Moreover, Eranthe wouldn't need to handle these collaborations personally. Vice President Hill and the decision-makers above could handle the negotiations, but the credit would be attributed to Eranthe.
"What? You won't even give face to this?" Ines teased.
"Of course not. I'll go handle the work first," Eranthe replied without refusal.
Watching her, Ines increasingly felt that Eranthe, independent of Colin, was gradually climbing the corporate ladder and earning recognition from higher-ups. She demonstrated a sense of balance, boundaries, and discretion.
Ines chose a high-end luxury shopping area for their spree. She even carried a bunch of flowers, thinking that Eranthe's office couldn't accommodate them, so she might as well take a few for herself. It was a small gain from Colin's favor.
Eranthe's outing was mainly to accompany Ines and her friends. Clearly, these ladies were regular customers, and the salesperson was astonished when they entere
"Oh! Here comes my fiancé." Kamilia waved towards someone behind Eranthe. Kamilia brushed past Eranthe and directly embraced the man's arm. The man seemed a bit impatient, "Why did it take you so long? My mom has been waiting for quite a while." Kamilia pouted, "I met an old classmate, didn't I? Here, Eranthe, meet my fiancé, Jesse Brown." Eranthe smiled and nodded, "Hello." That seemed sufficient. However, to her surprise, Jesse's eyes lit up as he looked at Eranthe, and after a quick once-over, he extended his hand, "So, you're an old classmate. What should I call you?" Kamilia discreetly pulled his hand back, "Her name is Eranthe Taylor. She used to be the famous campus beauty at our school. We lost touch after she transferred." "Oh, I see. Since our old classmate is out shopping, how about joining us?" Jesse warmly suggested. Kamilia felt a bit embarrassed. Eranthe replied directly, "No need, my friend is st
"First, he asked me for the number. Second, I'm not interested in any taken man, so there's no such thing as me being obsessed with someone else's man. Third, from the beginning to the end, it was you guys who insisted on dragging me along to shop. Did I ever say I wanted to leave?"The store was not crowded with customers. Even with Ines and the others, only Jesse's couple was present. However, now that a conflict had arisen, the shop assistant naturally came out to mediate, and her words subtly favored Eranthe.Everyone knew that a few wealthy girls just bought clothes and bags for her, and all of it was already being packed.Who has money and who doesn't, it's hard to deceive the sharp-eyed shop assistants.Although this man is dressed in branded clothing from head to toe, compared to those with deep roots and wealth accumulated over several generations, he falls short by a significant margin.The only reason he's valuable is that he's Kamilia's
Kamilia felt a pang of jealousy. Were a few bags too much for her to afford now?Just as she was thinking, bags of packed items were sent down, almost emptying the entire store.As for the bag Kamilia had her eyes on, it was also packed and taken away."Hey, that's the one I liked," Kamilia protested.Jesse couldn't stop her; he just covered his face, feeling that this woman was behaving so poorly today!"Is everything you lay your eyes on automatically yours? I thought this mall was named after you." Ines rolled her eyes, her words capable of infuriating anyone."What should I call you?" Matthew, sitting on a nearby single sofa with his legs crossed, asked Jesse.Jesse swallowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Clark. I'm Jesse Brown. Here's my business card."Jesse handed it over, but Matthew glanced at it and didn't take it.Neither accepting nor rejecting it, he seemed indifferent.Kamilia, unable to bear seeing her man
Feeling embarrassed, Kamilia couldn't let it go. She knew Jesse had a wandering eye, and there she was, showing off their affection in front of Eranthe, only to find her man asking for another woman's number."Sorry, is that enough?" Kamilia said, clearly dissatisfied.Jesse quickly tried to smooth things over, "I'll cover all of Miss. Taylor's expenses today as an apology."Kamilia widened her eyes. After begging him for so long just to buy her mom a bag, he was now offering to cover Eranthe's expenses? What if Eranthe decided to pick the most expensive items?"You don't need to," Frank spoke.Today, he wore a khaki-colored trench coat, giving him a well-defined and structured look. When he walked in, Kamilia found it hard to look away.He was taller and more imposing than Jesse, the comparison made her realize that her so-called golden son-in-law in ASSYRIA was nothing.Faced with the people around Eranthe, he had to nod and bow.
Eranthe actually wanted to break free, but Ines pulled her, saying, "Exactly, Frank is going to give it to you anyway. You have so many things, and you can't carry them back. Why not find someone to help carry them?"Eranthe was speechless. She didn't even want those things at all.The diamond shop was right downstairs. They went down from the elevator, and Matthew was already sitting inside, examining the diamond set.There's a delicate snuff bottle inside."If you like it, you can pick it."She was looking at the jade fan on the shelf when a deep and rich male voice sounded from behind.Eranthe turned her head, and Matthew had already averted his gaze. "Colin took a jade hairpin from here before. He said it's for you. Originally, there was also a set of matching jade bracelets and earrings. Want to take a look?"Eranthe was about to decline since she didn't plan to accept the jade hairpin either, but the saleswoman had already taken
If the anklet were on her ankle, it would undoubtedly be delicate and suitable for admiring. Colin's eyes deepened. Morris immediately understood, "I get it. I'll contact the organizers and reserve it for you, so it won't be taken away early." Colin glanced at him with a salty expression, and Morris closed his mouth. Colin retrieved his phone, "Go ask Ines what she wants. Send a gift to the Torres family, consider it my thank-you gift to her." "Okay, Mr. Rodriguez." Seeing Morris had more to say, Colin asked directly, "What is it?" Morris hesitated, "Well, I want to take a leave at the end of the month." "Approved. By the way, I overheard your phone call earlier. Does your nephew want to transfer schools?" Morris was surprised, "I don't want to trouble Mr. Rodriguez with that." Being Colin's assistant was prestigious everywhere, but Morris was a person with discretion and didn't dare to ask for too much. Colin liked people who knew their boundaries, "It's just a small matte
"Eat! Why not? I've finally secured a reservation for the tomahawk steak. Let him foot the bill; Mr. Wilson shouldn't have an issue with that amount of money," Oriel whispered.Frank slightly opened one eye, "Hmm, I happen to not know what to eat tonight, thanks.""Eat, eat, eat, eat yourself to death!" Oriel muttered quietly, turned around and got into the car from the other side, slamming the door loudly.Eranthe got into the back seat.Frank saw a message from Ines saying that Eranthe hadn't taken her shopping bags, the ones they had presented her.Frank sent her a message, "Have someone package it and discreetly deliver it to Ashly Group.""Understood!"Eranthe originally wanted to ask Oriel where she had been during this time, why there was no news. But she noticed that the atmosphere was a bit tense...Especially the way Oriel was driving, it seemed like she was about to kill someone.Frank also didn't know why he
"The little puppy is escorting your little sister home. I can't just barge in, right? Brother, good luck to you."Colin received the message, and his mood instantly shifted from clear to partly cloudy.Meanwhile, Morris was happily anticipating a good year-end bonus, only for Colin to drop the bombshell, "This year's year-end bonus will be deducted by a quarter."Morris was petrified. How could this happen? What on earth happened?Colin was displeased; it seems Jayden still isn't busy enough.He took advantage of every opportunity to approach Eranthe.Now, his business trip really wasn't the best timing. If only he had known not to keep her so busy, so busy that there wasn't even time for him.Eranthe remained oblivious to the impending storm until Frank stood behind her, watching Jayden, and said, "The steak is getting cold; better eat it quickly."While Jayden was being stared at by Frank, he, being a man, naturally sensed th
Eranthe replied, "If I had no conscience, I wouldn't give you medicine to take."Colin turned his head in frustration.Morris arrived promptly upon hearing that Colin was ill, and Eranthe happened to be handing over her shift to him."Follow the instructions on the medicine label for him. I've prepared hot water. Just remember to close the door when you leave," Eranthe said, aware that she had only half an hour for her commute and couldn't linger.Morris nodded repeatedly but then noticed the deathly stare from his boss."Miss Taylor.""Yes?""Today, I also need to take a day off with Mr. Rodriguez. Could you please take care of him?""Today's schedule is packed for me. I can't look after him," Eranthe replied, well aware of Morris's tactics. His loyalty was clearly with Colin.Morris was quick on his feet. "Miss Taylor, my mom is coming to Assyria City today. I was planning to take the afternoon off anyway. Mr. Rodrigue
Colin raised an eyebrow in disappointment, then spread out the sheets and lay down with the cat.But clearly, he couldn't sleep. The scent of the woman still lingered in the air, constantly tempting him and making him feel uncomfortably hot.He decided to take off his shirt, his long legs hanging off the sofa because it was too small for him to stretch out fully.Every time he closed his eyes, he pictured her exceptionally enchanting appearance.Inside the house, Eranthe tossed and turned, feeling like her territory had been invaded. She regretted not ignoring him.Why was this so troublesome? If only she had ignored him, she would have fallen asleep by now.After lying in bed for half an hour without feeling drowsy, she scratched her head, feeling the need to use the bathroom. But the bathroom was outside the room...What if that dog suddenly pounced on her?If he dared, she would punch him.Eranthe silently vowed, lift
Eranthe: ...She really wanted to smash this guy with the water bottle."Go home!"If she kept listening to him, she might start feeling a little soft-hearted.Colin smiled subtly and followed her casually, like a large dog.On the way home, Eranthe repeated multiple times not to take advantage of any opportunity to enter her home.Colin agreed readily, and when it came time to open the door, she insisted on watching him enter before she unlocked it, like she was guarding against a thief.Colin asked, "Are you really sure you don't need me to escort you home?""Mr. Rodriguez, I'm already home.""What if someone unwelcome shows up at your place?"Eranthe laughed, "Then I'll call the police. It's scarier letting you in. Maybe you should worry more about whether there's a headless ghost under your bed at night, or someone staring at you from outside your window."After saying this, Eranthe watched with satisfa
"..." Eranthe concluded that communicating with him was indeed asking for trouble.Eranthe opened the door to leave, and Colin followed.Eranthe cursed inwardly. She had let her guard down. It seemed Colin had taken advantage of the moment to change his clothes, and now he was accompanying her to eat."Mr. Rodriguez, someone of your stature shouldn't be playing the role of a tracker," Eranthe remarked."No, of course not," Colin assured her."Let's hope you stick to that," Eranthe responded skeptically."Agreed."The two entered the elevator. "Where are you headed, Mr. Rodriguez?""Depends on my mood.""..." What a watertight answer! Depending on his mood meant wherever she was going, he would follow!The elevator quickly arrived, and as luck would have it, they encountered the elderly lady downstairs again."Oh dear, finished your meal, young couple? Going out for a stroll?"Eranthe smiled awkwardly
Wasn't he just trying to make her insist he stay?"Forget it, sit down and eat. It's like I'm bullying you," she muttered.Colin moved closer. "Miss Taylor, are you inviting me?"He glanced at his watch. "During my working hours, I'm not allowed to eat with clients, but if a client requests it, I can provide additional services.""What additional services? Dishwashing?""A deep kiss.""Eh?" Eranthe gave him a deadpan smile. "You're fired.""My employer isn't Miss Taylor, so you don't have the authority for that, but you can complain.""And the solution to complaints—is it also a kiss?"Colin remained serious, adopting an austere expression. "Miss Taylor, I'm here for part-time work, not to sell myself."Eranthe couldn't stomach her meal after that.“Colin, are you even serious? Should I start a fundraiser to buy you a mirror?” Eranthe retorted, still seething.This guy had the audac
Then, as if in disbelief, the doorbell rang."I'm sorry, Miss Taylor, it seems the nutritionist has arrived. We've already paid, so it would be awkward to send him away."Eranthe: ...Why did you even schedule this?!It's just stirring up trouble for no reason!She didn't want to take it out on innocent people, so she hung up the phone and went to open the door, expecting to see a lady but finding a tall man at the door instead.Eranthe burst out laughing, "Mr. Rodriguez.""When did you start moonlighting as a nutritionist?" Eranthe crossed her arms, eager to hear what else he could come up with.Colin raised an eyebrow, "Just bored after work, making some extra cash."He gestured to come inside, leaving Eranthe speechless. She was also worried about leaving the door open and the cat suddenly darting out.Once Colin successfully entered, it was just like before—efficiently grabbing onions, ginger, and garlic
Most likely, Colin was just there as a witness the whole time.Eranthe adjusted her position, leaning closer to the car window, and closed her eyes again.When she woke up once more, it was to the sound of honking outside the window.She suddenly looked as night fell, turning her head abruptly to meet the man's dark gaze.She jumped slightly, and Colin said casually, "Awake?"Eranthe checked the time and realized it was already 7:40. She must have slept quite a while in the car. "Why didn't you wake me?" she asked.She opened the car door. "Thank you for driving me back."As she picked up her bag to head home, she noticed Colin was also getting out of the car.Eranthe halted her steps. "Are you planning to come to my house?"Colin admitted nonchalantly, "Yes."Eranthe was incredulous. "Mr. Rodriguez, don't play dumb. Wasn't I clear enough?"Colin replied, "Shouldn't a pursuer safely escort you to the doorst
Alexis wasn't under Mr. Hill Vice President Hill's jurisdiction, so he didn't react much either.After the meeting dispersed, Eranthe clearly noticed several leaders looking displeased.Just as Mr. Hill Vice President Hill was giving Eranthe instructions about which projects to prioritize next, Eranthe was taking notes with her pen when she saw the hotel manager rushing over to a group of leaders."What's going on?" Eranthe watched as the leaders headed towards the coffee shop, and shortly after, police cars arrived.It seemed they were trying to contain the situation and were ordered to return to the city promptly.Eranthe had already checked out and didn't want to get involved in others' affairs. She hoped to catch a ride with Mr. Hill Vice President Hill, but then she saw him being called away as well."Forget about it, let's all go back," Eranthe muttered to herself as she turned around, but then Colin's phone call came through.S
"Okay, if you really end up with Eranthe, I'll learn from you.""Does Oriel really want to be with you? Just flattering yourself," Colin, in a bad mood, retorted sharply.Frank sighed, "Ah, men without a sex life are truly terrifying."Colin ignored him.From behind the water feature, voices could be heard.Although not loud, with few guests around, the conversation was clear."That woman is really pretty, almost like those female celebrities on TV.""Were you trained with her before? Do you know what she's like? Is she easy to get? With looks like hers, she must have plenty of suitors.""I heard she has some connection with that Miller family whose son, Eric Miller, dated her for a few months. They've probably split up now, and there are quite a few guys chasing her in the company.""I think with a woman like her, you could win her over with a bit of money. Just a few dates and you could sleep with her.""Alexis,