At first, Macie refused the random tasks she was being assigned, but her colleagues spoke with righteous conviction. "We're on the same team. You just got here. If you don't start picking things up, you're going to drag us down.""This is a chance for you to gain experience. Otherwise, how are you supposed to integrate into the team? Will you pay us back if we lose the bonus because of you?"Macie gave them a cold look. She hadn't expected to be singled out on her first day. She was on equal footing with them, so she couldn't understand why she should take their discarded tasks."I haven't even started working with the team yet. How do you know that I'll drag you down? Giving me a chance to gain experience? Are you my supervisor to be saying things like that?" Her tone remained steady as she shot back.The arrogant colleagues hadn't expected this seemingly easy target to bite back. Nevertheless, one of them huffed and said, "We're just thinking ahead. After all, you're the newbie
Macie didn't think Yosef would have given her number to Edward. After all, she had already made everything clear to him that morning. She thought that Edward wouldn't have a right to fault her for taking legal action if he had gotten her number elsewhere.Edward didn't answer her question. Instead, she could hear him muttering nonsense on the other end of the line. She lost her patience and said, "Not going to answer? Then I'm hanging up."Edward gritted his teeth and ultimately said, "I filed a missing persons report and told the police that you disappeared. Are you satisfied now?""You're insane."Macie and Edward were already divorced. She had even stepped aside for Sharon. So, why was Edward still clinging to her like a ghost that wouldn't disappear?"It's over between us. This is the last call, and there are a few things I need to set straight with you," Macie said coldly."Says who? Unless I agree, you can forget about divorcing me. Not in this lifetime!" Edward's furious v
Edward abruptly smashed his phone in a fit of rage. He slammed a fist down on the wooden desk, making the folders on it shift.He had thought that Macie was using the threat of divorce to force him to beg her to come back. But now, another man was hanging around her. She had even claimed the divorce papers were valid—that he had signed them.He figured she was still angry with him, which was why she had made it sound so convincing, even bringing another man in to provoke him.Edward's face darkened, seething with fury. He gritted his teeth and tried to contact the police officer again, ready to track Macie's exact location and show up in person.Unfortunately, as soon as the call connected, he was informed that the case had been closed. Edward froze and demanded, "Who permitted you to close it? I haven't found her yet!""Your family did. If you try reporting her missing again, it'll be treated as filing a false report," said the officer.With that, the call ended. Edward stood br
At Julian's words, Macie had no choice but to get up and pack her things. If she stayed any longer, Julian would definitely think Palmer was giving her trouble.Julian handed her the elevator access card. She thanked him and said, "You didn't have to come find me in person. You could've just had your assistant pass it to me."He looked at her. He couldn't have used it as an excuse to walk her out if he hadn't brought it himself."We're on the same floor, and it was just nearby. That's why I didn't bother my assistant," he explained.In the elevator, Macie's phone rang again. She pulled it out and saw another unfamiliar number on her phone screen. Without hesitation, she added it to the block list. However, another strange number appeared before she could put the phone back in her bag.Her grip on the phone tightened. She blocked the new number and set her phone to silent mode."Is that another telemarketer?" Julian asked. He had been watching her from the corner of his eye.Ma
Edward couldn't wrap his head around the possibility that Macie might have gone to another man. He couldn't believe that she'd do that.He was sure that she liked him. Even if it was all just to make him jealous, hadn't she made her point already? So why wasn't she coming back? How long was she planning to drag this out?Edward's eyes were bloodshot. His fingers were tightly interlocked, causing his knuckles to turn white.When Nathan entered the office, he saw Edward not doing any work. The latter was just staring furiously at the computer screen. Before Nathan could speak, he heard Edward mumbling to himself in doubt."I never signed anything. Where did that document come from?"Nathan, do you think Macie forged my signature? I'd bring files home sometimes. She must've seen it before."Nathan looked at Edward, thinking that the latter was still in denial. It seemed that Edward was trying to erase the document's existence as if he could rewrite reality. Nathan sighed."Mr. Fowl
Nathan firmly said, "Mr. Fowler, it's true I wasn't there when you two met or got to know each other. I didn't witness the seven years you and Macie spent as classmates. But based on my recent observations, Macie really doesn't love you anymore."Edward's face darkened with rage. He was ready to lash out, but before he could speak, Nathan continued, "Didn't you buy Macie a new phone? I delivered it on your behalf. She didn't even want to accept it. She almost threw it straight into the trash."And that meal you had delivered. Do you know why she ate it? It was because I didn't tell her that it came from you. I told her that it was from the Fowler family. Otherwise, she might've poured it straight down the drain."Haven't you been in love before? Maybe with your ex-girlfriend? Don't you get it? The first sign a woman's stopped loving you is when she turns cold and distant. That's exactly what's happening now. Macie doesn't even answer your calls."Edward stood frozen. His eyes were
"Save those words for Macie, if she's still willing to listen," Nathan said, sighing."Then does that mean I still have a chance? I can explain everything to Macie!" Edward excitedly said, his eyes lighting up."There's probably no chance. Didn't you see how decisively Macie left? Her heart was already completely shattered," Nathan said.But then he recalled Macie's words. She had said, "Edward only listens to what he wants to listen". So, Nathan forced a smile and said, "You should at least try. You won't have regrets that way.""I definitely won't let anything happen that I'll regret. As long as I apologize to Macie and explain everything, she'll forgive me for sure," Edward said with renewed determination. He was full of confidence.Nathan looked at him. One moment, he was drowning in gloom; the next, he was full of energy as if someone had injected him with adrenaline.He inwardly wished Edward the best of luck. Clearly, he wouldn't stop until he ran headfirst into a wall.W
Nathan was starting to regret helping Edward realize his feelings. He felt the usual Edward was more real—this version in front of him seemed like a man possessed.He even thought it might be better if Ethan went back to liking Sharon than staying in this mess.Suddenly, the two of them seemed like a better match.After hesitating several times, Nathan still express his true thoughts. He was afraid that Edward would break down completely and spiral into depression."Macie was hurt so deeply by you. Think about it. Do you really think she'll forgive you that easily?" Nathan asked, trying to reason with him.Hearing that, Edward clenched his fists tighter, overcome with guilt and regret. He knew exactly how he had treated Macie, especially over the past month.He had pushed her so hard that she fractured her tailbone. During the gas leak, he had left her behind. Even if it wasn't on purpose, Macie had nearly died.He was guilty beyond redemption. He knew that Macie wouldn't forgiv
Now that Macie knew who Sean was, she was sure she wouldn't just sit there and take it like she did that day if he ever visited again."It's my fault. I didn't know that Mr. Hart and Macie had a history," Palmer said, breaking the silence."I didn't know either," Macie replied, her voice tight. "And even if I had known, I still wouldn't have recognized Sean. I would've gone to the meeting, and I'd have still been bullied."She clenched her fists, anger rising inside her. She didn't owe Sean anything. Indeed, the two companies were collaborating, but she couldn't understand why he should make her his personal target.Still, she couldn't care less now. She would let him think whatever he wanted. He was the one who crossed the line first. Back in the design department, only Macie and Palmer remained. Palmer, still curious, asked, "Macie, did you offend Mr. Hart?" That seemed to be the only explanation for Sean's strange behavior that day. Although there had been some "tension" bet
Macie managed to hold back her anger, reminding herself that Sean was a client and that her supervisor had emphasized how important this collaboration was.Sean smiled at her. He was still watching Macie, who was silently glaring at him. He then casually pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.Macie glanced down at the card. Despite not wanting to take it, she accepted it out of politeness and flipped it over to read it.In bold, gold letters, it read, "Chief Executive Officer, Hart Group."Macie froze for a moment when she read "Hart Group". She was familiar with the name because it was Alice's family's company. And then, her eyes landed on Sean's printed name. She began to wonder if he was related to Alice.Suddenly, she looked up, her gaze shifting toward the elevator. No wonder he had seemed familiar—she now realized his features resembled Alice's.The answer was almost painfully obvious.Inside the elevator, Sean stood in front of his employees, smili
Macie clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she took two steps forward and said, "You say five minutes, then five minutes it is. There's no need to bother the technician." She tried to remain calm, though inside she felt a little flustered. The idea that Sean would actually want to check the security footage over something so trivial seemed ridiculous. However, the fact that Sean was so insistent, almost as if he were out to get her, left her feeling uneasy. Sean, sensing her discomfort, stepped to the side and casually said, "Ms. Smith, you were so adamant in denying it earlier. Let's just check the footage anyway. I said I'd apologize if I were wrong. You have my word as a man." He was so precise with the timing, down to the second, and had even given her his solemn word. Macie couldn't help but snap. She looked up at him and, unable to hold back her anger anymore, said, "Then shouldn't you be apologizing to me for what happened that night?"I already explained everythin
Julian continued his explanation, but as he turned his head, he noticed that Sean was still staring at Macie. His words slowed, and his expression darkened.Brightech Studios wasn't a large company. It occupied just one full floor. And since they didn't actually tour any of the departments in detail, they only gave a quick walk-through of the hallways, the whole visit wrapped up in no time.After the tour, the Hart Group employees were ready to head to the elevator. Since Macie couldn't leave midway, she followed along as part of the group. Finally, Sean got the chance to speak. During the tour, Julian had been explaining everything in great detail, doing his job well, but Sean had barely been listening. "Why were you staring at me earlier?" His deep voice cut through the quiet. Since the room was still, everyone clearly heard him speak, and they all turned to look, wondering who Sean was talking to. When they saw his gaze fixed on Macie, it became clear, but no one spoke up.
Sean raised an eyebrow and said, "It's fine. I don't need a detailed explanation. I've already learned everything I need to know about the collaboration during the meeting." Macie was at a loss for words."I don't really visit other departments, and I don't even know the layout of the office," Macie said. "Ah, I see," Sean said, as if pondering something. "Well, you could have one of the more experienced employees show you around. You'll definitely have a better experience," Macie quickly added. Nearby, employees from Hart Group noticed that Sean was once again giving a female employee from another company a hard time. While they wanted to step in and speak up, they weren't sure how to intervene. From Brightech Studios' side, Palmer and a few others saw what was happening and spoke up. "Mr. Hart, Macie is still new and doesn't know much. Anyone else here can show you around our company." Even Julian spoke up, saying, "Mr. Hart, I'm not busy at the moment. Let me show you a
For the rest of the meeting, Macie kept her eyes firmly on the screen, not daring to glance sideways. Even though she didn't understand the technical content, her focus was as serious as someone swearing an oath of allegiance.Meanwhile, on her left, Sean glanced over and noticed that she wasn't looking at him anymore. He returned his gaze to the slide presentation, silently thinking to himself that Macie couldn't even understand it, yet she appeared solemn. He was rather impressed.The entire meeting lasted for 50 minutes. The team from Brightech Studios had come well-prepared, but Hart Group didn't immediately give their final decision. They were likely still planning to evaluate other companies before making a decision.Once the meeting concluded, both sides stood up, exchanging handshakes and pleasantries. Macie began packing up her laptop, preparing to leave with the other two team leads. But just as she was about to step out of the conference room, she heard that infuriating
Sean watched Macie from his seat. Her expression clearly showed her reluctance and frustration, but she still managed to force a smile and say the obligatory things to please him, doing so for the sake of the company. He found it all a bit amusing. Across from him, Julian noticed Sean's gaze lingering on Macie as she took her seat. His hand, resting on the table, instinctively clenched into a fist."Mr. Hart, don't keep teasing my staff. She's new here and pretty shy," Julian said, smiling.Sean pulled his gaze away and nodded. "Yeah. She may be a little shy, but she'll get better with more experience." Julian and the rest of the people in the room were at a loss for words. They thought that Sean was really just begging for a slap with that comment.At the far end of the table, Macie, hearing their conversation, clenched the papers in front of her. She thought that Sean was very frustrating. He knew that she wasn't some random woman, but still acted like he was trying to put h
Julian frowned from across the table. He had initially assumed that Macie had run into Sean because of Alice, but now, he vaguely sensed the presence of a love rival. "I happened to arrive early, and since we were short-staffed at the time, I offered to help with the coffee," Macie explained, maintaining her professional smile.Sean's eyes crinkled with amusement as he watched Macie get riled up by his teasing. But, of course, he wasn't exactly the nicest guy. He reached out and picked up the cup of coffee. He remarked, "I don't usually drink coffee made by just anyone, but since you went through all the trouble, I'll make an exception."That only made annoyed Macie further. Her gaze locked on the cup in his hand, and for a split second, she genuinely wanted to throw it in his face. If she'd known that this self-absorbed, overconfident narcissist was their client that day, she would've just grabbed a packet of instant coffee from the pantry and called it a day."Nice latte art," S
Julian nodded and said, "Palmer has always been detail-oriented. Go ahead. It's in the left corner of my office. The clients have already arrived downstairs, so I'm going to greet them. As for the coffee, don't stress over it. Even if it's not perfect, it's fine. He's probably not going to drink it anyway, so just the gesture will do."Macie understood what he meant. The client likely wouldn't care for their company's coffee since they were picky. She went into Julian's office, walked toward the coffee machine, measured out the coffee grounds, and started brewing. While the coffee brewed, she whipped up a layer of milk foam and poured it over the coffee, drawing a simple leaf design in the foam.By the time she returned to the conference room with the coffee, the clients had already arrived. Julian was seated at the head of the table on the right, while the client was at the left end. The two of them were in the middle of a conversation.Macie could only see the man's sharp jawline