Seeing Marcia's dazed expression, Elijah's eyes held a touch of indifference."Patricia, I brought up the acquisition proposal to the board last night. A special task force will arrive soon, and I personally selected the team. This is your responsibility now—lead them well. I trust you."Marcia, struck by the pride and intensity in his gaze, forgot to respond.Watching Elijah's indifferent smile, she realized something—he wasn't wary or fearful of Alan. Instead, he seemed to relish the process of tormenting his opponents, breaking them down just before delivering the final blow.To him, this wasn't a battle; it was more of a game. Alan, in his eyes, wasn't even a worthy adversary."Understood," Marcia replied, bowing her head. However, a cold sensation crept into her heart.She had always been close to Elijah, especially since they'd been living under the same roof. But even she knew nothing about Kevin's sudden appearance.She had underestimated Elijah. To the public, he was ruthless
As Marcia finished organizing the documents, she noticed it was finally time for lunch. She shut down her computer and stretched her shoulders, only to feel a hand on her shoulder."Cia, tired from work? Let me give you a massage," Kevin's voice sounded too close for comfort.Marcia shot up from her seat, glaring at him. "Professor!"Kevin pouted, pretending to be wounded. "I'm only concerned for you, Cia. You're working so hard."Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Marcia replied through clenched teeth, "Professor, I don't know what I might've done to catch your attention, but please, can you keep your distance?"Kevin's expression turned wistful. "You really don't remember me, do you?"Caught off guard, Marcia hesitated but then shook her head. "Today was our first meeting. Please stop bothering me, or I'll have to refuse to work with you, regardless of the boss's orders."Kevin shrugged nonchalantly. "Cia, you're too tense! I only wanted to be friends.""Friends don't need to t
Marcia followed the two men expressionlessly, feeling equally irritated by Kevin's endless chatter and Elijah's silence.She didn't even understand why, but today, everything seemed to rub her the wrong way.Nicole had arrived wearing a white dress that accentuated her figure while giving off a pure and delicate vibe.Seeing them approach, she waved excitedly. "Eli, over here!"But when she noticed Marcia, who was also dressed in white, her face soured. "Why are you here too?" she muttered.Kevin, an old acquaintance of Nicole's, casually replied, "She's my date. What, you two can show up as a pair, but I'm not allowed to bring a gorgeous woman along?"Nicole scoffed, "Gorgeous?" Her blatantly judgmental look made Marcia even more uncomfortable."Of course! To me, she's the most beautiful," Kevin said, pulling out a chair for Marcia. "Come, sit here!"He shot a warning look at Nicole. "And wipe that look off your face before one of your haters snaps a photo and posts it online.""Oh,
After dinner, they drove back to the office. Before getting out of the car, Elijah coldly instructed, "Patricia, follow me to the office."Marcia's face paled, feeling a slight unease. Sensing her anxiety, Kevin patted her shoulder lightly before he left and whispered, "Don't worry. It must be for work."Marcia nodded, subtly putting some distance between them. "Please go back to your office," she replied politely.Their brief conversation didn't escape Elijah's notice, and a glint of coldness darkened his gaze.Following Elijah into his office, Marcia watched as he impatiently took off his suit jacket. She immediately stepped forward, taking it and neatly hanging it on the coat rack before standing quietly, waiting for his instructions."Patricia…" Elijah started icily, his tone heavy with disapproval. "I've always prohibited office romances."Marcia was taken aback. "I know, sir. I'm not involved with anyone in the company," she replied quickly, her sincerity unmistakable.Elijah's
Marcia stared at him in disbelief, retorting, "Sir, you were the one who said this is a place of work!"Elijah's gaze darkened for a moment, then he gave a faint smile. "Exactly. Consider this a warning.""A warning?"With a calm expression, Elijah returned to his usual aloof demeanor. "Patricia, men and women aren't the same. Even a simple gesture, like flipping your hair, could be misinterpreted as an invitation.""How is that my fault?" Marcia replied coolly, her frustration barely hidden.First, he implied she was slutty, then kissed her out of nowhere, only to call it a "warning"?If she weren't relying on him to help her take down Alan, Marcia would've loved nothing more than to slap him!Elijah's lips curved into a faint, mesmerizing smile. "You've given me quite an enticing gift, Patricia. I despise women who throw themselves at men, especially when they have ulterior motives."Marcia looked at him, visibly angry. "I don't understand what you mean. You're the one who kissed me
Kevin got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her, frowning slightly. "You didn't recognize me at all? And, for the record, I'm not an Uber driver! Please, this lovely lady, get in!"Marcia found the situation both amusing and oddly fated.As she sat down, she felt a bit more relaxed and teased, "I should've guessed, with how insistent you were on chatting me up! I was starting to think my charm was truly irresistible!"Remembering how talkative he was the day before, Marcia found his antics a bit less annoying today.Kevin sighed dramatically, feigning disappointment. "I really thought my good looks were unforgettable! You broke my heart, you know! The whole day, you were dodging me like I had the plague! Yesterday, I practically poured my heart out, just short of sharing my bank account password!"Marcia blinked, stunned by his dramatics, but she quickly remembered something. "So about that 300 dollars...aren't you going to give that back? We're coworkers, after all, do
Kevin froze, stunned by Marcia's words.Marcia wasn't even sure who she was speaking to, her voice growing colder as she continued, "By my age, I don't believe in love, nor do I look forward to it. Movie plots are fine to watch for entertainment, but taking them seriously? Ridiculous! Do you know why the male lead actually got with the female lead?"Kevin responded instinctively, "Because he fell in love with her at first sight...""Love at first sight? Let's be honest—it's because she's beautiful. Would you fall for someone unattractive at first sight?" Marcia's tone was laced with sarcasm.Kevin frowned but listened as she went on, "Men are shallow, yet consistent. They'll act impulsively without much thought, led by... well, you know what. Maybe he's in love with her now, but once she ages, he'll find someone else."Kevin protested, "They have a real connection! They wouldn't just break up so easily!""A real connection?" Marcia laughed, though her words were harsh. "Professor Fran
Claire hurriedly grabbed Marcia's hand, her tone unwavering. "How could that be? It's me, Claire! Don't you remember? I worked by your side for three years—I could never mistake you for someone else!"Her voice was loud with excitement, her face flushed with emotion.Marcia felt both touched and helpless. Seeing people nearby starting to stare, she whispered, "Don't get so worked up. Let's find somewhere to sit and talk, okay? We're blocking the path here."They found a quiet corner in Starbucks.Marcia had deliberately chosen the farthest corner to avoid drawing attention, though Claire, with her tear-streaked face, was already attracting curious glances.Marcia sighed and spoke softly, "For now, I go by Patricia, not Marcia."She only told Claire about discovering Alan and Kate's betrayal and her father's sudden death, saying she was so devastated that she went abroad for a while to recover.She left out the part about Alan killing her unborn child and pushing her father to his deat
Elijah frowned. "Impossible?" He couldn't understand. "But then... how could you? No, we're going to the hospital right now! The doctors I know are far more reliable than him. I've always found him suspicious. Let's get you checked first, then we can talk about this.""Are you not happy that I can conceive?"Elijah shook his head. "How could I not be happy? But I don't trust him. Let's go to the hospital, okay?"He was overwhelmed with joy, but beneath that joy lay deep concern. If Jeff was lying, how would Marcia handle it? He could live without a child, but he couldn't bear to see Marcia fall into despair again.He never wanted to see her cry. That pain would be far worse than not having a child."Eli, sit down first." Marcia dared not let him take her to the hospital—if they found out she had recently lost a pregnancy, things would be disastrous."The surgery two years ago... Jeff was actually the lead surgeon." Marcia watched Elijah's expression darken as her voice unconsciously d
Marcia leaned against Elijah's chest, yet a slight unease crept into her heart.She still remembered Jeff's instructions—no intimacy for a month. But when she stole a glance at Elijah, his brows were tightly furrowed, his expression serious. For some reason, her heart softened again and again."Eli, what are you thinking about?"Hearing the slight anxiety in Marcia's voice, Elijah held her tightly, resting his head against her neck. His voice was low and gentle. "Nothing. I just think... it's really good that you're here.""Myron is really getting engaged? To... that Nancy?" Marcia traced her fingers over his firm arm, feeling a growing sense of security.She wished she could rely on him like this forever."Mm." Elijah's response was muffled, carrying a hint of an unspoken heaviness.Marcia thought for a moment. "His family has a rule that a man can only marry one woman in his lifetime, right? Does your family have a rule like that?"Elijah chuckled lightly and ran his fingers through
Elijah let out a soft sigh and gently pulled Marcia behind him. "What are you doing?"Marcia bit her lip, feeling a bit foolish for her reaction. Why did she assume Hayden would actually come to blows with Elijah?Elijah, standing tall and unwavering, met Hayden's gaze head-on, his expression calm. "To bring Myron back to Liverpool.""Back to Liverpool? If he's taking that woman with him, then what's the point? He might as well not come back at all! Damn it!" Hayden raised his fist but ultimately slammed it against the table instead."Hayden, sit down." Myron's voice was deep and hoarse. He seemed exhausted, yet his expression remained resolute. "I chose to marry Nancy on my own. It has nothing to do with my mother or Eli. I appreciate your concern, but enough with the arguments."He glanced at Kevin and chuckled. "What are you scheming now? Think I'm lying?"Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not at all. If you say so, then it must be true." He had initially suspected this was just
"Patricia, I thought you two would head straight to the second floor!" Hayden teased with a mischievous grin, taking a sip of his orange juice.Marcia ignored him, her eyes immediately landing on Myron, who sat beside Kevin with a face as dark as ink. At the head of the dining table sat a frail, pale-skinned elderly woman who was scrutinizing her with an assessing gaze.Marcia couldn't help but feel nervous."Auntie, this is Patricia. What do you think? Beautiful, right?" Elijah draped an arm over Marcia's shoulder, grinning proudly.Gloria took a sip of water before smiling lightly. "Hmm, she is beautiful. No wonder you've been so restless, eager to come home!""That's not true! I'm also happy to spend more time with you!" Elijah chuckled, then gently nudged Marcia forward. "Cia, come say hello to Auntie."His eyes were filled with warmth, a look that was second nature to him in front of Myron and the others. But for Gloria, it was the first time witnessing this side of him, and she
Marcia and Elijah walked hand in hand toward the villa. Since it was located in the suburbs, the fresh air was a rare luxury.A cool breeze brushed against Marcia's face, making her instinctively shrink her neck."Are you cold?" Elijah asked, his voice tinged with concern as he pulled her into his embrace. "I was worried you'd feel uncomfortable if we stayed in the car for too long. Looks like I miscalculated again!"Marcia shook her head and snuggled against his chest with a soft laugh. "Not at all. The air is refreshing, and the scenery is beautiful. But how did you know I was feeling restless in the car? Do you have some kind of mind-reading power? That would be incredible!"Elijah chuckled, gently ruffling her hair. "Your nose is all red. You look just like a little bunny. Makes me want to eat you up!"As he spoke, he playfully rubbed her cheeks. When Marcia looked up at him with a smile, he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her cool lips."Aren't they waiting for us inside? Le
Seeing the two of them like this, Marcia couldn't shake the strange feeling growing inside her. She pulled out her phone to check for any messages from Elijah. The last thing on their chat was a simple "Good night" from both of them. A faint smile curved her lips.She casually snapped a photo of the highway scenery outside the car window and sent it to Elijah.Since it was still early, she hadn't expected an immediate response. But to her surprise, he seemed to have been awake all night—his reply came almost instantly."Already on the road? Are you tired? You should get some rest in the car!"Marcia bit her lip lightly and typed back curiously, "Did you not sleep? I'm not tired. I've been resting at home these past few days.""Hmm, I heard about that. Why are you so lazy and always sleeping?" Elijah chuckled, then added, "Even though I feel bad for you, my love, I'm so happy that I'll see you soon."Seeing him call her lazy, Marcia instinctively glanced at Kevin, who was driving. It h
Ever since that terrible experience, Marcia had developed a subtle aversion to "Calderstones."Elijah had been away for five days now. They spoke on the phone daily—sometimes just exchanging a few words, other times lingering as if they couldn't bear to hang up.The distance seemed to intensify their feelings, making them feel like a couple deeply in love.A call in the early morning. The phone was warm in her hand. Though sadness still lingered in her heart, Marcia felt as if Elijah was slowly healing her, piece by piece.Since her surgery, she had become more sensitive—more reliant on Elijah. She wanted him to return, yet at the same time, she hoped he wouldn't come back too soon. She longed for his embrace but also feared the warmth he brought.Torn between these emotions, her longing for him only grew stronger.Sometimes, as she lay in her empty bed, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he were beside her&md
"He's just a wolf in sheep's clothing," Hayden remarked leisurely, pouring himself a cup of hot water. Watching the steam rise, he smiled faintly and casually asked, "Patricia, did you already know Myron was fine? Otherwise, how could you be in the mood to come out for a meal?"Marcia was momentarily stunned. After a brief silence, she chuckled. "I contacted Eli. Besides, there wasn't much to eat at home. Everyone's had a tough day—it's only right that we treat ourselves to a meal. Why? Do you think there's something wrong with that?"Hayden smirked. "Not at all. Just a funny coincidence." He blew on his cup, took a small sip, and added, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you hadn't been home at all."Shirley shot him a glare. "Hayden, your mindset is all wrong!""Oh?" Hayden raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her.Shirley shook her head dramatically and said with an air of seriousness, "Have you been spending too much time with Demon? You've picked up the nasty habit of
"Did she ask you anything? Or did she want you to do something?" Marcia sat up straight, her tone cold and sharp.Jeff snapped out of his thoughts and replied calmly, "She was curious if you were pregnant. Oh, that reminds me, was she the one at Calderstones that time...?"Before he could finish, he paused, realization dawning on his face. "No wonder!"Marcia stared at him intently. "What did you tell her? Did you take her money? What about Alan? Was he there too?"Jeff shot her a glare. "I'm a doctor. What do you take me for? She's pregnant, and Alan? Oh, you mean that man? No, I didn't see him."Pregnant? A sharp pain struck Marcia's heart. Kate was pregnant again, while she… she had lost her child.Fate was truly laughable. The heavens remained as unfair as ever.Perhaps sensing her hatred too clearly, Jeff coughed lightly and continued, "Alright, stop glaring at me. I'm on your side."Marcia eyed him suspiciously but said nothing.Jeff sighed. "I refused to be her private doctor,