Harold immediately let go of Camille, but he did not move an inch from his position. In fact, he almost seemed smug.‘How foolish,’ Camille thought in her head, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.“What were you doing just now?” Christian’s voice was icy cold.“Just talking with your little secretary,” Harold had the guts to respond.“Excuse me?”Meanwhile, Camille took a few steps back, dusting off her collar and fixing her blouse in place. She could not keep the disgust off her expression. She would let Christian deal with this now, thank god.That just now was one of the most revolting situations she had ever been placed into. Normally she would pummel touchy men like that into the ground, but seeing as this was one of the more influential men in the city, she could not afford to be too hasty. Reputation mattered in this town, unfortunately.She also did not want to be in the spotlight too much. The Callahans made sure that her new identity was not suspicious at all and pulled a l
The atmosphere in the office instantly changed. The murderous look in Christian’s eyes faded away, replaced by a startling blankness.Startled, Camille wondered what exactly Harold meant by that.‘The truth about Pamela Callahan’s death?’ she thought, shocked. ‘I only heard that Gregory Callahan lost his wife to an illness, but at that time, she had already left him and their kids.’‘Come to think of it, I’m not sure if they got an actual divorce back then…’At that moment, employees started to notice the commotion. Camille stepped back and tried not to seem like she was involved in any of this. Gossip was merciless in a society like this one.Christian knew this as well, so he backed off a bit. Interestingly, he no longer looked furious. Instead, there was this cold, calculative look in his eyes.“We will talk about this tomorrow,” he said icily. “Alone.”Harold looked satisfied at this. “Very well. Like you, I don’t want any trouble, either. I’m glad that we have both come to a mutu
Camille’s mouth dropped open. “Get rid of him?! Mr. Callahan, that’s—”“Oh my. What’s going on inside that head of yours, Miss Parker?” Amusement flickered in Christian’s eyes. “I merely implied getting him fired or framed in order to get him out of the company.”Her lips stretched into a thin line. For some reason, she did not believe his reason one bit.“However,” Christian continued on, “such a thing is impossible at this time since Grady is good at his job. That means it’s up to you to uncover secrets and find out what’s going on under my orders.”Camille was seething on the inside.What in the world was going on? Why did it seem like she was being sent on an espionage mission of some sort? This certainly wasn’t a part of her job description, right? Sure, there had been times when they needed to scope out the competition, but to this extent…“You’re not gonna hurt him or anything, right?” she asked carefully, eyeing him with a wary look.“That depends on your performance. But yes,
Michael leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes.“You’re really sure about this?” he said quietly.Grady, who was standing next to his desk, nodded even though he knew that Michael couldn’t see him do so at the moment. “I am quite sure, Mr. McGregor,” he said. “As you know, my information gathering is always precise.”There was a ghost of a smile on Michael’s lips. “You’re right. You’ve always been reliable when it comes to digging up information about something.”“But of course, I understand why you have a hard time believing it,” Grady said solemnly. “However, I thought it best to inform you nevertheless. I felt that you deserve to know.”“I know,” Michael said. “I understand.”But in his heart, there was a deep turmoil brewing within. An internal conflict that made his rationality and emotions be at odds with each other.How, and why, did Camille become Christian Callahan’s fiancée?It was mind-boggling, to say the least. He had been expecting a lot of secrets on Camille’
Joanna casually entered the office and walked over to Michael’s desk. She was perfectly styled as always; her long brown hair was tied up in an elegant bun, and her brown eyes were narrowed, as if she were slightly displeased about something.Then again, she always did look that way.Meanwhile, Grady tried his best not to flinch visibly. Yes, this was his boss’s older sister, but he knew that the relationship between the two siblings was strained, so the fact that Joanna just walked into the office without even knocking made Grady a little nervous about what might happen next.Contrary to his fears, however, Michael didn’t seem unfazed by her intrusion.“What woman were you two talking about?” she asked indifferently, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked down at his desk and noticed Camille’s photos laid out for her to see. She took one and studied it closely. “And who is this woman?”Grady tensed even more. Joanna seemed pretty nonchalant about all this, which was a bit surpr
“When are you going to get married?” The lively dining table went silent in an instant, and there was a lingering anticipation in the air that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room. Michael McGregor could hear his father’s voice loud and clear, but he chose to ignore it, focusing on the meal before him. It was a question that he had grown accustomed to over the years. There was no need for him to give a verbal response. After all, his answer would remain the same. Around the table sat five individuals overall: the Chairman of Haynes-McGregor Industries, his wife, Michael, and the latter’s two siblings, namely William and Joanna. John McGregor sat at the head of the table with a scowl, obviously displeased by his son’s blatant lack of response. He slammed his fork down on the plate, making a loud noise that caused the others to jolt in surprise. “I am talking to you,” John said, his eyes narrowing in anger. “When are you going to stop refusing marriage prospects and blind dat
[Sixteen years ago, in the city of Lenford…] - A single petal floated in front of his eyes. It was a cherry blossom petal, one that signaled the beginning of the tree’s full bloom in spring. It was the first thing Michael McGregor saw before a girl about his age suddenly walked up to him, her hand tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag. She was a pretty girl with long dark hair and striking olive-green eyes. She had an intelligent look about her that gave off elegance and beauty, catching the eyes of some of the boys who passed by. Her hair was loose and long enough to reach her waist, letting the wind blow the strands behind her. It was like a picturesque moment that could have been a little romantic if it weren’t for the words that came out of her mouth the next moment. “What are you doing with that cigarette?” - At 15 years old, Michael McGregor had just arrived for his first day of high school. Back in middle school, he was notorious for rebelling against his famil
Michael was still frozen in disbelief even after hanging up the phone. As though sensing that Michael was in internal conflict with himself, Grady told him that he would send all the details through one of their secure chat channels. Michael agreed to it absently and ended the call. Michael scrolled down all of the information that Grady had investigated for him about Hailey. Apparently, after going off the grid for fourteen years, she had managed to turn herself into a different person. The woman in the photo who was staring back at him was so different from the girl he once knew years ago. In the past, Hailey had long black hair. She used to grow it so long that it reached her waist. But now, she had blonde hair that was cut short at a modest length, just a little below her shoulders. Her face had become mature over the years, having lost some of the baby fat from her cheeks. Her features had morphed from cute and smiley to serious and intelligent. Her eyes were still the same,