CHAPTER 2

Half an hour after six o'clock, the clock stopped.Time to get moving again. When the alarm went off, Lucy got out of bed and stretched idly.

An answer from LUCID GROUP had reached her a week prior. It had been decided to accept her application. The following week, she was expected at work at nine in the morning.

Suppressing her yells of happiness, Lucy looked at the appointment letter one again. She was thrilled. Now that she was employed, she could afford the opulent lifestyle she had always wanted. She got ready for work and headed out.

As she stepped magnificently into the lift, she realized she was facing her greatest fear—Michael. After putting some makeup on, she went into the lift. She had moved past any lingering feelings and had given up on her fantasies about him. It has been six years already. She inhaled deeply before pressing a button.

"Lucy!" Michael cried out.

She turned to face him with her eyes wide, not expecting him to call out to her first.

She looked away from him and said, "Hello."

The third floor housed the marketing department. Lucy told herself, "I needed to be there." keeping her thoughts off of Michael. A gang of men emerged in the third-floor hallway as she was exiting the lift.

They were moving in her direction.

“That had to be the boss,” she told herself.

Neo was the one in the lead. Every woman in the vicinity let out piercing gasps at his entrance. Every lady had to fight to stay upright and resist falling in love with him in the face of his perfection. He embodied the ideal of the perfect man. The man who had always been by her side, providing her with all the love and support she could ask for. But that's no longer the case. She would never win his acceptance. Besides, he still thought Lucy had deceived him in order to benefit his friend. Her only goal was to avoid coming into contact with Neo or Michael at all costs.

She smelled Neo's perfume as he and his men went by her. She blew out a long breath. Her lungs flooded with the strong smells.

Neo abruptly came to an end. Without turning, he retreated a few feet before coming to a stop once more.

"Lucy?" His voice as frigid as winter, "What are you doing here?" he yelled.

It was known to her. She was in his memory.

Words came to a standstill for Lucy. She mentioned nothing that would be helpful. At last, she nibbled her lip and, experiencing an unexpected burst of bravery, blurted out, "Singin! Should my appearance here be interpreted in that manner?”

Neo's expression instantly darkened.

Lucy was clearly the first person to dare speak to him in such a manner. Everyone gasped out. The fact that she dumped him for his friend six years ago, right in front of his eyes, exacerbated matters.

Neo felt compelled to punish her for her arrogance.

Lucy realized she'd spoken too harshly. She chewed her lips again and remained mute. She grew stiff and refused to move an inch. Everyone's eyes were on her.

Neo suppressed his rage. He was not a petty man who harbored grudges. But this woman was the first to betray him and abandon him for his pal.

She had sex with him, too.

It infuriated him. The anger lingered with him for six years, which is rather incredible. He'd never been enraged for so long. And this time, it had barely left his mind. Lucy didn't look horrible. She was an incredibly attractive woman.

If only she hadn't left him for his pal. He would not have disliked her as much. He despised individuals who broke his confidence. That was why he couldn't forgive Lucy after so long.

There was something weird about her. He couldn't get her out of his mind.

He couldn't stop thinking about her, especially that morning.

It bothered him a lot. What were his thoughts? It was a woman who dumped him and slept with his pal. How could he remain drawn to her? Was he out of his mind?

Lucy had appeared before him again, openly and shamelessly. He was understandably upset.

"I thought you were never going to appear in front of me again?" Neo replied, his voice hoarse and harsh.

Lucy wanted to stay out of his sight as well. However, she had no choice. She had applied for thousands of positions, but this was the only one that approved her application. Besides, she had no idea Neo or Micheal would be there.

She needed to make a living.

Furthermore, he had not been the only victim that night. Of course, she wasn't going to tell him; instead, she murmured it to herself so no one else could hear it. Lucy made the decision to play dumb after some thought.

Neo noticed the young woman in front of him. Her stillness appeared deliberate, as if she was contemplating methods to draw closer to him. His voice was full of fury. " This is your first and final warning. Please stay out of my sight. You're not going to get another one. Do you comprehend what I'm saying?”

Lucy completely understood what he said.

It appeared certain that she did this on purpose. That she had willingly announced her existence to him. Her dreams of winning his love were dashed a long time ago. She wouldn't dare to hope. All she wanted to do was keep as far away from him as possible.

She looked down and mumbled, "I understand. "You'll never see me again."

Neo averted his sharp glance. He had no intention of spending the rest of the voyage with her. He could not endure looking at Lucy any longer. He turned around and left with his troops.

Lucy looked at the man as he walked away. Her flush eventually disappeared. Her heart dropped, but she was not disturbed. She gathered herself and went directly to her office.

Meanwhile, Neo couldn't stop picturing Lucy's face. He hadn't seen her in a long time, and despite the uneasy mood between them, he was glad to see her again.

Honestly, she was a stunningly attractive woman. If only she had not betrayed him.

He remembered how she smelled softly of fresh vanilla and sandalwood. Her perfume drew him in, and he almost kissed her. Neo's expression hardened again. What were his thoughts?

Brushing the thoughts away, Neo dug his fingers into his hair and rubbed vigorously as he entered his office.

*****

LUCID GROUP was a large firm with thousands of employees. Lucy finally realized why it was positioned in the Gagok district.

Neo had returned from the States a week before and had taken the week off to relax. The company's prior CEO had retired, leaving Neo no alternative but to take over his father's business. He was named the new CEO, while his father continued to serve as the group's chairman.

Lucy instantly felt less apprehensive. She had been concerned about having to interact with elderly guys at her first job. The type that shouts at you for every minor mistake you make. She was pleased to have both youthful and middle-aged members on her team.

She clutched her purse with care and maintained a pleasant smile. After taking her seat at her designated table, she waited for everyone to calm down before introducing herself.

" Hello, everybody. I'm Lucy Donald. This is my first day at work. Lucy's voice was as sweet and comforting as honeyed wine.

George Bins, the team's leader, was head down in drafts. Lucy's sweet voice drew him in and he snapped up right away. He was taken aback when he saw Lucy's stunning looks. His new hire appeared too beautiful to be true. George was rarely captivated by gorgeous ladies, but Lucy's beauty was out of this world. For a minute, he was entranced, unable to take his eyes off her.

George was not the only one who felt this way. It was a generic statement. Lucy felt anxious because of the silent looks. She wondered if she'd said something incorrectly. She blurted it out quickly, stammering as she repeated her introduction.

"Hello, everyone. I'm the new employee. Lucy Donald."

George finally awoke from his slumber. He gave Lucy a nice smile. "Hello and welcome to LUCID GROUP." You're now part of the family.

Honestly, what George wanted to know was if Lucy had a boyfriend. That wouldn't be proper for her first day of work.

Lucy had no idea her new employer had just fallen in love with her. She simply nodded profusely at his remarks, and everyone applauded as they welcomed her to the team. Her team leader appeared to be a really kind guy. She should get along well with him. She planned to work hard at her new job and do her best to make a livelihood. She would create something out of herself. When that day arrived, she would repay Neo what she owed him in gratitude for being there for her; only then would she be free of guilt.

Meanwhile, on the sixth level of the same building, Neo's personal assistant entered his office just as Neo had settled in. Stephany Duggs was holding a cup of fresh-brewed hot chocolate coffee. She placed it on the desk like a proper servant.

"Mr. Neo, your coffee is hot". After placing the coffee on the desk. Stephany shifted to the other side of the desk and began discussing Neo's schedule with him.

Neo raised the cup of freshly prepared coffee to his lips, sipping delicately while listening to his assistant go over the list of responsibilities he had for the day.

"Mr. Neo, you have a meeting with the stockholders at 11:00 a.m. Following the meeting, you will have lunch with the chairman at 12:30. "The Chairman of SIGNATURE COUTURE had invited you to tea at half past four this afternoon." Stephany said as she read him the schedule specifics for his first day of work.

Neo took a minute to reflect on the Chairman of SIGNATURE COUTURE. His voice had a frigid tone, like winter. "Who is the Chairman of SIGNATURE COUTURE?" Are you referring to Chairman Bang?

"That is correct, Mr. Neo. Chairman Bang had invited you to tea.

Neo scoffed. His eyes were filled with anger. "It sounds like he's attempting to steal my things."

Tea? That was merely an excuse.

The Bangs are one of five prominent families in Southern Caryl. Along with the Biggs, Carters, Bakers, and Milians, they were managed and controlled by the most prominent companies and businesses in Caryl and across the country. Their extensive business network frequently created tensions and disagreements.

While the Biggs and the Carters were long-term collaborators and family friends, the Bakers, Bangs and Milians had been bitter rivals for years, fighting both openly and secretly.

The Biggs were by far the most powerful of the five families. They have ruled over the other four families for the past five years.

The Bangs, who had lately acquired new fortune, never forgot this, and they never ceased seeking to dethrone the Biggs.

Neo had known about their aim for a long time.

Neo knew he couldn't underestimate the Bangs' cooperation with the Bakers and the Milians. Consequently, he did not dare to overlook the Bangs' partnership with the Bakers and Milians, despite the fact that they were adversaries. As a result, he did not dare to engage them without a nuanced and tactical approach.