Malcolm burst into laughter. "I've never heard a woman use such a wildly inventive reason to turn me down before."Abigail grinned. "Well then, should I feel honored?""The more you act like this, the more I'm drawn to you." Malcolm admitted playfully."And the more you act like that, the more repulsed I am." Abigail's grin vanished as she replied with a serious tone, "Mr. Cobain, I have zero interest in you, now or ever. Don't waste your energy on me."Malcolm found her candidness amusing. "Abigail, you really remind me of your boss, Mr. Zane. You both reject people without any regard for their feelings, leaving them absolutely mortified."Abigail shot back. "But I don't see Mr. Cobain losing face at all."Malcolm was speechless. 'Dang! I lost a verbal battle to a woman.'"Why are you hiding here chatting with my assistant instead of attending to your guests as the host?"Xander's rich voice suddenly sounded behind them. Abigail turned around and saw him standing a few steps a

"Abigail, money can't replace your health, you know." Felix and Melody were all too aware of the immense pressure Abigail faced since becoming the CEO's right-hand woman. Many nights, they would wake up to her talking in her sleep, negotiating work deals even in her dreams. Time and time again, they had urged her to ease up; their comic studio was thriving, so she did not need that demanding job to live comfortably. But Abigail was scared to hit the brakes, dreading that too much downtime would lead her to dwell on her past traumas. The only way she could find a little peace of mind was by working nonstop, earning money, and watching her bank account grow.Wiping away her tears, Abigail muttered, "Man, I just can't handle alcohol; it turns on the waterworks."Felix playfully ruffled her hair. "Go ahead and cry. There's no shame in that."Abigail retched. "Ugh..."Felix patted her back. "How much did you drink, you goofball?"Having hardly eaten that night, Abigail felt a burning s

Keith's words sent shockwaves through Abigail's heart. She had assumed that Xander, like everyone else, doubted her personal life's integrity. His apparent heartlessness when she confronted him seemed to confirm her fears. Little did she know that Xander had believed in her innocence all along and had given her the opportunity to gather evidence to dispel the rumor. When the scandal had broken years earlier, only her grandmother, Felix, and Melody had trusted her unconditionally. Despite her being his subordinate for just over a month, Xander, the powerful mogul of a massive conglomerate, believed in her as fiercely as her own family. For this, she vowed to be Xander's most loyal and dependable aide, even if it meant forsaking a high salary.As they returned to the dining table, Xander sipped his soup gracefully, making Abigail admire him even more. When it came to poise, no one could hold a candle to her boss, Mr. Zane. Even the simple act of sipping soup was as elegant and captivati

The second message was more recent: [Where are you? Why aren't you replying?]Felix and Melody were beside Abigail. They saw the request for divorce from the sender, and immediately hugged her. "Caterpie..."They wanted to comfort her but did not know what to say. Her husband had disappeared without a trace, only to find her one year later to discuss divorce, and it was during the same time she was slandered. It was doubtfully just a coincidence that these two situations are not interrelated.It was still clear in their minds when that lowlife said he would protect and cherish her forever the year Abigail was met with an accident, yet was cold and decisive when he wanted to break up with her. That incident created a huge fiasco throughout North Florivera. Abigail had wanted to use the law to protect herself, but the other party was well-connected. Someone had even brought up the issue in her school which almost got her kicked out.In order to continue her studies, she had no choice

Abigail was vexed after hearing Xander's question and immediately became alert before she replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Zane. This will definitely not affect my job performance."Xander paid no more heed as he boarded the commercial car that came to pick them up. There were five people in the car when they boarded it; the three of them along with the driver and Cleona who came to fetch them. Cleona sat beside Xander along the journey to brief him about the progress of the development as Abigail and Keith got out their notebooks to take down the details of the briefing. The trip took more than an hour and Cleona spoke the whole journey while Abigail and Keith noted down the details during the same time. It was already nightfall when they reached the development project. The company had provided dinner, but Abigail checked in earlier due to her losing her appetite from feeling uncomfortable. Zane Corporation's hotel had fully furnished facilities and the rooms even had their own oxygen sup