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14. Ten Years Ago
publish date:
2026-06-14 15:06:06
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Don’t Beg for Love 32. The Grand Ball
Andrew Hale,Interested in me?A humorless laughter escaped my lips, and I sat on the couch.Aurelia sat beside me, her tone a mix of disbelief and excitement. “After all, nobody has ever dared to challenge him before. Those who tried ended up being kicked out of the business world or even disappeared completely.”“But here you are looking sound and healthy.” She grabbed my hands. “There has to be something special. One of the executives who ate together with Mason Reed during lunch even expressed his fear that you might have dug a hole for yourself. They said you directly challenged Andrew Hale during lunch too.”I remained silent as she spoke on. Not because the topic interested me. Not because I even wanted to be here.The last thing I wanted was people mentioning my name alongside that…. “Annalise!” Aurelia shook me slightly. “You might be Mason’s top student, and Mason Reed might be Andrew Hale’s uncle, but there are rumors that Andrew Hale doesn't spare even his family members.
Don’t Beg for Love 31. The Rumor
The executives exchanged glances. Some coughed dramatically, and others shifted in discomfort.Andrew leaned back in his chair, holding my gaze, a faint smile curving his lips.“Ms. Sterling, do I need to be elaborate?”Silence.The others looked as though they'd rather be somewhere else, the rising tension palpable.Crossing my arms, I replied, “No. Just be specific.”“Aha!Ha!” Someone choked on his food.Another grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down.Someone else stood up, pretending to receive a call. One after another, the executives began disappearing from the room.Beside me, Mason chuckled. “Your food will turn cold, Anna. Eat up.”Only then did I break eye contact with the man sitting across from me.With the room almost empty now, the silence became louder, the tension still hanging in the air like a looming cloud.Andrew never answered my question.He never admitted to his criticism, downplaying my success.Bootlicker.I found myself laughing softly, the word echoing
Don’t Beg for Love 30. A Little Success
My grip on my purse became tighter.Beside me, Andrew's expression didn't change. Not even slightly.Without waiting for the panel to completely round up, I stood up and left the hall.Later That DayI stood on the balcony, staring at the weather report on my phone’s screen. An upcoming storm.Still, no flights.How ironic.Was I to be stuck here with Him for the next four days?Shaking my head, a dry laughter escaped me. What else did destiny have in store?The sun shimmered down from the sky, illuminating the glass walls of the building, and the Lake sparkled underneath it.A beautiful view.Great!I could admire it all day… for the rest of the time I had to spend here.My phone’s ringtone disrupted the peaceful silence.I stared at the display name.Grandpa.Perfect. How else would this day get any worse?“Annalise!” He sounded unusually calm today. “So I heard that you were selected to be on the Leadership Panel and debated with sharp minds like Andrew Hale.”My fingers gripped
Don’t Beg for Love 29. The Leadership Panel
After Cassandra’s words, the whispers began immediately,And more people closed in.I folded my arms. “Miss, are we familiar?”Cassandra frowned, her composure cracking. Then she put on an aggrieved look and came forward.“Annalise, I know…”Her words withered behind me, because I was already heading out of the hall.The Next Day,A knock woke me up.The sunlight streaming through the corridor windows told me immediately that I overslept.Thinking it was Aurelia, I opened the door to find a young lady dressed in a neat OL suit waiting outside.“Good morning, Ms. Sterling.” The lady looked relieved to see me awake. “Ms. Sterling, the Leadership Panel has already commenced.”“Huh?”My brows furrowed.She immediately held out a cream-colored envelope. "Mr. Hartmann asked me to deliver this personally. He said it was very important."Leon?I took the envelope.Inside was a guest card bearing my name, and beneath it was a hastily written note.[Stop sleeping. You're on the panel.]I stared
Don’t Beg for Love 28. What a Coincidence
The cocktail reception.It was the event happening this evening, where the guests mingled again, socializing to make connections.I never planned to attend it or stay another day. Not with the unfortunate turn of events.Yet, here I was, standing a few minutes later in Aurelia’s dress.The hall was a buzz of laughter and chatter. Tonight, the guests went beyond business conversations to more personal discussions.“Loosen up, Annalise!” Aurelia’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.She clicked her glass of sparkling water against mine, chuckling, “Don’t tell me you're a recluse and don't like these kinds of events.”“Well, you've hidden for so many years, so the answer is obvious.” She added. “But believe me, this is one of those events you'd wish to keep attending throughout your lifetime. You never know who you'll meet or what you'll get.”As Aurelia spoke on, my eyes instinctively scanned the room, Searching for no one in particular.“Annalise,” Aurelia called my attention.She was
Don’t Beg for Love 27. The Finish Line
For a moment, a deafening silence descended.The entire hall seemed to have frozen, before whispers erupted from every direction.“What!?”“I thought he wasn't attending!”“The Andrew Hale? No way!”The audience glanced at each other as if the speaker had just pulled a huge prank. Most people began bringing out their phones. Several reporters were already scrambling to communicate with colleagues.The auditorium was thrown into a frenzy, but I barely heard any of the noise.I didn't even realize I’d stopped breathing until the curtains began to part.And he stepped onto the stage.The whispers died almost instantly. He wore a dark tailored suit without a single unnecessary detail. No flashy accessories. And yet, the moment he appeared beneath the lights, the entire room adjusted.His steps were unhurried as he crossed the stage, as though standing before thousands of influential people was no different from entering an empty room.After the silence, applause began, growing louder and
Don’t Beg for Love 17. The Mask Falls
Turning around, I quirked a brow.Finally,The mask was off.“Stop looking at me like that!” Cassandra’s voice cracked, her chest rising and falling violently. “Do you know what I hate the most about you, Annalise?”A bitter laughter escaped her lips. “You act as though you're above everything. Abo
Don’t Beg for Love 16. The Woman on Her Knees
Over the next few days, the media buzzed with news of the scandal, leaving netizens talking about it for a while.As I sat in my office, going through some documents, the TV ahead showed a newscaster reporting on a marriage scandal, referencing it.For concentration, I picked up the remote and turn
Don’t Beg for Love 15. Thirty-One Husbands
Love.Hearing him say it now sounded even more ridiculous.“Anna, look at me!” Tania grabbed my shoulders, giving me a stern look. “Don’t believe what he’s saying! The scumbag definitely cares that you’re now rich! Please don’t let his words fool you.”Tania’s worry was justified.In the past, I wo
Don’t Beg for Love 13. Andrew Hale
“Of course, I’m only here for my only bestie!” Tania jumped forward, pulling me into a tight hug. “Oh, I’m so over the moon, Anna. Who could ever think that my bestie is secretly a rich heiress?”Then she pulled away, making a puppy-eyed expression. “But I’m super sad, you know. You hid this gigant
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