After Summer Lowell walked out of the Cloudrest Hotel, she got into the ride-share she'd arranged and returned to the hotel where she was staying. There, she indulged in a good night's sleep before dragging her luggage to the residence Elias Joyce arranged for her.
The house arranged by the Stellarion branch was spacious and in a prime location.
According to the assistant, Elias Joyce, the branch president, personally chose it for her.
The reason for such preferential treatment was nothing but what she did last year.
Summer put the keys aside, wandered around the house, then stood in front of the spacious floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scenery below.
She recalled Maxim Sinclair's words to her in the hotel that morning, and Summer sneered.
He was indeed right; the high salary and position she possessed now, as well as her status in the company, were all essentially acquired through Maxim Sinclair.
But she also put in heartfelt effort.
Only because of that incident did she have no choice but to...
Summer stared fixedly at the reflection in the spotless floor-to-ceiling window glass. As she looked, she saw several deep red kiss marks on her neck.
She couldn't help but remember certain scenes from last night.
Suddenly, she felt short of breath, as if the decor in the room was constantly reminding her of what she'd done to earn all this.
She couldn't stay in this house any longer; she needed to change residence.
At that moment, Summer received a call from Elias Joyce, the company president.
"Hello, President Joyce, what's up?"
Elias Joyce's voice was gentle on the other end, with a hint of laughter: "How's your rest?"
"Not bad," Summer turned to look outside the window, trying to ignore the soreness she hadn't yet recovered from even after a night's sleep, as she told him, "I'm ready to report to the company and start officially working tomorrow."
"Perfect timing. There's a meeting tomorrow morning that requires attendance from senior company staff. Come early; I can brief you on the current state of the company."
"Alright, I'll definitely be there early tomorrow," Summer agreed wholeheartedly.
After hanging up, Summer pursed her lips as she looked at the lavishly decorated, costly house and fetched the real estate agent's phone number.
She planned to change the house and start her life anew.
The next morning.
Summer fetched her badge from the HR department, clutching several documents necessary for the meeting as she headed to the president's office.
For some reason, there were no secretaries or assistants at the office door. Summer glanced around before stepping forward to knock on the office door.
"Come in," Elias Joyce's voice sounded from inside.
But as soon as Summer walked in, she met the gaze of someone she didn't want to see.
It was Maxim Sinclair.
But how could he be here so early in the morning?
Maxim Sinclair sat leisurely on the sofa, offering Summer a meaningful smile.
Summer glanced at him, then at Elias Joyce behind the desk, whose face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and quickly bowed her head to apologize: "Sorry for disturbing you."
With that, she intended to leave.
What terrible luck she had, running into him wherever she went.
"Stop!" Maxim Sinclair's voice rang out.
Summoned by him, Summer instinctively stopped but quickly realized she was no longer his secretary and could ignore his commands.
Yet, his next words forced her to stay.
"If you leave now, don't blame me for saying things that shouldn't be said in front of President Joyce. After all, there's a lot to tell between you and me..."
This was an unmistakable threat.
Summer glanced at the office's glass door, checked the marks on her neck hidden away, gritted her teeth, and turned around to face Elias Joyce, waiting to hear his intention.
Elias naturally knew some of the grievances between Summer and Maxim Sinclair, and now Summer was under his command; he had every reason to protect her: "President Sinclair, there's plenty of time for catching up. Summer Lowell is just back at the company and has plenty of things to get done."
Maxim Sinclair didn't bother to hide his sarcasm: "Since we're all here, there's no need to hide anything. Let's lay it all out. With Director Lowell now in Stellarion, there's bound to be frequent encounters in the future. If she keeps avoiding me, it'll harm Stellart's reputation."
Elias gave him a complicated look and helplessly gestured for Summer: "Don't rush off; come over and chat. After all, you're acquainted with President Sinclair, so it's a good chance to catch up."
Having spoken, Summer could only comply.
Maxim Sinclair waited for her to approach before revealing his intention: "Director Lowell is an invaluable talent. I happen to need someone like her. Since we're acquainted, why not let President Joyce agree to let me have this talent."
Then, Maxim Sinclair turned to look at Summer: "Come to my side; I can offer you a salary that's definitely not lower than here. If you want, I can even offer you double your annual salary. Actually, if you'd showcased your strength directly at the outset, I wouldn't have shortchanged you. Why take such a roundabout path?"
Summer replied with a stiff face, "Thank you, President Sinclair, for the compliment."
"Refusing so decisively?" Maxim Sinclair looked intent, "I believe when you were under me, I treated you well. If you're willing to return, I'll offer you conditions that won't be inferior to before."
Elias Joyce and Summer both discerned that Maxim Sinclair was mocking Stellart's unsavory practices.
Unable to tolerate further, Elias Joyce stood up to give his dismissal: "I have a meeting soon, so I'm afraid I can't entertain President Sinclair any longer. Let's discuss this later."
Summer felt much relieved. Knowing Maxim Sinclair, he's not one to easily give up, and she wondered why Elias seemed to meet him so early in the day.
Yet, unexpectedly, Maxim Sinclair didn't press further, instead rose quickly: "Alright, I won't disturb President Joyce anymore. Let's grab a drink sometime."
Seeing his prompt response, Summer secretly relaxed, thinking he must be upset and intentionally provocative.
But as Maxim Sinclair rose, he maneuvered next to her and whispered in her ear, "I'll be waiting for your return."
Summer looked up at the sinister gaze in Maxim Sinclair's eyes, feeling fear rise within her. She'd never seen such an expression from him before.
His demeanor... seemed to signal a resolve.
Having spoken, Maxim Sinclair left the office.
After he departed, Summer hadn't yet opened her mouth to ask Elias Joyce what today's incident was about when she saw Elias suddenly grab the nearby documents and toss them to Summer's face: "That Maxim Sinclair is simply mad!"
Summer was perplexed. She picked up the documents, scanned the contents, and froze.