Pierre seemed to value Calla. He even personally led her to the office prepared for her.The finance manager's private office was quite nice. Although not very large, it offered a view of a corner of Riverford. Two small green plants also sat atop the desk, giving the room a fresh and elegant touch.In the following days, Calla worked extra hard, and everything went smoothly—except for one assistant who always failed to follow her instructions, which was a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect situation.Including her, the finance department had only three people—Natasha Small, who joined the company along with Calla, and Faith Solomon, the longtime employee who was now being uncooperative.Over time, Calla learned that Faith Solomon had always coveted the finance manager position. When the company hired someone new instead of promoting her, the resentful Faith tried to undermine Calla at every given chance.Calla, having experienced office politics, dealt with Faith's challenges tac
A quarter of an hour later, the dining table was filled with dishes prepared by Carol. Carol had even opened a bottle of red wine, which was a rare thing for her to do."Can we start eating now?" Calla, who hadn’t tasted her mother’s cooking in a long time, was eager to dig in.Carol didn’t answer but looked thoughtfully at the wall clock.Calla turned to Zoey in confusion. Zoey shrugged in response. "Mom just called Rudy to invite him for lunch."Hearing this, Calla frowned but didn’t react as strongly as she would have in the past. She and her mother had just reconciled, so she didn’t want to start a conflict over a scumbag like Rudy."I'm going to make a call," Carol announced, taking her phone and stepping away from the table."Does he still come by often?" Calla asked Zoey.Zoey pursed her lips and replied, "He’s come over twice since you moved out. He's been asking Mom if you and your ex-husband might get back together every time. He barely stays long enough to warm a
Half a year passed by. It was already midsummer again in the blink of an eye.After more than half a year of hard work, Calla passed her probation period and gained Pierre's high regard.She was thriving at Brightway Law Firm.With her considerable salary, Calla rented a studio apartment near the company. It saved her a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted on commuting. As she hadn't given up on her original dream, she spent all her spare time studying for the Certified Public Accountant exam.Although the company and her new place were close to Atlas Tower, she hadn't had any unwanted encounters. Twice, she had seen that familiar black Bentley speeding by, and each time, she still felt her heart race. Occasionally, when passing by, she would look up at the once-familiar Atlas Tower, but she would quickly move on after a glance.She knew she should forget all those past events, but for now, she could only bury them deep in her heart. Completely forgetting them would take
After speaking, Calla started to leave the office.However, Mercer took two steps forward, and stood in front of her.His approach made her heart skip a beat.Calla instinctively took a step back. Perhaps she was too flustered, but her high heels became unsteady. As she lost her balance, she let out a low cry.In that critical moment, a strong arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a broad embrace."Ah!" Unable to stand on her feet, Calla instinctively grabbed the collar of his shirt.In her panic, she became even more flustered. She could smell his unique scent. The warmth of his large hand on her waist, too, felt unusual. She was instantly enveloped by his presence, and for a moment, she felt a little dizzy.It was a particularly hot summer. Although the air conditioning in the room was turned on, she still started sweating with the slightest movement.Calla was wearing a thin formal skirt suit made of silk and linen, and Mercer was only wearing a thin
His kiss felt punishing, leaving Calla suffocated and in pain. Although she was angry, she couldn't do anything. Eventually, deprived of oxygen, she could only let him kiss her.That was until a conversation could be heard outside."Mr. Garland, you’re back," Shania greeted Pierre."Ms. Jorg, is Mr. Mercer inside?" "Yes, Ms. Sherman is currently with him," Shania replied.The voices outside frightened Calla. She didn’t want anyone to see her having any kind of relationship with Mercer, especially since this was her workplace.However, Mercer did not immediately let go of her. Instead, he mischievously continued the kiss for a few more seconds before releasing her wrists.As soon as her wrists were freed, Calla immediately shoved at his chest, pushing him back more than a foot away.The office door was pushed open the next moment.Calla turned to see Pierre walking in with a briefcase.Seeing Calla and Mercer standing in front of the desk, Pierre couldn't help but pause. "Y
Shania stood up and whispered in Calla's ear, "Mr. Mercer is handsome, but he's so cold. Just being near him gives me the chills. I'm really scared whenever I see him!"Hearing this, Calla breathed a sigh of relief and shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. "I'm scared of Mr. Mercer too, but it's not like I can ignore Mr. Garland's instructions.""Exactly, Mr. Mercer is now a very important client of ours. We can't afford to offend such a valuable customer," Shania echoed."Client?" Calla asked, frowning.Seeing Calla's puzzled look, Shania laughed and explained, "You don't know? We've secured the legal representation deal for Atlas Enterprises and are now negotiating the details. If everything goes smoothly, we'll be signing the contract soon."Calla was crying on the inside when she heard that. What kind of coincidence was this? Brightway and Atlas becoming partners meant that Mercer would drop by frequently. She needed to avoid him as much as possible."Oh, I see." Calla nodde
"Are you really interested in her? She's married and has a child, so forget about it." Pierre waved his hand dismissively.Mercer paused for a moment before scoffing. "My taste isn't so bad that I would be interested in a married woman with a child!" He then stormed out, ignoring Pierre."He's actually upset." Pierre chuckled and shook his head as he watched Mercer walk away.After descending the stairs with a grim expression, he got into his car and ordered, "Let's go."Simon, who was driving, appeared puzzled. Everything seemed fine just moments ago."Where to, Mr. Garland?" "Anywhere's fine," Mercer casually replied.The word "anywhere" put Simon in a difficult position, but he didn't dare ask further questions. He decided to drive onto the road first, and then figure out where to go later.Mercer's dark eyes gazed out the window at the rapidly changing scenery. He thought to himself, "She sure is something. It's only been a little over six months since I last saw her, but
"I'm strong, so I'll be fine," Pierre replied, confident in his physical health.Calla could only smile at those words. Just then, her phone began ringing.Seeing it was a call from Alicia, she quickly answered.Alicia's voice immediately came through. "When are you coming back? I'm at your door. I bought some groceries, so we're having stew tonight." "Okay, I'll be there in two minutes," Calla replied before hanging up.Alicia was Calla's best friend in this city. She often bought groceries and came over to cook, which Calla deeply appreciated."Here we are, Mr. Garland. See you tomorrow!" Calla waved at Pierre and quickly got out of the car, using her bag to cover her head as she darted away.Watching Calla run through the wind and rain, Pierre admired her for a couple of seconds before hitting the gas pedal again, continuing to drive through the storm.Pierre's impression of Calla was that she was a practical woman who worked diligently, had a straightforward personality, a