In the past, he held me in his arms and whispered softly in my ears on countless nights.
He said that I was the most precious thing to him.
But then everything changed.
I saw in his eyes the pain he felt for another woman.
Harvey shook his head and smiled, then took out a black card from his pocket and handed it to the leading salesperson.
He strolled over to me, his movements deliberate and unhurried, before slipping an arm around my waist.
His gaze softened as his eyes locked with mine, brimming with affection that might have fooled anyone watching.
In a low, light-hearted tone, he murmured, “It’s just a dress. I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously. Sure, it’s fine to scare a little girl, but I’d hate for you to fall ill over something so trivial.”
His casual humor brushed the incident aside effortlessly, steering attention away from Stephanie with practiced ease.
A smirk played on my lips as I looped my slender fingers around his tie, tugging him closer, inch by inch, until our breaths mingled.
“Stephanie is interested in you,” I whispered, my voice calm but laced with steel. “You’re a smart man; I’m sure you’ve noticed. I know thirty thousand means nothing to you, but let me make this clear, what happened today is the first time and it better be the last.”
The onlookers, oblivious to the tension, mistook our exchange for a romantic moment and erupted in cheers.
Under the weight of my gaze and the nearness of my breath, Harvey’s usually composed demeanor faltered. A flush crept up his cheeks and cracks formed in his steady facade.
He frowned awkwardly, murmuring, “Claudine, don’t do this. What will our subordinates think if they see us? Stephanie and I are strictly superior and subordinate, nothing more. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”
I snorted softly, loosening my grip on his tie.
It would have been easy to humiliate him further, but doing so would tarnish my own reputation.
Satisfied with having made my point, I decided to let the matter rest, at least for that moment.
After all, I had no hard evidence of their ambiguity.
Then, I took his arm and walked to the stage to give an annual summary of that year's brilliant achievements.
The other branch secretaries, ever perceptive and quick-witted, paraded their newly acquired dresses in front of Stephanie with a purposeful flair.