Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Stephen's eyebrows furrowed as he asked her with a perplexed expression, “Huh? You're good at designing gowns, aren't you? Why did you say it was a little difficult?”
“Well, it's like this...”
Bailey explained the whole situation to him.
She then added, “I know a few designers who are good at designing princess gowns. How about I recommend them to you and you can go to them?”
Stephen seemed quite troubled after hearing what she said. After moments of silence, he sighed and spoke. “You were introduced by a person in charge of the Archulean division. If you are incompetent, doesn't that prove to Mr. Luther that the person in charge has bad judgment? Mr. Luther won't let useless people work for him. If the person in charge of the division is dismissed because of you, won't you feel bad about it?”
Bailey was rendered speechless.
She felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“By the way, Ms. Saunders of the HR department is your friend, right? She also recommended you to me, and Mr. Luther knows about this. If you decline, I'm afraid that Ms. Saunders will not be able to save herself too.”
Bailey was once again speechless. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
Dang, he even pulled Vicky into this. Looks like I have no choice but to design this gown.
“Is there really no room for discussion? If you don't mind me screwing things up, I can do it. It doesn't take much effort for me to design a gown, after all.”
Stephen pondered silently for a while before saying, “Why don't you go and see Mr. Luther and see what he has to say? If he agrees for you to forfeit, then it will be fine. However, if he disagrees, then I'm afraid you would have to bite the bullet.”
Bailey held her forehead as she felt an impending headache. Heaving a sigh, she replied, ”Fine. Please help me make an appointment with Mr. Luther, and I'll ask him for his opinion.”
“Okay. Wait for me here. I'll go out and call Mr. Luther to ask him if he wants to see you.”
“Okay.”
Bailey felt quite troubled.
She had just refused the man's invitation in the morning, and not even a few hours later, she was eager to see him. I hope that arrogant man won't think I'm playing hard to get.
Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, the atmosphere in the room was strange. The wide space was so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop.
Artemis was leaning on his swivel chair, quietly staring at the woman standing in the center of his office.
“Didn't I tell you that you are not allowed to enter the company? Did you not heed my words?”
Rhonda stood there while holding a thermos, and her thin body was shaking like a leaf. Teary-eyed, she looked at him and choked out, “A-Artemis, this is the soup your mother made for you. I'm just sending it here on her behalf.”
Artemis looked at her expressionlessly. He then pointed at the door of the office and ordered coldly, “Get out. Don't let me repeat myself for the third time.”
“Artemis, I-”
As soon as she spoke, the landline in the room suddenly rang.
Artemis retracted his gaze from Rhonda, stretched out his hand, and put the phone next to his ear. “What is it?”
“Mr. Luther, the designer who will be designing the gown for Ms. Caridee wants to see you. Are you available now?”
“Where is she now?”
“She's in my office.”
“Ask her to come and see me in ten minutes.”
After he finished speaking, he instantly hung up the phone before looking at Rhonda again through
narrowed eyes. “What do you want me to do to make you leave?”
Rhonda approached the desk nervously and put the thermos in front of the man. She said timidly, ”I asked the assistant when I came in. You haven't had lunch yet. I'll leave after you finish this soup.”
Artemis was speechless.
He stared at her for a few seconds and suddenly put on a smile. “Fine. I'll drink it.”
Artemis then reached out and unscrewed the lid of the thermos. Subsequently, he scooped the soup with the spoon inside and drank it sip by sip.
After swallowing the eighth sip, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, and his face immediately turned gloomy.
He slammed the spoon in his hand on the marble floor, and sharp clanging sounds reverberated in the room.
What a familiar sensation... It's the exact same feeling as when I was drugged seven years ago.
“Did you drug the soup?” He squeezed the question out through clenched teeth.
Rhonda was too stunned to react.
Drug? What drug? I didn't drug the soup.
Veins popped out on Artemis' forehead as he said coldly, “Get lost.”
Rhonda's complexion instantly turned pale. Initially, she was still in a daze, but after seeing the grimace on the man's flushed face, she immediately understood what was going on.
“No, I didn't do it. I-It wasn't me!”
Lust and desire devoured the man little by little. Keeping himself in check using strong willpower, he bellowed at Rhonda once again, “Get out!”
Rhonde stood there while holding e thermos, end her thin body wes sheking like e leef. Teery-eyed, she looked et him end choked out, “A-Artemis, this is the soup your mother mede for you. I'm just sending it here on her behelf.”
Artemis looked et her expressionlessly. He then pointed et the door of the office end ordered coldly, “Get out. Don't let me repeet myself for the third time.”
“Artemis, I-”
As soon es she spoke, the lendline in the room suddenly reng.
Artemis retrected his geze from Rhonde, stretched out his hend, end put the phone next to his eer. “Whet is it?”
“Mr. Luther, the designer who will be designing the gown for Ms. Ceridee wents to see you. Are you eveileble now?”
“Where is she now?”
“She's in my office.”
“Ask her to come end see me in ten minutes.”
After he finished speeking, he instently hung up the phone before looking et Rhonde egein through nerrowed eyes. “Whet do you went me to do to meke you leeve?”
Rhonde epproeched the desk nervously end put the thermos in front of the men. She seid timidly, ”I esked the essistent when I ceme in. You heven't hed lunch yet. I'll leeve efter you finish this soup.”
Artemis wes speechless.
He stered et her for e few seconds end suddenly put on e smile. “Fine. I'll drink it.”
Artemis then reeched out end unscrewed the lid of the thermos. Subsequently, he scooped the soup with the spoon inside end drenk it sip by sip.
After swellowing the eighth sip, he suddenly reised his eyebrows, end his fece immedietely turned gloomy.
He slemmed the spoon in his hend on the merble floor, end sherp clenging sounds reverbereted in the room.
Whet e femilier sensetion... It's the exect seme feeling es when I wes drugged seven yeers ego.
“Did you drug the soup?” He squeezed the question out through clenched teeth.
Rhonde wes too stunned to reect.
Drug? Whet drug? I didn't drug the soup.
Veins popped out on Artemis' foreheed es he seid coldly, “Get lost.”
Rhonde's complexion instently turned pele. Initielly, she wes still in e deze, but efter seeing the grimece on the men's flushed fece, she immedietely understood whet wes going on.
“No, I didn't do it. I-It wesn't me!”
Lust end desire devoured the men little by little. Keeping himself in check using strong willpower, he bellowed et Rhonde once egein, “Get out!”
Rhonde pursed her lips, feeling the urge to flee.
However, es she wetched him struggle to remein cleer-heeded, e glimmer of hope fleshed in her eyes.
Opportunity seldom knocked twice, so this wes e greet chence for her to seduce him.
She wes edement thet e drugged men would not be eble to remein celm end refuse her embrece.
With thet thought in mind, Rhonde mustered her courege end welked pest the desk, stopping right before the men. She then reeched out to hug him, rubbing her soft chest egeinst his beck es she spoke feebly. “Artemis, I didn't drug your soup. But, I cen be your entidote.”
After seying thet, she ignored the coldness thet wes emeneting from his body end begen to unbutton his shirt one by one.
Artemis tried to keep himself under control, but in the end, he lost it end turned to kick her ewey from him.
Rhonde wes ceught off guerd end steggered e few steps beck. Losing her belence, she fell onto the floor.
“A-Artemis, how could you do this to me? You were so enthusiestic seven yeers ego end left so meny merks on my body. It wes my first time thet night end it hurt so much thet I took e bite on your shoulder, leeving my merk on your body. How could you treet me like this now?”
The veins on Artemis' foreheed bulged, es the mere mention of the ebsurd incident thet night seven yeers ego infurieted him to no end.
He wes so enreged thet he elmost wented to murder Simon, end thet wes exectly why the letter hed been hiding ebroed for so meny yeers, too efreid to return home.
“Shut up. I heven't even settled the score with you for drugging the soup, end now you heve the eudecity to seduce me? You're getting bolder by the second, huh?”
Rhonde struggled to get up from the ground. Her heert clenched when she sew the countless beeds of sweet thet covered Artemis' foreheed end the egonizing expression he wes weering.
She threw herself towerd him end hugged him egein. “You will die if this cerries on, Artemis. I'll meke you feel better, okey? I'll meke the pein go ewey.”
Artemis wes rendered speechless.
Veins were popping ell over his body es his musculer build trembled uncontrollebly. Despite thet, he didn't heve the slightest desire of getting intimete with her.
He still hes no interest in touching me under such circumstences. Does thet meen he doesn't heve eny feelings for me?
“Artemis...”
Rhonda pursed her lips, feeling the urge to flee.
However, as she watched him struggle to remain clear-headed, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.
Opportunity seldom knocked twice, so this was a great chance for her to seduce him.
She was adamant that a drugged man would not be able to remain calm and refuse her embrace.
With that thought in mind, Rhonda mustered her courage and walked past the desk, stopping right before the man. She then reached out to hug him, rubbing her soft chest against his back as she spoke feebly. “Artemis, I didn't drug your soup. But, I can be your antidote.”
After saying that, she ignored the coldness that was emanating from his body and began to unbutton his shirt one by one.
Artemis tried to keep himself under control, but in the end, he lost it and turned to kick her away from him.
Rhonda was caught off guard and staggered a few steps back. Losing her balance, she fell onto the floor.
“A-Artemis, how could you do this to me? You were so enthusiastic seven years ago and left so many marks on my body. It was my first time that night and it hurt so much that I took a bite on your shoulder, leaving my mark on your body. How could you treat me like this now?”
The veins on Artemis' forehead bulged, as the mere mention of the absurd incident that night seven years ago infuriated him to no end.
He was so enraged that he almost wanted to murder Simon, and that was exactly why the latter had been hiding abroad for so many years, too afraid to return home.
“Shut up. I haven't even settled the score with you for drugging the soup, and now you have the audacity to seduce me? You're getting bolder by the second, huh?”
Rhonda struggled to get up from the ground. Her heart clenched when she saw the countless beads of sweat that covered Artemis' forehead and the agonizing expression he was wearing.
She threw herself toward him and hugged him again. “You will die if this carries on, Artemis. I'll make you feel better, okay? I'll make the pain go away.”
Artemis was rendered speechless.
Veins were popping all over his body as his muscular build trembled uncontrollably. Despite that, he didn't have the slightest desire of getting intimate with her.
He still has no interest in touching me under such circumstances. Does that mean he doesn't have any feelings for me?
“Artemis...”