Daphne hadn't expected to see Scarlett here, of all places. Her fury surged as soon as she caught sight of the other woman, her eyes rolling in mirth.At this point, many had gathered in the corridor, awaiting their chances to shine, but Daphne was the only prominently established public figure among the throngs of undergraduates and a few less renowned stars.Gossip pervaded the air, as it had the tendency to do every time groups of women came together. "Hey, do y'all know that someone important is coming today?" Someone spoke up amid the crowd. "I heard he's the sole heir and current president of LM Corporations. He just returned from studying abroad—my sources say that his looks are impeccable beyond belief.""I've heard of that too! Christ, if we could make a lasting impression on him, we'd be set for life, don't you think? Goodness, how I wish I could see him right now!"Someone else laughed. "You're delusional. Do you take him for an ordinary, rich, pretty boy? He's the president

The displeasure on the staff member's face intensified as he vented, "It's really infuriating. Everyone was just preparing to leave work when one of our higher-ups complained about the unfairness of our selection process. They even implied that something inappropriate had been going on within our team and demanded that we come clean. The president decided to thoroughly investigate this matter, but don't you worry; I'm sure he's a man of justice, and our selection process has never been fairer. One of your fellow competitors must have been feeling resentful after being rejected. Regardless, you have nothing to worry about. Our president is hardly unreasonable. As long as you answer his queries honestly, nothing bad will happen to you."Despite his attempts at reassuring her, Scarlett was still nervous about the imminent encounter with the company's president. She'd never imagined herself in a position where her integrity would be questioned by someone else. It was truly ironic.She'd be

Every part of her body tensed as she spoke to him, her nerves already frayed. "You—you slick bastard! What the fuck do you want? You and I have nothing to do with each other now. You have no right to speak to me like that, so don't even start, alright?"Her voice trembled, as if declaring her inherent weakness, and she hated it. She hated how weak she sounded and how powerless she was to change that."So, just like that? You're—what? Going down a new path of goodness and philanthropy? Don't you miss what we once had? Have you forgotten about the joy we once shared, the love we had between us?" Jonathan's brazen words made her inadvertently flush. An arrogant finger slid beneath her chin and lifted it as his free hand gradually unbuttoned her coat, revealing her voluminous chest.His smile was equally bold and unrestrained. "Didn't I tell you before? Women should wear lingerie that's more expensive than what you have on right now. Don't tell me you've used up all the money I gave you la

Scarlett had thoroughly made up her mind at this point, and she knew what she had to do. It would sting, no doubt, but she had to cross her heart and reject him either way. "Dylan, it's not that I don't want to meet your parents. I'd told you before that there are some things I can't talk about. But now, I don't think delaying it will help us both any further. I have to tell you, even if I'm not ready. How about we talk this through as we eat?"Even though she was reluctant to tell him the harsh truth, she knew it was time. Jonathan wouldn't let either of them go so easily, and she couldn't continue dragging Dylan down with her. Scarlett knew that her words would inevitably hurt him, but they were necessary. She'd run once, but she couldn't keep running now.As if he'd already guessed what she was about to say, Dylan's expression was grim. A thick silence shrouded the air between the two throughout the journey, even as they arrived at a casual diner. After ordering their entrées, Scarl

The rarity of the situation at hand increased everyone's buzzing excitement. Even though Scarlett had been popular in college, she'd mostly focused on her studies instead of the hoards of admirers she'd gained without even trying. She'd been so disinterested in anything that had to do with romance that her initiative now thrilled her friends. Having her agree to their bold request was a miracle in itself, and none of them were going to leave before seeing it with their own eyes.Scarlett, on the other hand, knew that she had to go all out today and make that group of bad influences happy. She couldn't very well go against her word. Forget the completely unprecedented moves she was about to pull that night; she was certain that whatever she did now would go down in the history of their friendship as one of the filthiest things she'd ever done, and she was helpless to stop it from happening. She hadn't wanted to do something embarrassing like this in the first place, and she would never