Nikita felt intimidated by Nathaniel's piercing gaze and found it hard to lift her head. She tightened her grip on the files in her hands and remained silent for a few seconds. All of a sudden, she looked up and met Nathaniel's gaze without fear.She handed him the files. "Mr. Foster, Mr. Fletcher has agreed to resume the collaboration with Foster Corporation. I've secured the project," she reported.What she meant was that her task was complete, and she intended to leave work on time. Even if Nathaniel wanted to fire her, she didn't care.Nikita turned to Mason and said, "I'm off work now. Let's go. Dinner's on me."Mason's smile broadened at that. "Sure!"Nathaniel watched as their figures that were walking side by side became smaller in the distance. His expression soured to the extreme, and his grip on the golf club tightened subconsciously.For the first time ever, Nikita had dared to defy him in public. She'd become unbelievably bold.Regina noticed Nathaniel's gaze. She
Regina collapsed back into her seat. She looked at Nathaniel with a bewildered and hurt expression as she uttered, "Nathaniel..." Nathaniel lowered the car window to let the cold wind in. The cool breeze helped him gain some clarity.Just then, the car stopped. Nathaniel's voice was a bit hoarse as he said, "We've arrived. Go in."Unwilling to give up, Regina reached for Nathaniel's hand. "But you..."Nathaniel avoided her hand, his tone turning cold. "Get out."This was the first time Nathaniel had been so harsh toward her. Reluctantly, Regina got out of the car. She wanted to invite Nathaniel upstairs to stay for a while. But as soon as she closed the door, Nathaniel ordered Harvey to drive away.Regina stared at the taillights that drifted off, stomping her foot in frustration.…Nikita treated Mason to the meal that was long overdue. After she managed to honor her promise, she felt more at ease. Even so, she knew that the favor she owed Mason couldn't be repaid with just a
Nikita fell asleep, feeling sore all over her body. When she woke up, there was no one else in the room. She'd slept so soundly that she didn't even know when Nathaniel had left. He must have left sometime in the night, for he never stayed overnight.Nikita got out of bed, washed up, and got dressed. She noticed a hickey on her neck that she couldn't cover up. She buttoned her shirt all the way to the top, but she still couldn't hide the mark. In the end, she gave up trying to hide it.As soon as she arrived at the office, she heard her name being mentioned in whispers."Did you hear? Ms. Shea has hooked up with Mr. Gray from Gray Group. They went golfing yesterday, and then they had dinner together.""Really? But isn't she already involved with Mr. Foster? I can't believe she still has the guts to get close to Mr. Gray.""Regina told me about it. She's with Mr. Foster all the time, so how could the news from her be wrong? Ms. Shea definitely slept with Mr. Gray!""Well, it mak
Nikita's face fell at the tart sarcasm. She frowned. Of course, it was Regina Lane again.Though she was long accustomed to Ruby's harshness, she didn't have it in her to endure it every single time.Her features softened slightly as she calmed herself. Respectfully, she replied, "How many people in this circle do you think are completely clean?"Her words implied that even Ruby's precious son, Nathaniel, might not be entirely innocent.Ruby's expression instantly darkened, but this didn't stop Nikita.She continued, "Regina is merely a novice. She only knows how to judge things at face value. Whenever a man and woman are together, she automatically assumes something inappropriate is happening. I don't think you should let her way of thinking influence you, Madam Ruby."As she finished speaking, Ruby abruptly opened the car door. Without a word, slapped her across the face.Nikita froze. Her cheek burned from the impact.She hadn't expected Ruby to strike her in public.After
Mason's lips pulled into a soft smile.His tone was gentle yet firm as he assured her, "You can reject me now, but I won't give up. I'll keep pursuing you until you fall for me."Nikita was stung by the brightness in his eyes. In an instant, she seemed to see a reflection of her younger self from years ago.She had once believed that time could cultivate feelings. She thought she could move Nathaniel by staying by his side long enough. But instead, reality gave her a harsh slap in the face.If feelings weren't there from the beginning, the possibility of developing fondness further down the line was little to none.She let out a sigh of resignation. She hoped it would hint that he should give up sooner rather than later. This was when her arm was grabbed all of a sudden, and a strong force yanked her body backward. She stumbled into a firm, warm embrace.Nathaniel clasped her waist tightly, his gesture exuding an unspoken claim of ownership."Mr. Gray, she has evidently rejected
Nathaniel advanced with long strides. His demeanor was still cold.It didn't take him long to catch up, given his height advantage. Ignoring her struggles, he scooped her up in a bridal style.He entered the combination into the lock and swung the door open. After entering the room, he threw her onto the bed.As he shrugged his coat off, Nikita attempted to flee. However, Nathaniel seized her and pinned her down on the bed, ready to give her a piece of his mind.His touch was all but soft and gentle. Nikita was in all sorts of gruesome pain, and she scratched and clawed at him with all her might.On the receiving end, Nathaniel remained unfazed. To him, her resistance was nothing more than a kitty cat's scratches.It only made him thrust deeper and harder in order to vent his anger.In her fury, Nikita opened her mouth and chomped down on his shoulder with force.That was when Nathaniel's expression finally changed.When she released him, he glanced down at the bite mark, and
That afternoon, she had stumbled upon the resignation letter Nikita had left on Nathaniel's desk. She asked him why he hadn't approved it yet, but he casually replied that there was no rush. Without delving deeper into the matter, he changed the subject.This drove Regina into a state of nerves, so she decided to confront Nikita directly.She wanted her to leave on her own accord."What rumors? I'm only telling the truth. You've been meeting more and more lately. If that's not hooking up, what is?"Her tone was doused in confidence. As she spoke, she suddenly caught sight of the necklace resting around Nikita's neck.She had overheard from her colleagues that Nikita had worn this necklace since before she joined the company. Despite the fading shine, she hadn't once shown up without it. It was speculated to hold deep meaning for her.A cold glint flitted across Regina's eyes. Seizing the moment while Nikita was off guard, she swiftly yanked the accessory from her neck.Nikita's
Nikita wriggled frantically. She was flailing her arms and legs. She was so close—there was just a small area left to search. She was certain she'd find it there.Nathaniel's face was unsmiling as he threw Nikita into the car. Without saying a word, he locked the door to prevent her from escaping. After walking around to the driver's seat, he climbed in and started the car.He started driving off, leaving Regina rooted on the spot utterly dumbfounded.Did he really just leave her behind?In the car, Nikita tried to grab the steering wheel in a state of agitation."Nathaniel Foster, stop the car! I haven't found my necklace yet!"Nathaniel grasped her hand and slammed on the brakes. He pulled over on the side of the road.As soon as the car screeched to a stop, he shouted at her, "Are you insane? Do you even realize how dangerous that was? If you want to die, sure, but don't drag me along with you!"Nikita bit down on her lip but offered no response. She turned to open the door,