81. Curiosity

Annalise’s POVI leaned back, deliberately putting a little distance between us.I sighed. “Please stop.”His smile faltered.And a trace of confusion crossed his face.“You didn’t like the surprise?” He glanced around at the decorated living room as though searching for what had gone wrong. “I can do better.”He smiled again, hopeful. “I promise the next surprise will be even better.”Another helpless sigh escaped me.I folded my arms across my chest. For a moment, I simply looked at him.“Mr. Whittaker—”His eyes widened immediately.“Mr. Whittaker?” He looked genuinely offended, shaking his head dramatically. “You’re not supposed to call me that. You should be calling me Babe.”He smiled proudly. “Or Sweetheart.”A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.I shook my head. “Steve. I want to make something clear.”My tone softened. “For the last time. I’m not interested in Grandpa’s arrangement.”I held his gaze steadily. “I can’t have a relationship with you. And I can’t marry you.

82. The Lunch Box

Annalise’s POVAfter the meeting,Instead of returning straight to my office, I decided to make an unannounced inspection of every department in the company.Sterling Empire occupied one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city.Each department had an entire floor to itself. The Human Resources Department. Public Relations. Information Technology. Marketing. Finance. Legal. Operations. Procurement. Research and Development.Even the Security Department occupied its own floor.Linda followed quietly behind me, tablet and notepad in hand, documenting everything I pointed out.As we moved from floor to floor, employees straightened the moment they saw me. Greetings echoed through the open office spaces while keyboards fell silent for a few seconds before everyone hurriedly returned to work.Each floor was spacious, modern, and meticulously designed, with glass-walled offices overlooking rows of neatly arranged workstations. Despite the polished appearance, I noticed the same pattern repeat

All Chapters of Don’t Beg for Love : Chapter 81 - Chapter 82

81. Curiosity

82. The Lunch Box