Lloyd had a reputation in Southvale for his demeanor. He appeared friendly on the surface, but he often had schemes brewing beneath that. Rumors circulated about his ruthlessness, yet also his ability to yield when needed.Kathryn was finally getting a firsthand look at the kind of person he was. Llyod could set aside his ego to flatter someone, yet also exude dominance like a king. His behavior suggested he understood Chris' value, making him act accordingly.Kathryn's initial thought was that partnering with him would be risky."Let's go and have fun, shall we?" Lloyd noticed Kathryn's silence and pinched her cheek. The fierceness on his face just now was nowhere to be seen. He had returned to his usual behavior."I'd rather not. I need to find Mr. Albert."Lloyd grabbed her arm. "Nah, someone else is looking after him tonight."Kathryn understood what he meant. "Mr. Albert's isn't like that.""What? You don't understand men at all." Lloyd tugged her arm, attempting to lea
"My hands aren't dirty. I just washed them," Kathryn replied.Chris gave Kathryn a cold stare.Kathryn was almost scared to death. "I'll do it right away."Kathryn felt unfairly treated but took the tissue promptly. She thought she understood Chris, but now, she was uncertain. His glare was baffling.Chris felt better as Kathryn complied. Nevertheless, his voice remained stern. "What are the company's rules for interactions?""Huh?" Kathryn was confused."Answer me," Chris' voice turned icy and threatening. It was only then did Kathryn realized the extent of his anger. She had assumed his fury was about his abstinence from alcohol.Taking a deep breath, Kathryn swallowed her anxiety. She answered in a soft voice, "No joking or casual chatting with clients. No physical contact with clients. No wheeling and dealing with clients.""And what were you just doing?"Kathryn recalled the recent events. She vividly remembered how Lloyd had grabbed her hand. Yet, she wasn't sure if it c
Kathryn was about to leave the room with Amelia, but Chris immediately pushed her back into the room."Go to take a shower. You stink."Everyone in the room was stunned by his attitude toward Kathryn, especially Mia. She was standing still with her face pale.Amelia's intention had been to lead Kathryn to another room, creating privacy for Chris and Mia. But with Chris's directive, Kathryn couldn't exit as planned.Amelia noticed the change in Mia's expression. "Chris."Chris ignored her. Instead, he glared at Kathryn."Alright, alright. I'll go now." Kathryn didn't think she was smelly. It made her curious. She thought that the smell had come from someone else. Despite her confusion, she didn't dare protest due to Chris's stern demeanor. She hurried into the room.Mia turned to Chris, her expression reflecting hurt. "Chris."Amelia stood up for her, asserting, "Chris, stop treating her this way. She's already feeling down."It took Amelia a lot of effort to comfort Mia afte
"Chris …" Mia looked at Chris aggrievedly. Tears welled up in her eyes. Kathryn's words seemed to have deeply wounded her. Amelia disliked Kathryn from the start. She believed Kathryn had taken everything away from Mia. When Amelia saw Mia tearing up, her anger raged. Amelia raised her hand, intending to slap Kathryn. "How dare you speak like that? You're just the other woman!"Chris grabbed her arm before she could slap Kathryn. Amelia felt the pain in her arm and spun around to face Chris. "Chris! You—"He released her arm forcefully. "Enough!""Chris, how could you do this? Mia has already apologized to you. How can you keep hurting her?"Chris' expression grew even darker. He ignored her. Chris pulled out his phone and dialed Markus' number. Markus answered the phone almost instantly. "Chris."Markus had always been close with Chris. It was already his off-hours as well."Terminate all our current collaborations with the Miller Group.""What happened?" Markus was sli
Amelia gritted her teeth as she spoke. Even though she was reluctant, she had no choice but to obey because she didn't want to affect her father's company. However, when she finally stood up, Chris said coldly, "There's no need.""Chris!" Mia's heart leaped into her throat when she heard that. She knew all about Chris' temper. She knew that the consequences were dire since Chris rejected Amelia.Chris said indifferently, "I don't simply grant outsiders the chance to redeem themselves."Amelia and Mia were both shocked. Their exchanged glances conveyed mutual disbelief at Chris's assertion, branding them as outsiders.Mia turned toward Chris slowly. The pain in her eyes grew obvious. "Chris, how could you?"Amelia sank onto the carpet, ashen-faced. She couldn't figure out what Chris meant. Even if she managed to retrieve Kathryn's belongings, Chris might not forgive her either."Chris, this is going too far!" Amelia shouted. She stood up and ran out of the room.Mia looked at C
Even though Mia was furious, she wanted to maintain her composure in front of Chris. She took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want?"Mia tried to paint Kathryn as the one who was persistent with the issue, making it seem like she was the one responsible for the problem. Kathryn crossed her arms. "It's not about what I want, Ms. Davis. There's nothing wrong, even if I were to ask Amelia Miller for an apology."She couldn't believe Mia was still trying to pin the blame on her. Inwardly, she criticized Chris' taste in women."Why must he fall for a phony person like her?" Kathryn thought. Mia and Amelia were the ones who offended her, but they were acting like she was being unreasonable. Kathryn, however, wasn't someone who would let herself suffer losses easily.Mia had witnessed how provocative Kathryn could be at the hospital. She hadn't expected that Kathryn wouldn't hold herself back in front of Chris.Mia was furious, but she had no choice but to endure it. She nodded
Chris' face darkened when Kathryn refused to wear his shirt. "Cold? Just go to bed right after you finish bathing."He wasn't going to let her go out alone.Kathryn looked at him pitifully. She truly wanted to sleep in cotton pajamas. They were much more comfortable for her. Yet, Chris had no intention of letting her go out.Mia tried to say something, but her words caught in her throat. Chris glanced at his watch. He looked impatient. Despite this, he stood up and said, "Let's go.""Huh?""I thought you wanted to buy pajamas? If we don't go now, it will be too late." "Are you coming with me?" Kathryn's gaze automatically shifted to Mia. Chris immediately glared at her.Kathryn nodded hurriedly. "Thank you, Mr. Albert. We'll leave now."She was relieved that Chris had allowed her to buy new clothes now. However, she wasn't aware that her interaction with Chris was like a dagger piercing Mia's heart.Mia stood up when she saw both of them leaving. She wanted to stop Chris.
"What? Chris is personally taking her shopping for clothes?" Amelia became agitated instantly.Amelia wondered how everything had turned out this way. Kathryn must have cast some spell on Chris. He had never liked the shopping mall.Amelia was both enraged and surprised.Hurt welled up in Mia's eyes. She was speechless.Amelia looked at her sympathetically. "Chris must be doing this to upset you. Don't take it to heart."Amelia didn't know how to comfort Mia. She wasn't sure whether she was trying to comfort Mia or herself by saying that.Thinking that Chris did this due to Kathryn's influence seemed far-fetched.Mia responded, "It's fine if he only did it to make me mad."If he could invest the energy to be angry with her, it meant she still mattered to him. She was afraid he was genuinely interested in Kathryn.She had witnessed Chris' impatience with Kathryn. Yet, he agreed to take her shopping.Mia felt Chris wasn't putting on a show for her. On the contrary, Chris must h