Chapter 5

She seized the moment the staff intended to bring his lunch into the room and told them to leave it to her. Afterward, she covertly slipped the st******t into the food. However, Raymond instructed her to go there as he wished to take a bath first.

Willow could only leave the food there and return to her room, intending to wait for him to finish his meal and fall under the effects of the d***. Then, she would return to help him relieve his stress, rise to the peak of passion in bed, and become Mrs. Edwards.

But life is not like one dream, and she bumped into her ex-boyfriend just as she left his room. A few months prior, she broke up with him without giving an apparent reason, mainly because she grew tired of him. The abrupt breakup and severance of contact enraged him, and when he accidentally ran into her again, he demanded an explanation.

Her ex-boyfriend ruined what seemed like a perfect plan at a crucial moment. The most unpredictable turn of events was a strange woman suddenly barging into his room. The rising lust provoked by the aph******ac led him to lose control, and he devoured her, taking away the innocence of the unsuspecting girl.

Upon regaining his sobriety, Raymond ordered an investigation into the lunch meal, and the server confessed that it was handed directly to assistant Gary. Realizing her nefarious scheme, he waited until they returned to the company to teach her a lesson.

“Stop it!”

His henchmen promptly obeyed. He rose, stepping in front of her,

“Effective today, you’re fired.”

She was so shocked she couldn’t believe her ears. Despite her throbbing lips, swollen and painful cheeks, Willow still tried to stammer,

“Don’t, Chairman Edwards... I beg you... I won’t dare again...”

She tried to grasp his legs, but Raymond viciously kicked her away. From the start, Willow Gary should never have played with fire. She had been working for him for three years, knowing his cold and ruthless character well, yet daringly risking everything to climb into his bed. This time, the consequences are indeed severe.

Returning home after over an hour on the bus, a day had elapsed, but Caroline Anthony still could not shake off the haunting memory of what had occurred at the Pansy Hotel in Summer.

It was not just one horrifying incident but two that had indelibly etched themselves into her psyche. Indeed, her profession was turning out to be a pretty occupational hazard. She could hardly believe the tragic circumstances she had stumbled into.

Since the events unfolded, she had seriously considered giving up her career multiple times due to the overwhelming feelings of distress. However, her deep love for her job left her in a quandary, confused about what to do next.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from outside:

“Caroline, I’m back.”

Recognizing her sister’s voice, she hastily rose to her feet. Despite having weathered the day, she still felt a lingering discomfort, a physical ache far worse than any menstrual pain she had experienced.

“Yes, I’m here.”

She exited her room, and her sister greeted her warmly.

“I’ve brought you your favorite fish noodles.”

Seeing her sister’s weary expression, she quickly asked:

“You look exhausted. Are you unwell?”

Caroline had recently graduated with a degree in journalism and was applying for a job at Vera newspaper as a reporter. However, to secure the position, the editorial board gave her a daunting task: to unearth some scoops about the businessman Simcha Scott. She was explicitly asked to dig up news about him, the CEO of a leading domestic precious metals trading company.

When initially applying for the job, she had recognized the deputy editor of the newspaper as an old classmate of her sister. Unfortunately, back in their school days, her sister and this woman had not been on friendly terms. To put it mildly, they utterly despised each other.

Hence, upon reviewing Caroline’s CV, the deputy editor instantly recognized her as the sister of her old classmate with whom she had a significant grudge. She challenged Caroline’s task by assigning her to hunt for hot news about the notorious businessman Simcha.

Landing a reporter’s job and working at a prestigious newspaper like Vera was her lifelong dream. After much contemplation, she accepted the challenging task, hoping to secure a position on the Vera editorial board.

In addition, she and her sister desperately needed money to repay the debt their father had left behind. Driven by these factors, she pushed herself to take a risky bet.

Upon her sister’s inquiry, she maintained an air of calm as if nothing had happened:

“No, I’m fine. It’s my first time covering a story far from home, so I’m not used to it yet.”

She didn’t dare share the truth with her sister that she had been trying to uncover secrets about Simcha Scott, a notorious figure in the business world, rumored to have shocking untold secrets. Caroline had lied to her sister, telling her that she had been to the city of Summer to take photos and write an article for a sports conference.

“I see. You should eat your fish noodles to regain your strength. I got them from Aunt Six’s shop, your favorite place. So, how’s your work going? Is everything okay?”

She smiled warmly as she sat down, appreciating her sister’s constant love and care. Caroline was immensely proud of her elder sister, the accomplished lawyer Violet Anthony. Known widely as the invincible Lawyer Anthony, she had not lost a single case throughout her six years of practice.

“I’m fine,” she responded before spooning the soup.

“This is Aunt Six’s fish noodle soup. The taste is fantastic and unmistakable.” she praised, tasting the soup.

The two sisters were having their meal together. Just the night before, Violet had spent the night at her law office. She was currently involved in a criminal case that demanded a significant amount of research. Hence, they had not seen each other since yesterday. When Caroline returned home last night, she had only managed to inform her elder sister over a call.

“Caroline, your neck...” Violet started, in a tone full of surprise.

Caroline jerked, suddenly remembering something. Her heart pounded with anxiety.

“What happened to your neck? Why is there...”

Violet had accidentally spotted a red mark on her neck. Despite wearing a high-necked shirt and intentionally letting her hair down to cover it, the impact was inadvertently exposed. Caroline could only make up an excuse in response to Violet’s bewildered gaze.

“It’s just... a mosquito bite. I scratched it because it was itchy, and that’s why it’s red.”

Despite her explanation, Violet remained skeptical about the seemingly unusual mark.

She attempted to touch it, but Caroline dodged her hand: “I just applied some ointment, don’t touch it.”

Violet furrowed her eyebrows, her tone turning stern: “Are you sure it’s a mosquito bite? You’re not hiding anything from me, right?”

Despite maintaining a calm facade, her heart was filled with turmoil and worry.

“You don’t believe me? I think you’re getting too involved in your profession, seeing suspicion everywhere.” Caroline tried to lighten the mood.

Violet tapped Caroline lightly on the head: “Silly girl, and it’s not about me being too professional. I’m just worried about you.”

Caroline broke into a smile, repeatedly insisting that the red mark was just a bug bite to put her sister’s mind at ease. But she was dealing with terrifying experiences she couldn’t share with anyone.