Heath, with a mischievous grin, gestured to the waiter to take their order.Then, he leaned in and raised an eyebrow at Logan. ‘Don’t you see it?’Logan narrowed his eyes and took a drag of his cigarette. ‘See what?’‘Alessia’s got a tight bond with her younger sister, Veronica, but not so much with her elder sister, Connie,’ Heath pointed out.‘Yeah, I’m not blind. It’s pretty obvious,’ Logan responded, a bit irked.Heath nodded knowingly. ‘Both of them got the boot from Redwood Group, which is Connie’s domain. So, Alessia and Veronica had to rely on each other.’‘And?’ Logan questioned.‘They’ve been through thick and thin together, that’s why their relationship is rock solid.’Logan waved his hand dismissively. ‘I get it. No need for the lecture.’Heath continued, ‘Don’t let jealousy get the best of you just because she cares more about her sister. Her sister means the world to her.’Logan’s brows furrowed, irritation creeping in.He tried to stay calm.Heath advised, ‘If you want
Alessia stood there, her eyes wide with surprise.She nodded and whispered, ‘But what’s your angle in all of this?’Logan was left dumbfounded.He felt unjustly accused.Did Alessia genuinely think so little of him?He’d only been trying to win her over by treating her loved ones with kindness.This was a misunderstanding, and he couldn’t let it stand.Alessia noticed Logan’s silence and smiled knowingly, convinced of her own correctness.Logan’s frustration grew with each passing moment.‘Alessia,’ he finally spoke, ‘I want you. If you’re game, I won’t hold back.’Alessia blushed and hissed, ‘Logan, we’re in the office. Keep it professional.’Logan chuckled, his frustration evident. ‘Never mind. I’ve clearly made a poor impression on you. Why should I bother?’Alessia looked at him, perplexed. ‘What are you trying to say?’Suddenly, a voice interrupted them from outside.Both Alessia and Logan turned towards the door, where they saw Lee entering.Lee greeted Alessia with a friendly s
‘Distracting?’ Logan arched an eyebrow and mockingly repeated her words.Then, with a sneer, he added, ‘Well, perhaps you need to work on your multitasking skills. Seems like it’s lacking.’Alessia rolled her eyes.This guy was downright intimidating.She locked eyes with him and retorted, ‘It’s clear you can’t control your desires. It’s quite annoying.’Logan shot back, ‘You’re right. I’m your boyfriend. It’s only natural that I’d want to sleep with you. And your constant rejections are getting on my nerves.’Alessia was left dumbfounded by his bluntness.Logan was unapologetic. ‘I want you. I want to spend time with you, go for walks with you, have dinner with you, sleep with you. It’s that simple.’Alessia sighed, clearly uninterested in discussing this topic.She was about to say something when, luckily, a knock interrupted their conversation.‘Come in,’ Logan said in a commanding tone that matched his domineering demeanour.Alessia couldn’t help but roll her eyes.‘He’s such an a
Alessia returned to her seat, wondering what Logan had said to Wilda.Eventually, Wilda and Logan emerged from the conference room half an hour later.Wilda escorted Logan to the entrance, and as he glanced at Alessia and left, she heaved a sigh of relief.After a brief pause, Wilda walked over to Alessia. ‘Alessia, Mr Wilde is waiting for you outside.’Alessia was stunned.‘He requested half a day off for you,’ Wilda added.Alessia felt extremely embarrassed.‘He said it’s up to you if you want to go. He’ll give you five minutes, and if you don’t show up by then, he’ll leave. He won’t be angry if you don’t go.’Alessia hesitated for a moment. ‘Should I go?’Wilda smiled. ‘Mr. Wilde said that he’s at his wits’ end because he just can’t find the right way to court you properly.’Alessia paused.She hadn’t expected Logan to express such feelings.After a moment of thought, she told Wilda, ‘Miss Hicks, I’m not going.’‘Are you worried that I’ll blame you for always leaving the office dur
Alessia remained frozen in place, bewildered by the chaotic scene unfolding around her.She couldn’t comprehend why people lacked a sense of right and wrong.Did Karen not know her husband had been involved with other women?Was she deluding herself?Alessia tried to distance herself from the situation, reminding herself that it had nothing to do with her.She was simply furious because she was being bullied, especially after enduring s*xual harassment from Karen’s husband.‘Why don’t you dodge the eggs, Alessia?’ Wilda shouted, noticing Alessia’s immobility.Alessia snapped back to reality, locking eyes with Wilda.‘Get behind me. I won’t allow my staff to be bullied,’ Wilda declared firmly.Hands on her hips, the chief editor strode toward Karen, meeting her icy gaze with a fiery one. ‘Did you bring these people to bully my employees?’‘Wilda, get out of my way! I’m here to teach a lesson to that b*tch Alessia, and no one will stop me!’ Karen spat out, teeth clenched.‘How dare you?
‘Miss Hicks rocks!’ The crowd cheered.Alessia was still reeling, unsure whether to laugh or cry.Wilda’s gesture had touched her deeply.She hadn’t expected this from the chief editor. ‘Thank you, Miss Hicks.’Wilda nodded at her before addressing the crowd. ‘I’ve always stressed the importance of truth in our reporting. We all know Kevan was harassing Alessia when he asked her to interview at the private clubhouse. We’ll learn from this.’She raised her voice. ‘From now on, no one does interviews alone. There must be at least two people. No more harassment on my watch.’The chief editor instantly earned everyone’s respect.The room buzzed with approval.‘Please, quiet down,’ she said, silencing the room.Wilda turned her attention to Karen. ‘Mrs Webster, you don’t need to seek revenge on my staff. Take it up with me. This is my newspaper, my decisions.’‘Are you trying to bully me?’ Karen fumed.Wilda raised an eyebrow. ‘Accuse me of bullying when you’re the one causing trouble in m
Logan’s anger gave way to concern.He held Alessia tightly, despite the unpleasant smell. ‘You could’ve been hurt.’The sound of running water filled the room as the bathtub filled.Alessia glanced at the tub. ‘Let me go. I’ll take a shower. Please get some clothes for me.’Logan didn’t release her or reply, simply holding her tighter.‘My clothes will get dirty if you keep holding me,’ Alessia reminded him.‘I don’t mind getting dirty.’Alessia pursed her lips. ‘Please prepare some clothes for me now. Mine are ruined.’Logan conceded, ‘Fine.’As Alessia turned around, Logan hugged her from behind. ‘Alessia.’‘Yes?’ She waited for him to speak, but he remained silent.‘What’s wrong?’ she prompted.Logan eventually confessed, ‘You make me feel helpless.’After his admission, he let go of her and left the room.Alessia was left in a daze for a while before regaining her composure.He blamed himself for her mistreatment, even though it wasn’t his fault.Alessia sighed, turning off the ta
Logan’s hands encircled Alessia’s waist, no further ado required.‘Alessia,’ he uttered, voice soft as velvet, ‘I tried to bury these feelings, but I can’t hold back any longer, especially when I see you like this.’Alessia found herself held tightly in his grasp, immobilised and a touch flustered.Her heart raced.‘You don’t need to restrain yourself,’ she purred, granting him permission.Logan didn’t waste a moment, encountering no resistance from her.She smelled nice, intoxicating, and familiar.She smelled like him.A refreshing minty scent, the aroma he’d grown accustomed to, tantalised his senses.His eyes bore into her with profound affection.‘About what happened today, I blame myself for not protecting you better,’ Logan confessed in a hushed tone.Alessia gently shook her head. ‘It’s not your fault.’‘I know,’ he admitted, his self-blame persistent. ‘But I can’t help it.’She met his gaze, whispering, ‘Logan, I don’t want to talk about this right now.’Those words tugged at