“Anyone can take up the project. I can take up any project except this one!” As Rachel failed to struggle free of Justin’s grasp, she gritted her teeth and said, “Since this project is such an easy job, let someone else take it up instead. Lots of people would want to work on this!”
As soon as she finished her sentence, a gust of wind brushed against her ear. Justin slapped his hand against the door frame behind her ear, trapping her in a huge shadow by forming an enclosure with his arm and the wall in the corner. “I’m not consulting with you. This is a notice-either accept it or resign,” he asserted in a peremptory tone with a frosty look in his eyes.
Rachel glared at Justin; the feelings of resentment that had accumulated for many years surged in her chest, causing her to tremble involuntarily. She had thousands of reasons to say no to Justin’s threat, but she nevertheless replied, “I’ll accept it.” She agreed to take up the project only for one reason-she had to stay at Burton Pharmaceuticals by Justin’s side to find the evidence linked to Hans’ death. “I’ll accept it. Can you let go of me now?” She gradually calmed down while looking at the man fearlessly with an extremely cold look in her eyes.
Justin let go of her with a frown.
When Mr. Wayne saw them returning to the office, he asked with concern, “Chris, are you all right?”
Rachel managed a forced smile. “I’m fine; perhaps I ate something bad. Sorry for being impolite just now, Mr. Wayne. I’ll consult with you later about our collaboration. If you have any questions regarding our medicinal materials, you may ask me directly.”
“No problem. Naturally, someone recommended by President Burton must be reliable.” Mr. Wayne pushed his glasses. The greasy face behind his glasses looked as lewd as it had been back then, so much so that it disgusted Rachel just to take another look at it.
Justin watched their interaction the whole time, but he didn’t notice anything wrong with Mr. Wayne, who spoke and conducted himself in a very polite manner. However, Justin was puzzled by how alarmed Rachel looked. Could they have known each other before?
Rachel was hypervigilant at first, but Mr. Wayne didn’t overstep any boundaries at all. All he talked about was the collaboration between his company and Burton Pharmaceuticals, and this caused her to suspect that Mr. Wayne had forgotten her. After all, six years had passed since then, so it shouldn’t be surprising for him to forget a woman whom he had met just once in those six years. As Rachel thought of this, she slowly relaxed.
After the introduction, Mr. Wayne got up and said his farewells. Rachel said, “As for the matters regarding our collaboration, I’ll have my assistant draw up the contract and send it for you to look over.”
“Won’t you see me out, Chris?”
As soon as Mr. Wayne finished his sentence, Rachel unconsciously curled up her fingers.
Justin frowned at one side before shooting her a warning glance.
Rachel pinched the palm of her hand and forced a smile. “This way, please, Mr. Wayne.” As the elevator door slowly closed, she pushed the button to the first floor. “Mr. Wayne, if you are dissatisfied with any of the details we have just discussed regarding our collaboration, please come right out with it. We can talk about them.”
“You look more seductive compared to when I last met you six years ago, Chris. If President Burton hadn’t introduced us to each other, I wouldn’t have dared to recognize you.”
When Rachel heard Mr. Wayne’s words, her mind went black at once, and her temples pulsed.
Mr. Wayne then continued slowly, “However, compared to you, who can now speak, I prefer the little mute who couldn’t even cry out when being whipped back then. She was exciting and interesting enough-”
Rachel stepped back; she went so weak at the knees that she could hardly keep her feet. “You recognized me from the beginning.”
“How could I forget you, Mrs. Burton?” Mr. Wayne grabbed Rachel’s arm. “I still remember your smell very well in the past six years!”
Rachel’s head was buzzing as if she had gotten an electric shock. The arm that Mr. Wayne grabbed was so stiff that she couldn’t move it at all. She tried to make a sound, but she couldn’t make any when she opened her mouth.
The elevator reached the first floor with a ding. Before the elevator door slowly opened, Mr. Wayne had let go of Rachel’s hand. “Hi, Miss Hudson,” those waiting for the elevator outside greeted her.
Only then did Rachel come to her senses and brace herself to say to the staff, “This is Mr. Wayne from Golden Herbs Enterprise.”
“Hi, Mr. Wayne.”
“Hi, everyone.” Mr. Wayne shot a glance at Rachel. “Let’s go, Miss Hudson.”
Rachel’s face was so strained that she couldn’t manage a smile as she pinched the palm of her hand.
Meanwhile, the computer screen in Justin’s office showed the surveillance footage of the elevator, allowing him to hear every word of the conversation between Rachel and Mr. Wayne. As I expected, Rachel and Mr. Wayne have known each other before.
His eyes gradually darkened as those disgusting words still reverberated in his ears. Soon, a look of deepening anger crept over his face. Rachel didn’t dare to take up this project not because of Mr. Wayne’s character but because she was feeling guilty, he thought to himself. As the words ‘your smell’ resounded in his head, he instantly clenched his fists. No wonder… No wonder I divorced this woman back then! How many other scandalous things is she hiding from me?
“Here’s the new proposal, President Burton.”
Frankie’s voice snapped Justin out of his thoughts. After coming to his senses, he glanced at Frankie and asked, “What did you want to tell me about Mr. Wayne before this?”
Frankie was stunned for a moment. “I wanted to say that Mr. Wayne is a notorious womanizer, so it isn’t appropriate to let Miss Hudson take up this project. If anything bad happens, we’ll lose more than we gain.”
“In that case, who do you think should take up the project instead?”
“I think Ronald Weiss of the sales department is a nice candidate. After all, he’s also a man, so he won’t be taken advantage of.” Frankie studied Justin’s expression. Then, he immediately suggested, “It’s not too late to let another person take up the project right now, President Burton. Would you like me to inform Miss Hudson right away?”
“Did I say that I want to let another person take up the project?” Justin darted a look at Frankie. Then, three words came out of his thin lips coldly and resolutely. “There’s no need.” She deserves to solve the trouble she’s gotten herself into.
Mr. Wayne’s appearance made Rachel feel blue all afternoon. When it was finally time to clock out, she heard her cell phone vibrating on her desk. Her face tensed the instant she saw Mr. Wayne’s name displayed on the phone’s screen. “Hello?”
“You should be getting off work by now, right, Chris? I have asked several friends to meet up for dinner this evening. Come and join us for a bit.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to work overtime tonight.”
“Meeting clients is considered overtime, right? Or do you mean that I am a petty herbs dealer who’s dispensable and of no importance to Burton Pharmaceuticals?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“See you at 7.00PM at Golden Hill Nightclub then. Be sure to be there.”
Golden Hill Nightclub? Rachel’s face froze at once. The call had disconnected, and the phone’s main interface was displayed on the screen after a few beeps.
Rachel clutched her cell phone for a long time as she slowly calmed herself down. Why should I be afraid? Times are different now; I’m no longer under Justin’s coercion, nor can Mr. Wayne do anything to me. Why should I be afraid of joining the dinner?
