the massage chair, disgruntled, “The layout of this gym is wrong, redo it!”

“Yes, Master, I’ll arrange it immediately,” Dylan handed him a towel, with a respectful attitude. ‘Master’s mood doesn’t seem to be very good today. It seems like it’s been off since Harper said she was going to change and go out.’

20 minutes later, in the kitchen. Blaze spat out the cake in his mouth onto the table, frowning, “What’s this disgusting thing? Who made it, fire them!”

“… Yes, Master,” Dylan nodded.

30 minutes later, Dylan also got scolded…

Dylan finally couldn’t help but step forward, bowing his head, “Master, about the wedding I mentioned the other day…”

Blaze was smashing things in the kitchen, and at Dylan’s words, his face turned livid, “I won’t go! Why are you talking so much nonsense!”

“Yes, Master. Then I’ll send the people from Miss Shaw’s brother-in-law’s company back.”

“What did you say? Brother-in-law?” Blaze’s pot-smashing action suddenly stopped…

…

Harper arrived at the airstrip by car, where an outrageously large private jet was parked. The wind was strong, tousling her long hair.

“Harper, hurry up, everyone’s waiting for you!” Her foster father, Walter, stood beneath the plane, complaining.

“Okay…”

The plane was lavishly decorated, filled with relatives and friends of The Shaw Family, chatting and laughing.

As soon as Harper entered, everyone stopped talking, each casting cold glances at her. No one welcomed her. She had long been alienated, and she expected this kind of scene.

Harper sat down in the most secluded spot.

“Harper, isn’t that a Chanel custom dress you’re wearing?” A cousin recognized the expensive dress on Harper.

All eyes turned to her.

“No,” Harper forced a smile, “It’s a high-quality imitation.”

“I knew it… The Shaw Family no longer supports you financially. How can you afford it on your own? You’re really something, wearing knock-offs just to get attention. At least put on some makeup if you’re going to do that. How can you compete like this?”

The cousin’s sharp tongue was well-known.

Everyone’s gaze towards Harper was filled with disdain and disgust.

Harper remained silent, pretending not to hear, just looking out the window. She didn’t even bother with makeup, picked the least flashy dress, and they still wanted to humiliate her like this… Whatever, in their eyes, no matter how she dressed, they wouldn’t be satisfied.

Seeing Harper ignoring her, the cousin lost interest and turned to play with her boyfriend again.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Everyone else joined in the lively chatter, as if she didn’t exist.

Harper sat in her seat, looking out the window, listening to everyone’s conversation, suddenly feeling suffocated. She always thought being beside Blaze was the toughest. But now, she’d rather be with Blaze, at least when he got angry, he vented directly, never insinuating gossip like this.

At 10 o’clock in the morning, the private jet landed on the airstrip of Tranquil Haven Island.

Harper was the last one to disembark. Stepping out of the cabin, she was greeted by swirling clouds and the gentle sunlight piercing through the thin veil of mist. In the distance, the trees of the forest appeared like a beautiful painting.

Indeed, this was a romantic place.

“You stick with me, no wandering around. Just show up when the wedding starts,” Harper’s foster mother, Marcia Dennis, pulled her aside, repeatedly reminding her.

Harper remained silent, wondering just how afraid they were that she would cause trouble.

The group headed towards the resort. Beyond the flowing artificial streams was a row of wooden cottages. Harper entered her room, with Marcia standing nearby, watching her attentively, as if she were guarding a prisoner.

Leaning against the window, Harper looked down at the several white doves on the ground outside.

“Mom, if you’re so worried about me causing trouble, why did you even let me come?” Harper said, feeling somewhat helpless. Since she decided to give up on Logan, she hoped she wouldn’t have to see him again more than anyone else.

“We can’t have the media writing about family discord!” Marcia replied immediately, “Harper, just look at the relatives, who hasn’t criticized you for your actions over the years, fighting tooth and nail to snatch your own sister’s boyfriend.”

“Aren’t you biased?” Harper retorted with a wry smile.

“…” Marcia’s face froze for a moment.

Harper picked up a bag of bird feed nearby and scattered some out the window. Without looking at her foster mother, she spoke to the white doves outside, “Back then, Dad volunteered to take care of Logan for climbing up the ladder. But who ended up actually taking care of him? It was me.”

Her voice was calm, devoid of any complaint, simply stating a fact.

“I know you’ve taken care of Logan for many years, but no matter what, he loves your sister now,” Marcia said.

“What if Fiona and I swapped positions?” Harper chuckled lightly. “You’d probably say I shouldn’t have taken advantage of Logan’s amnesia to steal Fiona’s boyfriend.”

“…” Marcia remained silent.

“Mom, are you really not biased?” Harper turned her head, smiling gently at her.

“…” Under her clear gaze, Marcia turned away, avoiding eye contact.

“Mom, I don’t blame you for favoring one over the other. I know, without you, I would’ve been an orphan for life,” Harper said slowly, “But you don’t have to keep brainwashing me, making me think I’m in the wrong. I’m an adult, I can tell right from wrong…” She never thought her entanglement with Logan for the past six years was wrong. She wanted to awaken Logan’s memories, and she fought for it with all her might. So now, giving up, she wouldn’t regret it.

Marcia sat there, unable to utter a word. After a while, her eyes turned red.

In reality, Marcia still cared for her, but no matter what, blood relations always held more weight than those formed through adoption.

Harper walked over to her and squatted down beside her, looking up earnestly, “Don’t worry, I won’t meddle in Fiona’s affairs anymore.”

Marcia looked at her somewhat incredulously, “Harper…”

…

As the time for the wedding ceremony approached, the group headed towards the church.

Along the way, the relatives kept talking incessantly –

“Logan truly lives up to his title as the prince, he’s so generous. I just found out on the yacht that all those yachts are under Fiona’s name.”

“Fiona is so pampered…”

Suddenly, there was a commotion –

“Is that Mr. Wychwood?!”

“Weren’t his main company’s market value announced to be the highest in the world recently?” “He’s topping all the wealth lists, and yet he’s never given an interview.”

“This is great, Mr. Wychwood is actually attending the wedding, hurry up and interview him.”

The journalists instantly stirred up.

Harper looked forward in astonishment, and saw several bodyguards in black suits walking into the church’s entrance, blocking the approaching journalists and clearing a path.

Blaze’s figure appeared. His tall figure stood out among the crowd.

‘Why would he come to Fiona’s wedding?’

Harper suddenly remembered hearing him and Dylan mention something about a rich second-generation wedding before. Was it this wedding today? Her immediate reaction was to quickly sit down, turn away, not letting him see her. She couldn’t afford to meet Blaze here. He never cared about anything. What if he exposed their relationship later?