Prisley’s breath caught as she looked at the check. Her eyes flashed with surprise.
Heather glanced at the resignation letter on the desk, his gaze even colder. He picked up the letter and slowly tore it in pieces. He stared at Prisley, "Her return has nothing to do with you. The contract isn’t up yet."
His light blue eyes were like icy lake water, sending a shiver down Prisley’s spine. She remained silent for a moment, trying to steady her breathing.
"Mr. Rynn, the meeting with David is starting in ten minutes. You should go now." She tried to keep her voice steady, but it still trembled.
Heather stood up, walked around the desk, and lifted her chin with his fingers. "How dare you think of leaving me?" His possessiveness radiated from him. Then he straightened his tie and walked out. "Go to the meeting," he said over his shoulder.
In the conference room, the company’s senior executives were seated. Denis, Heather’s brother as well as the vice president, watched Heather stroll in leisurely. "Heather, you’re late."
Heather raised an eyebrow, ignoring him, and took his seat in the center. Prisley, standing behind him, nodded slightly at Denis and pointed to her watch. "Mr. Rynn, the meeting starts in 30 seconds." She would never let the her boss be late, although a slight delay wouldn't have mattered much. She could arrange everything precise and orderly.
David didn't gain any advantage and was annoyed. He always clashed with Heather, always trying to undermine him.
Today's meeting was about the acquisition of Macron Tech. Denis wanted a project he could lead from start to finish, proving his capabilities instead of being overshadowed and criticized by Heather.
Denis passionately presented the details of Macron Tech. Heather flipped through the documents, playing with his pen, making no effort to hide his disdain.
"Sorry, Denis, this company is trash."
Denis's face turned red. "The financial data and market outlook are excellent. I’m confident I can triple their market share in a year. Are you questioning my ability?"
"I'm not questioning it, but I only trust my team."
Denis pointed at Prisley. "Her? That slut only knows how to spread her legs for you!"
There were mocking laughs. Prisley felt hostile stares from around the room. She was deeply uncomfortable but kept her professional demeanor.
She pulled up some files on her computer and projected them onto the screen. "Everyone, these are our recently compiled data, which differ significantly from what you have. I’ll need about ten minutes of your time."
Heather relaxed in his chair, propping his chin on his hand, watching her speak confidently. His earlier irritation vanished. Prisley always handled these details perfectly. He never had to worry about her making mistakes.
Although Prisley and Heather kept their relationship private at work, maintaining a professional distance, there were always rumors. They were an attractive, well-matched pair, sparking speculation.
"…Therefore, we believe Macron Tech has presented overly optimistic projections. That’s all. Thank you for your time." Prisley glanced at the clock - just under ten minutes.
She met Heather's gaze, and he gave her a rare smile.
Denis, embarrassed and angry, snapped, "Heather, you need to be responsible for the company!" Then he stormed out.
"Thanks for the reminder, dear brother," Heather replied lazily, getting up to leave as well.
In the CEO's office, Prisley handed Heather the meeting summary she had prepared.
Heather grabbed her retreating hand, playing with it absentmindedly. "For those stupid meetings, you handle them from now on. I don’t want to waste my time."
"But Denis is your brother. You should at least give him some respect," Prisley said, trying to pull her hand back, but he gripped it tighter. "He’s not cut out for this. I won’t play his games anymore."
Heather brought Prisley’s hand to his lips and kissed it. "That report was good. Better than I expected."
"Thank you, Mr. Rynn." Prisley wasn’t sure if he had forgiven or forgotten her earlier transgression.
"Not happy?" Heather asked. "Oh, I forgot this." He took out a property deed from the drawer. "Along with the check, it’s all yours."
Prisley pushed the jewelry box on the desk towards him instead of taking the deed.
"Mr. Rynn, I don’t need these. I’m giving them back. Thank you for your generosity over the years."
"I’ll only keep one ring as a memento." She raised her hand to show him.
Heather looked up at her. She felt the chill in his gaze. Her voice trembled. "I’ll inform HR to find a suitable replacement. I won’t leave until completing the handover."
She finally dared to meet his eyes.
Heather didn’t speak. He stood up and walked over to Prisley. His tall frame cast a shadow over her. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.
Heather lifted his hand, gripping her cheek, slowly increasing the pressure.
Prisley winced in pain.
"Prisley, I’ll say it again. Don’t test my patience!"
"Do you remember the contract terms? The penalties for breach?" His voice was quiet but icy.
Tears filled Prisley’s eyes. She dared not let them fall, breathing heavily, her chest heaving.
She clearly remembered every clause in the contract. If she unilaterally terminated it, she would have to pay a hefty compensation f*e. She knew it was unfair, but how could she possibly afford to challenge Heather in court over such clauses?
Just as she feared Heather might crush her chin, he suddenly let go. His long finger brushed aside her bangs, tracing her forehead, eyes, earlobe and chin, then down to her neck. His fingers moved slowly. It was like he was admiring a piece of art. Prisley felt an inexplicable dread.
"Don’t be afraid. As long as you behave well, nothing will change." His smile was enigmatic.
"But if you ever think of running away..." He kissed her hard.
Prisley pushed against his shoulders, gasping for breath and in pain.
"I can’t promise what I’ll do."
Prisley’s lips hurt, and she tasted blood. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, staring at Heather in terror.
"Now, get out!" His said slowly in a low voice. Prisley felt like an ice blade piercing her heart, making her whole body tense.
Prisley felt a chill run down her spine as she walked out. Her back stiffened.As she closed the door behind her, the sound of breaking glass echoed from the office and made her heart skip a beat. She frowned, knowing that Heather had exploded in anger.Prisley walked over to the Secretariat and spoke to Lisa, a secretary. "Lisa, let everyone know not to enter the president's office for the next twenty minutes."Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. "Is he mad again?"Prisley nodded. "Yes. Tell the janitorial staff to be ready." With that, she went back to her office.Heather's temper was unpredictable. Sometimes, he would fly into a rage for no apparent reason. Prisley was the only one who could calm him down.No matter how angry Heather got, a few gentle words from Prisley would restore his peace. This earned Prisley the nickname "Firefighter" among her colleagues.But this time, she was the cause of the fire.Back at her desk, Prisley hid her face behind a folder and let the tears flow.
"Prisley, you don't have to go tonight." Heather said. His tone was deep with melancholy."Why not? You already agreed with Steve."Heather drew her closer and tightened his embrace. "I just... don't want you to go." His gaze softened, showing a hint of vulnerability that was quite different from his previous icy cold.Caught off guard by this rare display of emotion from Heather, Prisley felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Despite being together for four years, she had rarely seen this side of him.She leaned against him, feeling Heather's firm chest. Just as she was about to comfort him, Heather suddenly released her. His eyes turned cold again."You can go now." He walked out of the office, leaving Prisley behind.Heather felt an inexplicable anger. Just because Filla was back, Prisley wanted to leave him. And she seemed determined to do it, showing no signs of changing her mind.Heather was in a bad mood. He wanted Prisley to stay with him tonight. Even if they just stayed in the
"What's wrong? Are you crying?" Heather asked.He turned on the light and saw Prisley's sad face."What happened? Did Steve do something to you?" Heather's voice grew louder."No, he was nice to me. It's just... I met her at the party." Prisley was never one to show her vulnerability in public.It was only after saying goodbye to Steve that she dropped her facade. She walked back slowly, and tears streamed down her face.Heather immediately called Steve."Got it, thanks, Steve." He got the whole story from Steve."I should just leave, otherwise this awkwardness will keep happening," Prisley said, sniffling. Having Heather by her side made her feel a bit better.Heather gently stroked her waist-length hair. "You don't need to care about her at all.""How can I not care? I'm just a fake version of her in your eyes." Prisley lay on the sofa, feeling depressed.Heather's gaze darkened. He reached for a box on the coffee table. "Try this on. Let me see how beautiful it looks."He took out a
Heather froze. His body temperature dropped in an instant. The fire in his eyes extinguished, turning cold as a glacier in mere seconds.Prisley shivered involuntarily.He was always high and mighty, surrounded by admirers, never having been teased with like this.Prisley had been compliant for the past four years, indulging his every whim, no matter how outrageous or demanding. And now she dared to play him?His face darkened like a storm cloud. He looked at Prisley, her once docile and pure face now like an angry kitten showing its claws and fangs."Very well, fulfill the contract. Perfect!" he said through gritted teeth.Heather buttoned up his shirt. Coldly and heavily pressed a kiss onto Prisley's lips before turning to leave.The room's amorous atmosphere vanished instantly. Prisley still felt a chill down her spine. She had actually angered him...She pressed the back of her hand to her lips, which were a bit sore, tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.Two kisses like
"No - !" Prisley gasped, Heather seemed so unfamiliar, so out of control, so far from the wise and calm man she knew.She was pinned against the desk. And the door was unlocked. It was the weekend, but what if someone came in? Prisley couldn't bear to think any more."Stop it, Heather, please," she begged tearfully, but Heather was still unbuttoning her.Desperation and humiliation washed over Prisley. She closed her eyes tightly, gathered every ounce of energy she could, and pushed Heather away when he least expected it.With a loud smack, a slap landed on his face. Heather froze. The chill emanated from him accumulating.Prisley slipped out from under him and rushed toward the door.She ran out into the hallway, disoriented and frantic. Her clothes disheveled, and her hair wild.She was terrified. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.Suddenly, someone rounded the corner and almost collided with Prisley."Prisley? Are you still working today? I came to pick up something at the
Prisley had always been careful about contraception. After all, it was a clause in her contract.She remembered about five weeks ago, Heather had been unusually passionate one day. Rarely, he came to her apartment and they made love from day to night. They made love from day to night and ran out of condoms. The last half of the passionate day was unprotected and wild.The next morning, they were both busy with a business trip, and Prisley forgot to take the morning-after pill.Retracing the timeline, that would have been about the time Filla announced her return. Prisley didn't know whether to feel happy or sad. She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at it in frustration."Damn, how could I have missed that day?"She was only 26, and her career was just taking off. Having a baby now didn't seem like a good idea. And she wasn't sure if Heather wanted children. His cold and distant nature made it difficult to imagine his reaction to hearing this news. And his recent erratic behavi
To show her respect, Prisley chose a fitted long dress. After carefully dressing up, she put on high heels and waited for Mark to pick her up.Mark spotted Prisley standing by the road from a distance. In her light green dress, with her wavy hair falling to her waist, she looked as elegant and fresh as a woodland fairy. Her hair was styled simply, adding a touch of refinement compared to the casual look she had in the morning.Mark was stunned, forgetting to drive when the light turned green, until the car behind him honked.When a Ferrari roared up next to Prisley, and the driver took off his sunglasses, she realized it was her ride. Mark, dressed in a loose floral shirt, looked stylish and relaxed, with an unrestrained air. He smiled broadly as he opened the car door for her.Another car change? Wasn’t it a Bentley this morning? She shook her head, marveling at her entanglement with a playboy.As Prisley settled into the passenger seat, Mark couldn’t help but stare at her for a few s
As the Ferrari pulled to the side of the road, Prinsley leaned motionless against the window, tears in her eyes, staring blankly ahead.When Mark thought about the way that couple had treated the woman he cared about, a wave of heartache coursed through his veins. He wished he could turn around and teach them a good lesson.It's just the Warner Group? What's so great about it?!With a firm grip, Mark slammed the steering wheel.The loud thud snapped Prisley out of her daze. "Ah, are we home? Thanks for driving me back," she said, hastily wiping away her tears and unbuckling her seat belt.Mark escorted her to the entrance of the building. He was tenderhearted at the sight of her fragile demeanor. He gently guided Prisley upright."Prisley, I don't need to know what happened between you and this man, but I won't let anyone manipulate you. If you're in trouble, tell me. I'll fix it."Looking up into his caring and concerned eyes, Prisley felt a wave of gratitude. It was so good to be car