CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105 BACK TO WORK

Caroline’s POV

On the way to Thorne Enterprises, Draven remained mostly silent. He kept glancing at me nervously.

I was the one who should have been anxious, but one of us needed to stay calm.

I took his hand in mine. "Draven, why are you so nervous?"

Draven lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Carrie, I’m just excited. I’m so happy you finally decided to come back to work with me."

I smiled at him. "If that’s why you’re nervous, maybe you should focus on how I can help you catch the bad guys when I get back."

Draven pulled into the company parking lot, then turned to me with a serious expression. "Caroline, I know you faced unfair treatment at my company before. The fact that you’re determined to come back for my sake really touches me. I’m nervous because I’m afraid I won’t be able to give you what you want. Eleanor mentioned that you wanted your own career. I feel like I’m pulling you away from the work you were familiar with at Puma Global to come back to me. I just..."

I placed my hand over his mouth to stop him. "Draven, this isn’t entirely for you, though you’re definitely the most important part.I talked with Joseph, and he explained the benefits of working at your company. It will help me too. Besides..."

I trailed off, my cheeks flushing."If I’m going to be your Luna, wouldn’t helping you manage the pack and the company be part of my responsibilities?"

My words made Draven pull me into an excited embrace."Caroline, you’re perfect."

As we walked into the building, Draven had Ryan gather everyone in the executive reception to announce I was coming back.The renovations Ava finished Friday looked incredible. She really had talent for design. I couldn’t wait to see everything and hoped I’d love it.

As the elevator ascended, my hands grew cold and trembling. When the doors opened on our floor, Draven gave my hand a gentle squeeze, trying to comfort me.

A small group of employees who worked in the executive suite had gathered. When they saw me, they applauded and showed how happy they were to see me back. All except one person. Linda couldn’t even hide her anger. She glared at me with pure hatred while everyone else rushed forward to greet me with hugs and warm welcomes.

After everyone’s greetings, it was time for some explanation, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Draven began, "thank you for giving Ms. Caroline such a warm welcome back. I know you all heard about confidential information being leaked from Caroline’s computer, which led to her dismissal. However, our IT department investigated and discovered that she wasn’t responsible. They concluded that her computer was remotely hacked, and the information was leaked by someone else we haven’t identified yet. What matters now is that Caroline is back; she’s an essential part of this company. And since I know you’ve noticed our closeness," he said, raising our joined hands, "I’d like to inform you that this beautiful woman has forgiven me for being so rude to her, and we’re dating. We’ll be married soon!"

Everyone applauded and congratulated us. Kyle and Ryan whistled while Ava shouted "long live the couple!" I felt my face flush red as I smiled shyly. As the employees dispersed after congratulating us, only Ryan, Kyle, Ava, and Linda remained.

"Aren’t you going to greet me, Linda?" I asked, smiling at that venomous snake. I knew I was provoking her.

"Of course, Carrie, it’s so good to have you back, especially since you’ve forgiven the humiliation you went through here." Linda jabbed with a fake smile and hugged me, whispering in my ear, "But you must have met the new girl, right? Don’t trust her, she’s a fake who’s chasing after Draven."

"Not at all, Linda. Ava is my friend, and I trust her completely." I emphasized the word ’her’ before going to hug Ava. Linda was practically vibrating with barely contained rage.

"My love, come take your rightful place," Draven said, extending his hand to me and leading me to my office door.

He opened the door, and I felt my eyes light up at the sight. Ava had replaced the dark wooden furniture with light wood, making the space brighter and more inviting. The desk now stood sideways so I could enjoy the window view while working.

"Do you like it?" Draven whispered in my ear.

"I love it!"

I walked over to admire a beautiful arrangement of multicolored tulips and picked up the card beside them, which read,

"White ones symbolize forgiveness. Purple ones symbolize tranquility and peace. Yellow ones symbolize prosperity. Orange ones symbolize vitality. Blue ones symbolize trust and loyalty. Red ones symbolize our perfect love. And the black ones are the rarest and most precious, just like you. You have my promise that I won’t make another mistake, that I’ll love you forever, and that I’ll be grateful every day for your forgiveness. Loving you is the best part of my life!"

By the time I finished reading, tears were streaming down my face. I went to Draven and gave him a passionate kiss. We heard our friends clapping and cheering behind us, and he smiled against my lips while wiping away my tears.

"Come here, I want to show you something else," he said, pulling me by the hand. He opened his office door and led me inside, closing it behind us.

"Draven... what did you do?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face.

"You mentioned wanting to burn the old couch, so I asked Ava to redecorate my office too. Though I think she might have already burned that couch herself," he said with a sideways glance.

The transformation was stunning. His desk now stood where the old couch used to be, bathed in natural light from the large windows. A new gray fabric couch occupied the space where his desk had been before. The room featured tasteful paintings, scattered shelves, and even a niche filled with calming green plants. The space remained professional but felt much lighter and more welcoming.

I jumped into his lap and kissed him passionately. He kissed me back, my legs wrapped around his waist, and whispered in my ear,"I’m going to take you on my new desk and have you ride me in my chair, but first I’m going to have you on that couch."

He carried me across the room and sat on the couch with me in his lap, kissing me deeply. I heard the phone ringing on his desk but he ignored it. Just as his hands began sliding up my thighs, his cell phone rang with Ryan’s ringtone. We both burst out laughing and said in unison,"Cockblocker friend!"

But Ryan knew how important my return was and wouldn’t interrupt our moment without good reason. So Draven grabbed his phone from his suit jacket pocket and answered with an amused tone.

"Damn it, Ryan, again!"

I giggled against his neck, breathing in his cedar and musk scent, feeling Rory stir contentedly inside me.