CEO Attends a College Reunion, and Can’t Believe He’d Fall For the Woman He Once Knew
A Chance Encounter at Hartwell University
Isaiah Allen hadn’t stepped foot on the campus of Hartwell University in twelve years. The last thing he expected when he did was to nearly choke on his champagne at the sight of Olivia Foster.
Not because he didn’t remember her; she’d been one of the few people he could never forget. She looked exactly the same and completely different at the same time.
Her wild curls were shorter now, more tamed. But her eyes, those deep hazel eyes that once called him out on every bit of cocky nonsense he ever spewed, still locked onto his.
It was like she could read every hidden thought in his head. He quickly set down the glass on the tray of a passing server.
“Isaiah,” her voice was soft, surprised.
“Isaiah Allen.”
He gave a short laugh. “You’re the last person I thought I’d see tonight.”
She smiled, and it was like being punched in the chest.
“Likewise. CEO of Allen Dynamics. I didn’t think you’d show up for something as sentimental as a college reunion.”
“I didn’t come for the sentiment,” he said, a teasing edge in his voice.
“I came for the free booze and to see who got bald.”
She laughed. “Well, you’ve still got all your hair and a custom-tailored suit. That’s Tom Ford, isn’t it?”
He raised a brow. “I’m impressed.”
“You were always the flashy type.”
“And you were always the one who said I was compensating.”
She shrugged. “Was I wrong?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer. “You look good, Olivia.”
She tucked a curl behind her ear. “You too. But you already knew that.”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
They stood in silence for a moment, surrounded by the buzz of their former classmates dancing, drinking, and pretending college had been more fun than it really was.
“You here with someone?” he asked casually.
She shook her head. “No, just me.”
He nodded and sipped from a new glass of champagne. “You want to get out of here?”
“What? And miss the riveting slideshow of our youth?”
He leaned down just slightly, lowering his voice. “I’d rather talk to you than watch a bunch of pixelated pictures from the dorms.”
Her smile faltered just a little. “Okay.”
They left the ballroom and ended up walking along the quad. It was the same path they used to take when they were just two broke students with giant dreams and no clue how hard life would hit them.
“So,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “What have you been up to?”
“I teach art at a high school in Brooklyn.”
“You’re still painting?”
She nodded. “Still painting, still broke, still happy.”
He stopped walking. “You’re happy most days?”
He looked at her, then really looked at her, and something tugged in his chest. She wasn’t wearing designer clothes, her shoes were scuffed, and her jacket was from a department store.
But she glowed.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” he said quietly.
“I thought about you,” she admitted.
“After you graduated a year early and disappeared into your startup world.”
“I didn’t mean to disappear.”
“You didn’t even say goodbye.”
He swallowed hard. “I was young, dumb. I thought if I focused on building something, I’d come back and, I don’t know, be someone worth remembering.”
She scoffed. “Isaiah, you were always someone worth remembering. You just didn’t see it.”
He stared at her like she just said something dangerous.
“I’m not that guy anymore,” he said.
“Good,” she said simply. “Because I always knew you could be more.”
They kept walking. He told her about the company, the sleepless nights, and the first big deal that changed everything. She told him about her students, the mural she was working on, and the gallery that kept rejecting her work.
By the time they circled back to the parking lot, it was nearly midnight.
“I should go,” she said, pulling her coat tighter.
“Let me drive you.”
“I took the train.”
“Let me take you home.”
She hesitated.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Liv,” he said, using the nickname he hadn’t spoken in over a decade. “Not once since I saw you tonight.”
“You don’t even know who I am anymore.”
“Then let me find out.”
She looked up at him, eyes searching his face. “Do you always get what you want now?”
“No,” he said honestly. “But I’m willing to fight for it.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Then let’s start with dinner.”
He nodded once. “Tomorrow night.”
“I’ll pick you up. Don’t you need my address?”
“I already remember it.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”
He leaned in slightly. “But you’re not saying no.”
“No,” she whispered. “I’m not.”
He opened the door to his black Bentley and held it for her. She paused, raising a brow. “You drive a Bentley now?”
He shrugged. “It was either this or the private jet.”
She laughed again, stepping into the car. “Of course it was.”
As he drove her home with the city lights reflecting off the windshield, Isaiah realized he didn’t want the night to end.
For the first time since he became the CEO who could buy anything, he wanted something money couldn’t guarantee.
He wanted Olivia Foster to look at him the way she used to. He wanted her to fall for him again, and this time, he wasn’t going to disappear.
