Chapter 11
1093words
It turned out that he could feel sadness, feel pain, and even shed tears. But it was far too late.
I opened the door, gesturing for him to leave. Proud as he was, Zane didn't insist on staying. He grabbed his coat, draped it over himself, and strode out.
But when he got to the door, he stopped in his tracks. "That night… I remember everything now. Cassidy, I won't let you go. And we can have another child in the future."
After saying that, he left. I thought he would continue to pester me, but the next day at work, I saw no sign of him downstairs.
Kayla told me Zane had returned to Acmoria. Something had apparently come up at the company.
I instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, although one problem had been solved, another was waiting for me.
The moment I stepped into the company, my coworkers told me Desmond wanted to see me in his office.
They looked at me with nothing but amusement. "Cassidy, at this rate, you'll be living in Mr. Archer's office soon. People who are not in the know would think that you joined the company to be his secretary instead."
"Yeah, soon you won't be a director anymore, but Mrs. Archer…"
Suddenly, they trailed off.
Desmond patted my shoulder. "Why haven't you come in yet? Need me to come get you?"
The moment he said that, the others immediately covered their mouths.
Once in the office, I couldn't help but say, "Mr. Archer, you're putting me in a difficult position."
Because of what happened at Cosmo Group, my relationship with my ex-coworkers had been awful. I could still remember their verbal insults.
There were a few times that I had mentioned the matter to Zane, but he simply punished the person directly. Although things appeared fine on the surface, behind the scenes, they became even more hostile toward me.
Unexpectedly, Desmond didn't do anything like that. He merely chuckled. "That was my oversight. I'll make sure to keep a distance in the office from now on."
Then he handed me a document. "I wanted you to come because I wanted to congratulate you. The product you designed received excellent feedback in the market."
I was ecstatic. This was the first time I'd received such recognition at work.
Seeing me so thrilled, Desmond smiled as well. "I'm hosting a celebration banquet for you tomorrow night. Many elites from the business and art worlds will attend. You need to seize this opportunity."
I paused, letting out a soft laugh. "What opportunity? A job-hopping opportunity?"
Desmond seemed surprised for a moment. He then slowly approached me, lifting my chin and bringing his face closer.
My heart skipped a beat.
A chuckle reached my ear. "You can go anywhere you want for work, but outside the office, you can only be by my side."
Even long after I left his office that day, I still couldn't calm my racing heart.
Who said Desmond was all work and no charm? I could tell just how good he was at seduction.
At that moment, my phone buzzed with a message. "No overtime today. I'll accompany you to pick out some clothes tonight."
I unconsciously smiled, but the memory of Zane telling me I wasn't any different from his other lovers suddenly surfaced.
All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. I stared at the screen for a long time before replying, "Okay."
While we were shopping, Desmond patiently waited as I tried on many outfits. When I was trying on a dress, the zipper got stuck.
I called for a sales assistant, but there was no response. In the end, I could only ask Desmond for help.
His six-foot-tall frame made the cramped fitting room even smaller. He traced the skin along my back as he worked the zipper upward.
In that instant, we both froze. I was about to say something when Desmond turned me around and pinned me against the wall. Tilting my face up, he kissed me.
This kiss was nothing like the first. It was hotter and more passionate. In less than a minute, I felt weak all over. It wasn't until a sales assistant knocked on the door that we sprang apart.
Once outside of the fitting room, Desmond went straight ahead and bought every dress I'd picked out. He tossed the shopping bags into the back seat of his car, helped me into the passenger seat, and continued the kiss.
This time, no one interrupted us. We then spent an unforgettable night together at a nearby hotel.
Once it was over, I exhaled slowly as I listened to the sounds from the bathroom. After all the twists and turns, I had once again found myself dating my boss.
I couldn't help but think of that birthday when Zane had called me to bring him protection. Even now, the feelings of despair and disbelief still lingered in my heart.
When Desmond emerged from the bathroom, I looked out the window and asked softly, "What exactly are we now?"
He chuckled, his husky voice low. "Babe, didn't you call me 'Daddy' in bed just now? So what do you think that makes us?"
I turned to stare at him, looking annoyed. Desmond smiled as he ruffled my hair. "I'm joking. We're obviously a couple now. If you're worried, I'll announce our relationship at tomorrow's celebration."
Just then, his phone rang. Desmond picked up, and after hearing a few words, his expression hardened instantly.
In a cold tone, he said, "I understand. I'll take care of it."
I looked at him in confusion.
Desmond's brow furrowed. "Cassidy, someone has reported your work for plagiarism."
"What? How could that be? That was our joint design after countless late nights!"
Desmond was silent for a moment, then let out a derisive laugh. "I was wondering why he left Brudivia in such a hurry. So that's what he was up to."
"Who are you talking about?"
"Zane."
In that moment, I couldn't even put my feelings into words. I checked my social media and found that the hostile comments directed at me had already reached the millions.
Even the stock price of Vertex Group had fluctuated.
Desmond came over to reassure me. "Don't worry. I'll handle this. I won't let anyone harm you."
My chest heaved as I gently brushed his hand away. "No. I'll handle this myself."
