Runaway Mommy: My Boss is the Father novel Chapter 1

Phoebe Vance never imagined that the new executive dropped into their department would be the biological father of her daughter.

Had she known she would run into Jaxson Hayes here, nothing could have dragged her into this company.

For the past few days, the department had been buzzing with rumors about a young, high-achieving leader stepping in.

Word was he was the heir to the corporate empire, born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Every single line on his resume was something ordinary corporate drones like them could only dream of, an untouchable existence they could never catch up to.

Standing in the conference room, the man had one hand tucked effortlessly into his pocket. His bespoke suit accentuated his noble, elegant frame, and his tall, striking posture commanded the room. His youthful edge had been honed into something razor-sharp, radiating an absolute, undeniable authority despite his age.

A remote rested in his long, elegant fingers as he spoke fluently about the data on the presentation slide.

His deep, magnetic voice echoed through the room.

No one dared to breathe too loudly, terrified of making a poor first impression on their new boss.

Phoebe wanted nothing more than to bury her head under the table.

Unfortunately, the polished floor was practically gleaming, offering no cracks for her to hide in and instead reflecting her flushed, mortified expression.

She had known the parent company was named Hayes, but she never connected it to Jaxson Hayes.

Phoebe gripped her pen tight, a cold sweat breaking out across her back.

A suffocating wave of panic washed over her.

Three years.

They hadn't seen each other in three years. It had been three years since their breakup.

"Who is in charge of this project?"

At the front of the room, that deep, coldly detached voice rang out. His gaze swept over the employees, freezing the room into absolute silence. No one spoke.

Jaxson frowned, his voice dropping a fraction lower.

"Have you forgotten your own projects?"

The colleague sitting next to Phoebe stood up on trembling legs, thoroughly terrified. "Mr. Hayes, I'm the one in charge."

She wasn't sure if it was just an illusion, but the moment Phoebe raised her head, her gaze seemed to collide directly with Jaxson's.

The air between them turned to ice, and for a split second, Phoebe forgot how to breathe.

Jaxson quickly looked away, his tone unyielding. "These details are severely lacking. How did you even have the nerve to submit something so unpolished?"

Phoebe let out a quiet breath.

He probably hadn't noticed her.

The Phoebe of today was drastically different from the Phoebe of three years ago.

She lowered her head, desperately trying to shrink her presence.

With her eyes fixed firmly on the floor, she suddenly realized a pair of impeccably polished leather dress shoes had stepped right in front of her.

It felt like being tossed into the freezing depths of the ocean. The phantom scent of salt water swallowed her breath, leaving her limbs numb with sudden shock.

Jaxson was standing right next to her.

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