Chapter 2

Without thinking, I reached over, grabbed the glass in front of Adrian, and raised it to my lips.

I finished the whole drink in one gulp, then slammed the empty glass onto the table.

"Mr. Carter, Mr. Blake isn't feeling well today. His stomach is bothering him, so he can't drink. I'll finish every glass on this table for him."

Michael froze for a second, then burst out laughing.

"Wow! Are all of Mr. Blake's people this good at drinking? Great! Since you're so brave, let's see how much you can really handle!"

For the next two hours, I faced all four men from Michael's side by myself.

After every drink, I smiled and talked business with them.

After my third glass, Michael's PR Director got drunk first.

After my fifth glass, his two business partners started talking nonsense.

After my seventh glass, even Michael was pounding the table and slurring his words.

The whole time, Adrian sat calmly at the head of the table without taking a single sip of anything.

His face stayed cold and unreadable, but I could hear the screaming inside his head.

"Oh my God, she can still drink after her eighth glass? How is her stomach this strong? She's amazing. I want to clap for her, but I can't move. I'm the CEO. CEOs aren't supposed to do that."

Michael was completely drunk by then. He held onto my hand and refused to let go. "Sis... No, Ms. Sutton. Whatever you say goes. I'll sign the contract!"

Before he could pass out, I quickly pulled the contract and a pen out of my bag and stuffed them into his hand.

"Mr. Carter, I like doing business with straightforward people like you. Give us a 15% discount, and everybody wins."

He signed the contract with a shaky hand.

The man Ethan had planted in the corner to secretly record everything had slipped away without anyone noticing.

When the dinner was finally over, everyone else was helped out by their assistants.

Only Adrian and I were left in the private room.

The moment the door closed, Adrian's expression changed.

He leaned against the wall, loosened his tie halfway, and slowly slid down as his legs gave out beneath him.

Inside, he was thinking, "I was dying inside the whole time. Socializing is torture."

I couldn't help laughing when I saw the mighty CEO like this.

"Mr. Blake, are you okay?"

He immediately straightened up, adjusted his tie with a blank face, and said, "You drank a lot tonight. Don't come to work tomorrow. Stay home and rest."

But I knew what he was really thinking. "Please don't actually take the day off. If there's another business dinner tomorrow and you're not there, I'm doomed."

"It's okay. I can handle it. I'll be at work tomorrow like usual," I said.

Adrian lowered his head, pulled out a black credit card from his pocket, and placed it on the table. "This is for you. It has no spending limit."

My eyes lit up.

He let out a quiet snort. "Think of it as overtime pay for tonight. Don't read too much into it."

But his real thoughts were, "I actually want to thank you, but I just can't say those words out loud. Forget it. Giving you money is less awkward."

I carefully put the black card away and smiled.

Over the next week, I attended three more business dinners.

I thought this job was just about drinking, signing contracts, and making money.

Until one morning, I was carrying some files to a meeting on the 36th floor.

As the elevator doors opened, a woman in a business suit walked straight toward me.

Four assistants followed behind her.

"Move."

She didn't even look at me.

A coworker from the PR Department leaned over and whispered, "That's Emily Dawson, our new PR Director. She and Mr. Blake have known each other since they were kids. The day she came back from overseas, she said..."

"What did she say?"

My coworker gave me a meaningful look. "She said she came back because she's going to marry Mr. Blake. They've known each other for over 20 years."

I froze.

At that moment, I heard Adrian's thoughts from somewhere on the 36th floor.

"Why is that annoying Emily here again? She keeps using the fact that we grew up together as an excuse to get close to me. Last time she insisted on holding my hand. I pretended to be sick for three days just to avoid her. She talks way too loudly. Whoever let her into my office is going to regret it."

I tightened my grip on the files in my hands.

I had barely settled into my new job, and another rival had already shown up.