All Chapters of A Toast to Tonight: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The biggest regret of my life was joining this company because of the boss' good looks. I thought I was going to get paid to admire a hot guy, but I was subjected to his indiscriminate criticism every day instead.Zack Barlow's head was propped up against his hand, his fingers resting on the proposal I spent all night working on.After flipping through a few pages, he glanced at me, his voice completely detached when he spoke. "Ms. Hayley Atlas, this proposal of yours is rather conservative."I lowered my gaze, knowing he had more to say. "It lacks anything novel, with no feasible way to implement this. It's perfectly mediocre. How did you manage to be so consistent?" he added. I clenched my fists, wishing I could take off my heels and give Zack a proper thrashing.However, I merely took the documents he tossed over, smiled, and said, "I'll revise it immediately."Zack's cold gaze swept over me before he turned and tapped impatiently on the table.William Marr immediately cau

Sensing my hesitation, Z did not press the issue."It's okay. If you're not ready, we can wait a little longer," he said. "We can take it slow, darling."I felt a wave of warmth wash over me, followed by a surge of courage.Bracing myself, I replied, "Let's meet up, sweetie. How about we catch a movie this Saturday?"Today was Tuesday. I still had three days to be properly prepared.There was a pause, followed by a soft chuckle. "We're just meeting up, babe. No need to brace yourself like it's certain death."I was speechless. This was Z's second flaw—he'd occasionally channel Zack's ruthlessness, always catching me off guard with his dark humor."What else do you want to do apart from the movie? What kind of food do you prefer?" asked Z.Perhaps sensing my nervousness, Z chatted with me about a lot of things, mostly involving the details for our meeting.In the end, we hadn't decided on a restaurant, but we narrowed down what we wanted to eat.For some reason, I suddenly fel

I felt a warmth bloom in me. "You're not mad?"Z seemed not to understand. "Why would I be? You're working hard. It's not like you're deliberately avoiding me. Is that wrong?"Goodness! What an amazing partner Z was! I was moved to tears. "You're the best, baby!"Along with the growing sense of gratitude came resentment toward Zack.At this moment, I'd completely forgotten why I agreed to work overtime in the first place—a compromise on my ethics by choosing money.I just wanted to blame Zack for messing up our plans.That evil capitalist pig!I sat up on my couch, the anger in my voice palpable as I hissed, "I'll never forgive Zack Barlow. That scumbag!"In the past, Z would've laughed and agreed with me. But today, he was oddly quiet.I thought he was startled by my sudden loudness. I quickly tried to smooth things over with a giggle. "I'll only get mad over my evil boss this way, never at you. You're both completely different. He's a scumbag, but you're the best thing eve

Zack's question caught me off guard, and I nearly spat out my drink. What did I think of him? I thought he was a capitalist pig with a venomous tongue. But could I say such things? Obviously not.I could only smile politely and reply, "You're young and accomplished. You have outstanding abilities and are a true role model to be emulated."Zack raised a brow, tapping a faint rhythm on the table with his fingers. "Oh? Is that all?"He leaned forward slightly, his deep gaze seeming to see through everything. "Do you have no other personal opinions?" I immediately heard alarm bells in my mind. What did he mean by this? Did he find out I was badmouthing him behind his back every day? That was unlikely.Zack had to be bluffing. This heartless prick's acerbic tongue and evil heart were no exaggeration. He even learned how to bait people. I forced myself to stay calm, my gaze sincere. "As my superior, Mr. Barlow, I only have professional feedback about you," I replied.I mentally ap

It was the start of a new week. Early on a Monday morning, Zack had launched into his usual venomous tirade, lambasting the entire planning department."Are your brains collectively on vacation?" he asked, tossing out a file. "Is this a proposal or a child's homework?"I quickly glanced over. Thankfully, it wasn't our team.I almost clapped in glee when I saw William sweating beside me. That bastard was a master at taking credit for nothing and dodging responsibility when problems arose. He deserved it.However, Zack was not done yet. "Mr. Marr, I understand you have limitations, but I never imagined the bar being so low that you can limbo under it. If you give me a proposal like this again, don't bother coming back."William hurriedly picked up the documents and nodded repeatedly, sweat dripping down his brow."Ms. Atlas." I was in the midst of enjoying the show when Zack called on me. My heart clenched as I met his impassive gaze.I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the