Oops I Banged the CEO novel Chapter 123

“Mr. Hamilton’s actually here in the staff cafeteria—quick, eat, eat!” Nydia gasped in awe, then immediately ducked her head and shoveled food into her mouth at record speed.

She wasn’t the only one. Yvonne, equally flustered, mirrored her urgency.

Last time the two of them had eaten in the cafeteria together, the meal had been a nerve-wracking ordeal, every bite tense with anxiety.

Grace, on the other hand, managed to keep her composure better than the other two. She didn’t keep sneaking glances or whispering excitedly like the rest of the staff. Instead, she simply focused on her own meal.

At their table, surrounded by the cafeteria’s usual buzz, the three of them seemed like an island of calm in a sea of giggles and gossip.

“Is this seat taken?” William’s polite voice broke through the moment.

All three women looked up from their plates, startled to find William standing there.

For a second, no one replied. Then, they all shook their heads.

Just then, the colleagues seated next to them got up to leave, and the cleaning staff quickly cleared the table.

Yvonne’s cheeks were puffed out like a startled hamster, but her eyes kept darting to Marico, silently pleading with him to choose a different seat.

But William’s next words dashed her hopes.

“Mr. Hamilton, looks like this table’s free. Why don’t we sit here?” William set Marico’s tray down and gestured invitingly.

Marico murmured his assent and took the seat with effortless grace.

That placed him just across the aisle from Yvonne, diagonally opposite her—a presence impossible to ignore.

Yvonne clutched her fork a little too tightly, nervous energy making her tense.

There were plenty of bright young professionals in the cafeteria, but the moment Marico sat down, his innate air of refinement made everyone else fade into the background.

The room’s chatter gradually died down.

Yvonne noticed he was settled in, not making a fuss, not drawing attention—she decided it was best not to act suspiciously, either. She kept her head down and quietly dug into her plate of braised short ribs. Now that she’d resolved to take better care of herself, she let herself enjoy the kinds of hearty dishes she’d once denied herself, piling her plate high—twice as much as before.

She wasn’t alone—she’d come with Cornelia, the same woman who’d comforted Yvonne at the birthday party last time.

Yvonne’s chewing slowed, and the nervous tension vanished from her posture. Her eyes lit up with interest.

Now, she was no longer eating short ribs—she was here for the drama.

Her sudden, eager curiosity didn’t go unnoticed by Marico.

His expression darkened slightly, the air around him growing even more intense.

“William, mind if I sit next to you?” Cornelia, as outgoing as ever, asked William.

He glanced at his boss for approval, but Cornelia had already plopped herself down.

“Xenia, you should sit next to Mr. Hamilton,” Cornelia said with a bright smile. “There was that little misunderstanding last time, right? Today’s the perfect chance to clear the air. After all, yesterday’s launch event was a huge success, and you’re going to be Mr. Hamilton’s star head designer from now on.”