Fated to the Ruthless CEO

They have been on the road for more than two hours now. Amber has no idea where they are going. Devlin would never tell her anything. She thought they would just drive around the city. Looking at some wooded areas, she is guessing that they are now outside the city. The places that they passed by started to be less crowded. So instead of bugging Devlin with her questions to where they are going, she decided to enjoy the view.

The place she is looking at right now has more verdant green trees. And of course, she would never miss the majestic mountain ranges. Another two hours later, they reached their destination.

“Wow! This is so amazing!” Amber could not help but admire the view in front of her. They are in Port Angeles. It is miles away from the rugged slopes of the Olympic Mountains. Devlin said that they may visit Hurricane Ridge to enjoy the beauty of nature.

The area of Port Angeles is surrounded by a great body of water. Along the way, she already saw some people selling fresh seafood. For sure, those were brought straight right out from the water she is looking at right now. They even stopped at a restaurant where they serve the best seafood in town. The place is a nice getaway during the weekend.

“This is a mesmerizing place. I just can’t keep my eyes from looking around. There is that great mountain range right there. And the water, amazing. It looks dreamy.” Devlin chuckled at the way she described the place. Devlin did not really look around but zeroed his gaze on Amber. He is simply admiring her beauty.

Amber did not notice what he was doing as she was too occupied admiring the place. She looks like a kid, excited to explore the area.

“Well, guess what? We are going to stay here until tomorrow. I will show you around. I like this place a lot. I used to come here more often when I was a kid.” Devlin said while scanning around the place.

“Really? That’s interesting. So, you can show me around to the best attractions that this place can offer!” Amber exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh yes…the best attraction indeed.” Looking at her meaningfully. Amber felt the intensity of his gaze towards her. She looked back at him only to look away again. She could not keep staring at him without getting conscious of her look. Besides, her heart is beating faster than normal. And worst, she could feel those butterflies in her stomach.

After lunch, they drove around the area. She was delighted with how friendly people are. Devlin continued driving to a place where it’s full of huge trees. Amber noticed that she could not find any houses anymore. They must be somewhere very remote. She is used to farm life so being on an almost empty road is a familiar place to her.

Then, Devlin turned his car to the right into a narrow road. Amber saw the sign ‘Private Property’ right at the entrance of that road. She was already curious as to where they were heading but she kept her mouth shut. Devlin would not give her any answer anyway.

After like ten minutes of driving, they stopped by a cabin. The place seems empty.

“This is so nice. Are we the only people here?” Amber asked while still staring at the homely cabin. It has different flowers blooming in front. It must be maintained by someone since it looks well tended.

“Yes, but there are tourists who stay at a nearby lodge not far from here. This cabin was from my grandfather and so is the lodge. You will see it tomorrow. For now, let’s get inside so you can relax. I am sure you are also tired from the long drive.” Amber was about to open the door to the car when she realized something.

“I was too busy earlier enjoying the view that I forgot to tell you that I did not bring clothes with me. You never told me while we were still in the penthouse that we are staying here in this place.” Amber complained with her lips pouting. Devlin finds it really cute.

“Don’t worry about that. I took care of it. I brought you some clothes for you. It is at the back of the car.” She was more surprised to hear what he just said.

“You mean to say you planned this all along?” He only smiled at her while she rolled her eyes at him.

“Well, you should not take it against me. It won’t be a surprise anymore. Don’t you like it here?” He asked candidly while looking at her reaction.

He started to learn more about Amber. She has a sweet nature and nurturing ways. She also acts like a child sometimes when she gets excited. Her face shows a lot of emotions. She appreciates the little things in life which Devlin really admires about her. He enjoys her company except sometimes when she starts to ask a lot of questions. That made Devlin smile. He also finds that cute about her.

When they got inside the cabin, Amber was amazed how grand the cabin was. If you look from the outside, it was simply a cozy looking cabin. The usual ones you see in the movies. But when she got inside, she saw several pieces of hardwood furniture. The carvings were intricately made by skillful hands. She passed her hand to touch the carvings.

The cabin has two floors. The first floor has a huge chandelier hanging in the middle. There were some paintings on the wall. But the furniture really took her attention.

“They are just so amazing.” Amber could not count how many times she used the word, amazing, today.

“These are all antiques. These were grandpa’s collections and he passed it on to me. You see all those paintings?” Amber absent-mindedly nodded.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Those are his paintings. He likes to paint during his free time. Usually, when we come here, he always spends time painting.” Amber went closer to one of the paintings hanging on the wall. Among all of the paintings, this one painting got her attention. It is a portrait of a young boy. He was sitting down on a couch looking at his toys but his eyes looked lonely. The boy’s portrait looks very familiar to Amber.

“And who is this cute little boy here?” She asked while still looking at the boy’s sad eyes.

“That would be me.” Amber immediately turned towards Devlin. That’s why he looks familiar to her.

“I love this painting. It is so raw. It captures the true emotion.” Devlin looked at Amber fantastically. No one has ever thought about what Amber just said. Only his grandpa.

He remembers well what happened that day. He was sent to his grandparents after his parents reprimanded him for his ‘unacceptable behavior’ in school. He did not understand at that time what was unacceptable with his behavior. He went to school on time and was barely absent from his classes. He never bullied no one. He never had an issue with any of his classmates. And his grades were average. He never got failing marks. He would realize later on that they expected him to excel academically just like his older brother.

That day when his grandpa painted him, he was very sad. At a tender age, he felt what it is like to be not loved by his parents simply because he could not match or surpass what his brother had achieved.

The cabin has two rooms upstairs. The first floor has one guest room. After Devlin showed her the interior of the cabin, they went to the back. Amber was surprised to see a nice, cozy patio. And she saw some fruit bearing plants like almost all the berries she could find. Devlin said some of them are wild berries which just readily grow in that area.

“So, who keeps this place neat and tidy? I mean all those furniture and paintings, they need to be well-maintained. And also, I am sure they cost a fortune.” Amber said while now lounging on the patio with Devlin.

“Well, we have some caretakers who maintain the place. And those who clean the lodge would also come here to clean this place once a week.” Amber only nodded, so relaxed at such a homey place. She feels like she is on their farm. Only this place is way too grand.

“I like it here. You are very close to nature. It is peaceful and you can really relax.” She said, smiling brightly at Devlin. She suddenly wonders if he has brought other women here or most likely Raven. She tried to hide her disappointment. She should not be feeling that way.

“So, are you tired? You can take a nap in your room. I am just going to call someone from the lodge to bring extra wood for us to keep this place warm. It gets colder here especially at night time.”

“Sure, I am also tired. The fresh air really made me tired today.” Devlin went with her to her room. He told her not to oversleep. They still need to eat dinner.

Unbeknownst to Amber, Devlin called some workers from the lodge to fix and decorate the patio. That is where he wants to do their dinner. He actually feels excited as to what Amber’s reaction might be. Much as he wants to cook a nice dinner for her but he knows that he could not do it with the amount of time left before it’s going to be dinner time.

At 6 pm, everything is already set. Devlin went to check Amber’s room. She must have slept for almost two hours now. He did not get to check on her earlier since he got busy with setting up everything for dinner.

The moment he entered, Amber was still sleeping peacefully. She looks so fragile sleeping curled up. Something in him wants to protect her. He does not know why these past few days after realization hit him, things have changed for him. He only wanted to make it up to her for treating her badly. But right now, all his efforts are something else. He has never shown that much effort to make someone happy. He did not do it with Raven who was his first love. Could it be that what he is doing is something else? Something more that he is scared to dwell on.

“Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up. It’s dinner time.” Her familiar scent is giving him a feeling of comfort. She smiled at him while slowly opening her eyes and stretching.

“Hmmm… what time is it?” She said languidly. Still her brain is fogged. She just woke up. She almost forgot that they are not in the penthouse.

“It is past 6 pm.” He saw her eyes widened and she immediately sat down.

“I slept that long?! I did not wake up to my alarm.” She said, almost panicking. Devlin only chuckled at her.

“Relax. You were tired. We had a long day.” Devlin sat beside her on her bed.

“I hope you slept well.”

“Yes I did. What about you? Did you even take a nap?” Amber asked with a concerned voice.

“No, I was busy. Anyway, get ready, dinner will be served soon. Wear something warm because it is colder tonight.” Amber only nodded her head. She stood up after Devlin left her. She saw two shopping bags that Devlin bought for her. She took a quick hot shower. Then, she put on thick black leggings and a gray knitted oversized wool sweater. She checked herself in the mirror. She looks pale so she added some lip tint. Satisfied, she left her room and was looking for Devlin. She found him in the living room looking handsome with his pants and a sweatshirt.

“Hey, I am starving.” Amber said shyly while Devlin simply smiled at her.

“Let’s go. I am starving as well.” He said while beaming at her.