Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Handsome man at her workplace
This display of conviction from the girl made Stephan look at her with newfound respect. He’d expected her to be swayed, to readily agree to his proposal.
Yet, to his surprise, she refused him, and did so decisively.
However, he wasn’t one to give up easily.
Having finally encountered a woman who stirred his desire, he refused to accept defeat.
What he desired never escaped him.
“What would it take for you to agree to be with me?"
Alana looked at him in confusion. "Why must it be me?"
He fixed her with an unflinching gaze, his tone unexpectedly candid. "Does ’I like having sex with you’ count?"
Alana flushed instantly, her ears burning. You...psycho!"
After hurling that insult, she angrily shook off his hand, flung open the car door, and stormed off.
Being called a names by the woman didn’t stir anger in Stephan’s heart.
For all he could think about was being a proper psycho with her.
Watching her disappear into the company building, he leisurely produced a cigarette and held it between his teeth.
He attempted to temporarily numb the restless heat and stirring desire within him with the cigarette’s scent.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. On the passenger seat where the girl had been sitting lay a solitary cell phone, its screen shattered.
Well, she certainly had a quick exit, didn’t even notice she left her phone behind.
********
Alana clocked in at the very last minute.
She was beautiful, with fair skin.
At that moment, she wore a pink halterneck dress, radiating the bright warmth of spring. With every step she took, she exuded a fresh, sweet charm that seemed to embody the season itself. Colleagues passing by couldn’t help but cast admiring glances her way.
“Lana, you look absolutely stunning in that halter-neck dress today!"
“Is it a new purchase? I’ve never seen you wear it before."
Facing her colleagues’ admiring gazes, Alana offered a faint smile. "Yes, it’s new. First time wearing it."
One female colleague stared at Alana’s dress. "That dress... looks rather familiar. It must be from a designer label, right?"
“I saw it in a magazine. It’s from LK’s new Floral Collection. That particular style retails for... over seventy thousand dollars."
LK was an internationally renowned brand, highly favoured by socialites and wealthy ladies.
Had one not been somewhat knowledgeable about designer labels, one might not have recognized this as a dress worth over seventy thousand dollars.
The moment the colleague uttered those words, gasps erupted from the m surrounding colleagues.
Who would have thought Alana was wearing such an expensive dress!
They were all ordinary office workers, white-collar employees earning a fixed monthly salary of six or seven thousand dollars, how could they possibly afford such an extravagant dress?
The clothes they wore day-to-day wouldn’t add up to more than five hundred dollars at most. Even the more fashion-conscious urbanites among them, who took pride in their appearance, rarely splashed out more than a few thousand on their most expensive outfits. Items costing tens of thousands were exceedingly rare, simply beyond their means.
That seventy thousand dollars on Alana was practically a year’s salary for them. They’d never dream of splashing out on clothes that pricey.
Moreover, Alana had only just graduated and been interning for about two months, how could she possibly afford such an extravagant dress?
Rumor has it her family isn’t particularly well-off either, just an ordinary household. Could they really afford to buy her something like this?
Could it be... that Alana had suddenly hooked up with a wealthy suitor and struck it rich overnight?!
Noticing the sceptical stares from her colleagues, Alana pursed her lips, hesitating over how to explain.
Vera suddenly piped up with a sour tone, "That dress is clearly a knockoff, a fake!"
Alana glanced at Vera and couldn’t help but marvel at how perfectly timed her remark was, providing the ideal excuse she’d been searching for.
So she readily admitted, "Yes, it is a replica. I only paid a few hundred quid for it."
Seeing Alana admit it, Vera instantly beamed with smug satisfaction. "I knew it! With your measly salary, you couldn’t possibly afford such expensive clothes!"
“And look at you, you look like a penny-pincher, you don’t even deserve to wear it!"
Carla couldn’t stand Vera’s disparaging tone. "Vera, watch your language!"
She was hardly better herself, yet she spent her days criticising others.
Vera snorted coldly, then stepped up to Alana and lowered her voice in a taunting tone.
“Lana, Manager Dane has already informed me that I’ll be accompanying him to sign the contract with the HG representative today."
“As for you, you’d best stay put in the project department and await our good news."
Alana’s brow furrowed.
Seeing her reaction, Vera smirked triumphantly. "Remember our wager? Whoever secured the contract would take full credit and the ten thousand dollars commission. Since you’re not going, that commission won’t be yours."
Alana’s expression darkened. "Did Manager Dane really say that to you?"
Vera nodded. "Yes. If you don’t believe me, go ask him in his office."
Alana clenched her fists and turned to head straight for Dane’s office.
She had worked tirelessly yesterday to persuade Jules to agree to collaborate with their company. If she gained nothing from it, she simply couldn’t accept that.
Stepping before Dane, she addressed him directly, "Manager Dane, are you planning to take only Vera to sign the contract with the HG representative today?"
Manager Dane looked at Alana, his gaze fixed on her.
Seeing her dressed so beautifully today, his heart began to flutter once more.
“That was indeed my intention. After all, Vera kept me company last night. I promised to take her, so I shall take her."
“Naturally, if you agree to accompany me tonight, I could take you along too."
Dane stared at Alana, making no attempt to conceal his base intentions towards her.
Alana’s expression darkened. "Manager Dane, this isn’t what you told me at the outset!"
“You said whoever secured the HG representative would take the credit. Clearly, I put in the most effort yesterday."
Dane grinned, his expression the very picture of a shrewd, calculating veteran.
“Alana, you really are so naive!"
“You actually believe what I say?"
“When you’re out in the world, you’ve got to be a bit shrewd. Being so naive like you are, you’ll get taken advantage of in no time. Besides, if even I, your superior, can’t take credit for this, how dare you, a new subordinate, leapfrog me and claim it as your own?"
Alana clenched her teeth and said nothing.
Fresh out of university, how could she possibly stand a chance against this seasoned veteran who’d spent decades navigating the treacherous waters of the corporate jungle?
The injustice gnawed at her, but she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it.
Dane ose to his feet and strolled slowly towards Alana. "That’s how the workplace works. Whoever holds the most power claims the greatest credit and wields the most influence. Just follow my instructions obediently, and I guarantee you’ll live the high life. Though... I wonder if you’ll be obedient enough..."
He slowly extended his hand, seeking an opportunity to caress her slender waist, barely a hand’s breadth around.
This exquisite little figure had been the object of his desire for quite some time.
Before his hand could reach her, Alana decisively sidestepped him.
“Mr Dane.” she said, her voice tinged with irritation, "since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll take my leave."
Clearly, she had no intention of meekly complying with Dane’s arrangements.
Dane frowned. "You don’t want that ten thousand commission?"
“I don’t want it."
That ten thousand dollars commission was originally her reward for securing the deal, yet now Dane was using it as leverage to demand her company.
While she desired the money, she wasn’t prepared to sell herself short for it.
Dane snorted coldly. "Alana, in the workplace, pride serves no purpose. If you humbly submit to me, you might even gain some advantage!"
Alana remained neither servile nor arrogant, her tone cool and resolute. "If bowing to you is the price, I’d rather forgo the benefits."
“You!"
“I’ll take my leave now, Manager Dane.”
Without waiting for him to respond, Alana turned and walked away. Dane’s face turned ashen with fury.
That wretched woman, truly ungrateful!
The grievances of adults can vanish in an instant.
Returning to her desk, Alana thought of the injustice she’d just endured, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
She couldn’t fathom what she’d done wrong. She’d worked diligently, given her all when asked to negotiate deals.
She strove for excellence in everything she did. If no reward came of it, that was one thing, but why must she endure such humiliation?!
The more she thought about it, the more bitter it felt, and she couldn’t focus on her work anymore.
She needed to vent, to find her best friend Eve and unload the whole ordeal onto her. But after searching everywhere, she couldn’t find her phone.
Where on earth had it gone?
Alana rummaged through her workspace, but there was still no sight of it.
She couldn’t help but frown, racking her brains.
She strained to recall the last time she’d touched her phone.
Suddenly, a colleague spoke up, "Alana, some handsome chap’s asking for you?"
Alana froze, about to ask who the handsome chap was.
She looked up and saw a tall, slender figure standing at the entrance to the project department. His handsome, chiselled features, thick brows, high nose, deep-set eyes, and a richly pigmented lip, were accentuated by a sharp, angular jawline.
His strikingly perfect features instantly drew everyone’s attention.
“Wow, he’s gorgeous!"
“How can anyone be this handsome?!"
“He looks even more handsome than the celebrities on TV!"
Alana’s eyes widened in astonishment at Stephan’s appearance.
How on earth did he get here?!
He easily caught her shocked and bewildered gaze. He then beckoned her over with a flick of his finger.
“That handsome man seems to be looking at Alana, and he’s calling her over!"
“What’s his relationship with her?"
“Could he be her boyfriend?"
“Good heavens, who’d have thought Alana was keeping such a low profile? She always seemed like such a pure, well-behaved girl, yet she already has a boyfriend!"
Hearing her colleagues’ murmurs, Alana instantly snapped to attention and hurried over to Stephan.
Grabbing his arm, her face flushed crimson, she exclaimed, "Come with me now!"
Stephan raised an eyebrow slightly before reluctantly following her lead.
She led him to a secluded corner where no one else was present.
With the surroundings quiet, her tense heart eased slightly.
Yet she remained highly alert, glancing left and right, fearing someone might be following them.
Stephan found her furtive manner rather amusing.
A pure and beautiful young woman, perfectly fine, why did she have such a strong sense of secrecy?
It was as though. he himself were something to be hidden from view.
Had Alana heard the man’s inner thoughts, she would have assuredly replied: "Yes, you are!" She certainly didn’t want their little affair to become common knowledge.
Only when she was certain no one else was around did Alana turn her attention to Stephan.
She looked at him, her delicate brows furrowed. "Why are you here?"
Surely he wasn’t going to run straight to her company and ask her if she’d consider being with him?!
For heaven’s sake, that would be utterly mortifying!
She hoped he wouldn’t do something so foolish!
If Stephan knew what the young lady was thinking, he’d surely punch a hole through her forehead.
After all, he had his pride too.
He stared intently at Alana for several seconds before slipping his hand into his trouser pocket.
Slowly, he pulled out a smashed cell phone.
“This old thing. It got left in my car. I’ve brought it up to return it to you."
Alana’s almond-shaped eyes widened in shock upon seeing her phone in his grasp. She’d spent ages searching for it, only to realise she’d left it in Stephan’s car?
No wonder she hadn’t been able to find it.
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