I then met with all my employees and told them the farce was over. As for Matthew, I was sure he and Echelon Group were too busy to target me. To be safe, I called Lauren and asked her to look into the company. I needed precautions to know how to act in the future.Lauren impressed me with her ability to gather information. She was good to me, and I trusted her.However, I was still reeling from last night’s shock. Although Carol was all smiles, I felt troubled. I called Ivanna that afternoon and asked when she could get off work. She knew something was up and agreed to meet up.I got some beer after work and met her by the river. When she arrived, she exclaimed, “What a lovely spot!”She then went to her car and changed into long pants. We drank while sitting on the riverbank. Being my best friend, Ivanna knew I was troubled.She asked me about Atlas. Seeing that I was silent, she admitted, “I don’t think you’re right for each other. You live in different worlds, and even if

He called and said he’d return to Foswood on Friday. Although he had been gone for over 20 days, he only called me three times. He told me over the phone that the trip was fruitful, and I was relieved. Atlas only gave me a little over a week to complete the task. Ever since Atlas went to Quillbrooke, I had only seen him at the press conference from a distance. He hadn’t called me since his return, and I didn’t want to disturb him.After meeting a client, I spotted Stella coming out of Galar Tower.She was excited to see me. “You’re back, Ms. Chloe!”I asked, “Were you looking for me?”“Yeah. I was at E-Times, so I stopped by to ask you out for lunch. So much for trying to surprise you.” Disappointed, she let out a gentle smile. “Hey, I wanted to treat you the other day, but you weren’t around. Come on,” I said, gesturing for her to get into my car. I took her to the restaurant that Lauren and I went to. Although Josh and Melanie spoiled my appetite back then, the food mad

Something felt off. Stella reached for a wet wipe and cleaned her hands before saying, “He always says I’m his cousin.”“You’re not?” I felt uneasy, thinking that Atlas had lied to me. “Technically, I am. But I was adopted,” Stella said, smiling at me. My heart skipped a beat. So she’s not blood-related to him! Not again. I waited for her to continue. However, I regretted being indiscreet. Atlas wouldn’t have told me she was his cousin if we weren’t close, would he? “My mom is Atlas’s aunt. She’s a strong woman and the former CEO of ATL Empire.” Stella wiped her slender fingers meticulously. She did everything perfectly. Even her fingernails were flawless. “Former CEO?” I murmured. “Yes, my mom used to run ATL Empire. She had only just handed over the company back to Atlas.”Wait a minute. Hadn’t the power struggle lasted for quite some time? Was it between Atlas and his aunt?If so, why would she give up control of the company? On what terms? “Hand it back?”“ATL

I was flustered when I saw his name. I wasn’t going to pick it up, but my finger slipped and I hit the answer button. “What took you so long?” I rolled my eyes at his commanding tone. Getting no answer, he asked, “What’s the matter?”“Nothing…”“You don’t sound happy hearing my voice,” he said. “Should I be happy?” I asked. Happy that he finally thought of me? Come on.He said, dissatisfied, "I haven’t heard from you. Don’t tell me you didn’t know I was back.” “Hey, did you check your phone? Don’t assume it’s my fault, alright? Also, why should I keep calling you? People gossip about divorced women all the time. You should stay away from me, shouldn’t you?”I caught myself sounding upset because he hadn’t called me. Just as I wanted to explain, he hung up. What the hell was wrong with this man? Why did he have to hang up on me all the time?I nearly threw my phone away. How could he not even say goodbye?Two days later, Ryan returned to the office. I almost couldn’t r

This was the most joyous dinner ever since I moved here. My parents hadn’t laughed so heartily in a long time.My dad even drank a can of beer. I was worried, but he insisted it was okay. After dinner, Ryan stayed with us for quite a while before he got up to bid farewell. I offered to give him a ride home, as the apartment unit he rented wasn’t too far from my place. As we walked to my car, Ryan asked, “Would you like to take a walk? I’m too full, and you can tell me what Josh did.”I said yes, and we walked out of Amethyst Apartments. I brought him up to speed. Since I brought Ryan into the company, I considered him my partner, so I didn’t want to hide things from him. My phone started ringing in my pocket, and I took it out to see who the caller was. It was Atlas.I rejected the call, continued our walk, and talked about the company. That was what we had in common.The phone rang again and Ryan looked at me. “Why don’t you answer it?”I smiled and did so. Atlas’s voice ra

Atlas brought me to the resort again, but he strode away alone after getting out of the car. I mumbled, “He was stalking me, yet he acts like I’m wrong?”The driver exited the car and whispered, “Ms. Chloe.”I stopped and looked at him. He glanced at Atlas, who had walked out of earshot, and said, “Mr. Atlas had a busy week, and he rushed back from Operose just to meet you. He hasn’t even had dinner—"“Hurry up!” Atlas’s voice startled me.The driver quickly shut up, wanting to say more but couldn’t. Meanwhile, I realized why Atlas was upset and felt terrible. Then, I nodded at the driver and chased after Atlas, softening my attitude.After entering the room, Atlas walked toward a sofa and removed his jacket. Immediately after, he stopped to look at me, and I collided with him. He pulled me along and then pinned me to the sofa.He kissed me passionately, and I couldn’t breathe. I felt a trace of anger in his kisses. After a long while, he stopped and stared at me, asking, “Did yo

I saw a sparkle in Atlas’s eyes when he saw the food I made. He took the knife and fork from me to start eating. He ate a lot this time, and I could tell he was starving. I stayed beside him and looked at him with my chin in my hand.We locked eyes when he looked at me, asking, “Haven’t you seen enough of me? You have a talent for cooking, that’s for sure.”I smiled. “Thanks!”I got up to clean the dishes, but he stopped me and held my hand. “Let’s go for a walk. I can’t let that man beat me.”I chuckled. “Get over it, okay? It was not that I had sex with him.”“You did think about it, didn’t you?”I laughed, and he kissed me hard. “You’re mine, okay?” “Hey!” I pulled away and palmed my lip when he bit it.“That should teach you a lesson.” He removed my hand and kissed me again. “Does it still hurt?”I pouted. “Of course!”After showering, he put on silk pajamas that looked great on him. They matched a long nightgown he had prepared for me, and I noticed they were a couple’s

Atlas’s words deepened my helplessness, and I became uneasy. I looked down and realized I didn’t just like him a bit. Instead, it seemed I had fallen into his trap. I was puzzled about why he always knew my thoughts, but I knew nothing about him.Furthermore, I couldn’t determine what Atlas meant when he said he liked me. After all, I wasn’t good enough for him regarding my background, status, looks, and age. I should be older than him and was a divorced woman with a four-year-old kid.A man like Atlas could easily find a better woman, yet I always thought of him despite myself. I didn’t know what to do but knew I should stop seeing him. Otherwise, I’d end up heartbroken.“That was why you refused to answer my call. You were trying to avoid me,” Atlas’s tone and gaze lost their warmth.I couldn’t help but step backward and look at him. “You’re right. I wanted to stop seeing you and still do because I’m not good enough for you. Perhaps I’ve been overthinking, but guys like you can g

After a long while, Atlas stopped kissing me and whispered, “Don’t I want to hear your bullshit excuses again, got it?”I looked at him in a daze as he wiped my tears. Then he wrapped his fingers around mine and led me deeper into the courtyard.We arrived at an elevator, and he pulled me inside. As we reached the top, I realized it was an observation deck with a magnificent view. A bottle of red wine was already there for us. He poured me a glass and said, “Drink it. It’s good for you.”Still in a daze, I looked at him and downed the wine. I felt much calmer after taking a deep breath. He pulled me to the railing, and we looked at the bright moon. Then, he embraced me from behind, saying, “Get rid of all your negative thoughts.”After a pause, he continued, “When I saved you at the riverside, I told myself I’d look after you forever. I don’t care about the past, only the future. I mean it.”I leaned into him and stared at the moon that seemed so close I could touch it. I stayed a

Carol awaited my decision. After some thought, I looked at her and said, “Since he’s already here, let’s meet him.”Carol smiled. “He might be up to no good, you know.”“It’s up to us to decide whether to work with them, right?” I said dismissively, “Let’s see what he says.”“All right, but please be careful." Carol left, and I watched her go with a raised brow, feeling fond of her. A while later, she led Damian into my office.The chubby man appeared to be in his late thirties. He smiled and shook my hand to greet me, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Chloe.”“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Damian. Have a seat.” I gestured toward the chair before my desk instead of the sofa.“Thanks!” He sat on the chair. “I heard so much about you. People keep telling me how well your company is doing.”I chuckled. “I’m sure every contractor in Foswood has heard of how I almost ran the company to the ground. I’m afraid you’re misinformed, Mr. Damian.”Damian blushed and smiled embarrassedly. “You’re being mo