Page 34 of Surrendering to the Obsession

At the Graves Corporation headquarters, chaos ruled the morning. Phones rang, printers whirred, and heels clicked sharply against the marble floors as employees hurried between meetings.

Janet stepped out of the cafeteria, coffee in hand, her phone pressed against her ear. “Yes, I already sent the files to legal—wait—” She stopped short as her shoulder slammed into someone solid.

The cup tipped. Hot coffee splashed across the man’s chest and sleeve.

“Oh my God!” Janet gasped, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where—” Her words died in her throat when she looked up and saw who it was. “Allen?”

Her face tensed immediately.

Allen stared down at his now coffee-stained suit, his jaw ticking once.

Janet, flustered, quickly stepped aside, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she said quickly.

She instinctively started to step aside, expecting him to wave it off like always. Over the years, Allen had always been unusually polite to her—carrying out all her requests, dropping her places, even arranging things on her behalf.

Everyone in the office had noticed how Allen, who barely acknowledged anyone, would go out of his way for her. He was strangely accommodating toward her.

People in the company often whispered about it, surprised that Alexander’s stoic assistant treated no one else with such patience.

So, she assumed this would be like every other time. She set her empty cup on a nearby table and turned to leave.

But Allen moved.

He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Pulling out his phone, he spoke flatly. “Miss Goodwin, you ruined my suit. I’ll need a new one.”

Janet blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“I’ll send you the link.” He turned the screen toward her—his banking app open, a blank transfer page waiting. “Transfer the amount once you see the price.”

Janet stared at him, her lips parting in disbelief. For the first time, Allen wasn’t being polite—he was beingcold.

Her throat went dry as her heart began to pound violently, a sharp panic spreading through her chest.

Why was Allen suddenly acting like this? He’dneverspoken to her that way before.

Her breath hitched, and her fingers curled around the skirt she was wearing. ‘Could Alexander have sent him?’ The thoughtsliced through her mind like ice. ‘Maybe he’s trying to get my number… my personal details. He must be trying to trap me again!’

The panic in her chest bloomed wider, pressing against her ribs until she could barely breathe. Her pulse roared in her ears, and without saying another word, she turned sharply and hurried past Allen.

Allen turned around in confusion, watching her rush away, the phone still raised awkwardly in his hand. His brows furrowed slightly as he called after her. “Ms. Goodwin?”

But she was already gone.

Her heels clicked rapidly against the polished floor as she rushed down the hall, each step heavier than the last. Her hands were shaking when she reached her desk. She dropped into her chair, the leather creaking beneath her weight, and stared blankly at her computer screen.

“I need to leave this company,” she whispered suddenly. “If I resign, Alexander won’t be able to trap me in another contract.”

She sat upright at once. Her hands trembled as she moved the mouse hurriedly, the cursor darting across the screen. She opened her email, her vision blurring slightly from the rush of adrenaline. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears while she typed out the message with stiff, quick fingers.

Her resignation letter was short, formal, desperate. Before she could overthink it, she hitsend.

Leaning back in her chair, she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the wild rhythm of her heartbeat. But the worry didn’t fade—it only grew stronger.

“He’s not going to let me go that easily,” she murmured, her lips pressed into a tight line. “For five years, I was stuck in that contract—forced to be his girlfriend because I needed money for Mom’s hospital bills. If it wasn’t for that, I never would’ve agreed.”

Her fingers tapped restlessly on the desk, nails clicking against the wood. “He’s definitely going to reject this. He’s so obsessed with me. There’s no way he’d let me go that easily.”

Her thoughts spiraled faster and faster. “He’ll definitely pull some trick to keep me in this company.” Her voice lowered as she frowned at the screen. “My resignation… he’s surely going to reject it and force me to stay. Maybe he’ll claim I owe him something, or worse, ruin my name so no other company will take me. What am I going to do? What if I sue him? What if I just leave this city to get away from him?”