Mercer stood very close to Calla, bending his head to remove the brooch. His scent enveloped her, making it hard for her to breathe. With so many eyes on them, she felt incredibly nervous.Luckily, the emcee had moved on to the next part of the party—dancing. The crystal chandeliers in the ballroom dimmed, and a melodious waltz began to play. The guests took their partners and started to dance.Mercer kept working on her dress. His fingers occasionally brushed against her skin, which drove Calla crazy. Her heart was in turmoil because of him!"Are you done yet?" Calla asked, irritated.Mercer didn't answer, still focused on the brooch."Why don't you get some scissors?" she suggested impatiently.He remained silent, making Calla so anxious she started to tap her feet. "Did you hear me?"By this time, Sophie had eagerly approached, followed by a concerned Pierre."Mercer, let me help you!" Sophie was already fuming, seeing Mercer so close to Calla.As Sophie approached, Calla
After Mercer and Sophie left early, the party started to wind down.As they were saying their farewells, Melinda took Calla's hand. "Ms. Sherman, thank you for your help today.""Mrs. Lowry Senior, it was my pleasure," Calla replied with a smile.Melinda lacked the obnoxious demeanor of a wealthy lady from high society. Instead, she was very kind and respectable."You remind me of myself when I was young. I hope we'll meet again." Melinda's eyes showed a hint of admiration."I'm sure we will." Calla nodded. Even though she said that, Calla knew their social statuses were worlds apart. They would likely never meet again. Regardless of the thoughts she harbored, Pierre drove Calla home in his Land Rover."You don't have to accompany me. I can go in on my own." Calla got out of the car, declining Pierre's offer to walk her to her door.But Pierre insisted, getting out of the car and walking her to the entrance of her complex. He smiled and said, "This old neighborhood isn't very
"Alright." Calla nodded, then turned to walk into the building.The old stairwell was dark, with only one dim light hanging overhead. Calla still felt a bit scared every time she returned, especially when coming home late at night.She finally reached the third floor, quickly pulled out her keys, and opened the door. She reached inside to turn on the lights, and the room was instantly illuminated.As Calla was about to close the door, she suddenly saw a dark figure standing outside. She was startled and her legs went weak.It was a man's shadow—and a tall one at that. The first two words that flashed through Calla's mind were "robbery" and "assault".The next moment, she tried to close the door shut—but it was too late. The dark figure stepped forward, grabbed the door, and had already put one foot in.At this point, Calla saw the man's face. It was Mercer.Seeing him, Calla angrily tried to slam the door shut. Despite using all her strength, she couldn't push him away.Soon, M
"Let go!" Calla used all her strength but couldn't break free. Mercer's large hand only tightened its grip, trapping her waist against his body. Her body was pressed against his, unable to move."Mercer, what do you want?" After struggling for a bit, Calla was out of breath, and her arms were numb."To kiss you!" Those were the first words he uttered since entering the room. He then lowered his head to seal Calla's lips with his. She swallowed her protests and discontent.His kiss came forcefully. Calla couldn't fend him off, but was also powerless to stop his advance. She tried to push him away, but it was futile. In the end, she could only passively accept it.When Calla felt she was about to suffocate, he finally released her.She took a breath of fresh air. Feeling nearly smothered, she could only temporarily lean against his chest. His hand still refused to release her waist."There's nothing between you and Pierre. Why didn't you explain it to me?" His low voice reached h
A scream then echoed through the room.Mercer grabbed Calla's waist and suddenly lifted her high. His grip was so strong that her delicate dress was torn.His eyes were terrifying, like a wolf fixated on its prey. He roared, "Calla, you brought this on yourself!"With that, he threw her down on the soft bed.It was the first time she saw such a frightening look in his eyes. Calla, who was usually stubborn and unyielding, instinctively inched backward.The evening dress was already off-shoulder, and after the struggle, it was in tatters. Calla reached up and tried to pull up the dress that had slipped down to reveal too much. But it was now nothing more than rags.Mercer threw off his jacket and then his shirt.His intentions were clear. As Calla backed away again, her back hit the headboard!"You... Don't do this, please. Or else I'll report—" Before she could finish her sentence, Mercer interrupted her. "Call the police? Go ahead!""You…" Calla could tell he was really fu
"No... no need. It's the beginning of the month, and there are many reports to finalize. See you in the afternoon," Calla hurriedly said, then hung up.After dropping her phone, Calla glanced around her small room.The bed was in a mess, and clothes were thrown on the floor, completely ruined. There was a lingering masculine scent in the air.Calla quickly looked around her room and saw that he was gone. She finally let out a sigh of relief.She struggled to get up and found that her lower body hurt. In fact, her whole body ached. Looking down, her face instantly turned red. Her neck and chest were covered in purple love bites.Calla cursed Mercer in her heart again. How was she supposed to go out looking like this?Annoyed, Calla wrapped herself in a towel and went into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stayed under the running water for half an hour.Fortunately, the hot shower made her body feel much better. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she dried her hair with a t
Hearing this, Mercer's face hardened. He warned, "You didn't know Calla was mine before this. Now that you do, I hope you stay away from her in the future!"Mercer's final words were uttered through gritted teeth, showing how much he cared about Calla.Pierre hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Aren't you divorced? Seems like you can't let her go. No wonder you haven't married Sophie yet. So this is the reason.""You're talking too much today," Mercer said, his face turning grim."Alright, alright, I'll stop." Pierre quickly waved his hand.Mercer's expression was solemn when he said, "I know what you're up to. Your relationship with Wanda is on and off. If you need someone to fill your emotional void, that's none of my business. But that person cannot be Calla!" Hearing this, Pierre rubbed his nose. Then, he said somewhat flippantly, "Don't worry. I won't take what you don't want.""That's better." With Pierre's assurance, Mercer's face relaxed a little."I'll go now. I hav
In the afternoon, Calla sat in her chair and started working right away. During this time, she called Faith into her office."Ms. Sherman, what do you need?" Faith knocked on the door and sauntered in, swaying her hips. She was always like this, acting high and mighty in the company. Calla learned she had connections, but she hadn't figured out who she exactly was tied to. As long as Faith wasn't too out of line and completed her work properly, Calla wouldn't cause her trouble—even though she didn't like Faith's attitude."Have you finished last month's report?" Calla asked."Not yet," Faith answered.Hearing this, Calla frowned. "Didn't I tell you yesterday that we need to close the accounts today? I did ask you to hurry up with it."Faith replied confidently, "Ms. Sherman, you didn't come to work this morning. I thought the report wasn't important anymore."Hearing this, Calla was so angry she was speechless.Faith's point was clear: the responsibility was Calla's. She empha