"Good evening, everyone," Ronald greeted, kissing the room's occupants.
Emily frowned slightly at his flamboyant entrance, feeling embarrassed.
Sensing Ronald's growing exuberance, Emily stepped forward and discreetly pinched his arm. Ronald, snapping back to reality, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards Murray.
Murray sat with crossed legs and an expressionless face on the sofa. His chiseled features, highlighted under the flickering lights, appeared more profound than ever.
Ronald pushed Emily gently towards Murray and leaned in, saying, "Emily wasn't in the best spirits yesterday and accidentally hurt you. She's in the wrong and is here to apologize. Let's put this behind us, shall we?"
Murray remained seated, his gaze on his injured right hand, which cast a large shadow under his long eyelashes. It seemed like ages since Emily last saw him, with a strange sense of alienation in the air.
Emily's eyes fell on his right
Stacey smiled and placed her hand over the rim of Murray's glass. "Of course not; you're already injured. Do you want to heal too quickly or something?"Murray lowered his eyelids slightly and raised his injured hand before Emily, shaking it slightly. "Did you hear that?"Emily bit her lip, unable to find the words. She had thought that by showing genuine remorse, Murray might be less angry considering her sincere apology.She hoped that if Murray was still willing to talk to her, there might be a chance to reconcile and potentially secure her position at Bucapital. Now, she wondered what she could do to gain his forgiveness.She turned to look for Ronald, hoping he would say something again, only to realize that he had disappeared.Jean had also stepped out to take a phone call.Now Emily stood alone in front of the sofa, ignored and without a seat.&
As she bent down to unbuckle his belt, her hair cascaded over her shoulders, revealing the delicate whiteness of her neck and the fine down that adorned it. The thought of her lips touching there, with their soft, tantalizing caress, made Murray's throat involuntarily tighten.Her fingers danced over his finely sculpted abs, her gaze unwavering, never crossing the line of propriety. Only her ears, flushed a bright red, betrayed her true feelings, making one believe she was otherwise completely unflustered.Murray turned his head, his lips curving into a smile. He waited as Emily stripped him down to his underwear, at which point everything naturally progressed towards the indescribable.They made love twice, once on the sofa and then in the bathroom. He have been satiated, his gaze upon Emily now laced with more tenderness than when he had arrived. She scoffed inwardly, recalling how he had claimed this tactic would grow
Murray stood amidst the crowd, clad in a sleek, charcoal-black outdoor jacket. If not worn well, such functional attire can appear unflattering, but on him, with his broad, straight shoulders, it looked exceptionally stylish.Among the group, he stood out as the most handsome and dashing, his allure only slightly marred by the cast on his right hand. If not for that, he would have looked even more strikingly noble.His soft and smooth bangs lay across his brows, occasionally lifted by his long, curling eyelashes. A gust of wind would playfully lift them, lending an extra charm to his serene eyes. There he stood, calmly observing Stacey and Sam approaching him, his expression as cool and detached as ever.Contrary to Emily's expectation of a dramatic showdown between rivals, no such scene unfolded. Even with the provocation right under her nose, she remained collected.Emily began to doubt whether Mur
"Do they even realize what kind of people they've brought along? If they've hired them, they should be prepared to play house. Why the pretense?" Emily thought, watching Stacey with an impassive face."There are so many of us here, and it's not just up to you," Emily told Stacey. "Let's put it to a vote." She turned to the group. "For the decision to hire help, let's show our stance with a show of hands."Atwood immediately raised his hand in agreement as Emily finished speaking.Baird and Beau glanced at Murray, who stood aloof in the distance. Thought to themselves that they had already given Murray enough face by coming to this forsaken place; nobody wanted to suffer unnecessarily. They bit the bullet and raised their hands, "We agree too."Emily looked at Ronald, who hesitated, his eyes on Jean.Jean and Haley agreed, and Ronald, eager to please, quickly followed suit.
When Stacey saw Murray stop, she asked, "What's wrong?""Just tired, need to rest a bit," Murray responded dismissively. Seeing Stacey and the others preparing to stop, he added, "You go ahead."His tone was unusually cold and distant.Stacey was taken aback.The two 'darlings,' adept at reading the room, quickly stepped forward to pull Stacey along. "Let's go ahead. Mr. Gibson has an injury; he should rest.""I'll wait for you up ahead," Stacey said, her voice also cold, probably unaccustomed to Murray's attitude.As Emily and Moira approached, Murray stood by the path, holding a water bottle. Seeing them, he walked over and handed the bottle to Emily. "Help me open this."Moira, sensing something, smiled slyly. "I'll go find Atwood."Emily nodded.Once alone on the path, Murray reached for the z
Having selected the perfect spot for their camp, Jean seized the opportunity to confront Stacey."What's the meaning of bringing him along?""Are you not with Murray now? Why still entangle yourself with him?" Jean's tone was laden with accusation as she glared at Stacey. "If you wish to truly commit to someone, fidelity is fundamental."Stacey's eyes flickered a tinge of guilt in her voice. "I told him we'd cease our interactions. But he insisted that if I could help him get a feature in the Magazine, he'd leave me alone for good."Jean sighed, "Murray's affection for you is evident to us all these years. You must not betray him. Moreover, He's not the neglected Gibson boy he once was. Provoking him might bring calamity not just to you but to the Zechariah family as well."Stacey chuckled confidently. "No, Murray won't harm me. He's always listened to me ever since we were
Emily and Moira, hand in hand, carefully climbed the rocky slope, bypassing the waterfall to spot two enormous boulders stacked together.The muffled sounds of a man and woman intertwined in passion emanated from a crevice on the left side of the rocks.Emily glanced back at the flowing water, surmising its sound had masked their approach, leaving the couple unguarded in their intimacy.Moira, silent, gestured for Emily to move closer. Emily's heart raced with the taboo excitement of encroaching upon someone else's privacy.Moving at a snail's pace, Emily was suddenly pulled forward by an impatient Moira. Nearing the rocks, Emily pointed upward, and Moira nodded. They stealthily climbed atop the large boulder, using tree branches to obscure their presence. Their vantage point perfectly shielded them from the couple's view while granting them a clear sight.On the rough stone surf
Murray's gaze swept over Stacey's eyes; a faint voice murmured, "I'm hurt; I need to sleep alone."The statement left everyone speechless, unable to respond. The idea of sharing a bed with Stacey and Ronald, the lovebirds, was unthinkable. This meant someone would have to sleep outside. In a fit of anger, Stacey declared, "I'll sleep in the hammock."Stacey, after all, was a woman. Ronald couldn't possibly hog the tent and make a lady sleep outside. Besides, he dared not share a bed with Emily. He knew he was a restless sleeper and feared accidentally offending her in his sleep."You and Emily share the tent, and I'll take the hammock.""There's no need for that," Stacey said firmly before rifling through the equipment box to find the hammock, with Sam quickly following to help.Amidst this standoff, Jean said, "Let's do this: I, Stacey, and Emily will share a tent, and you three
In the coffee shop, Murray pushed aside his sugar-added coffee, a gesture Stacey noticed as her hand paused, spoon in mid-air. "What's wrong?""I never add sugar to my coffee," Murray said with a smile."Before..." Stacey started, then stopped, realizing the significance. What used to be was in the past; now it was a different story."Why did you ask me to come here?" Stacey dropped the spoon into the cup, a droplet of dark brown liquid splashing onto the white saucer, starkly visible.Murray looked puzzled. "Wasn't it you who invited me?"Stacey, half amused and half irritated, pulled out her phone, tapped a few times, and pushed it toward Murray.A message inviting her for a meeting, signed by Murray, flashed on the screen.Murray frowned; he had received a similar message from the same number. He dialed the number from Stacey's phone, which was quickly answered. "How is it going? Did Murray show up? Talk it out. After so many
"Is it well peeled?" Holding up the neatly peeled apple, Emily smiled with her eyes curving into crescents. "Look, I didn't break the peel even once."Elton opened his mouth but suddenly found himself at a loss for words. An invisible wall stood between them, unseen yet palpably separating them."Mr. Cromwell, may I come in?" Sandy stood at the door with her laptop, her arrival seemingly a rescue for Elton."Come in."Emily stood up. "If you need to discuss work, I won't intrude."Elton politely insisted it was okay for her to stay, but Emily mentioned that now that she, too, worked at the company, it was proper to follow protocol.Elton didn't press her to stay any longer.Before leaving, Sandy gave Emily a knowing wink, and Emily nodded in understanding.Once outside the hospital, Emily searched on her phone for the nearest mall. She planned to do some shopping. Ronald had called her, pleading for her to attend his mother's b
Entering the office, the supervisor perused Emily's file, her brows knitting into a tight knot. This resume was the most outlandish she had ever seen since joining the company. However, the more outlandish it was, the clearer it became that this girl was no ordinary employee.She gestured for Emily to sit, her tone softening slightly, "Your team members have formally accused you of malicious competition."As Emily predicted, those two must have claimed that she had hidden other members' reports to favor her own.Emily remained expressionless. "Was it Lydia or Karen?"The supervisor was taken aback by her directness. "Both of them have made allegations.""Oh," Emily nodded, meeting the supervisor's gaze calmly, "I assume you investigate such claims."The teacher's eyebrows lifted in surprise; the young lady didn't seem like a novice in the workplace. "Indeed, at Bucapital, a major company, we don't target any employee based solely on an accus
"Starting to check up on me now?" Murray teased as he playfully kissed Emily, pausing between each peck.Emily dodged his kisses with a smile, "If you're avoiding answering, you must have had dinner with a woman."Murray pinched her cheek lightly, "Even if there were women at the dinner, they were business partners. Does gender really matter?""Fair enough," Emily said, pushing his shoulders to sit up. "I have a question for you."Seeing her serious expression, Murray couldn't help but smile."Be serious, don't laugh," Emily chided, tapping his shoulder.Murray composed himself, waiting for her question."If, and I'm just saying if, someone made you choose between me and Stacey, who would you pick?"Murray frowned, "What kind of childish question is that?""Just answer me," Emily urged, shaking his arm.Murray squeezed her hand firmly, his voice cold, "I'd choose to eliminate the person forcing me to make that cho
Caught under the intense gaze of such a handsome man, Donna couldn't bring herself to look up, her face flushing like pomegranate seeds.Emily, noticing Humphrey's look, immediately understood his intentions. She swiftly pulled Donna behind her, speaking firmly, "I'm warning you, don't even think about it."With a puzzled expression, Donna thought to herself, 'The boss is interested in me? Is this really happening?'She discreetly poked Emily's waist, internally pleading, 'Please don't stop the boss from showing interest in me.'Emily, misunderstanding Donna's gesture as fear of offending Humphrey, reassuringly patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, I'm here. He won't dare do anything to you."Humphrey raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to get a better look at Donna. As someone experienced in reading women, he was well aware of what they desired and confident in his allure.Humphrey snapped his fingers at Donna, tilting his chin suggestively,
As Elton left with Odelia, he avoided Emily's gaze. However, Emily stopped him with a smile, "You should go to the hospital first."Elton looked up, meeting her smiling face. She spoke with concern, but her eyes lacked their usual sparkling brightness. Suddenly, his steps felt unbearably heavy, as if they were laden with lead."Are you coming or not?" Odelia impatiently tugged at his sleeve.Regaining his composure, Elton sighed, hunched over, and slowly shuffled out."If you want to cry, just let it out," Humphrey, lounging on the sofa, his arm supporting his head, said to Emily with an amused smile.Emily sensed a change in the atmosphere after the two left. Humphrey's demeanor shifted from malicious mockery to a gentle familiarity, unintentionally lowering her guard.Standing for so long, her legs had become numb. Emily moved to sit on the sofa opposite Humphrey, her tone calm, "Why should I cry?"Humphrey, lips curled in a meaning
As he spoke, Humphrey paused briefly, his gaze unabashedly sweeping over Emily."Out of the two, one must stay with me today. As for who stays, you decide."He leaned back into the sofa, seemingly amused by his own game. Resting his chin on the back of his hand, he chuckled lightly.Emily looked at Elton, seeing him clench his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with anger.Clinging to Humphrey's leg, Odelia complained, "I'm your girlfriend; how can you say such things in front of me?""Girlfriend?" Humphrey laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He wrapped an arm around her, his voice soft but his eyes chillingly cold, "I have many pets, but certainly no girlfriend."Odelia turned pale, incredulous, "You see me as your pet?"Humphrey laughed again, "You're not even a pet, to be precise, a toy.""No, that's not true. You've
Emily donned a sleek, all-black ensemble, complete with a baseball cap, and just before stepping out, she clipped a pen to her waist.In the car, her thoughts were in turmoil. She hardly knew Humphrey, but it was clear that he was not someone to be trifled with.Yet, Elton had insisted on keeping the Cromwells in the dark. Contacting the police would blow their cover, so she pondered texting Murray for help but ultimately decided against it, not wanting to drag him into this messy affair.Parking on the Road, she didn't head straight for the back streets. A glance around revealed two traffic officers at the street corner, offering a slight reassurance.She then fished a tiny pepper spray from her pocket, holding it tightly in her palm, before venturing into the dark alley. Fortunately, it was short, and she emerged quickly.Outside, she spotted a tall, lean young man leaning agai
After work, Emily stepped out of the skyscraper, not wanting to return to the villa. She walked slowly along the sidewalk, the city lights just beginning to twinkle. The streets bustled with traffic, and the colorful lights on the overpass lit up like a rainbow arching over the city.The CBD, every inch of it worth its weight in gold, seemed like two different worlds by day and night. The aroma of various street foods wafted from the carts lining the road, stirring up a voracious appetite in passersby."The hustle and bustle of life, it truly soothes the soul," Emily thought, looking up and taking a deep breath. Then, she pulled out her phone and ordered a takeaway for two, hoping to share it with Donna.However, Donna was out at a dinner party.It seemed every time Emily called Donna. Lately, she has been at some social events. Emily couldn't help but wonder what kind of entertainment company Donna