6. Be My Contract Lover

 

I steadied myself, controlling my breathing, and forced a seductive smile.

"What do you mean?"

He leaned down, his warm breath ghosting over my neck.

"Be my contract lover."

His words sent a sudden jolt through my heart—humiliation, disgust, indignity all surged up. But... I wasn't surprised in the least.

"Why should I agree?" I asked.

He chuckled. "It's clear you really want that contract. I can give it to someone else, or I can give it to you."

His lips curved slightly upward, as if he was certain everything was under his control.

Damn him!

My chest heaved, and my hands clenched into trembling fists.

"Are there more benefits?"

I wasn't content with just a contract. Since I’d decided to sell myself, I wanted more.

He tilted my chin up. "That depends on your performance."

The expression on his face was one I'd never seen before: flippant, arrogant.

I thought of Josh's gentle gaze, of his figure tirelessly working late night after night.

I remembered how he often comforted me, "It's nothing, we're a small company. It's normal to not be able to compete with the big names in the industry."

And then I thought of Vanessa—Coonor’s fiancee who had almost driven me to my death. The one who orchestrated the car accident that took my mother's life, who sent people to beat me, causing me to lose my baby.

Thinking of all that, what was a little humiliation of my own?

My nails dug deep into my palms, and I smirked, hooking my arms around his neck.

"Fine, I accept."

A flicker of triumph crossed his eyes.

"The Marketing Department's contract won't be finalized that quickly, and my contract with you will also take time to prepare," he said, his tone as natural as if he were giving an assistant a routine task.

"Keep your phone on. Come whenever I need you."

Our relationship, in just a few words, became a transaction.

I scoffed internally. A transaction, then.

I had loved him with all my heart for three years before, and wasn't I dismissed just as easily with a credit card?

The elevator descended, my mind blank all the way down, feeling only the old wounds in my heart bleeding anew.

Josh's call came through. "Shirley, are you still at Virex Group?"

I suppressed the warmth in my eyes. "I'm on my way down. Leaving now."

"I just arrived. I'll wait for you in the plaza in front of the building."

Stepping out of the office building, the dazzling sunlight made me squint, my mind a little dazed.

Not far away, a familiar figure came into view. Josh stood in the center of the plaza, a small suitcase beside him, looking dusty and travel-worn.

He wore faded jeans and a light blue cotton casual shirt, sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, giving him a relaxed and easygoing air.

Fresh from the airport, his hair was a little messy from the wind, and his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses held a hint of fatigue.

Completely different from the impeccably dressed elites inside the office building, he was like a breath of fresh air.

I hurried towards him, my voice tight. "Josh, I might have... messed up..."

He smiled. "What does it matter? I mess up all the time. Don't cry. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

He was always so good, looking after me like an older brother.

I couldn't hold it in anymore and leaned into his shoulder, sobbing.

I hated myself. I shouldn't have provoked Connor.

Now he had me cornered, and it was likely I wouldn't get the contract, plus I'd risk both my own reputation and Kolvo's.

I was truly terrified and filled with loathing.

I had utterly underestimated him. Connor wasn't the same simple man he'd been three years ago.

He seemed to possess an almost terrifying power, capable of manipulating someone as insignificant as me, playing with my life as if it hung by a thread.

Josh gently patted my back, his voice low and warm, like the autumn sunlight.

"What happened? Did the review committee upset you? Did they give you a hard time? Tell me about it."

My spine stiffened, and I slowly pulled away from his embrace.

How could I seek comfort from Josh, not long after having sex with Connor?

I sniffled, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. "They're all idiots."

Josh ruffled my hair. "I already told you, don't shoulder everything alone. No matter how huge it is, I'll step up for you."

The faint scent of his marine-inspired cologne acted like a sedative, significantly easing the pain in my heart.

I finally managed a smile. "I'm okay now. I was just a little emotional earlier, I'm sorry."

I forced a grin. "Nothing can break me! Those idiots, I'll make them regret it!"

Josh smiled. "That's my Shirley."

Josh was tall, a bit on the lean side. His gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was gentle yet firm, and he had an almost fervent dedication to his work.

Two years ago, when I was practically at my wits' end, I knocked on his studio door on a whim, asking if he needed an assistant.

He paused, surprised, and was about to refuse.

My eyes welled up, my voice thick with an uncontrollable sob, as I told him I was barely holding on, my money almost gone.

I didn't like to pity myself, but for some reason, seeing him, I just couldn't help it.

Josh's eyes darkened behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

"I... the pay isn't high here, and the work's pretty varied. If you don't mind..."

My eyes lit up, and I quickly replied, "No, no, I can learn anything, do anything..."

From then on, we went to work together every day, becoming the best boss and subordinate, or perhaps good colleagues, or more precisely, something closer to family.

Josh tilted his head, smiling as he gently wiped away my tears.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated, a message popping up.

[Tonight 8 PM, Park Hyatt Hotel, Room 1206]

My heart seized, and the phone almost slipped from my rigid hand.

The text exploded like a bomb in my mind.

I looked around frantically, feeling as though someone was watching me from the shadows.

The glass curtain walls of the office building gleamed in the sunlight, like countless cold, indifferent eyes.

"What's wrong?" Josh put a hand on my shoulder, guiding me back.

"N-nothing..." I put my phone away, my heart pounding almost out of control.