The CEO's Ultimate Revenge

For over a decade, my younger sister and I waged a silent war over the boy next door. But Preston always gravitated toward Felicity and her endless parade of flawless talents.

Fueled by sheer spite, I drove myself into the ground mastering every skill I could get my hands on. All just to make him look at me instead of her.

By twentyfive, I hadn't just clawed my way to an undergrad degree from Stanford—I’d snagged a Harvard MBA to match.

Yet the second I walked back through our front door, Preston dodged my outstretched hand. "Felicity is the only one I want." He shoved his hands into his pockets, stepping back to put distance between us. "Stop wasting your energy." My heels rooted to the hardwood.

Cassidy pulled a tissue from her purse, stepping up to blot at my face. I jerked my chin back, dodging her wrist.

A sudden, hollow clarity snapped into place behind my ribs. "Why does he suddenly seem so… dull?" I murmured, staring at the empty hallway. "Bland. Boring.

A pretty face with absolutely zero substance.

I can't even fathom why I spent my whole life obsessing over him." I turned to look at Cassidy, my brows knitting together. "Am I the problem here?

Am I just fickle?" Cassidy let out a sharp, genuine laugh. "You aren't fickle, Kensington." She tossed the unused tissue into the nearest trash can. "You leveled up and walked out of the bubble.

He’s still stuck in the exact same spot." Chapter 1 Felicity and I stepped out of the car at the exact same time. Without warning, my sister's ankle gave out.

Preston was there in a heartbeat, catching her before she hit the pavement. Settling into his chest, Felicity shot me a look over his shoulder. A smirk.

Triumphant and openly mocking. Around us, the estate staff ducked their heads to hide their grins. They were waiting for the usual show.

They expected me to lunge at Felicity, call her a fake, a drama queen, and scream about how she was stealing my Preston.

They were waiting for Preston to snap at me for being immature, leaving me in tears. But the seconds ticked by. I didn't move a muscle.

For years, I had driven myself to the brink of insanity just to earn a single glance from him.

I hustled through Ivy League classrooms, launched startups, and built a massive social media empire.

After surviving the cutthroat reality of the corporate world and dealing with actual political heavyweights… watching Felicity’s little trustfall routine?

It was just pathetic. "Glad you didn't break anything." I kept my tone flat, handing a wrapped box to the nearest maid. "My parents sent these for Mr. and Mrs.

Pei." The triumphant gleam vanished from Felicity's eyes. Preston's brow furrowed, his gaze darting toward me. Inside the sprawling villa, the mahogany dining table was set.

Four chairs. With Preston and his parents, that left exactly one open seat. Felicity let out a soft, breathy laugh. "Oh, Kensington, I'm so sorry.

I totally forgot to mention you were tagging along.

It looks like they didn't set a place for you." "Why are you apologizing to her?" Preston's voice cut through the room, cold and sharp. "Kensington, she didn't do it on purpose.

Just go grab yourself a chair from the hall. Stop making things difficult for her." It was always like this.

Preston standing like a shield in front of Felicity, zero questions asked. But the strangest thing happened. My chest stayed perfectly hollow. No sting. No ache.

I couldn't even grasp why I used to wage absolute war against my sister over this guy. "Preston." I tilted my head. "I haven't even said a word yet." His jaw went slack.

The old me would have had bloodshot eyes by now, screaming the house down and calling Felicity a manipulative bitch. "Kensington, you're mad." Felicity forced moisture into her eyes, stepping forward to grab my wrist. "Please don't be mad.

I'll go get the chair for you." She made a pathetic halfturn toward the hallway, but Preston caught her arm, hauling her back. He glared down at me. "This is my house.

You don't get to throw your weight around here. If you can't swallow your pride and get a chair, then don't bother eating." A snicker broke the silence in the corner of the room.

A maid whispered to another, loud enough to carry. "Watch. The princess is going to drag a chair over here herself." "Duh.

She’d swallow dirt if it means sitting next to our young master." "Keep the chair." I let out a dry chuckle. "I just came to drop off the gifts.

I wasn't planning on staying for dinner anyway. I actually have a schedule to keep. Enjoy yourselves." Preston stared at me.

The muscles in his jaw ticked, his eyes searching my face like he didn't recognize me. I didn't give him a second glance. I spun on my heel and walked out the door.

As I pulled my car door open in the driveway, Felicity’s fragile voice drifted out from the porch. "Why is Kensington in such a rush?

Did she leave just because she hates me?" I slid into the driver's seat. Through the windshield, I saw Preston tracking my movements.

A hard crease formed between his brows. "Don't let it get to you," his voice carried over the quiet estate. "She studied abroad for a few years, so her little jealousy games have just gotten an upgrade." Felicity bit her lower lip. "She really has mastered playing hard to get.

I'm just scared that one day, you might…" Preston rested his hand on top of her head. "I told you," he said. "You're the only one I want." I rolled up the window. And hit the gas.

Chapter 2 I actually did have a schedule to keep. Cassidy and I had cofounded a tech startup back in the States, and my plate was overflowing.

I had a dinner meeting booked with a potential client. My phone buzzed in my purse. A text from Cassidy. [Heard you touched down.

I set up a massive surprise for you~] I tapped out a quick, dismissive reply. If I had known what that "surprise" was, I would have forced her to pull the plug immediately.

I had zero intention of ever crossing paths with Preston again. But my grandfather’s milestone birthday gala was nonnegotiable.

Given our families’ decadeslong ties, avoiding him entirely was impossible. Except, when I walked into the ballroom with my gift, there was no birthday cake.

No grandfather blowing out candles. It was a proposal. Preston knelt on one knee in the center of the room. As I stepped through the double doors, his eyes caught mine.

A mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Keeping his gaze fixed on me, he slid a diamond ring onto Felicity's finger. "Beautiful!" My parents led the round of applause, beaming.

I stared at them, my heels sinking into the plush carpet. "I thought this was Grandpa's birthday." "It is," my mother waved a hand dismissively. "But your grandfather insisted on a double celebration tonight." My brows pulled together. "You were in that much of a rush to get them engaged?

I seriously thought—" "Ahem." My father cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "We kept you in the dark because we didn't want you causing a scene and ruining the night." He puffed out his chest. "I suppose you haven't heard the news.

Preston just got appointed as the President of North American Operations for Apex Tech." Apex?! My breath hitched. My pulse skipped a beat. That… that was my company.

The one Cassidy and I built from the ground up! "A soninlaw of Preston's caliber is a rare find," my father continued, completely oblivious. "Naturally, we had to lock this in.

We know how you feel about him, Kensington, but you can't force love." "He hasn't looked your way in years. It's time to stop stalking him.

Be a good girl and let it go." I pressed my lips into a thin line.

Reaching into my clutch, I pulled out my phone and opened Cassidy's chat. [Don't tell me your "surprise" is Preston?!] Her reply came with a winking emoji. [We all know you’ve been pining for him!

I handled the North American executive placements. As regional head, he reports directly to YOU.

Get ready to be joined at the hip with your dream guy~ haha~] I dug the heel of my palm into my forehead. Whispers began rippling through the crowd behind me. "Look!

Isn't that Kensington? Preston's obsessed shadow?" "Holy crap, it is her. I can't believe she actually showed her face tonight." "Look at her rubbing her head.

She looks like she's in physical agony. Tsk, tsk. I almost feel sorry for her." The buzzing of the socialites scraped against my eardrums.

Needing quiet to fix Cassidy's catastrophic blunder, I slipped down the hall into an empty guest room.

I fired off a rapid string of texts, making it crystal clear that my crush on Preston was dead and buried. Hitting send, I grabbed the brass doorknob and pulled it open.

A hand clamped over my wrist. Fingers digging into my pulse point, the grip yanked me forcefully into the adjacent stairwell. "Preston!" The joints in my wrist ground together.

He released me with a sharp shove, sending my back hitting the heavy fire door. "You saw what happened out there." He crossed his arms over his tailored suit.

I massaged the red marks blooming on my skin, narrowing my eyes at him. "Felicity and I are officially engaged," he stated, his jaw set. "It's time you found someone else and settled down." "Settled down?" A dry, humorless laugh scraped up my throat. "I have zero plans to do that." "Are you seriously going to keep playing the stagefive clinger?" My fingers paused on my wrist.

I stared at him. The sheer arrogance of the assumption hit me like a brick.

He actually thought my life still revolved around him. "What I meant," I said, dropping my hands, "is that I'm not getting married because my career is scaling." Preston stared at me for a long, silent beat.

Then, a condescending chuckle echoed off the concrete walls. "Don't you think that excuse is a little pathetic?" My jaw tightened. "The CEO of Apex Tech is a woman exactly your age," he scoffed, stepping closer. "Even she is actively prioritizing her dating life to lock down a husband.

So who exactly are you pretending to be?" The words lodged in my throat. I couldn't formulate a comeback.

My history as a completely braindead, lovestruck fool was public knowledge.

It was a giant red flag so deeply ingrained in everyone's minds that even now, with my head finally screwed on straight, absolutely no one believed I had moved on.

Not even my own business partner. Chapter 3 He leaned into my space. "Let me spell this out for you, Kensington.

I didn't want you then, and an engagement ring on Felicity's finger doesn't magically change that now." "Keep stalking me, and you'll just make me sick.

Or…" His eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you actually deluded enough to think you can be my side piece?" A bizarre sense of vertigo washed over me.

I stared at the man standing inches away. Arrogant. Trashy. A walking, talking red flag with absolutely zero class.

Why the hell did I ever wage World War III against Felicity over this? A dry, razorsharp laugh scraped out of my throat.

I planted both hands on his chest, shoved him back, and strode out the heavy fire door. Cassidy was blowing up my phone with apologies.

I ignored them, standing near the edge of the ballroom, staring blankly into my glass of orange juice. A low, piercing whistle cut through the chatter.

Before I could blink, a pack of seven or eight guys boxed me in against the velvet sofa. "Well, well, if it isn't the princess." A guy in a flashy blazer slid onto the cushion next to me. "You actually showed up to Preston's engagement.

Bold." "We were taking bets on whether you'd be at home crying your eyes out," another chimed in, leaning over the back of the sofa. "Guess she just couldn't stay away from him." Thick fingers hooked under my spaghetti strap.

I snapped my head to the side and slapped his hand away hard enough to leave a red mark. "Ouch.

Someone grew some claws studying abroad." The guy rubbed his knuckles, smirking. "What happened to the girl who used to beg us to put in a good word for her?" A wave of pure, concentrated cringe hit my stomach.

Back in my stagefive clinger era, I didn't just worship Preston—I sucked up to his entire fratbro entourage. Felicity had the flawless talents; I had zero leverage.

So, I banked on these losers to talk me up. I memorized Preston's hobbies. I memorized their hobbies.

Every holiday, I bankrolled insane luxury gifts for all of them, practically begging for scraps of their approval.

Looking back, I genuinely wanted to punch my younger self in the face. I really had been living in a pathetic little bubble. "Look, he put a ring on it.

You missed your shot." The blazer guy leaned closer. Stale tobacco and cheap scotch flooded my airspace. "You can't compete with your sister.

Just a fact of life." He dropped his voice, a sleazy grin stretching across his face. "But… it's not totally hopeless.

You show the boys a good time tonight, and we'll pull some strings. We can definitely arrange for you to keep his bed warm on the side. Deal?" I shoved at his chest to stand up.

Calloused fingers clamped around my jaw, pinning my head in place. "No need to play coy.

We'll keep your dirty little secret." "Oh, hey, Preston." One of the guys lifted his drink toward the aisle.

Preston was walking right past our section. "Preston!" I wrenched my jaw free and lunged upward.

A heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder, yanking me violently back into the cushions. Preston had heard every single word. "Preston!

Tell your dogs to back off!" A flicker of hesitation crossed the frat boys' faces. They traded nervous glances. Preston stopped. His eyes flicked over the scene.

Then, his arm slid around Felicity's waist. His face remained a flat, emotionless mask.

He turned his back and kept walking. "Pres—" "Sit down, princess." The blazer guy threw his arm around my shoulders, trapping me against his side.

His fingers locked onto my chin again. "Are you really that dense?

In Preston's world, it goes Felicity, then us, then a stray dog, and then you." The blood in my veins turned to ice. "So be a good girl." His thumb dragged across my jawline. "Serve us well tonight, and we'll convince him to let you be his loyal little bitch." "Yeah, don't worry.

Your secret's safe with us." My fingers locked around the crystal stem of my juice glass. Squeezing. Harder. Crack. The crystal shattered. Shards bit into my palm.

Juice dripped onto the carpet. The smirks vanished. They stared at the jagged glass in my hand, stunned. "Who exactly do you think you're messing with?" Smash.

My fist connected dead center with the blazer guy's temple. Chapter 4 In my sick, obsessive drive to outdo Felicity, I didn't just pad my resume with degrees.

I weaponized my hobbies. Boxing was just another skill I had mastered to get Preston's attention. Blood exploded from the guy's nose. "You crazy bitch!" Crash.

A heavy glass bottle shattered against the side of my head. The room tilted. But years of highintensity conditioning kept my knees locked.

I spun around, my fingers clamping down on the attacker's throat. I shoved him forward, slamming his face into the edge of the marble table.

I stared down at the groaning mess on the floor. "You want to ruin me? You don't have what it takes." Smack. A hand cracked across my cheek out of nowhere.

The sheer force sent me stumbling backward. My knuckles hit the back of the velvet sofa, keeping me upright.

Preston stood there, his brows pulled together in a tight, ugly knot. "I proposed to Felicity! Get over it! What the hell is wrong with you?" My parents burst through the crowd.

My mother’s eyes darted from the bleeding men on the floor to me. She shoved my shoulder hard. "What are you doing! Are you trashing the place just because your sister got engaged?

It's your grandfather's birthday! Can't you just act normal for once?" The guests hadn't heard the frat boys' filthy little proposition. They glared at me. "You're twentyfive!

Grow up!" an older woman snapped. "Preston doesn't want you.

Throwing a tantrum isn't going to change that." Felicity’s eyes welled up with perfectly timed tears. "Kensington, if you really can't handle this… I'll give you the ring.

Just please stop hurting people." She grabbed the diamond on her finger, acting like she was about to pull it off. Preston snatched her wrist, stopping her.

He turned his glare back to me. "Are you really this pathetic, Kensington? I'm engaged.

You're that desperate to be with me?" He pulled Felicity against his chest. "Serve Felicity well. Make her happy.

Only then will I even consider you." "Preston?" Felicity looked up at him, her eyes wide. Preston let out a low chuckle. "She refuses to leave us alone.

We might as well use it to our advantage.

But she doesn't get a look from me unless my actual wife is completely satisfied with her." A quick, triumphant gleam flashed in Felicity's eyes.

Preston looked at me. "Do you understand me now?" I lifted my hand, pressing my fingertips against the stinging heat on my cheek. I didn't say a word. I just stepped forward. Smack.

I cracked my palm across his jaw, hitting him with everything I had.

My mother grabbed my arm, digging her nails in. "Have you lost your mind!" Felicity let out a dramatic shriek. "Kensington! Hit me if you want!

Don't touch him!" "Hit you?" A dry laugh slipped out. "You're a nobody.

You aren't even worth dirtying my hands." "You—" I cut her off, locking eyes with the man in front of me. "Preston." I kept my voice perfectly level. "As the CEO of Apex Tech, I am officially terminating your employment.

Don't bother showing up for your first day." "Apex?" He froze. Then, a condescending sneer spread across his face