The long, deep kiss had Rita short of breath, and her face flushed an unusual red.
She tried to push Liam off her, but the man held her even tighter, until she couldn’t move.
The embarrassment and awkwardness of the situation gave her a migraine.
Especially being kissed in full view of the public. The entire café was stirred up now.
“Mommy, they’re kissing over there.”
An infantile voice warbled from the side. A girl blinked her large doe eyes seriously. “Mommy, I want a
kiss too.”
The girl’s mother cleared her throat and covered the girl’s eyes for shame.
Jacob turned around himself, looking out the glass window and snickered, “…in broad daylight, too.”
His voice was a low murmur, as if talking to himself.
But Rita heard every word, and her face lit aflame as she wished she’d turn transparent.
To stop the kiss, she bit down on his lower lip.
Accompanied by the scent of blood on her tongue, Liam’s movements stopped.
“Rita…”
Rita took the chance to push him off. Blushing, she left the scene.
She didn’t stop until she was sure Liam wasn’t following.
Still, the searing heat on her face didn’t fade away.
Leaning on the wall, she lifted her gaze towards the café, and indescribable feeling in her gut.
Taking a few deep breaths, Rita steadied her scattered heartstrings and continued forward.
At the same time, in the café.
Liam followed the girl’s hasty retreat with his eyes and didn’t chase after her. He turned towards Jacob.
“Let’s go.”
“To the office or home?” Jacob asked hurriedly.
The man’s deep gaze fell on the girl’s receding back once again, and his ruby lips curved. “The Brown
household.”
If the Mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the Mountain.
If she didn’t want to go to the Wilson household, it was the same if he moved to the Brown household.
***
Also at the same time, inside the Brown Group subsidiary.
The projector was playing live footage of Raymond’s press conference.
“I have already delegated my lawyer to sue Nathan Murphy’s over his sexual assault of my wife. It is
my hope that the law punishes the transgressor severely.”
Raymond’s voice played from the footage, and the high-ranking company staff started looking more
sour than ever.
With Bella making her statement, the press conference dealt out another heavy blow.
On the internet, the witch hunt against Nathan swelled to new heights.
Not just that, but the internet denizens were even moving from howling for Nathan’s blood to howling
for SF. Brown’s blood.
And the mob mentality snowballed – “SF. Brown still hasn’t issued a statement as to how to resolve this
incident, so it looks like they’re going to cover for Nathan Murphy! They’ll protect anyone just to make
their money; no bottom line to speak of.”
“Cancel Nathan Murphy, cancel the SF. Brown brand.”
“Kind regards to SF. Brown, I hope you go bankrupt tomorrow!”
“Boycott every brand designed by Nathan Murphy, hell, boycott all of this company’s clothes, the
disgusting bastards! Get out of the city!”
Seeing the comments levied against them, some people were losing their cool.
Charlie Powers from sales looked at Jason and said, “Mr. Snow, it’s getting out of hand. Are we really
going to put our faith in some girl?”
Jason looked at the screen, his head aching horribly.
“Forget whether or not that girl could really solve this problem. If we continue to do nothing, we’ll either
get buried under criticism or get cut off from headquarters outright.” Another manager, Matthew Gray,
added.
“I know you want to preserve talent, Mr. Snow, but are you really going to cost us all our jobs over one
man?” Charlie applied more pressure on Jason.
Jason’s expression turned ugly.
Facing pressure from multiple sides, he was finding it hard to breathe.
He took a look at everyone there and started to waver.
That’s right, was he really going to offer everyone up to the platter?
He was a businessman, so he naturally understood what a bum deal that was.
After weighing the pros and cons, Jason sighed. “What’s your plan?”
“Assemble a press conference right away and fire Nathan! Then give reparations to Bella Colt and
make it clear that we won’t tolerate his behavior; salvage our online reputation.” Seeing Jason loosen
up, Charlie happily presented his already prepared strategy.”
Tapping his hand, he continued,
“If you agree, Mr. Snow, just sign here, please.”
Seeing the paper, Jason’s face sank, and his pupils grew conflicted.
After a few seconds, he placed the pen over the dotted line of the signature.
Then he stopped again.
“Don’t hesitate, Mr. Snow, sign it,” Charlie sighed and urged on.
Then the office door opened.
Rita walked in from outside, bright eyes scanning the motion on the desk, then landing coldly on Jason.
“You’re not going back on your word, are you, Mr. Snow?”
“I…” Jason’s face was unpleasant to look at.
“You came at just the right time. Didn’t you saw you were going to get us out of this? You talked a big
game, then left right then and there. Now the situation’s getting worse and worse, what’s your plan?”
A dissatisfied Charlie tapped the screen, where Raymond’s press conference was still going on.
Rita remained calm. “I said I’d resolve it in three days; it’s only been two, right? What’s the rush?”
“Would we not rush? We’re getting torn to shreds online, and we’re dealing with all that pressure from
headquarters.” Charlie slapped his folder viciously against the table.
The display of boorish rudeness furrowed Jason’s brow. “Watch your attitude, Charlie.”
Charlie also realized his lapse. He took out a cigarette, walked over to the balcony and sucked at it.
Jason shot the ill-tempered man a look, then turned to Rita and smiled. “Don’t hold it against him. The
man’s got a short fuse.”
“No problem. I know Mr. Powers means the best for the company.” Rita looked at Charlie
appreciatively.
He might have been short-tempered, but he did mean well for the Brown Group.
At most, he just had a bit of ambition to go with his loyalty.
“Back to the topic, have you made any progress?” Jason was still all smiles while getting back on track.
Rita smiled. “We’re eighty percent there.”
Jason’s eyes brightened. “Is that so. Why not explain your progress and what your following plans are,
put our minds at ease.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Rita refused outright.
The room flew into a hubbub.
Jason had no words.
Matthew had no words.
Charlie was the color of beetroot. “So really, you’re just messing around with us when you haven’t got a
plan at all!”
“Mr. Snow, Mr. Powers, all I can tell you right now is – look at tomorrow’s tabloids.” Facing Charlie’s
accusation, Rita kept it simple.
Everyone jolted.
The tabloids?
Before they could react, Rita had turned to leave.
Seemingly recalling something, she stopped and twisted around to look at Jason behind her. “You’d
better keep your promise to leave your decision about Nathan until tomorrow, Mr. Snow. Or else… my
hand might slip, and word of our discussion that day might slip with it. Wonder what everyone would
think of you bullying a poor little girl.”
With that, Rita pressed play on her recorder.
A recording of Jason’s promise of three days’ time for Nathan echoed across the office.
Everyone was instantly taken aback.
Especially Charlie, who flew into a rage. “…this is blackmail!”
At that, he rushed up in an attempt to take the recorder from Rita by force.
“Enough, Charlie!” Jason, who’d been silent throughout, spoke. “We’re embarrassing ourselves!”
“Mr. Snow?”
“She’s right. We made a promise of three days, so we’ll stick to it!” Jason said, gaze falling on Rita.
That night, he’d chosen to trust her because he was desperate and didn’t want to lose Nathan.
Everything she had done today was giving him a new perspective on this seemingly youthful girl.
Just from the recording she’d had today, he could be sure that this girl was something special.
She had expected him to waver.
She’d even started recording him as a strategy the first day she’d stood before him.
An interesting kid.
He didn’t know what she was planning, but he was starting to grow curious with and confident in her.
Jason smiled. “Will that do, kid?”
“Please have someone clean up my station tomorrow, Mr. Snow. Thank you.” Rita didn’t reply directly,
only tossing out that casual request.
With that, she left, brimming with confidence.
With a thud, the office doors closed.
Everyone was dazed. Had they just been manhandled by this little girl?
Charlie blew his top right away. “Mr. Snow, this kid is too much, isn’t she?”
“Right, what an attitude!”
“She’s bullshitting us!”
Jason smiled mildly and didn’t reply. He dropped the pen on the table.
He’d seen hope in that girl’s eyes just then. Somehow, he felt that she would change all their fates.
After leaving the company, Rita took a taxi home.
On the road, she dialed Isabelle’s number. “How’s things on your end?”
“Sorry, Ms. Williams, I have a call.” Isabelle kept a hand on the receiver and looked at Susie in front of
her.
Susie beamed at her. “No worries, Ms. Anderson, go ahead and take it.”
As she spoke, Isabelle moved to the balcony and continued, “Everything is going according to your
plan. I’ve approached Susie in the guise of a reporter and had the big oaf take a photo. I’ll release the
news later, when Raymond’s secretary goes for the press conference.”
“All right, if it’s done, get back early,” Rita grinned. “Or else your big oaf might complain that I’m keeping
you out so late.”
“Pfft, sure.”
The two chatted for a while, then hung up.
At that moment, the car slowly rolled to a stop in front of her home.
Rita got out and dragged her tired body into the living room.
“You’re back?” She set one foot in the room and a familiar voice rang out.
Shocked, Rita raised her head towards the sofa.
Liam, legs crossed, was seated looking at her. Seeing that, her delicate brow furrowed. “What… what
are you doing here?”
“You’re back, Rita.” Zoe took a fruit platter out of the kitchen, smiling kindly. “What with Grandpa Jim
passing away, I’m don’t want Liam feeling too lately, so I had him move over to live for a while.”
Hearing the official explanation from her mother, Rita’s jaw almost hit the floor.
“!!!”
He was living in her house now?
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda