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 this from Heather in one day, and her anxiety peaked.
Heather was definitely not an easy person to get along with. Whenever he was unhappy, he could think of a hundred ways to torment her. And she was just a small ant that he could crush underfoot at any moment.
The next day was the weekend. Prisley received a call from Heather early in the morning. He said only one sentence, "Come to the office for overtime." As brief as it could be.
She didn't ask why, immediately changing clothes and heading out. Heather was a workaholic, working day and night without regard for time. When he was in one of his moods, even Christmas Eve required results. Prisley had gotten used to it over the years.
When she arrived at the office, it was still far from regular working hours, but Heather was already there.
He had taken off his suit jacket, left his tie undone, and unbuttoned two buttons on his white shirt.
"Good morning, Heather. I got coffee and pastries from your favorite shop," Prisley said, putting the bag on the desk, her face bright with a fresh morning smile.
She never held grudges with him. With such a handsome boss and such a high salary, she was quite content.
"That is the business plan for Gadget Tech Intelligence and other investment projects. Take a look," Heather said, not acknowledging her greeting. His eyes indicated the thick stack of documents on the desk.
Prisley's heart sank. This was more work than could be done in ten days or even half a month.
"Mr. Rynn, I’ve already resigned. It's not appropriate for me to take on new projects. But I can assist with some of the work."
Heather's face darkened. Prisley's prank last night had already displeased him greatly.
"Do what you're told. You can't leave until the work is done," he said coldly.
Prisley knew this was Heather deliberately making things difficult for her.
There was no point in arguing. She picked up the files silently and walked towards her office.
The thick stack of files had just been placed on the desk when Heather strode in, radiating coldness.
"Mr. Rynn, any other instructions?"
"Prisley, haven't I treated you well enough? What more do you want?" He loomed over her, his tall figure blocking the light. The pressure made Prisley too afraid to lift her head.
He had thought that after a night's sleep, Prisley would forget the unpleasantness from before and say a few soft words to cheer him up, maybe even reconsider her resignation. But instead, she stood firm against him. His pride was bruised, igniting a fiery anger within him.
Prisley took a few nervous steps back, but Heather grabbed her arm and pulled her close.
"Five million and a house aren't enough for you? How much do you want? You're afraid of clashing with Filla. Fine, that won't happen anymore," Heather said, struggling to control his anger.
Prisley looked up and sneered, "So it's true, the money and the house are to buy my dignity. I can sign a romantic contract with a single man - you pay, I sell my body, that's fine. But I won't get involved in someone else's relationship."
"You chose her, so you don't need a fake like me anymore."
She recalled Heather's words "if you pay more than enough..." and felt utterly shameful.
"So what if I'm buying your dignity? Isn't the money and the house enough? Name your price," Heather said with contempt.
"Four years ago, you told me you needed money, a lot of money. Fine, I made a deal with you. We can do that now, anytime."
"The person I was back then... is different from who I am now. I can choose not to make a deal." Prisley's face contorted with pain. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. They were tears of bitter memories.
Her mother had died when she was eleven. All her mother's paintings had been sold. But the medical bills were still unpaid, and they had borrowed a lot of money from others.
Four years ago, she had seen her mother's work in an auction catalog, with a shocking price tag. She had just graduated from college then, burdened with loans. She was unable even to enter the auction house. All she had wanted then was to make a lot of money.
Years had passed, and thanks to her career achievements and Heather's generosity, she had money. But she had scoured galleries and auction houses without ever seeing her mother's paintings again. It was a permanent wound in her heart.
Heather sneered, "What's different? You're just more expensive now."
"Everything can be bought and sold; everything has a price."
Indeed, to him, she was just a plaything. How foolish her past feelings seemed.
"Heather, I'm not selling anymore. You can go make deals with someone else. My salary these past years is enough. I’ll return all the money you gave me, and I don't want any of the things you gave me. I’ll pay the penalty in installments!"
Prisley's most painful spot had been hit, and she no longer wanted to play nice. She shouted at Heather.
The office fell into a dead silence, leaving only their heavy breathing. Both of them were heaving with anger, staring at each other with red eyes.
Heather felt a sharp pain in his heart. He finally understood that Prisley had made up her mind to leave, and he could no longer hold her back.
He felt an indescribable mix of emotions—feeling scorned, humiliated, deceived, and betrayed. All these feelings ignited within him. He suddenly pushed Prisley down onto the desk.
"You're right, you're just Filla's substitute. I'm used to you, that's all. Don't overestimate yourself and think I can't live without you!" he said, not hiding his violence.
"I don't think that, Mr. Rynn. I'm just an employee, easily replaceable," Prisley replied coldly, her voice trembling slightly.
"Good that you understand. I can let you go, but before you leave, fulfill the contract one last time. Have sex with me!”
“Right here!”
“Right now!"
He said, starting to tear off her clothes.
"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
Prisley had been hit, scared, and cried her heart out all day. She was utterly exhausted and was drifting off to sleep within minutes. She vaguely felt someone beside her, and her silk robe being removed.Instinctively, she pulled the blanket tight around herself. "Heather, no... please..."A pair of warm lips gently kissed her cheek. "Don’t worry, I won’t touch you."She smelled a pleasant herbal scent and then felt a coolness on her skin, followed by warmth. A hand moved gently over her body, applying a soothing ointment.She was too tired to open her eyes. Using the last bit of her consciousness, she murmured, "Thanks, Heather..."Heather, now in a robe, was applying the medicine. "I get injured sometimes while playing sports too. This ointment is really good." His voice was deep and soothing, like a mountain stream, calming and cool.The room was lit with a soft light, making Heather’s chiseled features appear gentle and filled with warmth."Mark and I are just friends. We met toda
The next morning, Prisley woke up alone in bed. The pain from the collision seemed more pronounced today, and the scabbed wounds on her skin felt tight, causing sharp pain with any movement.She struggled to turn over, sensing a faint herbal scent on her body.She vaguely remembered Heather applying ointment to her yesterday. It made her somewhat happy. Is everything okay now? she wondered.So much had happened in the past few days; it was more mentally exhausting than rushing projects at work. Heather hadn't contacted her since, so Prisley decided to indulge in a day of rest.On Monday, shortly after arriving at the office, a delivery man brought flowers to the office area. It was a magnificent bouquet, obviously quite expensive."Who's Prisley Anderson?" the delivery man asked.Prisley had just walked out from the secretary's office and was intercepted halfway to sign for it. The secretaries flocked out to see what was happening, chattering away."It's from Dreamy Rose! Top-tier flor
The man in the floral shirt froze for a moment, then his lips curved into a smile as he quickly walked over and sat down beside Mr. Grant."Let me introduce my youngest son, Mark," Mr. Grant said with a smile.Prisley and Mark remained composed, though there was a hint of suppressed laughter in their eyes."Mark doesn't like getting involved in the company's management. He graduated with a master's degree last year and has been traveling ever since. He's only been at Voda Pharm for the past two months, and he skips work often," Mr. Grant, the doting father, rambled on about his beloved son."Mark must be exceptionally talented to afford such freedom," Prisley complimented.Mr. Grant, pleased by the flattery, looked fondly at his youngest son. "He's just playful and loves his freedom. He didn't even agree to work at the headquarters."Mark was genuinely surprised and delighted. That morning, he learned from his assistant that the president of Warner Group wanted to meet his father. Sinc
Prisley looked at the cityscape outside the window and felt something was wrong."Heather, you took a wrong turn. We should have turned left back there.""Heather, where are you taking me?"Heather didn't answer, just pressed the gas pedal harder.The car roared all the way, pulling into a mansion district, then stopped in a big yard.Prisley was surprised. Why was Heather bringing her to his house? In the four years they had known each other, she had only been here a few times, usually just waiting on the porch for the butler to bring out luggage before rushing to the airport.She had never actually been inside his home.What is he doing...?Hesitantly, she got out of the car. "Heather, why did you bring me here?"Heather grabbed her, pulling her into the house and pinning her against the door. His lips crashed down on hers, a storm of passion raining down on her lips."You should've been here," he said, breathless, finally letting go of the desire he had been holding back all the way
Early the next morning, Heather had to leave for a business trip. Prisley breathed a sigh of relief. She still wasn’t used to living with Heather in the apartment. It was nice to have some space for a while.That day, she was wandering around a boutique in the shopping mall when she suddenly saw a figure pass by outside the store.Prisley froze. Without thinking, she ran out.But the man had already walked far away.“It can’t be him, right? No, it can't be.” She felt uneasy but picked up her pace.The man was tall with long legs, walking quickly.Prisley’s heavy body made it hard for her to keep up.“Hey—sir, wait—” She shouted when she realized she was about to lose him.It seemed the man heard her. He stopped and turned around."Spencer! It really is you!" Prisley gasped, covering her mouth. Her legs felt weak, and she almost collapsed.Spencer quickly rushed over to steady her, so overwhelmed that he didn’t know what to say.“I finally found you!” They both spoke at the same time a
Heather and Prisley returned to the apartment, and a subtle sense of relief filled the air.Heather smiled as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders. He opened his arms and pulled Prisley into a hug, pressing her forehead gently against his warm chest. In that moment, it felt like he was holding something precious he had almost lost, and it made him cherish her even more.Prisley didn’t resist, didn’t move at all. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Heather opened the door, and a few strong movers stood there, behind them were several large items.Heather was puzzled, but Prisley greeted them warmly. “Oh, you’re here? Please, bring everything inside.”The lead mover asked, “Are you Miss Anderson?”“Yes, that’s me,” Prisley said cheerfully as she welcomed them in.“Could you sign for this?”Prisley quickly signed, her happiness clear from her expression. The large items were brought inside, and she led them to an empty room.Heather asked, “What’s all this? It’s huge.”Prisley smiled faintl
Mark and his father walked into the study.Old Grant said, "Son, all these years, I haven't interfered much, letting you choose your own path.""You could study if you wanted, or travel if you preferred. But now, I have to think about your future."Mark asked quietly, "What"s wrong, Dad?" He had a feeling something was off. His father"s usually kind face was now serious, like when he was in a business meeting."My heart is getting worse. Even though I look fine on the outside, I know my own condition.""It could stop beating at any moment. I don't know if it will be tomorrow, next month, or next year. So, I have to make arrangements now."Mark interrupted anxiously, "What did the doctors say? There are so many treatments available. This isn't a big issue, Dad. Don't be so pessimistic."Mark had originally come home thinking only about getting some benefits from his father, maybe some shares or money. But hearing his father speak like this, he suddenly felt like the sky was falling.Th
"Dad, what's up?" Mark said, holding his phone, sounding casual.His father's gentle voice came through the line, "You haven't been home for dinner in a while. Your mom wants to see you."Mark gave Heather and Prisley a wink, pretending to be relaxed. "I miss you too. I'll come home tonight. Nothing's more important than you."He hung up, and the smile on his face vanished.Heather signaled that he was leaving. Before heading out, he reminded Mark, "Don't forget what's right and what's not."Mark nodded, "Don't worry, I'll be a great actor."Prisley couldn’t help but smile as she watched his playful, slightly mischievous demeanor. "Mark, I'm glad you're back to your old self. That's the you I like."She shot a glance at Heather, hoping to catch a hint of jealousy on his face. But Heather remained indifferent, only showing a trace of sarcasm.They all went their separate ways.As Heather and Prisley reached the car, Heather suddenly stopped. He turned and said coldly, "What? Disappoint
Chapter 107: Becoming Friends“With your immature look and still being wet behind the ears, you dared to compete with me for Prisley?”Heather said, half-joking, half-contemptuously. His tone held a touch of mockery, and a smirk curved his lips. He lounged on the sofa, casually tapping the edge of his wine glass with his fingers, casting a dismissive glance at Mark.Prisley, sitting next to Heather, gave him a gentle elbow jab. She shot him a disapproving look and then gave him a subtle wink, signaling him to ease up on Mark.To their surprise, Mark was momentarily stunned but then smiled calmly. His eyes showed a trace of self-deprecation but mostly relief.“You’re right, Heather. Compared to you, I’m indeed quite immature,” Mark said with a wry smile.“I finally understand that I’m definitely not the type Prisley likes. So despite all her efforts, she still hasn’t fallen for me.”He spoke with self-deprecation. Though he was addressing his past hurt, he showed no real sadness. In
"Mark, what's wrong? Are you speeding? Tell me where you are right now!"Prisley’s face had gone pale with worry. She turned to Heather, desperate for help.After listening for a couple of seconds, Heather immediately grasped the situation with Mark. He grabbed the phone from Prisley and said, "Mark, whatever's going on, you need to stay calm. Prisley is really worried about you. You don't want to cause an accident and make her even more upset, do you?"The roar of a car engine came through the phone. Mark answered with a chocked voice, "Okay, I’ll listen to you."Not long after, the three of them were sitting in a restaurant.The restaurant’s lighting was soft and warm, but the atmosphere between them was exceptionally heavy.Mark sat in the corner of the table, his gaze distant.He looked utterly defeated, with bruises from a fight on his face, completely lacking his usual charm and confidence. Prisley had seen Mark anxious and smug before, but never this defeated and at a loss.Pri
After saying goodbye to Prisley at the hospital, Mark drove home with a heavy heart. He couldn't remember how he drove—the dim streetlights and shadows on the road were all that filled his mind. It felt like the whole world had lost its color.Only when he instinctively hit the brakes did he realize he was already parked in his driveway.Inside his mansion, the silence made the space feel even more empty and cold. With one person missing, the house felt like a hollow shell, and even the air seemed thin.Mark walked unsteadily into the bedroom that was once filled with laughter and warmth. Prisley's presence was everywhere. Her book was still open on the nightstand, a few of her clothes casually draped over the chair. On the wall hung a portrait she had painted of him, so detailed, so lifelike. But the bed across from it was now empty.Mark approached the bed, hesitated for a moment, and then collapsed onto it, exhausted. The faint scent of her perfume still lingered on the sheets. He
The kitchen was filled with the rich smell of beef, the oil sizzling quietly on the hot pan. The shelves had new spices lined up, neatly organized. Heather was focused, carefully watching the steak as it cooked.Over his casual clothes, he wore a white apron.His commanding presence wasn't diminished at all by the casual outfit. Instead, it added a touch of warmth and kindness. It was a side of him Prisley had never seen before, something she couldn't even imagine.Prisley's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Heather like he was from another planet. "Heather? Are you... cooking steak?"Heather turned around, a soft smile playing on his lips.Heather said to the man on the video call, "Alright, that's it for today," and then ended the call."Need any help?" Prisley asked, stepping closer to the counter.Heather waved a long finger to indicate he didn't, then turned back to what he was doing.Prisley could only stand there waiting.Heather finally switched off the stove, plated th
“Awake?” Heather asked, his voice still carrying a hint of sleepiness.Prisley nodded woodenly, responding with a faint sound.She wasn’t used to such morning—too intimate, too tender. Heather had rarely stayed over at her place before, let alone waking up with her in his arms until dawn.On the rare occasions he did stay over, he would leave the apartment early, as if staying even a moment longer made him uncomfortable.It made sense. Back then, he was just infatuated with her body.Prisley tried to get up, but as she moved, Heather’s arm tightened around her.“It’s still early. Stay a little longer. It’s the weekend,” he said with a warm smile in his voice.Prisley didn’t really want to wake up that early. She just didn’t want to be so close to Heather. The intimacy made her uneasy. If there were an “boundary” in the bed, she might have been able to sleep a bit longer.She gave an awkward smile, trying to sound casual. “It’s just… I want to move around a bit. The weather is so nice