Marriage With The CEO

“Marry me.”

Two words, one sentence. Straight to the point, without beating around the bush. One thing Vlora Anderson, a smart woman who worked as executive secretary to the CEO of Greatech, appreciated was getting to the point without unnecessary complications.

She despised all things that were full of pretense. She preferred to get straight to the point without the fuss that could give anyone a headache. But this? “Marry me?” Oh, dear. Vlora could only freeze for a moment, staring at him. She wondered briefly if the man before her was sane.

But no, he was perfectly sane, and he could convince Vlora that he was sane enough to utter that sentence.

Blinking once, Vlora's forehead creased slightly as she looked into his shining eyes. The look there seemed to mix temptation and mischief at the same time.

“Forgive me,” Vlora's voice trembled slightly. She even had to take a deep breath before she could continue. “What did you just say?”

“Oh, God.”

The man's deep voice seemed choked. Combined with his eyes rolling briefly before closing dramatically.

“I've said it many times, Vlo. Just call me by my name. No need for 'sir’. Call me by my name.”

Eyes opened. Gaze directed. A name spoken.

“Andreas.”

Vlora tried to keep her composure. She nodded. “Yes, Mr. Andreas Sanders.”

“Andreas. Just Andreas, Vlo,” Andreas corrected for the umpteenth time. A passing thought crossed his mind and a crooked grin appeared. “Is it so hard to say my name?”

Vlora did not answer. Ignoring Andreas, she shut down her computer. In a relatively short time, she had packed her work bag and was getting ready to leave.

“Are you ready to go home?” Andreas asked.

Nonchalantly, Vlora replied, “It's almost two hours past my usual departure time, sir. Office hours ended a while ago.”

“Oh dear,” Andreas sighed in frustration. “Sir, sir, sir. Really. Why do you like to call me 'sir' so much? It's too formal for us, Vlo, and we don't have a formal relationship. You're not my subordinate and I'm not your boss. So why be so formal?”

What Andreas said was true. There was literally no formal relationship between them. They were neither boss nor subordinate. Unfortunately, in Vlora's eyes, they were not close enough to call each other by their first names.

Vlora's hand, reaching for her work bag, suddenly stopped. It seemed that Andreas' words had hit a nerve.

“Although, of course, it is a very charming idea to have a subordinate like you. So how about it? Would you really like to be my subordinate? I can offer you a 'subordinate' position that will please you.”

The implied meaning in Andreas' words was all too real. Vlora pursed her lips tightly and tried to regain her composure.

“I hope you can keep your manners, Sir.”

“Manners?” Andreas scoffed. “I was perfectly polite. Remember? I want you to marry me. Then I'll make you my subordinate. So, what part of that was rude?”

Vlora stared at Andreas without blinking. Her face hardened.

“I think you've tried hard enough to be polite to me,” she said.

Andreas grinned. “Of course. At least I want us to get married first. You know, not many men are brave enough to propose marriage to a woman.”

The thought of marriage immediately filled Andreas' mind. His imagination ran wild and he smiled as if he did not care about Vlora's annoyance.

“Marrying you would be a wonderful experience, especially if we had a child as beautiful as you. Oh, God. I'm getting more and more excited.”

Vlora was surprised.

“What?” Andreas asked again. The mischievous grin on his handsome face widened as he continued his teasing. “Let's get married and see. Will our child be as beautiful as you or as handsome as me?”

Vlora raised her face, but unfortunately her gaze met Andreas' teasing expression. It was not just the crooked grin; it was the mischievous look and the seductive aura that felt incredibly thick.

“I'm sorry, Sir. I think this is a bit much,” Vlora said. “So, I'll tell you once again. I hope you can watch your manners with me.”

The teasing expression disappeared for a moment. Andreas was startled. His eyes widened and curses echoed in his head.

Damn it!

Vlora's attitude was really different this time. She looked tense and her face was flushed. It was clear to Andreas that he had completely exhausted Vlora's patience.

This time Vlora really grabbed her work bag. She stood up and spoke quietly, but with emphasis.

“I'm not the woman you think I am.”

The sound of Vlora's footsteps echoed as she walked away. She really had left Andreas alone, who was now frustrated.

How could I say that? You see? Now she'll certainly keep her distance from me. Damn it!

Andreas decided to follow her. With long strides, the tall man had no trouble catching up to Vlora.

Perfect timing. Andreas managed to catch up with Vlora as she entered the elevator. He turned around and was surprised to see Andreas entering the elevator and immediately closing the door.

“I'm sorry,” Andreas apologized without hesitation, in sync with the elevator's slow descent.

“M-Mr. Sanders.”

If Vlora had to be honest, she would say that she was quite surprised by Andreas' apology. She had not expected him to apologize.

“I apologize.”

Andreas continued. He approached Vlora with an intense look. His measured steps made Vlora unconsciously step back.

“I apologize for my inappropriate behavior. Please forgive me. But you need to know that ...” Andreas locked eyes with Vlora. “... I'm not joking about what I said. I'm absolutely serious, Vlo. I want us to get married.”

Vlora could not back away any further. Behind her was a cold elevator wall. She had no choice but to raise her face and meet his gaze with caution.

“I ... I can't accept your offer.”

Andreas grimaced. “What? My offer? Oh, Vlo. It's not an offer. It's a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

*