Chapter 3

I quickly put my phone away.

Carrying the PowerPoint deck I had prepared in advance, I walked up to the stage. As I did, I glanced at Veronica.

She was dressed in a sharp, professional suit, her hair tied into a high ponytail. Her whole presence felt cutting and intense.

There was no denying it. Her features were stunning—the kind of beauty that stood out at first glance. She also had naturally fair, cool-toned skin.

It was just that I had never really seen her in casual clothes, so she always came off as cold and unapproachable, the kind of person you instinctively knew not to mess with.

Back then, there had been people foolish enough to try to pursue Veronica. A beauty like her attracting attention was hardly surprising, but none of the people who chased after her ended well. Every single one of them was fired.

After that, almost no one dared to make a move on her again.

Faced with an evil CEO like her, I naturally kept my distance. I would never even think about living together with someone like that.

Once on stage, I quickly projected my proposal onto the screen. It was a plan centered on developing and improving the company’s products, along with some of my own ideas. I also briefly outlined my promotional and sales strategy for the next quarter.

The whole presentation took about half an hour.

During that time, Veronica’s gaze occasionally landed on me, openly sizing me up.

Watching her stand there, aloof and arrogant, I truly could not imagine that she would privately say things like—

"Hubby, I want you to lift me up…

"Hubby, I want kisses…"

It was completely unbelievable. I suddenly thought of the saying that people really are not what they seem.

'Veronica, you really are something.'

After I finished speaking, no one reacted. It was not until Veronica started clapping that everyone else followed suit.

"I hope you can achieve the targets you just mentioned next quarter. Otherwise, you can really pack up and get out."

I smiled awkwardly. "You can count on me to get it done."

Just as I returned to my seat, a few more messages came in.

"Dear hubby, tonight I’ll wear stockings for you to appreciate. Do you like black or white? I even bought some new lingerie in all kinds of styles… tonight’s going to be just for us."

Holy hell.

What kind of unfiltered nonsense was this?

'Veronica, I never would’ve guessed you were this bold.'

I really never would have imagined it. Truly, you never knew a person beyond their surface.

"Are you sure you can keep up with all that?" I could not help replying.

"Stop it, hubby. Isn't this your favorite? I’m just catering to your preferences."

Struck speechless, I was completely shaken. Was I really this wild with Veronica five years in the future?

I could not help lifting my head and sneaking another look at her. She shot me a look sharp enough to kill. I immediately looked away and joined the others in applauding.

By the time the meeting finally ended, I felt like my entire body had fallen apart.

Walking out of the conference room, even the air outside felt lighter. My whole body relaxed.

I checked the time. It was already late. I had thought about leaving work early. Back in the office, I quickly packed up my things and prepared to head home.

The other colleagues did the same. Once they escaped the conference room, they rushed out like refugees. Everyone was afraid that Veronica would hold them back for overtime.

I moved just as fast, quickly grabbing my things and heading out.

However, after only a few steps, I ran straight into Veronica, who had just exited the conference room.

We looked at each other.

I forced a smile. "Ms. Starling, I’ll be heading home now."

She looked at me expressionlessly. "Wait."