Harmony smirked and said coyly, “Guess.”“I’m not curious, so why should I guess?” I refused to cooperate.My response caught Harmony off guard, and she turned cold, “Don’t you want to know about Atlas?”I scoffed and looked at her with disdain. “Why would I want to know? He's your boyfriend, not mine. At best, Atlas and I are just business partners. Did you fall for someone's tricks again?”I chuckled and looked at her triumphantly. I might’ve been anxious to know and fall for her tricks if it were yesterday. However, I could keep my poker face now, even if I was anxious. Indeed, my attitude confused Harmony.She stared at me in disbelief and asked, “You genuinely don’t want to know?”"Do I look like I'm lying?" I pretended to be casual, lounging on the couch. "I guess whoever sent you here has ill intentions. They’re probably trying to sow discord between us. Harmony, we’re not even friends, so is there a need to make us fight?”I smirked and taunted her, “Since you came all t
Harmony asked, “Chloe, what exactly is your relationship with Atlas?”Her sudden question didn’t surprise me. It was clear she wanted to uncover my connection with Atlas.Stella had stirred Harmony’s anxiety, but this impulsive move was entirely hers. Harmony was not stupid, but she was a klutz. Her question showed she doubted Stella’s manipulation.Teasingly, I asked, “What do you think our relationship is?”I avoided her question, knowing that provoking her was the only way to get her to stand up to Stella. I had promised Lauren that she could witness this drama unfold.Then, I timidly said, “I never said he’s my boyfriend. I don’t have the guts for that!” Maybe my words reassured Harmony, or perhaps it was because I didn’t confirm my relationship with Atlas. Either way, her expression relaxed.“I only wanted to tell you about Atlas’s condition,” Harmony stammered, her confidence waning. “I heard that he’s been discharged and is back home.”I wasn’t surprised. After all, I
I calmed myself down. “Was I too blunt? I just hate seeing you used this way.”She studied me, trying to determine if I was telling the truth.I added, “Well, did she ever let you see Atlas yourself? Has she ever treated you like Atlas’s girlfriend?”Harmony’s face grew paler as she clenched her delicate hands. “If she thought you were his girlfriend, she would’ve let you see Atlas instead of getting you to come here. Think about it! Her intentions weren’t pure!”There was another knock on the office door. I glanced at Harmony and said, “Come in!”Carol entered, holding an invitation. “Ms. Chloe, this is an invite from the Builders Association for a party tomorrow night. Also, could you please sign this report? It’s urgent!”I examined the report and asked Carol, “Have you double-checked this data?”“Yes!”I signed it and handed it back to Carol. Before Carol could leave, Eleanor entered. When she saw Harmony in the office, she hesitated.“I’ll come back later!”“Is it urge
The great mood I had vanished, and I couldn’t escape this strange feeling all afternoon. It felt like I got sucked into a black hole. Everything seemed calm on the surface, but I had no idea how many things were linked to me.In the afternoon, I received another invitation, this time from Matthew. He was throwing a big celebration for his new baby, almost as if he wanted the entire city to know he had a son now.He called me as soon as I got the invitation, his voice filled with pride.“Chlo, you’ve seen the invitation, haven’t you? You’ve got to be there. After all, this is a big event for the Murphy family. I finally have a son, haha! And bring your daughter along!”“Yeah, this could be a chance to combine it with your wedding for a double celebration,” I said.“Haha! Chlo, thank you for the suggestion. Everything’s in the works. We’re having a grand wedding!” He was trying to provoke me.I knew he was doing it on purpose. He felt invincible now, and taking a dig at me was easy
I spun around, but the figure hurrying away was now a fading silhouette. The figure vanished quickly. Still, the build, the height...Feeling something was off, I followed the figure to the roadside, but there was no trace of anyone. That captivating glimpse seemed more like an illusion. I scolded myself for paying attention to the scenery, not the person passing by.But I knew who I saw, even if he was dressed in all black and wearing a low-brimmed cap. Though I couldn’t see his face, his presence was…I stared around blankly until Carol returned to find me. Then I reluctantly followed her, still staring at either side of the path.Throughout the entire meal, that figure remained on my mind.The next day, I went to see Nick. I said nothing about what happened, but I insisted on seeing Atlas. It didn’t matter if he was still unconscious. I needed to see him.My firm stance made Nick uneasy. Even though his face darkened, I stood my ground.“Otherwise, I’ll head straight to Ple
Nick kept it brief on the phone, stressing the importance of attending the cocktail party and awaiting further instructions from him.I didn’t press for details and assured him I’d be there. Nick was clearly using this party to arrange a meeting with Atlas.Sure enough, I spotted Nick at the reception, with Stella by his side. He was introducing her to other high-level executives from different companies.After all, Nick was the head honcho of the Torado headquarters, so his presence was expected. As the ATL Empire representative, Stella demonstrated the company’s importance. With these two representing the ATL Empire, they made their presence known.It was unspoken knowledge that Atlas was indisposed because of the car accident. Everyone was wondering how serious his injuries were.All the hushed conversations at the reception revolved around this. I mingled in the crowd and exchanged pleasantries with other CEOs. Meanwhile, I watched Nick closely, afraid to miss his instructio
Knowing too many people were around, I didn’t want to cause a scene and suppressed my anger.Matthew tried to grab me as he said, “Chlo, what’s with your temper?”I dodged his hand, and it only grasped the air. He looked flustered, then glanced at the people watching us before casually putting his hand into his pocket.Matthew continued, “There’s a discussion for everything. We won’t need to worry about our companies’ statuses if we successfully handle these two projects. Why are you making things harder for yourself instead of joining me?”I tried to shake him off again and replied with a hint of disdain, “You should just enjoy your life. I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”Still, Matthew persisted in getting in my way. “I promise to give you whatever I give Mel. She’s leaving her work responsibilities to care for our son. You and I can have a harmonious family. What do you say?”"Matthew, you have no shame. Are you daydreaming? Wake up."The air went silent as Lauren approached u
I saw something flash in Stella’s eyes, which confirmed they were related to what happened to Kennedy.Just then, I noticed Nick giving me a signal. I excused myself to greet him and approached with a smile. After a few pleasantries, Nick quietly informed me, "The car is waiting outside. I can only stall them for forty minutes. You must leave Pleca Park within that time."I nodded and observed Stella before turning to head outside. However, Atticus and another man walked toward me with clear intentions to greet me.I cursed my luck while he waved to me from a distance. I smiled and approached before saying, “Mr. Atticus, did you just arrive?”“Ms. Chloe, let me introduce you to my friend. This is Bryan Cohen, the CEO of Alliance Corporation,” Atticus then smiled at his friend, “Bryan, this is Ms. Chloe Hartz, the owner of Tanum Corporation.Bryan extended his hand to me, and I politely shook it. He looked like a dashing young man, about the same age as Atticus. However, the former