Chapter 14

Scarlett's POV

I bit my lip hard, but at Richard's urging, I began to moan for him.

My voice was soft and alluring, rising and falling in rhythm with Richard's pace.

"Mr. Gray, I... I..."

Since I wasn't on my own territory, doing this was ultimately risky.

I forced myself to continue playing along.

Even though we weren't actually having sex, my clothes were already damp with cold sweat.

This wasn't the first time I'd done something like this, but it was happening at the company...

"Mr. Gray, I can't take it anymore..." I pleaded, especially since I thought I'd heard movement outside the door.

What if someone discovered me and reported it to George? Would I still be able to work here?

On the other end of the phone, Richard finally let out a satisfied exhale, stimulated by my words.

"Good girl, good!" Richard said, content. Then, in a gentle voice, he added, "Scarlett, I'm temporarily tied up with the Suncrest City project and won't be back for a while. You won't be upset, will you?"

"No," I said, forcing a smile and deliberately softening my voice. "Mr. Gray, I'll be good and wait for you to return."

My voice was so sweet it made even me want to vomit.

"Good," Richard responded. "Then focus on your work. When I get back, I'll take good care of you."

My stomach churned. I knew all too well what Richard's "care" entailed.

Those perverted control issues and special preferences had already made me endure too much.

But at least he wasn't in Silverlight City now, giving me a temporary respite.

Just as I was beginning to relax, Richard's reminder came through the phone: "Are you still taking your medication?"

A chill crept down my spine, and I unconsciously clutched my skirt, my knuckles turning white with the force. "Yes, I'm taking it," I finally managed to squeeze out these words.

"Very good. I'll check when I return." Richard's statement hung over me like a sword, ready to fall at any moment. The call ended.

My legs could no longer support me, and I slid down against the wall of the storage room.

Just as I was about to leave, the door opened, and the man standing there startled me.

I couldn't help but gasp.

"Mr. Harber!"

My mind raced through various possibilities.

How long had he been standing there? What had he heard?

"Is there someone else in there?" George peered over my shoulder into the small storage room, though we both knew no one could hide in such a small space.

"Mr. Harber, I just came to make a phone call." My voice was unsteady, a feeling of guilt washing over me like a tide.

Looking at his golden hair forming a soft halo in the backlight, I noticed his gaze lingering on me.

The emotions in his eyes were complex—disappointment, shock, or perhaps contempt.

I turned to leave, desperate to escape this suffocating tension.

As I brushed past him, he grabbed my wrist, his grip firm.

The contact sent a jolt through my body—not excitement, but panic. "What kind of call requires a storage room?"

"A personal call." I turned to face him, putting on an innocent expression while my mind was in complete disarray. A deep self-loathing spread within me; this was the first time I had lied to George.

George's gaze moved from my face to the half-open door, his jaw tightening. "What's your relationship with Alexander? Were you with him last night?"

I was caught off guard—how did he know to ask about that? Shame and panic intertwined, making it almost impossible to breathe.

No one could know about my shameful relationship with Alexander, especially not George. I couldn't bear to see contempt in his eyes.

Besides, my engagement to Richard wasn't public yet, but it would be soon.

Outsiders absolutely could not know about my relationship with Alexander.

"I don't quite understand your question."

"Scarlett!"

"Hmm?" I looked up, moving closer to George, "Did you hear everything just now?"

I adjusted my shirt collar, revealing the marks Alexander had left on me the night before. Yet inside, I was filled with self-loathing and a twisted emotion.

I had already fallen this far; why not completely abandon my useless dignity?

"Just now, I was having an 'intimate conversation' with my fiancé over the phone." Smiling at him, the smile on my face was like a carefully crafted mask, hiding the pain and desperation within.

My hands trembled slightly in my sleeves, the shame of saying these words nearly overwhelming me.

"You must have heard. Did you think my moans sounded nice?" George looked at me in disbelief, something crumbling in his eyes. "You...!"

He couldn't finish his sentence—did he not know what to say? But the shock and disappointment in his eyes were like a mirror, reflecting my self-loathing. I realized now that we could never be together.

In that moment, I had the urge to flee, "Since you've seen and heard everything, if you think I'm not suitable to stay at the company, then fire me!"

I tried to make my tone sound indifferent, as if I wasn't the one who had insisted on becoming George's secretary years ago.

George remained silent, his brows tightly knit.

"Goodbye, Mr. Harber."

I didn't wait for his reaction and turned to leave.

The truth was, I couldn't hold on any longer.

I feared that if I stayed even a second more, tears would fall in front of him.