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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 a
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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
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"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
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“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
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"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
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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
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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
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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
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Rivals to Lovers Ch89 - Keep secret
Just after confirming their relationship, Alaric wanted to take things to the next level—bringing Lena to meet his family. He was eager to announce the good news to the world.Lena's pupils shrank slightly. She suddenly recalled that Alaric’s mother had visited her office not long ago, probing her, trying to confirm that she had no romantic feelings for Alaric.She had put on a flawless act back then.If she treated social interactions like high-stakes business deals worth millions, she could conceal her emotions without a trace.But now, Alaric had blindsided her with his confession.One moment, she was putting on a front of complete indifference in front of his mother, Daisy. The next, she’d be showing up
Rivals to Lovers Ch88 - Boyfriend
Feelings are like a floodgate that, once opened, cannot be closed. Alaric had no intention of trying to hold it back.When Lena’s breathing finally steadied, Alaric slowly pulled back, meeting her gaze filled with tenderness. He cupped her cheek gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.If not for the constraints of time and place, he would have held her until the night deepened.Exhaling softly, he shifted his gaze to rein in his emotions, straightened her shirt, and brushed stray strands of hair behind her ear.“Thirsty?” he asked.Lena nodded, taking the glass of water he handed her and drinking most of it in one go. The water felt like sweet relief, helping her regain clarity.
Rivals to Lovers Ch87 - Our 17 and 27
Lena read on with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. The letter went like this:“Seen the report card? I got first place this time, and you’re second. Don’t make that face like you’re not convinced. I know you’re already plotting how to beat me next time. Victory doesn’t come easy, especially when your rival is me.But, if you’re willing, we could work together to grow stronger instead of fighting like it’s life or death every day. Let me know in 24 hours.—Your rival, and the only one who gets to call you an idiot.”The handwriting was youthful but neat. The content was... immature.
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Her words brought a long silence.Lena had no idea she completely missed the point.She shot back with fierce momentum, expecting an instant rebuttal from Alaric. But he didn’t respond.Instead, he pressed one hand against the bookshelf behind her, leaning in close, his gaze fixed straight on her. His eyes locked on the tips of her long, dark lashes, glimmering faintly in the light.“No problem. This way, you can take responsibility for sleeping with me.”What?Lena froze as if struck by lightning. He’s bringing up something from centuries ago again.If he said that just to score a quick win and banter with her, well—he won.
Rivals to Lovers Ch85 - Marry who?
Lena’s gaze was fixed on the ground as she focused entirely on the conversation over the phone, completely oblivious to the person standing by the door.On the other end of the call, Cassian sounded hesitant. “Owen didn’t exactly ask me to help arrange a meeting with you.”So, he’s asking for money?Lena wasn’t surprised. Her family had taken such a huge risk agreeing with Dolphin Real Estate’s scheme to bring down Winfield, only for nothing to come of it. Winfield emerged unscathed—in fact, the rumors about her and Alaric only seemed to have amplified the attention on Winfield Real estate.The six-percent stock drop they experienced had not only recovered but was now trending upward. Even their future projects, li
Rivals to Lovers Ch84 - Losing to him
Lena had been so busy since Tuesday that she barely had time to sleep. At work, she was collaborating with the PR department to steer the company clear of a string of negative press. In her personal life, she was discussing the most advantageous legal strategies with her lawyer.During this time, she received dozens of anonymous calls. She figured they were either reporters or her brother, who was probably itching to hurl more sarcastic remarks her way. Her lawyer advised her to avoid any private contact with them. Even if they couldn’t elicit anything incriminating from her, it might still complicate future court proceedings.“If there’s anything to be said, let it go through the lawyers,” The once-fiery public sentiment about the "adopted daughter turned ingrate" had now died down completely. Fred, surprisingly protective of his significant other, had hurried off to Dolphin Real estate to address the issue himself, determined not to let any
Rivals to Lovers Ch83 - Cash in on favor
Lena didn’t realize that Alaric had gone out in the afternoon until he returned, and only then did she discover he’d paid a visit to Hawthorne Construction. Since Stellan’s downfall, there was no longer any doubt about Hawthorne’s successor. It had always been clear that Fred was the top contender. Whether in terms of work capability or temperament, Fred was far steadier than Stellan had ever been. Naturally, Alaric’s visit this time was to meet Fred. Although their last meeting had been far from pleasant, Lena had privately handed over evidence of Stellan supplying substandard materials to Fred instead of making it public. Lena didn’t have to do that. Even though Stellan was solely responsible, exposing the matter would have only hurt the company’s business and led to incalculable losses. Thus, Fred owed them a favor. Alaric’s visit today was to cash in on that favor. Even if Fred didn’t like Alaric one bit, he still maintained proper etiquet
Rivals to Lovers Ch 82 - Two similar mind
Lena kept thinking about it and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously off with Alaric. He was always meticulous at work, never allowing even the slightest imperfection. Yet, he seemed to tolerate the trending topics linking the two of them. Wasn’t he the one who despised having their relationship misinterpreted?Sure, they had shared some physical encounters in the past, but that didn’t mean anything.Some of Alaric’s words and actions, however, unintentionally sparked unrealistic fantasies in her mind. Lena had always prided herself on her self-control, but she always seemed to crumble in his presence.Sitting in her office, she swiveled her chair slowly, one foot dragging against the floor as she turned to face the window. The reflection in the glass showed her silhouette.
Rivals to Lovers Ch 81 - Golden Couple of Real Estate
Everyone was watching the drama unfold, saying this time Lena had really hit a wall. Winfield was thrown into chaos, with rumors flying that they’d eventually fire her.They also mocked Winfield, thinking they’d hired a great helper, but instead, the company’s reputation was now in shambles.What no one expected, though, was that within just two hours of the public uproar, Winfield had already instructed the PR department to release a statement on behalf of CEO Alaric.The statement declared that every employee had been hired through legal means and strongly condemned false reports and any behavior that tarnished the company’s reputation.The gossiping crowd dissected the statement repeatedly, but there was no hint of blame directed at any employee.Around 4:30 p.m., Lena glanced out the window and saw the swarm of people still gathered outside the office building.The security team was doing an excellent job, not letting a single journalist slip in. But Lena, having seen it all at he
