Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)

5 Years After

Isabella was thrilled to be starting her new job, especially as the assistant to such a remarkable man. Kylan Ross was the definition of exceptional-handsome, stoic, and seemingly flawless. His reputation preceded him: a man ruthless with his adversaries, yet kind and supportive to employees who earned his respect. She could hardly believe her luck in landing a position that would allow her to work closely with him. Waiting by the elevator with a mix of pride and anticipation, she felt her heart race and her cheeks warm as the doors slid open, revealing Kylan in a long coat and hat, his smartphone in hand and a faint, reserved smile on his face.

Isabella gasped, then quickly bowed. "G-Good morning, Sir!"

Kylan glanced up, taking in her appearance with a brief, assessing gaze. Her long blonde hair was tied to one side, and draped over her shoulder, complementing her fitted black skirt, white blouse, and soft pink cardigan with a small, tasteful pin. He acknowledged her presence with a slight nod, though his attention soon returned to his phone, where a picture of his family awaited him-a photo of Kate holding their young daughter, Clarence, who was snuggled in a onesie. Kylan's gaze softened as he looked at the picture, the pride and adoration evident in his eyes. Katrina and Clarence were his world, his everything. He'd do anything to protect them both.

"Morning," he replied, stepping out of the elevator. "You must be my new assistant."

Isabella hurried to keep up with his brisk pace as he moved toward his office. "Yes, Sir. Isabella Stone."

When they entered his office, Kylan set his phone down on his grand desk and shrugged off his coat and hat, surprised when Isabella stepped forward to take them. "Thank Katrina, Mrs. Stone," he said coolly.

She hung up his coat with a blush. "It's Miss, actually."

He handed her his gloves with a polite nod. "Apologies, Miss Stone."

As she took his gloves, her eyes caught on the glint of a wedding ring on his hand. She bit her lip, feeling a pang of disappointment-her hopes of catching his interest were dashed. But, stubbornly, she held on to the thought that maybe she could still find a way into his life, wife or not. Kylan was worth the effort.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

She cleared her throat. "May I ask something, Sir?"

Kylan, now seated at his desk and loosening his blazer, glanced at her expectantly. "Go ahead."

"What happened to your last assistant?"

His gaze drifted to a framed photo on his desk-one of them, his beloved wife. "The one before had to transfer to another state."

Isabella had never heard about that. She knew he had a female secretary who had become his girlfriend. This was very well known throughout New York, and Isabella despised that woman for sleeping her way up. However, seeing how handsome Kylan Ross was up close, she couldn't blame that woman.

"You had a female secretary before, right?" she urged.

Kylan glanced at her with narrowed eyes, but seeing only curiosity, he nodded. "She had to leave to avoid some rumors," he quipped. He knew he was oversharing but wanted to talk about Katrina to people over the years he had healed. "She became head of one of the departments before she had to leave to focus on her baby. Although," he added with a faint smirk, "I wanted her to leave sooner." "Oh? Why's that?" Isabella asked, curiosity piqued.

Kylan's gaze softened as he recalled the past. To be honest, he initially didn't want her to resign as his secretary. But after a few months, he finally understood her intentions. And after she gave birth to Clarence, he wanted her to focus on their child. "Because I wanted my wife to be comfortable and happy at home. She's a bit... stubborn, though. It was only when our daughter was born that she finally agreed. My 'bratty' wife, always so determined," he murmured with a hint of affection. Isabella's hopes lifted. If he was calling his wife "bratty" and acting annoyed, maybe their relationship wasn't so perfect after all.

But she couldn't have been more wrong. Kylan adored Katrina; to him, Katrina was perfect. Every thought he had of her and Clarence filled him with a quiet, steady joy that Isabella, of course, couldn't sense.

Still, she forced a smile and took out her notebook. "Congratulations."

Kylan didn't look up from his computer as emails poured in, his jaw tightening as he read through them. Without pausing, he began listing tasks for Isabella. As he dictated, he noticed her beginning to sweat. "Am I going too fast for you?" She blushed, flustered. "N-No, Sir."

He hummed, looking unconvinced. "Alright. You can start on those tasks. I have calls to make."

Isabella nodded and bowed. "Yes, Sir! Do you need coffee?"

He looked back at the framed photo of Katrina. "Tea. I only drink tea."

Isabella hurried out, and the moment the door closed, Kylan's expression softened as he turned his gaze back to their family picture. He

remembered when Katrina was the one standing across from him, listening to him rattle off

ΕΛ

instructions. Katrina would cut him off halfway, told him to "slow the ever-loving hell down," or Katrina would "give him something to

complain about."

At first, he'd been shocked that someone dared to speak to him that way. But as time went on, he'd fallen hard for Katrina and her fearless spirit. Katrina never asked if he wanted tea; Katrina just brought it, anticipating his needs before he even voiced them. Katrina was his match, the woman who knew him better than he knew himself.

As he began typing, a sudden clamor shattered his focus-Isabella had returned, far louder than Katrina had ever been. Even his previous assistant after Kate wasn't this noisy.

Her perfume hung heavily in the air, too overpowering compared to the delicate, sweet scent Katrina wore. Clenching his jaw, he sipped the tea she brought, finding it palatable but nothing special. He missed the way Katrina made it, the subtle warmth that only her hands could infuse into something as simple as tea. The thought crossed his mind that he might need to start bringing his own tea or, better yet, convince Katrina to bring it in.

His growing headache was interrupted by voices outside his office-Isabella was loudly insisting someone shouldn't go in. Just as Kylan was about to reprimand her for the noise, the door swung open, and there Katrina was, with little Clarence clutching her hand as he toddled beside Katrina. Kylan felt his tension melt away at the sight of them, his entire world stepping into the room.

Clarence spotted her father and squealed, "Dada!" She let go of her mother's hand and wobbled over to Kylan, who knelt down to scoop her up, showering her little face with kisses. "Hello, Clarence," Kylan murmured, smiling as he held Clarence close. "And hello to my beautiful wife."

Isabella hurried forward. "But Ma'am, you can't just-"

Katrina waved her off with a gentle smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm his wife."

Isabella's face fell. "W-wife?"

Katrina laughed and moved closer to Kylan. "Hi, handsome. How's work going?"

Kylan sighed, eyes flicking to Clarence before answering. "Silly, as always." He tickled Clarence, making her giggle. "But it's much better now that my family's here."

Katrina took a seat on his desk, ignoring Isabella's wide-eyed stare. "Remember, you promised to come home on time tonight," Katrina teased.

Kylan chuckled. "I'll try, but you two are welcome to stay if you'd like." He shifted Clarence onto his lap. "I could always use the company."

Isabella bristled, stepping forward. "Sir, I could get milk for your daughter if you'd like "

But Katrina waved her off with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I've got it." She winked at her. "Trust me, the more you keep out of his way, the better."

Though Isabella bowed and forced a polite smile, Katrina sensed her irritation as she headed into the small kitchenette to prepare tea and milk. She trailed behind Katrina, visibly flustered, and Katrina felt a pang of sympathy.

"Hey," Katrina said gently, "I know he can be a handful, so if you ever need advice, feel free to reach out." Katrina scribbled her name and number in her notebook. "He's tough, but he's also predictable. Just keep one step ahead of him, and you'll be fine." Isabella accepted her advice, but her eyes held a glint of determination. Despite her kindness, she saw Katrina as an obstacle. As Katrina prepared Kylan's tea and returned with the tray, Katrina noted Isabella watching her with a strange intensity. Katrina entered Kylan's office, setting the tray down on the coffee table, and sat beside him as Clarence nestled in his arms. Kylan's gaze followed Katrina, a quiet warmth in his eyes that only Katrina could understand.

"Your new assistant seems nice," Katrina remarked, reaching for her tea.

Kylan made a face, nudging Clarence's sippy cup towards her. "She's fine," he muttered.

Katrina chuckled. "Maybe you could be a bit nicer."

Kylan shrugged, settling beside Katrina. "She's just my assistant. Niceness isn't required."

With a soft smile, Katrina leaned into him, feeling his hand settle gently on her back. Kylan nuzzled her neck, his voice soft. "You know, you could stay here with me. I wouldn't mind."

Katrina laughed, brushing a kiss against his cheek. "Only if you promise to work and not flirt."

With a teasing glint in his eye, he cupped her face, pulling Katrina into a kiss that left her breathless. "I promise... I'll only flirt a little."

Katrina couldn't help but smile, letting herself melt into his embrace. At that moment, it was just the three of them—their beautiful, imperfect family-sharing a love that made everything else fade away.