Prisley felt a chill run down her spine as she walked out. Her back stiffened.
As she closed the door behind her, the sound of breaking glass echoed from the office and made her heart skip a beat. She frowned, knowing that Heather had exploded in anger.
Prisley walked over to the Secretariat and spoke to Lisa, a secretary. "Lisa, let everyone know not to enter the president's office for the next twenty minutes."
Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. "Is he mad again?"
Prisley nodded. "Yes. Tell the janitorial staff to be ready." With that, she went back to her office.
Heather's temper was unpredictable. Sometimes, he would fly into a rage for no apparent reason. Prisley was the only one who could calm him down.
No matter how angry Heather got, a few gentle words from Prisley would restore his peace. This earned Prisley the nickname "Firefighter" among her colleagues.
But this time, she was the cause of the fire.
Back at her desk, Prisley hid her face behind a folder and let the tears flow. It was her way of venting when she felt wronged. It was her only outlet. She never showed her vulnerability to the outside world.
Today, she cried longer than usual. After she cried enough, she wiped away her tears, went to the bathroom to clean her face, and touched up her makeup.
The scenes of intimacy on the bed were still fresh in her mind. Moments ago, Heather and she had been lost in pleasure there, but now they had turned against each other. At the thought, tears rolled down her cheeks again.
"Heather, I love you, but I can't accept this kind of relationship," she said to herself sadly.
Heather smashed a display case with a crystal ornament, scattering his beloved collection all over the floor. How dare she defy him? Money and property couldn't buy her a smile. And she insisted on leaving!
She used to be so obedient, so easily pleased... Heather felt irritated. He swept everything off his desk and forcefully loosened his tie.
After a moment, Heather chuckled to himself. "What's the big deal? She was just a pet in my hands. A tantrum now and then was kind of cute.”
He would buy her a gift later to make her happy again.
Figuring it was time, Prisley carried a stack of documents to the president's office. As she reached the door, she heard loud laughter from inside. It was Heather and Steve, another vice president of the company.
Steve joked, "Heather, now that Filla is back, why not give me your assistant?"
Heather laughed, "Steve, remember, I've never liked sharing my toys with you since I was a kid."
"With so many beautiful women in the company, you just throw money at whoever catches your eye. Once you’ve thrown more than enough, they'll crawl obediently into your bed."
"Did you do the same to her?"
"Pretty much, didn't hold back on the spending."
The frivolous laughter filled the office.
Steve and Heather had been childhood friends, practically inseparable.
Hearing herself being openly discussed made Prisley feel exposed and embarrassed, as if she had been stripped naked and put on display.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The frivolous laughter inside stopped abruptly.
"President Rynn, there are some less urgent documents that need your review. And regarding Warner Tech, I wonder if you have a moment to hear my report?"
Prisley's fingertips felt cold as she handed over the files. She felt burning eyes on her back, scanning her like an x-ray machine.
Heather's earlier cheerfulness faded as he coldly replied, "Go ahead, Steven is no stranger."
Prisley handed the documents to Heather and Steve, then began her presentation.
"The downsizing plan proposed by Warner Tech's HR director is not feasible," Prisley declared, meeting Heather and Steve's gaze.
Heather and Steve exchanged looks. "Warner's software and product solutions are quite mature. Although there may be some redundancy in non-production areas, I believe we should increase our investment in R&D rather than follow the HR Director's suggestion."
"I have investigated our competitors' R&D investments and market prospects. The data is all in the report. If we play it safe, we could face a crisis in less than two years."
"I have outlined the costs and expenses of both plans for comparison. Now, it's up to you to decide."
With that, Prisley looked at the two in front of her. Heather studied the report, while Steve's expression changed from frivolous to approving.
"You're not afraid of upsetting Warner Tech's HR director? He's on David's side." Steve teased.
Prisley smiled contemptuously. "I can always be fired," she replied, giving Heather a meaningful look before turning to leave.
"Hey, Prisley, wait," Steve called after her, his eyes still a little drunk from their conversation. He looked at Heather. "I’ve got a cocktail party tonight, and I need someone to go with me. Can I borrow your assis...?"
"No," Heather cut him off, cold and determined.
"Come on, Heather, don't be so stingy. It's an important event tonight. Some big names are coming. I'm doing this for the company. You know I don't have a suitable date for such an occasion like this" Steve pleaded.
Prisley knew Steve was never short of company, but finding someone to accompany him to a high-end business cocktail party might be a challenge indeed.
After a few seconds of thought, Heather relented. "Fine, but you pay her overtime," he said, his displeasure was obvious.
Steve whistled happily. "Great! Prisley, I'll pick you up after work."
Prisley replied with a professional smile before leaving. Overtime pay, these rich dandies knew how to make fun of others.
Before leaving work, Prisley changed into her evening gown, accessorized with jewelry, and applied light makeup before heading to Heather's office.
During working hours, Prisley always dressed in standard administrative attire, opting for knee-length pencil skirts and never deliberately displaying her beauty or sensuality.
Her wardrobe consisted mostly of loose-fitting dresses for her off-work clothes. She wore form-fitting dresses that accentuated her graceful curves only on formal occasions.
Heather looked at her plunging gown and the sparkling diamond necklace for a while. His face darkened. He absentmindedly wrapped his arm around Prisley's waist for a while, then said in a subdued tone, "Go change into another dress."
"Why? I've worn this one before," Prisley asked.
"You're going out with Steve tonight," Heather replied, his tone tinged with impatience and firmness.
"What's the difference?"
"Of course there is a difference." He sounded slightly impatient, his tone becoming more forceful. Prisley could only return to her office and change into another dress.
Despite being the president of a large corporation, Heather privately lacks a sense of personal security. He underwent rigorous family training from a young age. While others were playing with toys, he was already doing business analysis.
His biological mother disappeared after a divorce when he was young, and his stepmother, Steve's biological mother, treated him with only superficial courtesy.
His father, the man who trained him from childhood, died suddenly of a heart attack five years ago, leaving young Heather a vast empire.
He has always wrapped his fragile heart in a tough exterior, never revealing his true self to the outside world. It wasn't until he met Prisley that he felt real warmth in his heart and allowed himself to show a little vulnerability on occasion.
Heather felt uncomfortable at the thought of Steve, the playboy, holding Prisley's beautiful body that belonged to him. But he couldn't let such a thing lead to an argument with Steve. He had no choice but to ask Prisley to change her outfit into something less revealing.
Prisley had to go back to her office and put on a dress that didn't highlight her figure as much.
"How about this?" Prisley asked.
Heather stared at her for a few seconds. "Prisley, you don't have to go tonight," he said sullenly.
"Prisley, you don't have to go tonight." Heather said. His tone was deep with melancholy."Why not? You already agreed with Steve."Heather drew her closer and tightened his embrace. "I just... don't want you to go." His gaze softened, showing a hint of vulnerability that was quite different from his previous icy cold.Caught off guard by this rare display of emotion from Heather, Prisley felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Despite being together for four years, she had rarely seen this side of him.She leaned against him, feeling Heather's firm chest. Just as she was about to comfort him, Heather suddenly released her. His eyes turned cold again."You can go now." He walked out of the office, leaving Prisley behind.Heather felt an inexplicable anger. Just because Filla was back, Prisley wanted to leave him. And she seemed determined to do it, showing no signs of changing her mind.Heather was in a bad mood. He wanted Prisley to stay with him tonight. Even if they just stayed in the
"What's wrong? Are you crying?" Heather asked.He turned on the light and saw Prisley's sad face."What happened? Did Steve do something to you?" Heather's voice grew louder."No, he was nice to me. It's just... I met her at the party." Prisley was never one to show her vulnerability in public.It was only after saying goodbye to Steve that she dropped her facade. She walked back slowly, and tears streamed down her face.Heather immediately called Steve."Got it, thanks, Steve." He got the whole story from Steve."I should just leave, otherwise this awkwardness will keep happening," Prisley said, sniffling. Having Heather by her side made her feel a bit better.Heather gently stroked her waist-length hair. "You don't need to care about her at all.""How can I not care? I'm just a fake version of her in your eyes." Prisley lay on the sofa, feeling depressed.Heather's gaze darkened. He reached for a box on the coffee table. "Try this on. Let me see how beautiful it looks."He took out a
Heather froze. His body temperature dropped in an instant. The fire in his eyes extinguished, turning cold as a glacier in mere seconds.Prisley shivered involuntarily.He was always high and mighty, surrounded by admirers, never having been teased with like this.Prisley had been compliant for the past four years, indulging his every whim, no matter how outrageous or demanding. And now she dared to play him?His face darkened like a storm cloud. He looked at Prisley, her once docile and pure face now like an angry kitten showing its claws and fangs."Very well, fulfill the contract. Perfect!" he said through gritted teeth.Heather buttoned up his shirt. Coldly and heavily pressed a kiss onto Prisley's lips before turning to leave.The room's amorous atmosphere vanished instantly. Prisley still felt a chill down her spine. She had actually angered him...She pressed the back of her hand to her lips, which were a bit sore, tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.Two kisses like
"No - !" Prisley gasped, Heather seemed so unfamiliar, so out of control, so far from the wise and calm man she knew.She was pinned against the desk. And the door was unlocked. It was the weekend, but what if someone came in? Prisley couldn't bear to think any more."Stop it, Heather, please," she begged tearfully, but Heather was still unbuttoning her.Desperation and humiliation washed over Prisley. She closed her eyes tightly, gathered every ounce of energy she could, and pushed Heather away when he least expected it.With a loud smack, a slap landed on his face. Heather froze. The chill emanated from him accumulating.Prisley slipped out from under him and rushed toward the door.She ran out into the hallway, disoriented and frantic. Her clothes disheveled, and her hair wild.She was terrified. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.Suddenly, someone rounded the corner and almost collided with Prisley."Prisley? Are you still working today? I came to pick up something at the
Prisley has always been careful about contraception; it's one of the clauses in the contract.She recalls that about five weeks ago, when Heather was unusually passionate one day, he came for her on a weekend. They made love from day to night and ran out of condoms. The last half of the passionate day was unprotected and wild.The next day, they were both busy with a business trip, and Prisley forgot to take emergency contraception. Retracing the timeline, that would have been about the time Filla announced her return.Prisley didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at it in frustration."Damn, how could I have missed that day?"At 26, with her career just starting to take off, she wanted to achieve something in her professional life as well. Having a child at that time didn't seem quite right.And she wasn't sure if Heather wanted children. His cold and distant nature made it difficult to imagine his reaction to hearing this news. And his
Prisley chose a long, fitted dress, putting on high heels and waited for Mark to arrive.From a distance, Mark saw Prisley standing by the roadside. The light green dress complemented her waist-length wavy hair, giving her a graceful and ethereal appearance, much like a woodland nymph.Her hair, styled in soft curls, seemed less casual and more sophisticated than when they had first met in the morning.Mark was stunned by the sight, forgot to start the car even when the traffic light turned green, and was honked at by the car behind him.Prisley didn't snap back to reality until a Ferrari roared to a stop next to her and the driver removed his sunglasses. It was Mike, who had come to pick her up.Mark wore a loose floral shirt, exuding a fashionable, carefree aura. He smiled broadly as he opened the car door for Prisley.Prisley was surprised by the change of car. Hadn't it been a Bentley in the morning? She shook her head, wondering how she had somehow gotten involved with a rich dand
As the Ferrari pulled to the side of the road, Prinsley leaned motionless against the window, tears in her eyes, staring blankly ahead.When Mark thought about the way that couple had treated the woman he cared about, a wave of heartache coursed through his veins. He wished he could turn around and teach them a good lesson.It's just the Warner Group? What's so great about it?!With a firm grip, Mark slammed the steering wheel.The loud thud snapped Prisley out of her daze. "Ah, are we home? Thanks for driving me back," she said, hastily wiping away her tears and unbuckling her seat belt.Mark escorted her to the entrance of the building. He was tenderhearted at the sight of her fragile demeanor. He gently guided Prisley upright."Prisley, I don't need to know what happened between you and this man, but I won't let anyone manipulate you. If you're in trouble, tell me. I'll fix it."Looking up into his caring and concerned eyes, Prisley felt a wave of gratitude. It was so good to be car
The next morning, Prisley wakes up to find herself alone in bed, the pain from the bump increasing today.She struggles to turn over, feeling the faint scent of herbs on her body. She vaguely remembers that it was Heather who applied the medicine for her yesterday. She feels somewhat pleased. "Does that mean we made up?" She wonders.So much has happened in the last few days. It takes more of her brain than rushing to complete projects in the company.Heather hasn't contacted her, so Prisley just sleeps all day.On Monday, shortly after she arrives at the office, a delivery man comes into the office area with a large bouquet of flowers that appears to be very expensive."Excuse me, who is Prisley Anderson?" He asks.Prisley has just come out of the secretariat and is stops halfway to sign for the delivery. The secretaries come out to see what's going on, chattering."Dreamy Rose's bouquet! It's gorgeous!""You can’t buy these flowers in normal flower shops. They're top florist's choi