My Online Boyfriend is My CEO's Boss

I genuinely believed my online boyfriend and I were just playing a role-play game, pretending to be old-money heirs for kicks.

Turns out, I was the only one faking it.

They were the real deal.

[Vance's girl! Come on, say something!]

I stared at the flashing notification, a cold knot of dread twisting in my gut. He had just dragged me into a private group chat with his inner circle. I tapped the member list, and my breath hitched.

Sitting right there among the profiles was Graham, my notoriously ruthless, unapproachable CEO.

His nickname?

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog]

And my online boyfriend's name? Vance.

Panic spiked through my veins, my palms suddenly slick with sweat. I always thought he was just blowing smoke.

Chapter 1

I sensed something was off the exact second Vance dragged me into the group chat.

The four of them were already deep in conversation, oblivious to my arrival. I stared at the messages scrolling across my screen, rubbing my chin.

[Brooks: Winter's here. Let's hit Zermatt for skiing. I lost to Graham last year, but I'm taking the crown this time!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: You couldn't beat me last year, what makes you think this year will be any different?]

[Dane: Count me out. I'm dragging my fiance to St. Barts. (Suffering)]

[Brooks: Yikes. Good luck with that. Your girl is a walking red flag.]

I kept my eyes glued to the screen. Something was wrong. Really wrong.

Why did these names look so damn familiar? Especially that guy, [Vance's Loyal Lapdog] Graham.

The name Graham rang a massive bell. I squinted at his profile picturea shot of him shredding fresh powder on a snowboard. That rang an even bigger bell.

While I was racking my brain, the chat finally woke up to my existence.

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Whoa, we got a new player in the chat!!]

[Vance: Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend.]

He tagged my username. The chat went dead silent for two seconds.

Then, my screen exploded.

[Brooks: Sadie!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Sadie!]

[Dane: Sadie!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Finally! We've been hounding you for ages, and you finally let us meet her, Vance!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: I'm dying to know what kind of badass woman managed to lock down our guy!]

A hot flush crept up my neck. Vance and I had been dating online for over two years, and this was the very first time I was interacting with his inner circle. I tapped the text box, ready to type out a quick greeting.

Then, my peripheral vision caught [Vance's Loyal Lapdog]'s profile picture again.

My thumbs froze over the keyboard.

It hit me. I knew exactly where I'd seen that face before. A loud, high-pitched ringing pierced my ears.

I swiped out of the chat app so fast my thumb cramped. I pulled up my browser, frantically typing in my company's official directory. I dug through the corporate archives until I hit the jackpot.

There it was.

A press photo from three months ago, taken when our firm inked a massive deal with an overseas conglomerate. In the center of the frame stood a young man in a razor-sharp, bespoke suit. His jaw was set, his expression cold and utterly unapproachable. Standing next to the foreign executives, he commanded the entire room without even trying.

My eyes locked onto the caption beneath the photo. The name practically burned a hole through my screen.

Graham. The CEO of our company.

The only son of the billionaire founder.

What.

What?!

My phone vibrated violently in my palm.

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: @CorporateDrone LOL Sadie, your username is hilarious!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: How did you and Vance even meet?]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Come on, say something!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Cute cat poking screen GIF]

The cartoon cat spun in circles in front of my eyes, mocking my misery.

My chest tightened. I blindly hit send on a generic waving-hand emoji before bailing out of the group. I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling slightly as I tapped on Vance's private chat to type out a casual message.

[Babe, your loyal lapdog looks awfully familiar.]

Vance's reply popped up instantly.

[He's a little chaotic. Did he scare you?]

[His name is Graham. He's the CEO of Zenith Tech. Since your family's business has a massive reach, you've probably run into him at a gala or something.]

My brain short-circuited.

While mechanically firing back a vague response to Vance, I opened a new tab. I typed in the names of the other guys in the group chat, hitting search on every single one.

The results loaded.

I swallowed a mouthful of ash. The final shred of my hope flatlined.

Chapter 2

Brooks, the youngest son of real estate mogul Stephen, currently studying abroad.

Dane, the second son of the founder of Nanyang Construction, a literal trust-fund baby

My brain flatlined. My fingers moved on autopilot, typing Vance's real name into the search bar.

The results popped up in a fraction of a second.

Vance, the eldest grandson of the Zenith Group's founder, the youngest board director in the conglomerate's history, the mastermind behind their tech innovation pivot, net worth over

I literally had to trace my finger across the screen to count the zeros.

I sucked in a sharp breath. The room spun, and I had to grip the edge of my desk to keep from passing out.

Meanwhile, back in the group chat, Graham was still going off.

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Sadie, seriously, how did you two meet?]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: I'm dying of curiosity here. Spill the tea.]

[Vance: Online dating. How else do you think? We met on the internet.]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Care to be a little more specific]

"Be careful who you meet online." I never truly grasped the gravity of that warning until this exact second.

My whole relationship with Vance started over a completely random Reddit thread. Someone had posted: Can someone explain the economics of why a single hot dog at the stand is three bucks, but you can get two for five?

I thought the poster was just being an idiot, so I dropped a sarcastic reply: Did you also just figure out that the first thing you do after paying for Amazon Prime is use the free shipping?

The guy replied almost instantly: Exactly! I completely failed that test too!

He praised my "genius" logic. In all my twenty-four years of being painfully average, it was the first time a guy had complimented me so bluntly. My ego inflated just a tiny bit, and we ended up bantering in the comment section for hours.

Eventually, that led to exchanging numbers.

We kept it casual at first, mostly just swapping memes, until he noticed my status showing I was grinding away on a super popular mobile game.

He shot me a text: Is it actually fun?

I practically jumped at the chance to show off. Obsessed! You want in? I can carry you, I'm literally a god at this game.

He texted back: Alright, let me set up an account I know the mechanics, but I haven't actually played it myself. Don't yell at me if I suck.

We spent the next three months glued to our headsets. I quickly realized that even though his gaming skills were absolute trash, his vibe was immaculate. He never raged, his voice was this deep, gravelly tone that sent shivers down my spine, and he was totally emotionally stable.

Plus, he could actually string a coherent sentence together!

My crush on him skyrocketed, and I started making the first moves.

Once we made things official, our late-night calls became the highlight of my life. The guy was just exactly my type.

The only weird thing was how he phrased his daily life. He was always talking in this bizarre, over-the-top billionaire role-play language.

When his mom called him for dinner, he'd say: "Heading back to the main estate to dine with the matriarch."

If he was talking about a friend who worked a boring government job, he'd say: "My associate is entrenched in politics, making public appearances a liability."

When he talked about dodging a blind date set up by his parents, he'd deadpan: "I have zero interest in arranged corporate marriages."

I thought it was hilarious. I leaned right into the bit and started mirroring his chaotic energy.

When my girlfriends came over for wine and gossip, I told him: "The heiresses are gathering for a high-stakes summit. They can't make a move without me."

When I bought tickets to see my favorite pop star, I texted: "Flying out to check on a young prodigy I've been secretly funding."

When I ordered a cheap Uber Eats combo with a promo code, I said: "Partnering with a few associates to invest in a volatile food-tech startup."

Vance totally bought into it.

[Seems we operate in the same tax bracket.]

I sent back a clinking champagne glass emoji.

[We really are a match made in heaven.]

I genuinely believed that Vance and I were just two broke millennials enjoying an unhinged online role-play. I never suspected a thing.

Until today.

The floor had dropped out from under me.

So I was the only one playing pretend? You guys actually have that kind of money?!

Chapter 3

I sat frozen at my cubicle, my fingers gripping my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

My coworker, Daisy, elbowed my ribs. "Sadie, are you still messing around on your phone?"

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Rumor has it the CEO is doing a surprise walkthrough of our department today. No one knows exactly when, so don't get caught slacking."

Daisy and I started at the company around the same time. The rest of our department was packed with Ivy League grads and nepotism babies. Naturally, we stuck together to survive. She knew I came from a totally average background and had clawed my way into Zenith Tech.

If upper management caught me scrolling on company time, I'd get my pay docked at best, or tossed straight onto next quarter's layoff chopping block at worst. Daisy was just looking out for me.

I snapped back to reality.

The CEO? Wait. Didn't that mean Graham?

Bzz. Bzz. My phone vibrated twice against my palm. A new message from Graham popped up in the group chat.

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Gotta run. Things to do.]

[Dane: Where are you off to? Still coming back for dinner?]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Touring the corporate departments today. Mandatory appearances. My old man's orders.]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: @CorporateDrone Catch you later, Sadie!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Dinner's on me next time!]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Cute cat waving GIF]

[Dane: Aren't you already near the office?]

[Vance's Loyal Lapdog: Yeah, five minutes out. I'm taking off.]

Ten minutes later, I saw him in the flesh.

The chaotic internet troll from the group chat was gone, replaced by a ruthless, untouchable corporate heir. Graham wore a bespoke tailored suit, his hair slicked back without a single strand out of place. He strolled down the main corridor, flanked by a swarm of nervous department heads.

His expression was stone-cold. Our usually arrogant managers were practically tripping over themselves, their spines bent in blatant sycophancy.

Graham didn't linger in the Marketing department for long. His gaze swept over the room, not landing on me for even a fraction of a second.

To men like him, we were invisible. We existed in different universes, and wasting even a drop of attention on the working class was beneath them.

If Graham was like this I couldn't even fathom Vance.

The sickening reality of our class divide hit me like a freight train.

Right then and there, I made my decision. I had to dump him.

If these billionaire dynasties found out I was a broke fraud role-playing on the internet, they would absolutely crush me. I'd lose my job, get blacklisted from the entire industry, and be publicly humiliated. I had fought tooth and nail for this cubicle, and I refused to lose it over a misunderstanding.

These elite heirs swarmed with gorgeous women. If I dumped Vance, he'd probably brush it off by tomorrow. Just a blip on his radar.

But men with that much power and ego absolutely abhorred being played for fools. Even if my fake billionaire persona was completely accidental.

My goofy, internet-troll fantasy shattered into dust.

I spent the next few days laying the groundwork. I started picking fights with Vance over absolutely nothing, escalating my behavior into peak toxicity.

At first, he tried to calmly talk me down. Eventually, he hit his limit.

[Vance: Babe, did something happen recently?]

[Vance: You've been so on edge. You know you can tell me anything, right? Hug emoji]

My eyes locked onto the screen. This was my out. I slammed my fingers against the keyboard.

[Me: Are you calling me unstable? What the hell is that supposed to mean?]

[Vance: ?]

[Me: You know what? Fine. I get it. You're bored of me.]

[Me: We're done. Let's just break up.]

I hit send. I blocked his number. I deleted his contact.

I popped the SIM card out of my phone and snapped it in half.

Chapter 4

After nuking my relationship and cutting off my own escape route, I slumped on my cheap living room couch, burying my face in a throw pillow.

Dammit. Why couldn't Vance just be poor?

He had a flawless personality, treated me like gold, and looked like a literal model. I genuinely, deeply liked him. But as I sat there in the dark, reality set in. His perfect emotional stability and effortless confidence probably came entirely from never having to check a bank account balance in his life.

The breakup hung over me like a dark cloud for days. I was a complete zombie at the office.

Even Daisy noticed something was wrong. "Sadie, what's going on with you?"

I let out a heavy breath. "We broke up."

Her eyes widened in surprise before she gave my shoulder a silent, comforting squeeze.

I reached for a stack of marketing reports, but before I could even open the file, a voice barked across the room.

"Hey, Sadie. You look like you've got time to kill. Run downstairs and grab my coffee."

I rolled my eyes hard. Classic. Because Daisy and I were the only two in the department without a billionaire daddy protecting our jobs, management treated us like their personal interns.

Daisy saw my jaw clench. "I'll go do it," she whispered.

"No." I pushed my chair back and stood up. "I need to stretch my legs anyway."

I floated down to the lobby like a ghost, grabbed Gary's overpriced latte, and turned around. Just as I was heading back to the marketing floor, the gleaming silver doors of the executive elevator slid open.

Graham and his entourage stepped out.

I immediately flattened myself against the nearest wall to get out of the strike zone.

"Mr. CEO! Sir!" Gary rushed forward, practically tripping over himself in a desperate bid to kiss the boss's ass. He shoved me roughly out of the way, completely ignoring the fact that I was holding a full cup.

The lid popped off.

The piping hot, dark roast coffee splashed right across the front of Gary's expensive, custom-tailored suit.

Dead silence hit the lobby.

Gary stared at the massive brown stain, his face turning an ugly shade of purple. He snapped his head toward me. "Sadie! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Graham didn't flinch. His expression remained utterly blank as he cast a cold glance at Gary. "You shoved her."

Gary choked on his anger, his mouth snapping shut.

Graham looked at the dripping coffee stain with pure disgust. "Go change."

"Right, yes sir. Then I'll meet you"

"We're pitching Zenith Group today," Graham cut him off, his tone ice-cold. "We're on a tight schedule. I'm not waiting for you."

Graham shifted his gaze, his eyes dropping to the plastic ID badge clipped to my blouse. "Marketing. Sadie."

He pointed a single finger at me. "You're coming with us. Just take notes."

I blinked, paralyzed.

"I read your latest project proposal," he added flatly. "You do good work."

The word Zenith echoed loudly in my skull. Before my brain could catch up with my body, I was ushered through the revolving doors and shoved into the back of a sleek black SUV.

Zenith HQ wasn't close. We drove for forty minutes, and I stared blankly out the tinted window for every single second of it.

A senior account manager sitting next to me must have noticed my white-knuckled grip on my notebook. She leaned in, keeping her voice low. "Don't sweat it. Graham and Zenith's CEO, Vance, are incredibly tight."

"This deal is basically a lock. We're literally just here for the formalities."

Just the formalities.

I let out a slow exhale. I was just a background extra in a multi-million-dollar corporate play. Nobody was going to look twice at me. I repeated that mantra until my racing heart finally slowed down to a normal rhythm.

We pulled up to the towering glass skyscraper of Zenith Group.

Right as we reached the entrance, Graham's phone rang. He gestured for us to hold on a second and stepped a few feet away. Unfortunately for me, my hearing was too good.

Graham's voice drifted clearly over the quiet hum of the courtyard.

"Yeah, he's in a vicious mood"

"Ran into a scammer"

"I don't know, took him for millions, apparently. I'm telling him to call the feds"

Millions?! The feds?!

My stomach plummeted through the concrete.

My vocal cords snapped. "What?!" I screamed.

Every head in the lobby whipped around, dead-locking onto me.

Chapter 5

I stiffened, slamming my phone against my ear with lightning speed. "What? My signal is awful!"

"Hello? Hey! I'm hanging up!"

The senior executives shot me looks of pure disgust. Whispers rippled through the group.

"So unprofessional."

"Zero social etiquette"

"These rookies need to be broken in!"

I honestly didn't care what they were muttering. My brain was stuck on a loop of Graham's words.

Scammed him out of millions?! Who?! Me?

God as my witness! I never spent a single dime of Vance's money the entire time we were dating! Who was spreading these lies?! Who was framing me!

My heart hammered against my ribs. While I was spiraling in shock, Graham hung up the phone.

We walked into Zenith's headquarters.

Feeling like a wanted fugitive, I quietly pulled a disposable face mask over my nose and mouth. Graham happened to glance back and jumped. "Where did you even pull that from?"

"Caught a little cold," I said. "Don't want to infect CEO Vance."

Graham stared at me in dead silence for a long moment. "Do you think my immune system is made of steel?"

The crowd of executives silently took a collective step away from me.

I opened my mouth to defuse the awkwardness, but Graham's gaze landed on someone nearby, and a grin broke out on his face. "Vance!"

I froze, snapping my head in that direction. My pupils dilated instantly.

This was the first time I was seeing Vance in the flesh.

Photos on the internet failed to capture his aura.

He had to be at least six-foot-two, with broad shoulders and endlessly long legs. Wearing a crisp black dress shirt and half-rimmed black glasses, his sharp, chiseled features and piercing gaze oozed absolute elite power.

He strode right past me without a sideways glance, looking straight at Graham. "You're here. Let's go, to my office."

His voice was deep and magnetic. Exactly the same voice from my phone!

I stared blankly at his retreating back. Only one thought echoed in my skull.

Crap, he's totally my type.

Inside the office, the senior manager nudged me. "Sadie, put the files on the desk."

I immediately did as told, stretching my arm out to place a folder directly in front of Vance. "Mr. CEO, for your review."

Vance's hand paused halfway to the folder. A second later, his head snapped up. His dark, deep-set eyes narrowed slightly. "Who are you?"

Graham, eager to get down to business, jumped in. "Relax, she's with us. Just a temp from our marketing department we brought along. Vance, take a look at this file first"

Vance's attention was pulled back to him. I let out a microscopic breath and stepped back into the shadows.

The corporate talk dragged on for over half an hour before finally wrapping up. Next came the private matters.

Everyone except Vance and Graham got booted out of the office. Using a bathroom break as a cover, I sneaked right back.

Pressing my ear against the crack in the door, I managed to catch fragmented pieces of their conversation.

"Don't let it get to you, Vance. The last person who dared to hustle you is regretting it from a jail cell."

"Crushing someone is child's play for you."

"You want me to handle her for you?"

The man's voice dropped, laced with ice. "No."

"I'm giving her one more day. If she doesn't show her face, I'll destroy her"

Tears of pure panic pricked my eyes. Was this really necessary?!

I was just an average corporate drone! We dated online, played a stupid internet gamewhy was I being hunted like I broke federal law?!

In a burst of frustration, I slammed my fist into my own palm.

"Who's out there?!" A voice barked from inside the room.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I bolted.

Chapter 6

I pressed my back flat against the wall just around the corner, holding my breath until my lungs burned. I heard Graham step out, scan the empty hallway, and walk back inside the office.

"Vance, seriously," Graham's voice echoed out. "How do these accounting execs have the balls? Embezzling company funds to buy designer bags and sugar babies?!"

"Once they catch her, they better squeeze every last dime out of her!"

A beat of silence passed.

"Vance? Are you even listening?"

I couldn't see Vance's face, but his voice drifted out, heavy with pure exhaustion. "My girl picked a fight with me. I still haven't managed to talk her down."

Graham clicked his tongue. "No wonder. I saw Sadie actually left the group chat