The CEO Above My Desk Chapter 207

***Violet***

The second we stepped off the plane, I realized Hawaii did not look anything like I imagined it would.

At all.

For some reason, I expected it to feel overly touristy.

Artificial maybe.

Like a giant beach-themed movie set.

Instead… The second we walked through the open airport terminal in Honolulu, warm air wrapped around me like sunlight itself.

Not dry heat either. Soft heat. Humid enough that it immediately curled little strands of my hair near my face while the smell of saltwater and flowers drifted through the open-air sections of the airport.

Open-air.

That part alone shocked me.

The airport we landed at barely even felt like an airport compared to Seattle.

There weren’t harsh fluorescent lights everywhere.

No cold gray walls.

No overwhelming tension.

Instead there were massive tropical plants lining the walkways, polished stone floors, soft breezes moving through the open hallways, and actual sunlight pouring in from everywhere.

Even the sounds felt different.

Water fountains.

Birds outside somewhere.

People laughing.

Nobody looked angry. Nobody even looked rushed.

I slowed slightly beside Rowan while staring around in disbelief. “This doesn’t even feel real.”

His hand immediately settled against my lower back while guiding me carefully through the terminal. “First time in Hawaii usually feels like that.”

Meanwhile Camille had fully stopped walking near one of the giant open windows overlooking the palm trees outside.

“Oh my God,” she whispered dramatically. “The air smells expensive.”

Theo stared at her. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know but it’s true.”

It kind of was.

Everything here felt softer somehow. Warmer Cleaner Slower.

Even the people. The airport staff smiled constantly and not in that fake customer service way either.

Like genuinely. One older woman working near the terminal entrance saw Camille struggling dramatically with her blanket and immediately smiled warmly at her.

“You girls staying long?”

Camille lit up instantly. “We’re on emotional support vacation.”

The woman laughed immediately like that somehow made perfect sense.

I blinked slowly. Yeah. This was definitely not Seattle.

Rowan, of course, immediately stole my carry-on bag before I could even properly grab it myself.

“I can carry my own bag.”

“No.”

“Rowan.”

“You’re pregnant.”

“That doesn’t make me weak.”

“No,” he agreed calmly while carrying both my bag and his own effortlessly. “It makes you someone I’m taking care of.”

That answer should not have affected me emotionally as much as it did.

Still though, I rolled my eyes dramatically.

“You’re being overprotective already.”

“Yes.”

No hesitation whatsoever.

Across from us, Theo had taken over Camille’s luggage too while Camille happily carried absolutely nothing except a giant iced coffee she absolutely was not supposed to have anymore.

“Is that caffeine?” Theo asked suspiciously.

Camille immediately hid the cup slightly behind her back. “No.”

“That is literally coffee.”

“It’s emotional support coffee.”

“That’s not medically recognized.”

Meanwhile Rowan suddenly stopped near a small airport shop and immediately bought both Camille and I giant bottles of water before either of us could argue.

“Drink.”

I stared at him. “You sound like we’re dehydrated houseplants.”

“You threw up on the plane.”

Camille accepted her water dramatically while sighing. “I love Hawaii already.”

Theo looked around the airport slowly. “…Why is everyone so nice?”

That honestly caught me off guard too.

Even security felt calmer somehow.

One airport worker passing by noticed Devin moving carefully because of his ribs and immediately asked if he needed assistance getting transportation.

Not irritated.

Not rushed.

Just genuinely kind.

Devin looked deeply confused by the interaction afterward. “I don’t trust this.”

I laughed softly. “I think they’re just nice.”

“That feels suspicious.”

As we continued through the terminal, I noticed more little things too.

Fresh flower arrangements everywhere.

Open balconies overlooking the city.

Palm trees swaying outside the windows.

And beyond the airport itself…

I could actually see mountains in the distance.

Huge green mountains.

Not hills.

Mountains.

Everything looked alive here.

Bright blue skies.

Pink flowers.

Deep green trees.

It honestly looked fake. Like someone edited reality to make it prettier.

Then suddenly Camille grabbed my arm hard enough to startle me. “Violet.”

“What?”

She pointed dramatically out one of the giant terminal windows. “The ocean.”

Oh.

*Oh wow.*

I physically stopped walking. Because there it was.

Massive.

Bright blue.

Stretching endlessly beneath the sunlight.

Actual ocean.

Not gray Washington water.

This water looked almost unreal. Turquoise near the shoreline. Deep blue farther out. Sunlight glittering across the surface.

For a second, I forgot everything else entirely.

Rowan noticed immediately when I went quiet beside him.

His expression softened while watching me stare out at the water. “You okay?”

I looked up at him slowly. And for the first time in weeks… I smiled without forcing it.

“Yeah,” I whispered softly.

“Our driver is waiting for us.”

I blinked once, “…Driver?”

“Yes.”

Of course there was a driver.

Because apparently normal transportation no longer existed in Rowan Ashcroft’s world.

He guided us farther toward the private pickup area outside the airport and immediately I spotted him.

Very tall.

Very broad.

Very intimidating.

The man stood near the curb wearing a fitted black suit with sunglasses despite it being evening now while holding a sleek black sign that simply read:

ASHCROFT

Camille immediately grabbed my arm dramatically. “Oh my God.”

“I know.”

“This feels illegal.”

A little bit.

The man spotted us immediately before stepping forward with a polite professional smile. “Mr. Ashcroft.” He nodded respectfully toward Rowan and Theo first before looking toward the rest of us. “Welcome to Honolulu.”

His voice was somehow deeper than expected. Terrifying honestly.

Before either Rowan or Theo could protest, the driver smoothly took all the luggage directly from them.

Meanwhile I was still distracted by what sat parked behind him. Because no. Absolutely not.

“ROWAN.”

His eyes immediately flicked toward me. “What?”

“That is a limo.”

“Yes.”

“A REAL limo.”

“Yes, Violet.”

Camille physically squealed beside me. Actually squealed. “Oh my God we’re limo people now.”

Theo rubbed one hand slowly down his face. “We were always technically limo people.”

“Well I’VE never been limo people.”

The sleek black limousine waiting beside the curb looked absurdly expensive.

Long.

Shiny.

Completely ridiculous.

I loved it immediately.

Camille grabbed my hand and practically dragged me toward it before the driver even opened the door fully.

The second we climbed inside we both lost our minds.

“No WAY.”

“Oh my God look at this!”

The interior was massive.

Soft cream leather seats wrapped around the inside with glowing ambient lighting along the floorboards and little crystal glasses tucked neatly beside a built-in minibar.

There were actual television screens.

Mood lighting.

A freaking privacy divider.

I immediately slid across the leather seat excitedly while Camille bounced beside me like an overexcited toddler. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Camille pointed dramatically toward the ceiling. “THE LIGHTS CHANGE COLORS.”

Theo climbed in behind us looking exhausted already. “You two are impossible.”