Chapter 175: Chapter 175: That Kind of Need
’She was wide awake but refused to spend a beautiful morning with him, choosing to leave all by herself.’ Kenneth cursed inwardly. ’How could this be a beautiful morning? It’s a gloomy one.’ Still, a part of him couldn’t accept it.
Kenneth went into the bathroom. She had already prepared a disposable toothbrush and towel for him. ’Looks like she went to the supermarket first thing this morning to buy these.’ He frowned at the items. ’Why is everything disposable? Does she think this is my last time here? I won’t let her have her way.’
After washing up, Kenneth ate the breakfast Summer had prepared. Everything he’d eaten for the past few days had been completely tasteless. Only the food she made herself had the taste of home.
Kenneth hated this part of himself. He loathed her, yet he was addicted to her very essence and wanted to keep her chained to his side.
Dressed impeccably in business attire, Summer arrived at the Bell Group. It was still early, so the office wasn’t crowded yet. She walked to the door of the secretarial office and paused.
"That Summer Lancaster... She just arrived and she’s already chief secretary. What about those of us who’ve been slaving away as regular secretaries for years? Why can’t we have a Cinderella story happen to us!" a young secretary pouted, looking deeply dissatisfied.
They were jealous of Summer’s beauty and her good fortune.
"Oh, give it a rest. You’re not the CEO’s lover. Look at her—she’s obviously his secret mistress. A Melody he planted here. She’s got the looks and a killer body. Take a look at yourself. How can you possibly compare?"
"But I heard she’s Kenneth Yates’s wife. How can she be the CEO’s mistress? I also heard Kenneth Yates and his wife are deeply in love. It can’t be Summer, right?"
"How could we ever understand the affairs of the rich and powerful? They probably just pass people around when they get tired of them!"
Summer couldn’t bear to listen to any more. She turned and walked away, crestfallen. ’So this is what everyone thinks of me.’ She had thought that with her professional background, it wasn’t an outrageous thing to be appointed chief secretary at the Bell Group. But she had switched companies, and this wasn’t the Yates Group. People here believed you should start from the bottom. And here she was, handpicked by Caleb Bell on her very first day to be his chief secretary. Of course they would be bitter.
’So I’m just supposed to carry the label of being a secret lover? No. I’m not one. But nobody would believe me even if I told them.’
As she walked out of the building, Summer immediately sent a message to Caleb Bell: "Caleb, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to work at your company. I found a new job, so this is the end of my time as your chief secretary!" She added two smiley faces at the end.
Afterward, Summer drove back home.
As she opened the door, she heard a sound from inside. On high alert, Summer slowly crept in, her first thought a burglar. But there wasn’t one. The TV had been turned on at some point, and a man was asleep on the sofa.
Summer was completely flustered. She hadn’t expected him to still be here, let alone fast asleep. She grabbed a blanket to cover him and found herself captivated by his sleeping face. He looked so innocent and harmless, even a little cute. Summer let out a quiet laugh. ’This is when he’s most likable. Why must he always have such a grim expression and never smile?’
The man must have felt her breath near his ear, as he slowly opened his eyes. Summer was in the middle of a cheerful smile, but when she saw he was awake, it instantly twisted into a mask of terror.
"I... I’m sorry. I..." Summer glanced around frantically, trying to come up with a plausible excuse, but she was at a loss for words.
Kenneth’s eye twitched. He tossed the blanket aside and moved closer to Summer. The corner of his mouth curved into a slight, but cold, smile. "Don’t get too invested in your role. Otherwise, you’ll be the one who gets hurt." It wasn’t that he was afraid of her getting too attached; it was that he himself was already in too deep to escape. Someone had to back out to end this farce.
Summer froze. ’Invested in my role? Does he mean falling in love with him?’
"I’m sorry. I was out of line." Summer’s eyes clouded over as she stood up, carefully avoiding his gaze.
’Damn it.’ He hated her indifferent tone. ’Didn’t she used to say she loved him all the time? Why is it so hard for her to say it even once now?’
In one swift motion, he wrapped a long arm around her, pulling her in. He crushed his lips against hers in a domineering, forceful kiss, giving her no chance to resist. He pinned her arms and waist, rendering her immobile.
Summer was stunned. ’Didn’t he just tell me not to get too invested? Then what is this kiss?’
The sweet taste of her lips made him lose control. What started as a punishing kiss unexpectedly pulled him into a tender haze.
When the kiss ended, Kenneth’s hazy eyes stared at Summer’s flushed cheeks. His large hand slid under her shirt, exploring forbidden territory. Terrified, Summer crossed her arms over her chest to block him, but he gently pulled them away. He covered one of her soft mounds, kneading it possessively, as if trying to merge her into his very being.
"Kenneth Yates, do you even know what you’re doing?" Summer whispered in his ear. "You told me not to get too invested, but what about you? Aren’t you invested now?" The warm puff of her breath against his neck made his head spin.
Kenneth smirked devilishly. "Men have... needs. It doesn’t have to be you. But I’m used to you, and I don’t feel like getting used to anyone else."
Summer’s breath caught in her chest, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. ’What did he just say?’ She couldn’t believe it.
But those words had undeniably come from his own lips.
Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. Summer squeezed them shut, letting a single drop fall as she forced a smile. "You’re right. I don’t want to waste energy getting to know another man, either. We’re just right for each other." Then, with a boldness she had never shown before, she wrapped her arms around Kenneth’s neck and bit down hard on his collarbone. Her kisses trailed lower, and lower, until...
Summer’s movements didn’t cease. Kenneth stared at this new, unfamiliar version of her. Finally...
"Enough!" Kenneth jerked her chin up, glaring at her viciously. "I don’t need your pity or your understanding, Summer. You’re just my plaything. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"
With that, he took her, roughly and without another word.
After it was over, the woman lay exhausted in a corner of the large bed. Her eyes were hollow as she stared blankly at the man beside her, who was now impeccably dressed and radiating a triumphant air.
The air was still thick with the scent of debauchery. Clothes were strewn across the floor. The angry, purple bruises on the woman’s skin were proof that their encounter held no affection—only vengeance and lust.
The man looked down condescendingly at the wretched woman. He pulled a check from his pocket and threw it in her face, then turned and left without another word.
An hour passed before Summer slowly rose and picked up the check. The number on it seemed to mock her: five million. Her feelings had been bought out for five million. ’How cheap,’ she thought.
Her tears soaked the check, but still they fell. It felt as if she had cried herself dry of all the tears she had over the past few days.
Her phone rang. Summer slowly got out of bed, picked up the mobile she’d tossed on the floor, and answered.
"Summer, where are you?" Caleb’s anxious voice came through the phone. Summer gave a bitter smile. "Home."
"Why did you quit? Weren’t you doing just fine?" After arriving at the office, Caleb realized Summer hadn’t shown up for work. He only saw her message and understood she was resigning after he checked his phone.
"Because... I don’t think I’m a good fit for the position. You should promote one of your other secretaries to be your chief. They’ve worked so hard for so many years, after all. You shouldn’t disappoint them."
"If you’re not suited for that, I can find another job for you!"
"No need to trouble yourself, Caleb. I’ve already found a new job." Summer gave another bitter smile. ’Didn’t I just get paid five million? I guess that counts as a salary. The work itself isn’t very glamorous, but at least I have an income now. This was a one-time thing. I won’t compromise so easily next time. I can’t let him lead me by the nose anymore.’
"What job?" Caleb pressed. He knew that right now, besides his own company, it was unlikely any other firm would hire Summer. It was all because of that man, that demon. ’My initial fears have come true after all.’
’A brutal nature isn’t changed by love; only a person’s feelings can change. And how could a demon’s fundamental beliefs be shaken by a woman?’
Summer froze, unsure how to answer him.
"Summer, stop trying to act tough. You can lean on me. You can depend on me!" Caleb’s gaze was sincere. He had always hoped Summer would come to him; he wanted to cherish her and protect her from any harm.
He just hadn’t expected her to be so stubborn, choosing to suffer in silence rather than rely on him.
"Caleb, I’m truly happy to have a friend like you, but there are some things I have to handle on my own. If I don’t grow, I’ll never learn. So please, just give me some space." Summer sat on the sofa, clutching the check, and the worry lines on her forehead seemed to smooth out a little.
"Summer... As long as you’re happy." Caleb’s dejected voice came through the receiver. Summer turned her face toward the sunlight and smiled. "Don’t worry. I will be."
"Okay. If you need anything, call me. I’ll be there in a heartbeat."
"Thank you, Caleb."
Summer hung up, placed the check on the nightstand, and gathered the clothes from the floor. She tidied up the room once more before finally sitting on the sofa to watch TV, a sense of calm washing over her. It was tuned to the channel he had been watching, a cartoon channel. A show called *Big Ear Tutu* was playing. Summer picked up the remote and changed it. ’So even a man that cruel has a weakness: he loves cartoons.’ Other CEOs would be watching financial news, but Kenneth Yates was devoted to animation.
