The employees had always known that Albert Group belonged to Chris and Chris alone, so he was also the only one who could call the shots.Tara genuinely didn't know what to do with Krista's orders. Of course, she'd have to ask Chris about this. But judging by how Elise almost hurt Kathryn, he'd probably fire her too.Krista turned her gaze upon Kathryn, who was still angry. When she saw how pale the girl's face was, Krista felt like a huge weight was crushing her chest. It hurt."Why are you still here? Pack your things now," Krista said in an ever colder tone when she noticed Elise wasn't moving.Elise was still spacing out then, but she snapped right out when Krista told her to pack her things. It was only then that Elise realized she was probably getting fired for good this time. She was furious, but she didn't dare protest. So, she could only leave.Tara's mood still hadn't improved after Elise left. Nevertheless, she politely asked Krista, "Are you here to see Mr. Albert?"
Kathryn picked up her tea and took a huge gulp before recounting what happened between her and Elise to Tally. When Tally heard that Krista was the one who stopped Elise, she was shocked. "She helped you stop her? And she even fired her, too?"Tally couldn't bring herself to believe that story. Was Krista defending her? That didn't seem like something that was possible with her and Kathryn. After all, Chris was about to take control of Baydem Group. Krista probably wished someone would beat Kathryn to death, so why was she defending her?Kathryn nodded in reply. "Yeah, she even got Tara to tell HR to fire Elise!" They had no idea how Elise had managed to stay at Albert Group, but now that she'd angered Krista, she was probably getting kicked out for good."What a surprise. She defended you, huh? Do you think she's finally accepted Chris as her stepson? And she's accepting you too?"Kathryn didn't respond. Accept her? Kathryn didn't think that was likely. "Krista hates C
"Even I have no clue what we are!" Kathryn exclaimed.The corner of Tally's lips twitched. She wondered what Kathryn meant when she said she had no clues on what they were. Did she seriously have no idea? Kathryn's clueless state worried Tally to bits."Then you should ask if the agreement is ongoing or if you're married now! If the agreement is still in place, then he really shouldn't be sleeping with you. "Should I be asking about that?""Why shouldn't you? You're a woman, and you'd agreed on the terms before this. If Chris is making changes, then you need to find out what they mean," Tally said.Tally wondered what Kathryn was doing. Why was she keeping things so unclear? Kathryn felt like she really should ask Chris after hearing Tally's reasoning. Like she said, some things needed to be as clear as possible.She didn't want to talk about this anymore, so she said, "Alright, enough about this. Why do you think Krista defended me today?"Kathryn couldn't believe Krista h
"Can't you call off the engagement?" Kathryn couldn't help but ask. If Tally didn't like it, then calling it off was obviously the best choice.Tally froze, her cup hanging in midair. "What? Call off the engagement?""You'd better find someone you like to get engaged or married with. If you don't like Victor Glenn …""Kat, do you know what the Glenns do?"Kathryn shook her head. "No.""Victor's even scarier than Mr. Albert. I sought him out, and the whole city knows we're engaged. If I call it off now, he'd probably sell me overseas.""Huh?" Kathryn was shocked. Sell her? It couldn't be that bad, right?"I was so desperate to get Mr. Albert off my back, but now I think the Glenns are the real scary ones." So how was she supposed to call it off now? Why would she dare do that?Besides, Victor might have worn a smile whenever she saw him, but she couldn't handle it when his mood changed. In conclusion, she'd gotten out of Chris' frying pan and into Victor's fire.Kathryn
Tally was his sales employee, not his slave employee. The way Markus kept shoving overtime onto her was disgusting.Upstairs at Albert Group, Chris had just come out of the meeting room when he heard Krista wanted to see him. Frowning, he asked, "Where is she?""The guest room," Tara said. Chris said nothing in reply. He was shocked to learn that Krista was waiting for him in the guest room. He looked at his office and was surprised that Krista wasn't making a scene.Usually, the assistants would take Krista straight to his office, and for this, Tara earned a little more of his respect as his assistant."Send her over." Chris sat in his office chair and sipped from a glass of water. "Alright." Tara nodded respectfully. She turned around, then seemed to remember something and faced him again. "There's one other thing.""What is it?""Ms. Preston fired Elise Schiffer."Schiffer? Ben Schiffer's daughter? Chris remembered that woman. After all, she'd worked for him for so long.
Elise was really fired this time. The fact that Austin called Kathryn "Mrs. Albert" was proof she couldn't stay at Albert Group anymore.Still, she couldn't resist calling Markus when she left the office. "Help me, Mr. Hunt. I don't want to leave!" Elise couldn't think of anything else to do except call Markus. He wasn't working at the company anymore, but Elise knew he was close to Chris and hoped he'd talk to Chris on her behalf.However, this time, Markus didn't even ask why she'd gotten fired. All he said was, "No one will save you this time." Then, he hung up.Elise listened to the dial tone in disbelief. She stubbornly called again, but Markus didn't even pick up this time. Why was it so hard for him to put a good word in?"Kathryn!" Elise gritted out Kathryn's name, wishing she could tear her apart. "We've finished tallying up your salary. Sign here," a finance employee told her. Everyone was shooing her out for every second she'd overstayed her welcome.Elise hated thi
Krista didn't like Chris, but when she saw how well Chris treated Kathryn, she had no choice but to do it for her.After Krista left, Chris looked at Kathryn thoughtfully. His gaze unnerved her, so she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"Right now, Kathryn was still thinking about what Tally said. She needed to clarify whether the agreement was still ongoing. She had to do it because the agony of not knowing was unbearable."You're pretty."Kathryn was rendered speechless when he complimented her appearance by calling her pretty.Kathryn possessed an attractive appearance with her tall stature and pleasant facial features. While she might not have been a stunning beauty, her face was distinctive and appealing.Kathryn was a little embarrassed by that. "You're prettier.""I'm prettier?" Chris asked. Who praised a man that way? Kathryn nodded. "Yeah, you're really pretty." That was probably why so many women had thrown themselves upon him as if they had a death wis
However, Kathryn hadn't forgotten Tally's reminder. When Chris noticed she looked like she wanted to say something, he frowned again. "Anything else?""Yeah, there's something." Kathryn nodded."What is it?" Chris' smile widened when he saw how serious she looked.Watching Chris smile, Kathryn almost got distracted before she took a deep breath and composed herself. "Um, is the agreement still ongoing?"Chris was speechless. The agreement? Did she still remember that? In response to her serious expression, he smiled again. "What agreement?" he asked."What?" Kathryn asked. She had asked him if he remembered the agreement, and she couldn't believe he was pretending to forget it."Did we ever have an agreement?""We did!""Where? Let me see it."Kathryn was speechless. She couldn't believe him. She wondered why he always acted like an amnesiac at the worst possible moments. The corner of her lips twitched when she realized Chris looked serious."What is it?""No, w
After leaving the Hunt residence, Tally made her way directly to Victor's company.Worried she might lose her way, Drew had been waiting downstairs in anticipation of her arrival.When Tally saw Victor, her face lit up with joy."You should've seen Mr. Hunt Senior's expression earlier. He looked like he wanted to eat me alive." Tally couldn't help but laugh.Victor reached for her hand as they sat down on the couch together. "Were you scared?" he asked.As Tally sat down, she casually looked back and noticed a framed photograph on Victor's desk.Out of curiosity, she picked it up and examined it. But with just one glance, she froze in surprise."When... when was this taken?" she asked. Her shock was evident as she turned to Victor.The picture was taken back when they were at Beverly Peak, during his hospital stay after being bitten by a wolf.She remembered looking after him until she herself fell asleep.In the picture, her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful.Victor
What made it even more absurd was that Elijah bought into it, too.Tally couldn't believe Elijah couldn't see through Markus' façade. He actually bought into Markus' excuse that his behavior was all because of her.And now he was acting like he'd rather die than leave her."Fucking hell," Tally muttered inwardly. She wondered who came up with this messed-up plan for Markus.Clearly, Tally couldn't quite grasp how Markus' mental state could deteriorate like this. However, given his history of going insane, this outrageous plan didn't seem entirely implausible.He was perfectly fine when he was with Albert Group, so how did he end up like this back at Skyline Group?Tally just couldn't figure it out.Elijah shot her a sharp look, gritting his teeth as he said, "You, leave!"Zane hesitated, saying, "Sir, but…""Just let her leave!" Elijah insisted.Elijah's words were punctuated by short, hurried breaths.Tally nodded, saying, "Mr. Hunt Senior, you're indeed the more rational o
Elijah and Zane glanced at each other. Then, their stares turned sharper as they both fixed their eyes on Tally.Tally swallowed nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?""You're not even married to Victor, so why are you calling yourself a married woman?" Elijah snapped, his anger evident.Tally remained silent.Observing Elijah's furious expression, she nonchalantly rummaged through her bag, retrieving the marriage certificate and wedding invitation.Then, she handed them over to Zane.Zane took the documents and swiftly flipped them open. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read through them.He promptly handed both documents over to Elijah.As Elijah took them and examined them, his expression darkened significantly upon seeing Tally and Victor's marriage certificate.He was shocked when he saw that their wedding date was today, along with the printed timestamp.In that instant, Elijah's breathing grew heavier.He glared at Tally with an
Tally was completely baffled by what was happening."I've been straightforward about my feelings for him," Tally complained under her breath.From her perspective, if something were to happen to Markus now, she shouldn't be blamed solely for her decision to get married. Victor nodded, saying, "Yeah, I know."Victor had always been aware of this. By now, Markus had become such a puzzle that Victor couldn't quite figure him out.Considering how clear Tally had always been about her feelings toward Markus, it was puzzling how he got himself involved in this mess.This time, Victor didn't accompany Tally to the Hunt Residence. He believed she could handle the Hunt family on her own.The atmosphere at the Hunt residence was incredibly tense at the moment.The moment Tally stepped inside, she could practically feel the frost coming off Elijah. His gaze seemed to pierce right through her.Zane's tone was far from pleasant as he said, "Um, take a look at this."With that, he passed
Tally was pretty happy a moment ago. But now, she was all worked up talking about the Hunts.Earlier on the road, Tally filled Victor in on the phone call she received from the Hunt residence.Victor's lips twitched as he heard the news. "So Markus left a suicide note and vanished?""Exactly. Can you believe the trouble he's stirring up now?" Tally shook her head incredulously.Tally was utterly exasperated with Markus by now. It had been a while since this whole thing started.She had to admit, these days had been incredibly "fulfilling" for her. It was so fulfilling that it almost left her reeling.And it wasn't just Tally struggling to keep up. Even Victor had been taken aback by how things were unfolding.He shot Tally a look of disbelief. "So you're going to the Hunt residence now?""Yeah, I'm going. I want those Hunts to know that I'm officially yours. Let's see if they have more shameless tricks up their sleeves."When it came to describing the Hunts, Tally summed it up
Tally was beginning to see where Markus got his persistent nature from. It ran in the family. It was as the saying went—like father, like son.No sooner had she ended the call, the phone rang again.Tally took a deep breath, reminding herself that today was supposed to be a happy day, not one filled with annoyance.But dealing with these people…After giving it some thought, she hesitantly answered, "Zane!""Ms. Johnson, you might want to come over to the Hunt residence."Tally asked, "What's going on now?"She was almost out of patience with these people.Zane explained, "Mr. Markus left behind a suicide note."Tally's expression froze in disbelief.A suicide note? Tally couldn't comprehend what was happening. She wondered if Markus was pulling another one of his stunts.It had only been less than an hour since Elijah arranged his marriage, and now he went ahead and left a suicide note."Where is he?" Tally raised an eyebrow.With everything happening so quickly, it all f
Looking at her identification papers, Tally let out a sigh of relief.Fortunately, Tally had some knowledge of her father's habits. Otherwise, guessing the password for the safe, which belonged to her comatose father, would have been a daunting task.When Irina called, Tally answered, "Hey, Irina.""Guess what? Markus is engaged!""What?" Tally was shocked.Irina shared her surprise."This time, it seems Mr. Hunt Senior might genuinely have it out for you. We haven't even made a move, and suddenly they're announcing Markus and Sarah's engagement.""Sarah?" Tally was even more surprised.It was only today that they found out who had been secretly admiring Markus. Before they could even step in, Elijah had taken the initiative.It seemed like all these years, Elijah appeared unconcerned, but he actually knew everything.But if he was dead set on hating her, then so be it. Tally couldn't care less.On the other hand, if Elijah truly desired for her and Markus to be together all
Elijah said, "Very well, then."Thinking about his troublesome son, Elijah wondered how he hadn't noticed Markus' extremity in his romantic pursuits before.Elijah was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath.Giving Markus a fierce look, he tried to hold back. Despite that, he couldn't resist putting in one final word, "No matter how much you want to be with Tally, I won't allow it."This time, there was no room for negotiation.At Elijah's words, Markus' eyes turned cold. "I'm afraid you have no say in this.""You..." Elijah's breath hitched as he heard Markus' retort. In a fit of rage, he grabbed a teacup and hurled it toward him.At that moment, Elijah felt an overwhelming urge to lash out at Markus.Elijah insisted, "Regardless of your decision, you and Sarah are officially engaged starting today."His tone was unusually firm.At this point, Elijah wasn't asking for Markus' opinion. He was simply informing him.Regarding Tally becoming Elijah's daughter-in-law, Elijah
Kathryn was confused when Jessica suddenly shoved her into the car and promptly closed the door. With her hand still gripping the door handle, Kathryn looked up at Jessica and suggested, "Uh, how about dinner tonight?"Upon hearing Kathryn's dinner suggestion, Jessica paused before nodding and responding, "Let's talk about it later. I'll give you a call."Jessica seemed really busy, and Kathryn could tell from the way she talked that she was in a rush.Kathryn couldn't help but feel for Jessica as she watched her close the car door and hurried off toward the nearby office building, waving goodbye as she went.Kathryn found herself wondering who Jessica was in such a rush to meet.Kathryn couldn't resist stealing a glance back as the car pulled away. In that brief moment, Kathryn's heart skipped a beat as she saw Jessica walking alongside Lloyd. They were heading toward the glass doors of the building.Before Kathryn could double-check what she saw, the car had already turned.