Julissa bit her lip. Stop it. Stop it! She had to stop these wandering thoughts.She was a patient now—she needed to keep a clear mind and rest, no more daydreaming.Just then, someone started a livestream, and Julissa focused her attention on the screen, where the tech exhibition was in full swing.At the moment, the great CEO was on stage introducing Times Group’s vision for smart homes. Most of it was the usual PR talk. She had actually written the first draft of the speech, though Scott had heavily revised it afterward with numerous edits.But watching Scott on stage—so confident and radiant—it didn’t really matter what he said. The more she looked at him, the more pleasing he became to her eyes. She just wanted to keep following this man, striving together, living life together…As Julissa sat there feeling sentimental, Scott wrapped up his speech to enthusiastic applause.Then, a female audience member—or rather, a fangirl—stepped up to the stage.She called out loudly, “Mr. Nic
Julissa blinked in surprise. “What?”Scott explained, “When a daughter is young and mischievous, always causing trouble, her father naturally wishes she could be calmer, more composed, not always getting into arguments. But one day, when she grows up and stops being rebellious, stops causing trouble, that same father starts to miss the way she used to be—wild and carefree.”“That’s how I feel now.”Julissa nodded fervently. “Yes! How did you know that’s exactly how my dad thinks? He literally said something just like that to me before!”“I always felt like raising you was like raising a daughter.”Julissa leaned against his chest with a grin. “But you’d better just be my big brother. I already have one father who’s constantly at odds with me—I just want a good brother.”Scott laughed too, glancing at the groceries she brought. “What did you buy? Got anything tasty for your big brother to try?”His voice was so indulgent that Julissa melted inside. She wanted nothing more than to cling
Julissa wasn’t in the mood to eat. To be worthy of the hundred-thousand-monthly salary that Mr. Nichols had given her, she was already working herself to the bone. If he gave her a raise on top of that, wouldn’t she have to work herself to death to feel worthy of it?She stared blankly at Scott. “But… why would you give me a raise out of nowhere?”What Scott said next nearly brought her to tears.He set down his coffee cup, his face wearing the composed authority of a boss as he looked at her and said:“Because Miss Hickman has worked diligently, improved rapidly, gained the recognition of many colleagues since joining, supported me in all aspects of work, and even helped lighten my mood. So I believe giving her a raise is not excessive.”As she listened to his praise and recognition, Julissa felt that all her hard work hadn’t been in vain. All the people who doubted her suddenly felt irrelevant.She also realized that maybe she wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Even though she wasn’t g
As soon as Julissa heard that comment, she realized this wasn’t a simple discussion anymore—it was a backhanded dig. Since the other party’s attitude was so sharp, she didn’t feel the need to stay polite either.“I’m just thinking from a consumer’s perspective,” Julissa said firmly. “If I’m buying something like this, it’s not about how it looks, but whether it helps save me time and hassle.”She caught Mr. Nichols glancing at her from the corner of her eye and turned to look at him. The big boss had a faintly amused expression on his face.She wasn’t sure what exactly he found amusing—maybe he could tell she was annoyed.Because she was.Everyone else could voice their opinions freely, but Sheila just had to make a jab at her in front of everyone.Intentional or not, she wasn’t going to sit there and take it, even if Mr. Nichols ended up thinking she was being childish.Sheila wasn’t one to back down either. She responded, “But if someone’s really that lazy, wouldn’t they not want to
Looking at the solemn, focused CEO in the distance, who would imagine that this meticulous and abstinent boss was like a ravenous wolf in private…Julissa quietly let out a breath, shutting down her lovestruck mind, and followed Mr. Nichols and the others to another lab bench to test a new product.She actually really liked watching him work so intently—especially from afar, from some inconspicuous corner. It made her feel like she was looking at someone from a completely different world. He seemed so far away, like they didn't even belong to the same dimension.And yet, they were also so close. After all, just last night, they had held each other under the same blanket…But as she observed him like this, she started to notice other things that made her heart ache.Standing next to Scott, assisting with the testing, was the assistant to the technical director—Sheila.Sheila held a tablet, occasionally reporting data to him. She was quick-witted, had a clear voice, and spoke concisely.
Julissa trembled slightly and tried to back away, but he only held her tighter.“Don’t move. I’m helping you.”“…”Was this really helping?The oil had splattered on her skin—just a tiny spot the size of a grain of millet. But the kiss from Mr. Nichols... had spread a different kind of heat.The tension and ambiguity of the moment made Julissa feel utterly out of place. She shut her eyes, giving up her struggle. If the CEO wanted to do as he pleased, so be it.Mr. Nichols turned her body around and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind…No one knew how long it lasted. The steak in the pan had long gone cold.Mr. Nichols re-tied the butterfly knot that had loosened around her waist, then did up the buttons on his shirt. As he fastened the last one, he planted a kiss on her earlobe and chuckled lowly,“Focus on cooking first. We’ll talk after dinner.”Julissa’s legs went weak. She looked at him, voice feeble, “There's... going to be more after dinner?”He smiled. “Good things co