Sleeping With The CEO-Chapter 316: Different Woman

Before quitting her job at Haven Group, Emily had been Derek’s PA for two years. During those two years, though they had practically joined at the hip, there had been some boundaries that they had never crossed.

And one of those lines, had been keeping work and family life separate. That boundary, staying firmly in place, had meant that in the two years that she had worked for him, Emily had never met.Derek Haven’s mother.

But just from being exposed to her son on a regular basis, Emily had built this image of what the woman who had raised Derek would be like. In her mind’s eye, she had seen this elegant lady. Someone eant for attending extravagant partiesand gliding on the dance floor as she charmed various people with just a simple smile, and a tinkling laugh. Emily had imagined a force of nature.

A woman with charm, charisma, who was wickedly intelligent. After all, Cassandra Haven had been the one to run Haven Group after her husband’s death, and the company had done well under her leadership. Back then, Emily had always wanted to meet Cassandra Haven. But when she had finally met her. She had wished that she’d never laid eyes on the woman.

As Emily had imagined,Cassandra Haven had indeed turned out to be elegant, beautiful, and intelligent. But along with that. She had also been cold, calculating, and with all the charm of a deadly snake. Every word out of her mouth, dripping nothing but venom.

She had very nearly torn Emily apart with just a few simple words. With minimal effort on her part, Cassandra Haven, in a matter of minutes. Had managed to poison Emily against Derek. Leaving Emily’s heart shattered in theprocess.

Emily would not lie. She was angry. In fact, she was livid. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Who would not be after finding out that they had been made a puppet. Manipulated so thoroughly that they had believed even the most obvious of lies? Derek actually being cruel enough to cheat on her. Was so close to impossible that Emily should not have even entertained the thought. But Cassandra Haven had dripped poison into her ear. Twisting her thoughts until Emily’d had no choice but to believe the older woman’s words.

Emily did not like being toyed with, and Cassandra Haven had done just that. Were the woman someone else? And if Jane Molson had not raised her right. Then Emily, upon laying eyes on Cassandra again, would have attacked without a second thought.

Punch first, and ask questions later.

Derek would have had a cat fight on his hands the moment that Emily laid eyes on his mother. But thanks to her mother’s strict upbringing, and also to the fact that Emily did not want to be that girlfriend, who was known for having beaten up her boyfriend’s mother.

She was able to hold her temper. To just calmly stand behind Derek until Cassandra Haven finally noticed her. And Emily’s restraint was currently paying off.

When Emily had met Cassandra Haven, the woman had had an otherworldly quality to her.

From her dress to her hair, everything had just screamed untouchable. Keep away. Danger. There had been no warmth, no love, in the Cassandra Haven that Emily had met. But the Cassandra Haven that Emily was seeing now was completely different.

She no longer looked like an untouchable being who had descended from the heavens to rain punishment down on Emily. Instead, Cassandra Haven looked...well...she looked like a mom. Like someone who gave warm hugs, and soft kisses instead of scathing glares and harsh words.

She was dressed in a simple blue dress, the material light and flowy. Her hair in a loose braid. She even had a bit of flour on her cheek.

Had she been baking? Emily wondered. A few seconds later her silent question was answered by none other than Cassandra Haven herself.

"I have just finished making some blueberry muffins.Please join me for lunch and we will have those as dessert,"

Cassandra Haven said, there was no greeting for Emily. She kept most of her focus on her son. Any other day, Emily would have felt offended by that. She would have demanded that her presence be acknowledged instead of being treated as though she were not there.

"The view from the dining room closest to the gardens is lovely at this time of day. Let us head there," Cassandra Haven said. She barely glanced at Emily as she said this, and as she made to leave, Emily saw Derek about to address the issue, but she put her hand on his arm.

And when he turned to her, she shook her head. "No," She mouthed. And Derek raised both eyebrows, but he stayed silent, following her lead.

The two of them walked a step behind Cassandra, and the woman continued to talk as though Emily were not there.

If she had not known her son beforehand, Emily would have called the behaviour dismissive. But she had seen it before. Sometimes when Derek was feeling threatened by a competitor. He pretended as though they were not there. Often talking over them, or pretending like he could not see them at all.

It was a trait that often rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Many of them calling him rude and overconfident. Emily had always believed the trait to be something that Derek had learned in order to survive in the business world.

But it seemed as though it was an inherited quirk. Cassandra Haven was ignoring Emily. Not because she thought that Emily was someone insignificant, but because she actually felt threatened by her. And just like her looking more human in her simple blue dress,with her flour-dusted cheek.

The fact that Cassandra was showing weakness to Emily without even realizing that she had revealed it in the first place, served to erode more of Emily’s anger. And when they finally made it to the dining area and were seated, on one end of the giant table there. Emily happened to catch Cassandra Haven’s eye briefly. Rhe two of them having a mini staring contest before looking away.

But those few seconds were enough to confirm everything that Emily had been picking up from Cassandra’s body language, and her actions since their arrival. The older woman really did see her as a threat, because in her eyes Emily did not see the cold disinterest that she had seen, in Cassandra Haven previously. Instead, the woman’s eyes were begging her, pleading with Emily. Do not take my son away from me, they seemed to say. And though Emily had suspected it already, that brief moment of eye contact, confirmed something for her.

What Cassandra Haven had done to Emily had been awful. But it had not come from a bad place. Instead, it had been a mother doing her best to protect her child.

This new, more vulnerable Cassandra was harder to stay angry at than the cold ice queen that Emily had met.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel