"I don't want to understand, and I don't care."
Heather's words dripped with elegant indifference as he adjusted his tie, striding out the door.
"Off to a meeting," he added dismissively without a backward glance.
Prisley clutched her folder, a few tears escaping. She quickly wiped them away with a tissue, pulling herself together in seconds. She put on a facade of confidence as she followed, though inside she felt shattered.
Her lips were slightly swollen, the taste of blood lingering. Prisley blinked hard, forcing back the hint of redness in her eyes.
In the conference room sat the company's top brass. Heather's brother, Vice President David, looked at Heather arrogantly as he entered.
"Heather, you're late," David sneered.
Heather raised an eyebrow but didn't acknowledge him, taking his seat in the middle.
Prisley followed behind, nodding slightly at David as she gestured at her wristwatch.
"Mr. Rynn, we have 30 seconds before the meeting officially begins." She wouldn't allow her boss to be late, although a slight delay wouldn't have mattered much. She just make sure everything was precise and orderly.
David didn't gain any advantage and was angry. He always clashed with Heather, always trying to undermine him.
Today's meeting was about the acquisition of Macron Tech.
"We're looking to expand into new sectors, and Macron's smart products have a promising future, with impressive financials," David boasted.
"If the acquisition goes through, we're confident we can triple our market share within a year and become a leader in the industry."
David wanted a project that would showcase his abilities, rather than be overshadowed and criticized by Heather in the family business.
David went on at length about Macron Tech, while Heather casually flipped through documents, played with his pen, and openly displayed his disdain. "Sorry, David, but this company is garbage."
David flushed with anger. "The financials and market analysis are sound! You doubt my competence?"
"I don't doubt it. But I only trust my team."
David pointed at Prisley. "Her? That slut? She only knows how to spread her legs for you!"
There were mocking snickers. Prisley felt the weight of the hostile looks, but she maintained her professional demeanor even though she felt utterly miserable inside.
She pulled up the file on her computer and projected it onto the big screen. "Gentlemen, here is the updated data we just compiled. There are discrepancies with the data you have, especially regarding the market outlook. I'll need about 10 minutes of your time."
Heather leaned back in her chair, his chin resting on his hand, watching Prisley speak with obvious pleasure.
Prisley always handled these mundane tasks for him flawlessly. He never had to worry about her messing up.
Although Prisley and Heather didn't openly acknowledge their relationship during work hours and maintained a professional distance, rumors circulated throughout the company. It was hard for others not to speculate, given their compatibility and camaraderie.
David stormed out in a fit of anger. "Heather, you need to take responsibility for the company!" he roared.
"My responsibilities don't need your reminders," Heather lazily replied, getting up to leave as well.
In the President's office, Prisley handed Heather the minutes of the meeting for review.
Heather caught Prisley's hand as she pulled it back and toyed with it absentmindedly.
"In the future, just handle these idiotic meetings for me. I don't want to waste my time."
"But David is your brother. If he's running the meeting, shouldn't you show him some respect?" Prisley tried to pull her hand back, but Heather's grip tightened.
"He's not cut out for this. I won't play pretend with him anymore."
Heather kissed Prisley's hand. "Your report was well done, better than I expected."
He didn't mention the unpleasantness from earlier. Prisley wasn't sure if he’d let it slide or just forgotten about it.
"Thank you for the compliment, President Rynn," Prisley replied in a professional manner.
"What, not happy?" Heather asked, "Take this." He pulled out a check for $5 million and the documents for a property out of his drawer.
It wasn't the first time Heather had given her a check outside of their contract, but this amount was significantly larger than before, and now there was also real estate involved.
Prisley didn't take it. "Why?" Heather's behavior had been frightening moments ago, but now he was offering her so much.
"Just take it and stop asking questions," Heather replied nonchalantly, tracing her lips with his finger. "Swollen? It's even sexier." He kissed her lightly again. "You can have it all with me. Don't overthink it."
Prisley didn't have to worry about him crossing any lines; Heather never overstepped boundaries in his own office. If he wanted intimacy, he would seek it out in her office cubicle.
Seeing Prisley hesitate to take the check and property documents, Heather asked, "Why don't you taking it?"
Prisley looked down. "Heather, I don't need this. I wish you would have stood up for me just once during the meeting."
Heather's look turned cold. "Why care about them? You know I can't publicly acknowledge our relationship." He sounded completely indifferent.
Prisley's eyes dimmed. She understood. Heather saw her only as a bedmate, her thoughts unimportant to him.
Disappointed, Prisley prepared to leave. "President Rynn, I'll print another copy of my resignation letter. Please sign it."
Heather's expression darkened and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. "Prisley, I'll say it again, don't try my patience!"
Heather towered over her, his gaze shifting from the tender one a few minutes ago to one filled with malice.
Prisley felt his anger radiate, avoided his gaze, her voice shaking. "I will inform HR to find a suitable replacement as soon as possible."
Heather remained silent.
Taking a deep breath, Prisley continued, "I will leave after the handover is completed ." She said it all in one breath, finally daring to meet his eyes.
Unexpectedly, Heather released Prisley's hand and ran his slender forefinger delicately over her forehead, eyebrows, earlobes, chin, and finally down to her neck, as if admiring an exquisite work of art.
His touch was slow, filling Prisley with an inexplicable fear.
He remained silent, a hint of an ambiguous smile playing on his lips, while Prisley sensed a terrifying possessiveness in his gaze.
She had never seen Heather like this before, her body stiff with the uncertainty of how to react.
When his fingers lingered on her collarbone, caressing it gently , Heather said coldly.
"Get out!"
Prisley felt a chill run down her spine as she walked out, her back stiff and her movements robotic.As soon as the door closed behind her, the sound of breaking glass echoed from the office, making 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 the president mad again?"Prisley nodded. "Notify the janitorial staff to be ready." With that, she went back to her own 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 beh
"Prisley, you don't have to go tonight." Heather said, his tone heavy with melancholy."Why not? You already agreed with Steve."Heather drew her closer, his embrace tightening. "I just... don't want you to go." He confessed, his gaze softening, a hint of vulnerability 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.Leaning into his chest, she was about to offer words of comfort when Heather abruptly released her, his gaze once again veiled in frost."You can go now." He walked out of the office, leaving Prisley behind.Back at her own desk, Prisley couldn't shake off the feeling of confusion. This man... he had been tender and affectionate moments ago, but now he seemed distant and cold.She sighed, trying to make sense of it all.Meanwhile, Heather struggled with his own confusion. The reason of Prisley's
"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 rose."No, he's been good to me. I just... ran into Filla at the party." Prisley replied.She never wanted to show her vulnerability outside. After saying goodbye to Steve, she had let her guard down and slowly made her way back, tears streaming down her face the whole way.Heather immediately dialed Steve's number."Got it, thanks, Steve." He heard the whole story from Steve."I should go away. Otherwise, this kind of embarrassment will keep happening." Prisley sniffled. With Heather by her side, her mood improved.Heather gently stroked her waist-length hair. "You don't have to care about her.""How can I not care? In your eyes, I'm just a fake version of her." Prisley moped on the sofa.Seeing her sadness, Heather's eyes narrowed. He reached for a box on the nearby table. "Try this on, let me see how beautiful it looks on you."He pulled
Heather froze, the heat in his body plummeting instantly, the flames in his eyes extinguished, replaced by a coldness like an Arctic glacier. Prisley couldn't help but shiver.He was used to being on a pedestal, adored by all - when had he ever been subjected to such ridicule?For four years, Prisley had been completely subservient to him. No matter how angry he became or how unreasonable his demands, she had always complied without question. And now she dared to defy him?His face darkened like a storm cloud. He looked at Prisley, her innocent and beautiful face devoid of its usual compliance, now resembling an angry cat baring its teeth and claws."Very well, fulfill the contract. Perfect!" he gritted his teeth.Heather quickly dressed and planted a cold, heavy kiss on Prisley's lips before turning and leaving.The room, once filled with a lingering sense of ambiguity, now felt empty and cold, leaving Prisley with a shiver down her spine.She pressed the back of her hand to her sligh
"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