Luna took charge of the hiring process and posted job openings online. As the sole leader of the project team, she had to recruit the necessary members herself.After a rigorous screening process, she narrowed it down to five candidates. Quinn met with them personally. When the five candidates saw that both the persons-in-charge were so young, they couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy."Ms. Jowell, is it really just going to be the seven of us for such a big project?" On top of that, Quinn was a shareholder and wouldn't be personally involved, meaning there were really only six of them.At the moment, Quinn was flipping through the files with their information. As always, Luna's work was reliable. These five candidates had their own unique strengths, but they were all fresh out of college with no experience."Yes, just the seven of us." Quinn set down the files."This project is a tough one. Since our company launched it, it's been stalled for a long time. What are your thoughts?
Before 4:00 pm, Quinn left the office to meet Edgar.As soon as Edgar saw her, he went and poured her a glass of water. "Ms. Quinn, I'm really sorry I can't contribute to the project. I'm just not good at it," Edgar said, clearly dejected.Quinn gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Everyone has their own strengths. You've done plenty to help already. How's the research institute shaping up?" Quinn asked."We're all set for the first exam next month. I've got the exam plan ready," Edgar said, handing her a document.Quinn glanced over the plan. Seeing how Edgar had grown into someone reliable, she nodded in approval."Head over to Dudore and get everything ready for the exam. You'll be in charge of it from start to finish," Quinn said.After wrapping up her tasks, Quinn headed out to meet Nadia for their dinner.Nadia had been free in the afternoon, so she had shown up early to secure a spot in queue at the restaurant for Quinn.To Quinn's surprise, she ran into Xavier th
"Nads, I don't do well with trouble, and falling in love is the biggest trouble of all."Nadia had known that Quinn was skeptical about love, but she hadn't realized just how deep that skepticism ran."Quinny, not all men are like your father." Nadia wondered if Quinn was truly going to let Maurice's mistakes dictate the rest of her life. Would she let one man's failings cast a shadow over her future and forsake the possibility of love entirely?"Nads, I'm not going to invest my hopes in any man."Men would always be the same. They would be charming and attentive while they were trying to win you over, but once the novelty wore off, they would become completely different people.Quinn returned with the two dips, one of which she had deliberately spiked with extra hot sauce for Xavier.She handed him the spicier dip with a mischievous grin. "I'm not exactly a dip expert; I hope you don't mind."Xavier caught on immediately—she'd loaded his dip with hot sauce, while her own was
Quinn could taste the spicy flavor on Xavier's lips.Finally, he released her. She sat on his lap while he leaned against her chest, trying to calm the turmoil within him. Quinn couldn't deny that she felt something, too. She was only 20 years old, and they had been intimate before. Now, just a little teasing from him was enough to push her over the edge.Her body responded despite herself. Quinn instinctively tried to press her legs together."Do you want to? Should we get a hotel room?" Xavier asked, his voice husky with desire. "Quinn, isn't it better to be honest about what your body wants? Why hide it?"He could already sense her arousal.Quinn grabbed his chiseled chin, her grip firm. "Xavier, it's just a basic instinct."She tried to get off his lap, but his grip on her slender waist tightened. He refused to let her go. "Just let me hold you a bit longer," he murmured.He didn't want this either. But whenever she was closeby, his body refused to obey him.Quinn didn't
Xavier's mood brightened at Quinn's words. "Well, woman, you've got good taste," he said with a grin, his arm tightening around her waist as he cast a mocking glance at Simon's furious face."Being handsome doesn't mean much if you don't have money," Simon taunted. "Can he give you the best life?""Just having him by my side is the best life I could ask for. You wouldn't understand that," Quinn retorted with unyielding confidence.She gave Simon a scornful glance, her eyes flicking to his groin with a contemptuous look that spoke volumes.Simon's rage was palpable, and his frustration reached a boiling point. Quinn was questioning his capabilities!When they had been together, he had still been young, and Quinn had never allowed him to touch her. She had no idea how skilled he was in bed."Oh, really? I'll show you just how capable I am," Simon growled.He didn't bother with more words. With a sharp nod to his men, he signaled for them to move.The bodyguards surged forward, su
Simon's fists clenched tightly. He was seething with hatred. How could Xavier dared treat him like this?Around them, people pointed and whispered. Simon kept his head down, for he was terrified that someone might recognize him as the heir to the Xandor family.Not even one of the dozens of bodyguards from the Xandor family dared to step forward.Xavier had grown tired of Simon constantly harassing of Quinn. With pure disdain in his eyes, he delivered a few more brutal kicks at Simon."Stop it! If you keep hitting him, he'll die," a girl nearby cried out. Even though Simon had said terrible things, beating him to death wasn't the answer."Is he your boyfriend? You should talk him down," she added, glancing nervously at Quinn."Let's go," Quinn said, finally stepping in.With so many people watching, Xavier knew it was time to back down. "Alright," he muttered.He wouldn't have listened to anyone else, but it was different when Quinn spoke. He followed her, his aggression meltin
After dealing with Simon, Xavier felt unexpectedly lighthearted.They meandered along the river's edge, the evening air cool and invigorating.Quinn walked ahead, her long hair billowing in the breeze. The elegant cut of her tailored suit accentuated her slender waist, making her look effortlessly stunning.Xavier's eyes were irresistibly drawn to her.When Quinn glanced back, she caught him staring at her with deep, almost reverent admiration.In that moment, her heart raced. The intensity of Xavier's gaze was captivating—no woman could remain indifferent to such a mesmerizing man.The instant she turned back to look at him was burned into Xavier's memory. Her glance was mesmerizing, a perfect snapshot of beauty that left him breathless.He couldn't help but close the distance, drawing her into a gentle embrace.The scene was idyllic—until Quinn's heel came down hard on his foot, breaking the spell."What are you doing?" she asked sharply.The pain in his foot was sharp, but
"I don't think you're dirty."Xavier fell silent and drove Quinn to Jowell Villa."I live next door. You can come find me anytime," he said, pointing to the villa next to hers."Why would I want to find you?" she asked, unimpressed. She didn't have that much free time on her hands. "You can do whatever you want with me. I'll go along with it."Quinn didn't bother replying. She opened the car door and got out.Xavier lingered around. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a few deep drags. But not even nicotine could suppress his desire for her.When Kimberly returned from the Jipsfort Research Institute, she spotted Xavier smoking in his sleek sports car.Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Unable to resist, she parked next to him, got out, and approached him."Do you remember me?"Xavier glanced up, his expression blank. "Who are you?"Kimberly was stunned. They had crossed paths several times. How could he not remember her?"I'm Quinn's sister," Kimberly s