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Ch28 - Just a kiss
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2024-12-02 21:00:00As soon as Alaric stepped into the suite, Lena grabbed him by the collar with surprising force. His first thought: Again with the collar? She already ripped off two buttons last time.
Lena’s eyes were red as she released him, pointing straight at him. “What the hell did you do to me?”“What? Don’t make stuff up!” Alaric’s panic was obvious; his eyes widened as he realized that none of his mental preparations included being suddenly interrogated like this.“Making stuff up?” Lena’s skeptical gaze closed in on him. Alaric’s back hit the wall, leaving him with nowhere to retreat. She held up the items in her hand. “Then explain why I have two of your buttons.”It was a custom brand, after all. Alaric hesitated, found himself at a loss for words.Lena scrutinized his expression, looking for clues. One of the buttons was from the night after a business meeting, but what about the other one? She distinctly remembered leaving the bar with Diya and going up to her room aRelated chapters
Rivals to Lovers Ch29 - Relying self
Lena’s new job—her family must have heard about it by now. But she hadn’t received any messages from them. She figured it was because her brother must have told their parents about the frozen 15 million dollar right after meeting her. As Owen had pointed out, she had lost all her "value" in their eyes. Add to that their father being investigated for embezzlement, they were probably lying low to avoid attention. She doubted they’d reach out to her anytime soon.She had a sliver of hope her parents might at least try to explain, but after waiting so long, there was nothing.Before starting her new job, Lena filed a complaint with the corporate registration authorities to revoke her position as a legal representative. After reviewing the relevant documents and facts, the business bureau notified her of the result—the representative change had been annulled.Lena heaved a sigh of relief. The weight on her shoulders felt a little lighter. Her lawyer handling the civil case su
Last Updated : 2024-12-03Rivals to Lovers Ch30 - Intense Match
"Next Monday morning is the regular meeting. On Tuesday afternoon, a supplier has requested a visit. Also, at the beginning of next month, the company is organizing a team-building event for management, sort of like a mid-year gathering," Iris reported to Lena early in the morning as they stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the office. Lena, uninterested in such activities, shrugged. After all, she was new to the company and hadn’t gotten to know her colleagues well. "I’m not going," she said bluntly. Iris looked troubled. "But attendance is mandatory for all senior management." "What kind of ridiculous rule is that? Can’t I just opt out?" Lena said, clearly annoyed. Iris, wiping the sweat from her back, nervously explained, "This policy was set by the CEO. The idea is to foster camaraderie and teamwork among colleagues, which is why there’s a team-building activity every six months." Lena’s eyes lit up with an idea. "Well,
Last Updated : 2024-12-04Rivals to Lovers Ch31 - A Great Pair
"Haha, feels like we're just here to make up the numbers. These two really go all out, whether it's work or games—so intense and serious," joked the company’s legal counsel, Lucy.The employees wiped their sweat while nodding in agreement with Lucy's comment.Someone from another team said, "I was so nervous earlier, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. There weren't just one, but two big bosses in the game! They could pop out from anywhere and shoot me down!""You two teams are absolutely insane. We may have lost, but we lost with honor."A simple shooting game had broken the ice, bringing everyone closer together and creating a warm atmosphere.During the lunch break, the game remained the hot topic of conversation."Lena, you were so cool earlier!" The Yellow Team members surrounded Lena at lunch, offering her various dishes, their admiration practically overflowing from their eyes."Right at the start, bang bang, two shots, immediate
Last Updated : 2024-12-05Rivals to Lovers Ch32 - Unfamiliar feeling
“You’ll be in charge of defense.”The afternoon activities included a strategy game followed by a water balloon battle at 3 PM. Six teams of ten were formed by random draw instead of self-selection, and Lena, like it or not, ended up on the same team as Alaric. Her injured leg was swelling more, but she didn’t consider bowing out—leaving her team a player short wasn’t an option. Before she could say a word, Alaric laid out the strategy: her job was simple—stay back and defend their fort.“Just one person on defense? That's enough?” Lena asked skeptically.Alaric smirked, picking up a water balloon. “One is more than enough. They won’t even get close.”She frowned at his retreating back. The confidence of this man was absolutely unmatched.Fifteen minutes into the game, his words rang true. Not a single opponent had come within striking distance of their fort.The referees kept calling out their team’s name, as the other five teams engaged in a chaotic free-fo
Last Updated : 2024-12-06Rivals to Lovers Ch33 - You are not cable
"Wake up!" Alaric gave her a few light pats."What's going on?" the company’s legal counsel, Lucy, one of the few who managed to hold out till the end, slurred her words as she spoke.Alaric initially thought of asking Lucy to take Lena home, but that plan quickly went out the window. He waved dismissively. "Nothing, she's just resting. You should head home."Lucy seemed to catch on to something and flashed him a knowing smile. "Good luck, Alaric. I'm rooting for you!""What? No, it’s not like that!" he immediately protested.She smirked, gesturing with two fingers from her eyes to him. "You can fool others, but not me. That look in your eyes says it all."Alaric sighed. "I think you’re drunk. Let me call a car for you."One down, one to go.Maybe he should just leave Lena at the bar? She’d wake up and sort herself out.He paced outside for a while, then turned back. As soon as he stepped in, he saw someone next to her—a colleague from Procurement
Last Updated : 2024-12-07Rivals to Lovers Ch34 - Sleeping together
Alaric pinched her cheek, "Don’t think you can get away with saying these things just because you’re drunk."Lena giggled foolishly.He rubbed his temples. "Forget it, arguing with a drunk is pointless. Wait..." A mischievous grin spread across his face as an idea struck him. Raising his phone, he teased, "I’m gonna record your goofy, drunk face and let you die of embarrassment when you’re sober tomorrow. Hahaha..."On camera, Lena puffed up one cheek indignantly, hands on her hips. "You wouldn’t dare!"She jumped several times but couldn’t reach his phone. Desperate, she climbed onto the sofa, determined to grab it. Alaric yelped, "Whoa, are you crazy? Get down from there!"She nearly hung entirely off of him, putting all her strength into reaching the phone. One arm looped around his neck while the other stretched upward with all her might. Alaric’s face almost ended up buried against her chest. Not to be outdone, he leaned back and held the phone further out o
Last Updated : 2024-12-08Rivals to Lovers Ch35 - Classmate
Apparently, the team-building event on Saturday was a blast. Everyone said Alaric even led the group to win a few games. So why did he come back on Monday with such a long face? Zayn tiptoed into the CEO's office with great caution. Even when Alaric was in a bad mood, he never took it out on his subordinates for no reason. However, nobody dared to talk to him about anything beyond work. Even Ivy, the usually composed and mature executive secretary, quietly asked Zayn, “Why does the boss look as grim as coal today?” “I have no idea! I feel so tense right now. The air pressure in the office is so heavy I can barely breathe,” Zayn said, clutching his neck. “Do you think someone messed up and pissed him off? But it’s only 9:30, and the weekly meeting hasn’t even started yet,” Ivy speculated. “This morning in the elevator, I overheard some colleagues saying the team-building event was super fun. I’m actually regretting not going.” Zayn si
Last Updated : 2024-12-09Rivals to Lovers Ch36 - Fiancée
Back in April, they had jointly acquired a coastal plot of land in Z Country that had been abandoned for ten years. Now, three months later, rumors were spreading, and it was clear that plenty of people had approached Alaric with offers to buy the land. “The purchase price was 1.18 billion,” Alaric explained. “Now, two foreign developers are offering 1.8 and 1.85 billion for it. What do you think?” Lena immediately saw through him. He wasn’t asking her opinion about whether the price was good enough—he had something else in mind. Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to discuss this outside of the office? “If I’m not mistaken, you’re planning to keep the land and develop it yourself, aren’t you?” Alaric’s lips curled into a smile. “Exactly. I love talking to smart people. Besides, now that you’re part of our company, it’ll be much easier to manage the development.” He wasn’t wrong. On both personal and professional fronts, developing the land could only be ad
Last Updated : 2024-12-10
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Rivals to Lovers Ch45 - Honest body
Lena glanced at Alaric, who hadn’t moved a muscle. Lowering her eyes, she swiftly swung her legs off the bed. “Forget it. I’m not thick-skinned enough to hog your bed. I’ll just—”As she brushed past him, her dress lightly swept against his leg. In an instant, Alaric’s hand encircled her waist, pulling her back against him. Her back pressed against his rising and falling chest, and even through the fabric, she could feel the heat emanating from his legs, now supporting her seated on his lap.Her breath hitched, and a gravelly voice murmured by her ear, “Be honest, were you thinking about sleeping with me?”The words were nearly the same as before, but the tone was completely different. The air had shifted. Lena’s heart pounded chaotically. She
Rivals to Lovers Ch44 - Faint-heart
Lena’s heart skipped a beat as she turned her head, finding Alaric standing there, hands in his pockets, a playful smirk on his face."Finished most of that coffee, huh? Aren’t you worried it’ll keep you up even more?" he teased.A small flicker of relief washed over her, but she quickly masked it, turning her head away with a huff. Of all things, he’d managed to track her down and call out her excuse. She lightly touched her cheek with her fingertips, glancing upward. "And what about you? What are you doing down here? How’d you even know I was at the café?""You’re afraid of ghosts, so obviously you’d stay somewhere well-lit," he said matter-of-factly, taking a seat across from her."
Rivals to Lovers Ch43 - Urban legends
Lena ignored the architect's puzzled look. After carefully studying the drawing, she looked up and said, “This design is solid, no doubt. But I do have a question—when designing this linear layout, did you take the impact of wind direction and sunlight on the residents into account? Considering we’re by the seaside, it’s a crucial factor.”The two architects froze, seemingly caught off guard. Lena's focused gaze bore into them, prompting a response after a brief pause. One of them replied, “We’re addressing it by enhancing window sealing. As for the wind direction…”The other quickly added, “We’ll reassess the building’s orientation to see if adjustments are needed.”Lena nodded slightly before pointing out, “Another thing—I n
Rivals to Lovers Ch42 - Business trip
When Lena got home, she leaned against the wall, taking several deep breaths. She was terrified that if she’d walked any slower, the words “Do you want to come up for a bit?” would have slipped out of her mouth.She kicked off her heels, tossed her bag aside, and buried her fingers in her hair, exasperated. “What’s wrong with you, Lena? Have you lost your mind?” she muttered, scolding herself. Her hair became as disheveled as her thoughts. She couldn’t let herself repeat the mistake she made last time—getting drunk and accidentally sleeping with him. No way. Not again....Even if his physique and skills were—Stop!She hurried into the kitchen and gulped down some ice water. The sudden
Rivals to Lovers Ch41 - Physical attraction
Cassian quietly stepped out of Tessa’s room. “Sorry about that—she fell asleep.”Lena guessed as much. “Her love for naps hasn’t changed one bit since she was a kid.”He sighed. “Exactly. I told her to finish just two pages of homework, and not even an hour later, she passed out at her desk.”Lena chuckled. “See? You do spoil her.”“What can I do? She’s my only sister.” He shook his head with a helpless smile. “Next time, I’ll invite you over earlier and cook for you to make up for tonight.”Lena’s eyes lit up. “Really? You better tell me in advance then, so I can skip dinner the day before!”
Rivals to Lovers Ch40 - Old neighbour
As soon as Lena entered Cassian's apartment, a teenage girl, around 14 or 15, came running out of the hallway. Her curly auburn hair matched Cassian's.Lena froze for a moment. The girl she remembered as barely waist-high had suddenly grown so much taller."Brother, you're back!" Tessa exclaimed, throwing her arms around Cassian. He gently patted her head—a habit he had with younger girls. "Look who’s here," he said, gesturing toward Lena.Tessa turned her head curiously and said, "Huh? Who’s this pretty lady? Is she your girlfriend? She looks familiar."Lena chuckled, "I’m not your brother’s girlfriend. But do you remember how you used to run to my house whenever your brother scolded you and you didn’t want to go home?"
Rivals to Lovers Ch39 - Need a explanation
Alaric picked up his phone, glanced at it quickly, didn’t type a single word, and put it away again. His expression turned two shades colder than before.Emma tried to keep the conversation going, but he clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk. His replies grew noticeably shorter.Thinking he might just be overworked and tired, Emma reminded herself of the research she had done before this blind date. Alaric had managed a large company at such a young age, and that alone had earned her admiration before they even met. She didn’t want to let go of such a high-quality match.The main course was finished, and dessert was served. Emma picked up her dessert fork but didn’t take a bite. Instead, she said, “I know you’re here because, like me, your parents pushed you into it. Honestly, I hate this kind of thing, t
Rivals to Lovers Ch38 - Blind date
"Alright, I’m heading out." Alaric placed his napkin on the table, getting ready to stand up.A hand reached across the table and gently pressed down on his.“Alaric, you just got here. You haven’t even warmed the chair and you’re already leaving?” It was Alaric’s mother, Daisy, speaking. She had been pestering him for ages to come home, and now that he finally showed up for dinner, she wasn’t going to let him off so easily. "It’s Friday evening—surely you don’t have anything urgent to do? Stay a little longer.”“I have a few reports to review for Monday’s meeting,” Alaric replied, pulling his hand back as he stood.Mrs. Winfield, not wanting to confront her son directly, redirected her frustration toward her husband, Albert. “Look at you! You handed over the company to him so early, and now he’s too busy to have a life of his own.”Albert was busy staring at his phone.Irritated, Daisy snatched it away.Startled, Albert blinked in confusion. He had been
Rivals to Lovers Ch37 - Conflict
On Thursday afternoon, the meeting was in full swing.The special meeting focused on the project The Corner in Zone 2, unlike the regular Monday meetings. Lena brought three of her deputies, striving to push for an extension on the project’s delivery deadline.Lena presented her reasoning for why the project required more time than initially planned. She pointed out discrepancies in the early calculations and emphasized the importance of execution quality. “Since this is the company’s first build-to-rent project, I firmly believe we should prioritize quality,” she stated.Alaric, however, disagreed. “The schedule has already been delayed due to previous repairs. There’s no room for further extension. I need to see this project completed by the end of January next year.”His tone was resolute.“Rushing the delivery will lead to inevitable flaws and affect our future leasing potential. Please reconsider quality as a priority,” Lena urged.“No. Our marketing cam
