Julissa mumbled under her breath and gave Scott a pitiful look, hoping for just a little sympathy from her CEO boyfriend.Scott stepped closer, frowning. “I never said I’d dock your pay. Why do you look like I bullied you?”His tone was still cold, and his expression wasn’t great, but his gaze had softened.Julissa knew it—the big boss wasn’t really mad.Her mood instantly brightened. She flashed a playful smile, wrapped her arms around his, and shook it gently. “Then thank you for your mercy, Mr. Nichols!”Scott couldn’t help but smile. He leaned in and murmured, “Once we get to the office, don’t act this spoiled.”There was a teasing threat in his voice, laced with a deeper, more dangerous intent.Julissa blinked at him, fearless. “Or what?”Scott narrowed his eyes slightly and whispered in her ear, “Then I’ll finish what we didn’t last night… in the office. I’d love to see Miss Hickman take responsibility for that.”Julissa’s brain short-circuited. This man… in broad daylight… just
The roundtable conference room was filled with employees.When Scott’s sharp question rang out, Julissa froze, caught off guard and a little nervous.“Y-yes… I did it…”“So, Miss Hickman, are you planning to cover the extra one million yourself?”Julissa quickly glanced at the projection screen. Holy crap, she really messed up. She had accidentally added an extra zero—120,000 had turned into 1.2 million. The difference was over a million!She snuck a guilty glance at her CEO boyfriend. “I’m sorry, Mr. Nichols. I added an extra zero by mistake…”“I don’t want to see such a basic mistake happen again. If it does, you won’t need to do this job anymore.”Julissa blinked. Why is he being so fierce…It reminded her of the terrifying math teacher she used to have in middle school.She glanced around the conference room. The other employees were looking at her with sympathy.Scott was known to be a strict boss—he was hard on himself, so he naturally held high expectations for his subordinates
Scott raised an eyebrow and glanced at her before picking up the document for a quick review."Alright, I'll take a closer look later."He checked his watch. "It's lunchtime. Bring my meal to the office—I won't be going to the cafeteria.""Yes, Mr. Nichols. What would you like to eat?" Julissa responded with a professional smile."I thought Miss Hickman knew my preferences." Scott gave her a deep look.But Julissa remained serious. "Understood, Mr. Nichols. I'll prepare it now."With that, she turned and left the CEO’s office.Ten minutes later, she returned with the meal, including the one Yvette had prepared for him.Scott was on a call at the time. She placed the food down, and he gave her a nod.Without saying anything, Julissa turned and left.Once he finished his call, Scott looked at the meal on the coffee table and let out a helpless chuckle.He picked up his desk phone and dialed Julissa’s number.She answered quickly. "Mr. Nichols, is there something else?""So now you're no
Julissa smiled helplessly, thanked him again, and politely picked up the small spoon.She couldn't help but think—even a coworker who barely talks to me is being this considerate and comforting, but my own boyfriend, Scott, hasn’t even acknowledged me since scolding me...Not a single word of comfort after that harsh reprimand. So cold, so heartless. Just thinking about it made her even angrier.She took one bite after another, quietly digesting both her cake and her grievances.But she had to admit—eating something sweet did make her feel a little better.That was why she had always loved desserts.While Julissa was being comforted by a kind male colleague, the culprit himself—Mr. Nichols—sat in his office, completely oblivious.It was only when he needed her for a task that he realized she wasn’t at her desk. Where did she go?Scott called Jerry into his office, assigned him the task originally meant for Julissa, and then casually asked, “Where is Julissa?”Jerry replied honestly, “
Tyler froze, his face turning red as if he found it difficult to say out loud.“It’s just… people are saying that you got this job by using your looks… that you and Mr. Nichols…”Julissa blinked. “So, you’re saying everyone thinks I’m really beautiful?”Tyler, a true science and engineering nerd, was clearly unprepared for this turn in the conversation.Scratching his head, he muttered, “You… you are very pretty…”Hearing that, Julissa happily took another bite of her cake.Tyler added earnestly, “Don’t worry, no matter what others say, I believe in you!”Julissa let out an awkward laugh. “Uh… thanks.”Well, this is awkward. She and Scott did have something going on, but she couldn’t exactly admit that—especially since Scott hadn’t made any move to make it public.The conversation was getting uncomfortable. She didn’t even feel like finishing her cake anymore and was about to excuse herself when her phone rang.A quick glance—it was the CEO’s office calling. She picked up immediately.
Scott pressed his tongue lightly against his teeth, his expression amused as he got up and walked toward Julissa.Sensing the change, she immediately stood up as well. Though she was a whole head shorter, she tried her best to maintain her aura of confidence, refusing to back down.“Miss Hickman, is this how you speak to your superior?”Julissa glared at him. “You may be my boss, but you’re also my boyfriend. Yet all you do is scold me. Scold, scold, scold.”“And why do I scold you?”“Because I made a mistake at work, and now you just can’t stand me and want to pick on me.” She puffed up like an angry little pufferfish.Scott chuckled and lifted her chin with his fingers. “Do I seem like someone who has nothing better to do?”“Who knows!” She huffed and swatted his hand away, turning her face away in a display of defiance.Since there was no one else around, she didn’t need to worry about preserving his CEO dignity. If she was unhappy, she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.“You know
Julissa’s mind went blank for a moment, unable to recover from the shock. All her emotions were being led by him, making it impossible to think clearly.When Scott’s kisses trailed down to her neck, Julissa gasped for air, finally regaining some oxygen. Her mind cleared up a little.What was this? During the day, he was the cold and fierce CEO, making her tremble in fear. Now, he had switched back to being her boyfriend, leaving her equally flustered.She pushed Scott away weakly and muttered, “One moment you’re a cold-blooded CEO, the next you’re a possessive boyfriend. Aren’t you afraid of developing a split personality, Mr. Nichols…?”The word "cold-blooded" made Scott sigh. “When have I ever made things difficult for you?”“You made me do all those reports!”“Did I really make you do them?”Wasn’t it just because another man invited her for coffee that he found an excuse to call her back?Hearing this, Julissa froze for a second.In reality, she had only glanced at a few pages bef
Julissa thought to herself: living in a big house, catching a ride to and from work with the CEO—how could that not be great?But if her parents found out…She shuddered.“No way! If my parents knew we were living together, my dad would break my legs.”“He wouldn’t bear to.”“He totally would! He’s serious!”Thinking back to her childhood, when her dad would tap her with a small stick whenever she misbehaved, Julissa still trembled.Even though she was a girl, her parents had never gone easy on her when it came to discipline.Scott was silent for a moment before saying, “Then move into my apartment. It’s not far from here, and the subway commute to work is very convenient for you.”Julissa considered it seriously.She was only staying at her parents' house as a temporary measure until she found a suitable place to rent. She had no intention of living under their watchful eyes forever.If Scott had an apartment near the office, it would be perfect—away from her parents' nagging, plus s
Seraphina understood exactly what Dereon meant—he was suggesting she sleep with the Young Master.But would sleeping with him really make him love her more?Seraphina knew very well: the reason the Young Master still had some affection for her was precisely because she knew her place and respected boundaries.She didn’t want to do anything that might make him hate her.Looking out the cabin window, Seraphina said calmly, “If the Young Master wanted me, of course I’d be willing… but I’m not going to take the initiative to do something so unnecessary.”“How is it unnecessary?!”Dereon slapped his thigh in frustration. Blood was still trickling down his forehead, running past his brow and onto his nose, making him look a little frightening. But his expression was that of a sleazy pimp, and Seraphina found it laughable.“You don’t have to convince me,” she said. “I have my own thoughts on this.”“Seraphina, you don’t understand men,” Dereon lowered his voice. “If you can hold on to the Yo
Ryan said, “That wasn’t the best opportunity just now.”“Why not?”Ryan rubbed his temples in exhaustion. “Can you use your brain before asking questions?”Seraphina quickly jumped in, “Dereon, didn’t you see that Gauge was also there?”“So what if Gauge was there?” Dereon retorted. “That kid clearly can’t fight.”Seraphina patiently explained.First, the Young Master didn’t hide his movements on this trip to South City. Running into Kendrick here was purely by chance.They weren’t prepared. Acting rashly could have led to failure.Even if they succeeded, since their movements weren’t concealed, it would be easy for the Gregory family to trace the incident back to them. And that old man from the Gregory family is no pushover.Second, Gauge was present. He’s friends with both Kendrick and Annabelle. There’s no way he’d stand by and do nothing.If Gauge got dragged into the mess, the Young Master would be making an enemy out of the Murphy family for no reason.The the Whitney Group is j
A private jet bound for Elfhedge took off smoothly from the South City airport.Inside the cabin, Annabelle was lying in a luxurious bedroom.Ryan stepped out of the room and said to Seraphina, who was standing outside the door, “She was poisoned by a type of floral toxin. It causes hallucinations and unconsciousness. She's fine now. Go get a clean set of clothes for her. I’ll help her change.”“It’s already prepared,” Seraphina’s gaze flickered slightly. She tightened her grip on the clothes in her hand and lowered her head. “Young Master, let me do it. This dress is a bit tricky to put on…”Ryan glanced at the dress in her hands, then looked deeply into her eyes. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh. “Alright… if Anna knew I changed her clothes, she’d probably hate me even more.”Seraphina said nothing. Once Ryan stepped aside, she walked in with her head lowered.She carefully helped Annabelle out of her soiled clothes and put on the dress she had brought with her for the trip
Anna shook her head and smiled. “Nothing really. Let me do the cleaning—you’re definitely not as meticulous as I am. You go wait outside.”“No need…”“Go on, I’ll take care of it.”Annabelle was firm and took the duster from Gauge’s hand.But Gauge didn’t leave. How could he let a girl do the work while he waited outside enjoying the breeze?So the two of them cleaned together.While cleaning the room, Annabelle felt oddly emotional. Her mind was flooded with thoughts.Who was the woman who had once lived here? What kind of story did she have? What kind of mood had she been in when she left the village to live in solitude by the sea?As she wiped the mirror on the vanity, she could almost picture a woman sitting there, grooming herself in days long past.She must have been someone melancholic, yet strong-willed.A sudden wave of sadness welled up from deep within Annabelle’s heart.She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Am I too empathetic? Why else would she feel so much for a compl
“Let’s go,” Gauge called out to her.Annabelle snapped out of her thoughts and walked toward the small wooden cabin.Gauge pointed to a patch of land behind the cabin and said that it used to be a small garden. There had once been a large tree with a wide canopy, and his father had installed a swing on one of its sturdy horizontal branches.Back then, his father often sat alone inside the cabin, sipping a couple of drinks.Meanwhile, Gauge would sit outside on the swing, watching the sea and listening to music.Looking at the now overgrown garden, Gauge showed a hint of melancholy.“Unfortunately, the big tree was cut down later, and since no one took care of the garden, it fell into disrepair. When my dad came here last year, he said he regretted not being able to maintain it.”Annabelle listened quietly. It seemed Murphy's father had deeply cared about whoever used to live here.Gauge had said before that he wasn’t sure if the person was a man or a woman—he just guessed it was a wom
Annabelle transformed visibly from a sweet little bunny into a puffed-up pufferfish, cheeks bulging with frustration.She got up to leave, but Kendrick pulled her back into his arms. He poked her puffed cheeks and chuckled,"You're really that scared someone’s going to steal me away?""If you could be stolen that easily, then you’re not worth liking."Annabelle wasn’t insecure to the point where a single text message from Kendrick would make her suspicious.But it was late, and the sudden calls and texts clearly meant something was going on.Still… she had to admit, she was just a tiny bit jealous."You jealous of Jaime too? I was on the phone with him," Kendrick laughed as he handed over his phone so she could see the call log.Annabelle glanced at it—sure enough, the call happened while she was playing the guitar. The corners of her lips twitched upward, but she still insisted stubbornly,"I said I was just casually asking."Kendrick then pulled up their group chat—the one with Jaim
Kendrick’s kiss was too passionate—so passionate it was suffocating, instantly awakening every cell in Annabelle’s body.His kiss was also too forceful—so forceful that Annabelle forgot to resist, and didn't want to resist.Because when Kendrick desired her so intensely, she too was equally, fiercely craving him.It suddenly dawned on her—she truly, deeply liked this man above her. She liked his scent, liked his voice, even liked the beads of sweat trickling down his spine.When did she fall this hard?Maybe it started back when they were ambushed and narrowly escaped death… when they lived in the hospital together… when she risked falling just to climb over the balcony and see him.When she brought herself to his bed, faced her feelings for the first time, and accepted him both emotionally and physically—she had already fallen.As for her heart… it had been open to him long before that.Maybe it started with his first kiss. From that moment, her heart had already begun to waver—she j
After his cold shower, Kendrick returned to the room and climbed into bed, but he still felt a bit restless.He gazed at the little woman for a while. She looked exhausted.Not wanting to wake her, he gently pulled her nightdress down and tucked the blanket securely around her.Then he turned around, facing away from her, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.But in the twenty-something-degree room, Annabelle, now wrapped like a little cocoon, soon got uncomfortable and kicked the blanket off again.Not only that—she rolled over and draped her arm around Kendrick’s waist, hugging him from behind.Maybe because Kendrick’s body was still slightly cool from the cold shower, Annabelle loved the chilly "big body pillow" and even pressed her warm little face against his back.While tightly hugging her “old fox,” she continued her dream, still playing chess with the god of dreams.Kendrick let out a long sigh and gently held the hand around his waist, playfully tickling her palm.She didn’t w
Kendrick chuckled helplessly. “She really doesn’t use her phone much, so there’s no need to worry about her finding out on her own.”He’d seen Anna’s phone interface before—it was mostly filled with practical apps like dictionaries and period trackers. The usual social media apps? She had tucked them all away in a folder labeled "Rarely Used."Thinking of his quirky little wife, Kendrick’s mood lightened significantly.Of course, he knew that in this internet era, Anna might eventually come across the gossip herself. That’s why he hoped, by the time she did, he would have already taken care of everything.Then, when she found out, she’d know exactly where the "arrow" came from—and see clearly what became of the person who fired it.That way, she wouldn’t feel too anxious or wronged. At most, she’d just complain about how shameless the rumor-spreader was.It was the best way Kendrick could think of to minimize the harm.“Alright. I promise,” Gauge said solemnly.“Then that’s all,” Kend