“Clear your desk. The CEO will be here shortly,” Estelle instructed.
Snapping out of her reverie, Violet hastened to tidy her desk.
The office erupted in gasps midway through her work when Lucius led a group of executives into
the office space.
He attracted everyone the instant he entered the room with an air of calm detachment and handsomeness
His appearance and presence stunned everyone into silence, as if time had stopped. Only the sound of his footsteps reverberated through the room.
“This is a man that has got it all,” whispered an assistant near Violet, nearly losing her bnce and bumping into her.
Violet swayed slightly and quickly looked away, her mind in a daze.
Estelle approached Lucius and enthusiastically greeted him before introducing the personnel who
were present.
“This is Violet, our new designer. She’s very talented,” Estelle said, treating her like any other
employee.
Lucius barely nced at her, acknowledging her with a nod before moving on<b>. </b>
Violet felt a sense of <b>loss </b>and abandonment.
She had doubts about the remarks made by the woman the day before, suspecting they were her
own words to deny her entry. However, now <i>she </i>w
from Lucius himself.
certain that it was actually an instruction
In his heart, no woman seemed significant. Violet was prepared for this, yet his apparent
disinterest still hurt her.
His affections for any woman were temporary, and none of themsted. Violet had braced herself for this, but his apparent indifference still hurt her.
Lucius briefly toured the office and left soon after.
His good looks continued to create a buzz <b>around </b>the office.
Violet did not join in. She sat quietly, staring nkly at her screen, her productivity for the day plummeting.
+15 <b>BONOS </b>
“It looks like the president should visit less often, or ourpany might shut down.” Estelle joked as they left work, linking arms with Violet.
Violet managed a tense smile and was at a loss for words.
As they descended to the ground floor, another elevator door opened, revealing Lucius stepping
out.
His demeanor was frosty, creating a barrier that kept others away<b>. </b>
Lucuis’s striking appearance made onlookers internally shriek with excitement, yet no one dared
to approach him.
He appeared oblivious to everything around him, including Violet. He then turned and walked in
the opposite direction.
“I left something behind,” Violet murmured as an excuse, allowing Estelle to continue <b>on </b>without
her.
She quickly trailed behind Lucius, catching up to him in a secluded spot.
“President…” she began, “I appreciate all you’ve done, and I’m sorry.”
Lucius halted and faced her with a piercing, cold gaze, reminiscent of their first encounter<b>. </b>
“Why are you thanking me?” he asked casually.
Violet looked down, too ashamed to answer.
Without pressing for an answer, he asked<b>, </b>“Why are you sorry?”
Violet found the courage to exin, “I wasn’t aware that it was your birthday <b>and </b>your parents‘
memorial anniversary. So I’m sorry.”
He responded with a disdainful scoff, “You think because George said I acquired thispany for you and asked you to cook on my parents‘ anniversary that you’re special to the?”
Violet was startled<b>, </b>realizing he knew her reasons for gratitude.
every woma
“I treat generously,” he continued. “The jewelry I’ve gifted could buy numerouspanies like this. The money I spent on you was merely for amusement. And my request for
you to cook was simply because I was hungry, nothing more. So…<b>” </b>
He left the sentence hanging, but Violet got the message. He was reminding her of her status.
She bit her lip, hit by a cold realization.
+15 RONOS
Violet had approached him with a sliver of hope, wishing that his anger was momentary, yearning for <b>a </b>more positive interaction today, and <b>wanting </b>to discover if she held any special ce in his
<b>heart</b>.
The answer was now painfully clear<b>. </b>
Violet recognized that she had been dismissed. She <b>had </b>braced for this. Lucius had never misled
her.
“Oh. I understand<b>,</b><b>” </b>she managed to say after a moment before walking away.
Behind her, Lucius did not look back.
Her repeated departures and treating their interactions as mere obligations had deeply angered
him. As the esteemed Master Lucius of Imperial Enterprise<b>, </b><b>he </b>would not tolerate such slights.
His receding figure was aloof and merciless, a gap she could never bridge.
This might have been the best oue for both, yet Violet felt like she had lost something
precious.
After George’s revtions, she thought she might be overthinking her feelings for Lucius and was being overly cautious. Now, despite the <b>pain</b>, she hade to terms with it.
They belonged to different worlds. She could not expect him to treat her any differently<b>. </b>
Holding back her emotions, she contemted this while gripping her hand tight, but found it
challenging to move on<b>. </b>
Meanwhile, Emily watched from a distance, a smug smile on her face. She had suspected Violet
of having an <b>illicit </b>rtionship with Lucius.
Today’s encounter with Lucius confirmed her surprise and fueled her jealousy. She could not fathom how Violet remained connected to such an important figure.