MasukBenjamin opened the door and walked in. He then placed his laptop before me. “Aspen, I’ve written down detailed remarks on the basic logic and strengths of this core structure. Please review them.” However, I could not look away from his arm. “Your wound…” My throat tightened. “Does it still hurt?”Benjamin did not immediately reply. He was still scrolling through the screen with his long fingers. The office was quiet, and I could hear the air-conditioning through the vent. “It does,” Benjamin finally said as he looked up at me. “But it’s worth it,” he added without hesitation. I subconsciously dodged his direct gaze and focused on the screen. “The structure’s very clear, and the proposal’s great too.” I tried my best to sound calm and professional. “Proceed with the proposal. Thank you, Benjamin.” “It’s my job.” He looked away as he tapped on the screen. “Besides, I have some suggestions…” I forced myself to follow his thought process and gave feedback as
“Benjamin, we’ll remember your good deed. Please take good care of yourself. I’ll deal with the rest.” Benjamin opened his eyes and said respectfully, “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, it’s nothing.” “It’s my duty to take care of Aspen. Besides, that jerk doesn’t deserve to get close to her.” “Mom, Dad,” I said softly as I sat in the chair next to the bed, “I’m fine. I’m just frightened, so don’t worry.” My mother then turned around and sized me up before letting out a sigh of relief. She caressed my hair and whispered, “Aspen, I was terrified… I won’t let you be alone in the future…” At the same time, Jane walked in with my cell phone.“Ms. Johnson, Ms. Smith wants to meet you. She said there’s something very important that she has to tell you in person.” She paused and continued, “She sounded very agitated. She was crying and making a big fuss. She said that if she doesn’t get to see you, she’ll kill herself.” My mother immediately frowned. “Aspen is not meeting her! How dare s
I felt my heart beating furiously in my chest as my vision blurred. However, Joe froze when someone yelled, “Let go of her!” Immediately after, someone ran out from behind another SUV and appeared before us. This startled Joe, and his arm loosened around my neck. The person did not hesitate to grab Joe’s hand that was holding the dagger. “Damn it!” Joe was in pain as he wrung his wrist free. But then, he tried to stab the individual nearest to him. He appeared to be completely insane and just wanted to create the most damage. I could hear the dagger piercing through human flesh as I screamed. However, the pain that I was expecting never came. I stumbled forward, and a pair of strong arms caught me. Looking up in fear, I saw Benjamin Hamilton’s side profile. Joe was standing across from Benjamin and pressing his bloody wrist as the dagger dropped to the ground. He was terrified and in disbelief. It seemed like he had no clue what had just happened. However, t
“...Fiona Smith, the former head of Galaxy Corporation’s technology department, has been formally arrested on charges of defamation and other crimes. The case is under further investigation…”The scene of Fiona being forced into the police car flashed across the screen. She looked so different from her usual smug self.One of her sharp-eyed former colleagues noticed this and snorted. “Look. What a joke.” …The house smelled like coffee and toasted bread as the morning sun poured in through the windows. It was my first time having breakfast with my parents since I moved home. I lowered my head as I stirred my milk with a silver teaspoon. My father put down his newspaper and looked at me. “Aspen,” he said in a low voice, “this past month must’ve been hard on you.” I felt a lump in my throat as my eyes welled up with tears. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying. “It’s fine.” Even though I forced a smile, my voice sounded a little hoarse. “It’s all in the pas
I walked up to my lipstick-smeared workstation and powered on the computer.At the same time, Lynn walked toward me with her head hung low. “Sorry, Ms. Johnson… I have something for you…” she said softly.She extended her trembling hand and passed me a flash drive. “Fiona asked me to make a copy of everything on your computer. She wanted to look into your work… These are a few copies of the work you’ve done in the past.” I looked at Lynn, who had been bullied by Fiona, and I felt slightly touched. Taking the flash drive, I warmly replied, “Thanks, Lynn. You did well. Jane, give her an early confirmation.”Lynn raised her head and looked at me with tears of disbelief. “Thank you, Ms. Johnson!” Just then, two uniformed officers walked into the office solemnly. Jane immediately walked forward and passed them a thick stack of documents that she had already prepared. “Officers, this is just preliminary evidence. We’ll pass the detailed evidence later.”The middle-aged poli
Jane spoke softly, but what she said garnered everyone’s attention. The name card fell from Fiona’s hand, and its contents revealed the truth. Lynn quietly picked it up. There was a company logo and a name on it. [George Johnson.] “No… No way…” Fiona’s voice was filled with deep disbelief and fear, but she still put on a calm front. “This name card has to be fake! Aspen, how dare you scare me like that?” I did not answer or even spare her a glance. Instead, I calmly took the document from Jane and read each page carefully. Then, I picked up my pen and hovered the tip over the blank space for my signature. Everyone was extremely quiet. My colleagues who had been gossiping earlier all held their breath. Meanwhile, Lynn retreated to a corner and kept her mouth shut as well. “Ms. Johnson, the legal department has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Fiona based on what she’s said about you,” Jane said confidently. Hearing this, Fiona’s knees turned weak, and she a







