"This is a proposal for a resort. Why are you approaching Cross Enterprise instead of Smith Enterprise?" Damien lifted his head, a listless expression on his face.Mark’s smile instantly faltered a bit at the blunt question. Why else? Smith Enterprise had already rejected him! "Currently, Johnson Corporations does not have a good relationship with Smith Enterprise at the moment."Damien didn’t need him to say it because he already knew the truth. But to him, since Mark knew that he had screwed up, it was satisfying to know. Mark should’ve just left his stubborn little kitten alone by calling off the wedding between the two families gently. Instead, he crossed the line and went as far as to humiliate and embarrass her in a public place."But that is not the only reason why this proposal was rejected in the first place." Damien remarked with a straight and blank face making it hard to tell what he was thinking. A smirk which was invisible appeared on his face when he saw Mark's baffled
"No amount of money can buy my loyalty to my boss." Eric disdainfully said, sizing Mark up and down. He could not help but wonder why his boss would fall for a woman who had once fallen in love with this kind of man. What does it say about her taste? And his boss’s preference?!Clara handed over Mark's checkbook and he wrote down a check for ten million. He waved it in front of Eric who seemed unfazed by the seven zeros."Ten million."Eric turned on his heels and was about to open the door when Clara stepped in front of it, blocking the exit."Twenty million." Mark doubled the amount without hesitation. Ten million or twenty million meant nothing to him because if the proposal gets approved, Johnson Corporations would be raking in at least a few billion annually!"Tell your secretary to step aside or else brute force would have to be used." Eric glanced down at the petite woman in front of him.Clara felt her back stiffen and her body clenched in fear when she looked into her older
**********“You're late." Damien, who was sitting behind his desk in his office remarked when Eric strolled in."I apologize, boss, I had to take care of something that came up." It was as if a switch had been flickered within Eric's brain because, at the sight of his boss, he was no longer the fearsome man who mocked CEO Mark and beat up his bodyguards. In his place was a respectful and loyal secretary who was willing to risk his life for his boss.Damien raised a brow and glanced at Eric's appearance. Not a single hair was out of place, but he saw his slightly scratched knuckle and already knew what had happened. "I hope that giant pest was taken care of?""I’m afraid not. Those weren’t my orders so I only took care of the underlings of the scum." Eric apologetically said, his shoulders slightly hunched over in disappointment. Boss wanted him to hurt Mark? Why didn’t he say so sooner?"Mm, that’s alright. Dealing with them head-on would be swift and easy, but the consequences will b
After she left, Dylan turned his attention to the secretary sitting behind her desk. “That lady isn't the type of person you need to ask if she has any appointments with the chairman before you let her in. Even if you are doing your job, you should inform the chairman immediately next time she comes here.” He instructed. He could tell that the secretary was not allowing Eva to enter, that was why he had met her outside.“I understand, sir." The secretary quickly bowed her head at Dylan watching him walk away.Inside the office, Eva entered after she got permission from Lawrence to enter when she knocked on the door.“Hi, Grandpa Smith." Eva greeted, a smile on her face as she walked in. She saw Lawrence sitting behind his desk as usual and his personal assistant standing in front of him.“Oh, Eva. What brought you here? You didn't tell me you were going to visit today." Lawrence asked gesturing Eva to sit down on the couch in the office.“I didn't plan to as well. I just came here to
She was at a banquet and was drunk out of her mind, causing a hysterical scene. At the time, Mark had brought Christine as his partner to the banquet, making everyone in the party surprised by his sudden choice of partner when Eva was supposed to be his partner. It was at that moment Eva started to believe her own theory that Mark and Christine had something going on together. Noticing that guests were starting to think that Christine could be the love of his life and that the bond between him and Eva was nothing more than ink on paper.Heartbroken and thinking irrationally, she had confronted Mark about why he had brought Christine as his partner and refused to bring her along when she was his fiancee. Mark's response to her was that he didn't think Eva would want to, since she didn't seem to value him by her side.Not understanding the ploy Mark was pulling on her, she declared to him she was willing to do anything to get him back as her partner in the party in order to say her fac
************On her way to the Cross Enterprise, Eva couldn't help but wonder if it would be weird to directly stroll into the Cross Enterprise building to deliver something to their CEO.A definite voice in the back of her mind was quick to speak up and reprimand her for being so dumb. "Yes, idiot. It would be weird." She said to herself, blaming her delirious thoughts on the fact that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. Why didn't she think about this thoroughly before telling Lawrence that she would take it.There was no going back now, since she had already collected the document. “I definitely haven't been thinking straight ever since I woke up from that damn nightmare." She muttered under her breath. Unconsciously, she thought back to the dream she had and it was about her getting humiliated in public by Mark while she became the joke that had everyone insulting and mocking her.‘ I don't deserve to be treated like that. Even if I'm an evil person, I shouldn't be brought down like tha
Eva sighed was aware that like most big companies, the structure of Cross Enterprise would be similar to the one in her grandfather’s company. The higher one’s office was located in the building, the more powerful and outstanding their position was. Aside from the people from the security team, only the receptionists were on the ground floor and they were usually rankless.She knew that if anyone adhered to her request, it would result in their immediate expulsion and they could also possibly be blacklisted.Eva knew it would be pointless to continue pestering the receptionist and saw the obvious relief on the receptionist’s face when she politely thanked her without making any unreasonable demands.With another heavy sigh, she could only walk away and think of an alternative. But she didn’t want all her effort to be in vain, so she pulled out her phone and saw if there was anyone she could call that wasn’t Damien. Probably she would have to call Lawrence to help her out since his inf
Cross Enterprise, Top Floor"Where is the report that the boss wanted this morning?""It’s being photocopied right now and will take two more minutes-""We can’t afford those two minutes. He wants it now!""It’s not like I can rush the machine!""Well, do something about it!"The employees on the top floor scrambled to get all of their paperwork done as soon as possible. The usually quiet and organized office was in complete chaos. Since yesterday, their boss had become more demanding and unpredictable. Everyone was kept on their toes at the idea that they would suddenly get fired."Why is the coffee machine not working today out of all days. The boss wants his coffee and he wants it now!" A secretary cried out in panic, unable to work with the stress and pressure on her shoulders. The separate room for Damien’s personal team was doubly chaotic with people fighting over who gets to use the copy machine first, and people walking back and forth to compile files from their report.“I tho
His scowl deepened, and for a moment, she thought he might explode. But instead, he bit back whatever retort had been on the tip of his tongue. He knew that pushing her further would only backfire.“I understand you hate hospitals,” he said after a long pause, his voice gentler. “But staying here and resting is for your own good. You’re too stubborn to take care of yourself, so I have to do it for you.”Did he view her as a child? Why was he so persistent in keeping her here? She could recuperate somewhere else with a personal doctor — anything was fine, as long as it wasn't this chemical-filled location brimming with painful memories.Eva’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t need your intervention.”His eyes narrowed, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Don’t be stubborn—”“You’re a hypocrite,” she shot back before she could stop herself. Well, to some extent, she was hypocritical."Ehm, ehm……you demand me to not be stubborn, but here you are again, also being st
Eva felt her heart ache at the tone of Damien's voice, so small and fragile, like that of a lost child. Her chest tightened with guilt for having pushed him to this point. Her logical mind chastised her for taking things too far, while her heart yearned to soothe and comfort him.“Will you do it again?” she asked softly, her fingers tracing gentle circles over his rough, calloused hands.Immediately, his hand shifted to clasp hers tightly, intertwining their fingers in a firm yet comforting grip. Her heart skipped a beat at the gesture, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.“I can’t promise you a definite no,” he admitted, his deep voice muffled as he rested his head on her shoulder. He breathed her in—the intoxicating, calming scent of jasmine filling his senses and clouding his mind. “But I will try my hardest to be lenient.”She paused, unsure how to respond. Sensing her silence, Damien tightened his hold on her fingers, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.“Are you sti
Eva’s heart pounded as she searched for a way to diffuse his anger. She knew that escalating this tension would only make things worse. Desperate, she decided to play a different card—a gamble.“Tell me, how would you like to handle the consequences? Perhaps I should start with—" He was interrupted when she abruptly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. The suddenness of her action made him freeze in place.“What are you doing?" He blinked. "Damien," she murmured softly, her voice sweet and soothing. She pressed her face against his chest, rubbing her cheek against the silk of his shirt.His body stiffened, his clenched fists trembling at his sides. "This won't work," he said, though his voice had lost its sharp edge."I'm cold," she whispered, her words muffled against his chest."Eva," he warned, but his tone lacked conviction."Won’t you hug me?" She tilted her head up, gazing at him with wide, pleading eyes and a slight pout on her lips. Her heart ski
After bidding Belle goodbye and promising her one last time that she would return tomorrow, Eva walked down the hospital halls with a spring in her step. A soft hum escaped her lips, her arms filled with snacks Belle had insisted she take. The little girl had brightened her day and made her feel less alone in the dreariness of the hospital."You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you sayI'm talking loud, not saying muchI'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochetShoot me down, but I get up," Eva softly sang, her favorite song playing in her mind as she strolled back to her room. She smiled, wondering if her friend Nathalie would enjoy the snacks she was carrying.“I'm bulletproof, nothing to loseFire away, fire awayRicochet, you take your aimFire away, fire awayShe was in such a good mood that she even gently danced along the hallway to her. “You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium………..”“You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium” a low voice suddenly com
She paused, her mind flashing back to the countless fights, the shattered dishes, the cold silences that followed her every rebellion. "But I didn’t let their expectations control me. I chose my path, even when it meant walking away from them entirely." Eva let out a sigh, her gaze still focused outside the window. " I really loved it when I refused them, even though it would earn me being slapped senselessly. I always find pleasure somehow and I took pride in becoming the perfect, graceful black sheep of that damned family.” Belle hung on every word, her eyes wide with admiration and curiosity."But," She continued. “I only did it when I was a grown adult, legal enough to make my own choices. My plan wasn't perfect nor did it work in pleasing my family, but then again, why should I continue to please them when they were never family to me in the first place?" Eva gently moved her gaze back to Belle, leaning forward, "However, as someone who has gone through all that, you should k
"So, Belle," Eva began, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down. "Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? What brought you here to this hospital room?" Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the overflowing flowers and gifts surrounding the small child."I caught a fever a few days ago," Belle replied glumly, her voice quiet. Though it was just a fever, she’d been stuck in this hospital for a week. She felt fine now, but her parents insisted she remain."I'm all better now. Nothing hurts anymore. I just want to go home, but they won’t let me." Belle’s lips turned down in a bitter frown as she recalled how her parents refused her calls and ignored her requests to leave. Deep down, she knew they preferred her absence."Why not?" Eva asked softly, though she already sensed the answer."Because they hate me."Eva’s heart clenched at the words, so full of pain and resignation. She studied the young girl, who stared back with guarded eyes that looked far older than her years.
Once the door shut, the girl turned her head slightly. "You can come out now."Eva pushed the gifts aside and slid out from under the bed. She straightened up, her gaze meeting the child’s lifeless, cold eyes. They lacked the innocent sparkle of youth."Why were those men chasing you? Who are you?" the girl asked, studying Eva intently. Despite her disheveled hair and rumpled gown, there was no mistaking the elegant air that surrounded her.Eva smiled faintly, deciding to test the girl’s intuition when she noticed how she was studying her. ‘Let’s see if you're smart. "Who do you think I am?"The child’s eyes narrowed. "You’re not a simple patient.""Oh? What makes you say that?""This is the VVIP floor, accessible only with a private keycard. Your gown is made of high-quality cotton, reserved for VVIP patients.""Well, I could’ve stolen the keycard and clothes," Eva countered.The girl’s gaze didn’t waver. "Despite your messy appearance, you carry yourself with grace. Your posture, ev
Eva jumped in alarm, spinning around to find a young girl sitting on a hospital bed. The room was filled with vases of flowers, their cloying fragrance filling the air. The child, no older than fourteen or fifteen years old, looked at her with wide, innocent eyes, her long hair framing her delicate face.Eva blinked in surprise, her anger momentarily forgotten as she stared at the young child. Somehow she felt something about this girl resembling a boy she used to know. “Hello.”“What's your name, child?" She asked, just as the footsteps outside became louder.The girl smiled faintly. “You’re running from people.” she said nugging at the door.Eva's brows furrowed. “Yes, I am.”. “Quick! Look for her before Boss gets upstairs!”The sound of the bodyguards’ voices rang in the hallway, getting closer. Panic flooded Eva's chest. She scanned the room frantically, looking for a way out, but the space was small, and the windows were sealed shut.She turned back to the girl, her pulse racing
Eva who was moments away from hitting him with the IV pole again when his pitiful plea caught her attention. “You can tell your boss to rot in hell—” she started, but the man cut her off.“Please, Lady Boss!” he cried, desperation in his voice. “I have a wife, kids, and a family to feed—”Eva's brow twitched at his words. Of course, he definitely wouldn't be a monk like his boss, however, she had a feeling he was saying this to make her feel guilty. “And you have a dog too, I bet?” she quipped sarcastically.His eyes widened in shock. “Y-yes! Exactly! His name is Chase!”She grit her teeth in annoyance, snatching the phone from his shaking hands. “What do you want?” she demanded, her patience wearing thin. She could guess that he was trying to stall time until he got here but she wasn't planning to let him meet her here.The bodyguards flinched in fear. They truly applauded her for her boldness, but they also feared for the poor woman's head! It would really fly if she continued talk