Love's Code: Never Falling for My Boss

I was the boss's secretary, managing his harem, and people jokingly call me an eunuch.

Until one day, I discovered the most crucial secret within his harem.

I felt that my chance to strike it rich had arrived.

Part 1

"Miss Jones, there's a million in the bank account. Mr. Ward hopes you can part on good terms-"

I had just handed over the bank card when Katherine Jones's eyes brimmed with tears.

To be honest, she was a beauty, and when she cried, she looked beautiful and pitiful, evoking sympathy.

Unfortunately, she was crying in front of the wrong person.

As someone who worked overtime until dawn and had to handle my boss's breakup affairs as soon as I woke up, all I wanted to do was shake her shoulders and shout.

"A million! That's more than most people can earn in a lifetime! You just got it because of a breakup! Why do you have to fucking cry?!"

They didn't see that I was diligently working by Clayton Ward's side for three whole years, waking up early and encountering untold difficulties and dangers, serving him far more than this Miss Jones ever did.

But did I earn a million?

No! I was the one who should be bawling my eyes out!

Yet Katherine continued to cry, "I don't believe he would do this to me. I want to see him."

I exercised all my patience to persuade her, "Mr. Ward is very busy. He asked me to handle this.

If you're not satisfied with the breakup fee, I can try to negotiate with him within my limits, but don't get your hopes up."

Katherine looked at me as if deeply insulted, "I don't want his money; I want him!"

I sighed, unable to resist speaking the truth, "Miss Jones, if you want money, I can help you find a way.

But if you want him...

I must advise you, Mr. Ward is not someone you're qualified to be with."

As expected, Katherine grabbed the iced Americano in front of her and splashed it on my face.

"Elliana Gilbert, you have no heart!"

With that, she stood up and left, heartbroken, leaving me with a tragic figure.

Of course, before she left, she didn't forget to take the bank card from the table.

But I just hadn't had the chance to tell her the password.

I sat there leisurely and waited for her to come back.

The iced Americano was indeed cold that I wondered if my new mascara could withstand it.

Sure enough, within two minutes, she stormed back.

"Tell me the password!"

Her tears hadn't dried, and her eyelashes were still wet and glistening.

I showed my QR code on the phone.

"Transfer 800 for dry-cleaning and 1,000 for injury to my feelings."

I left a little room for negotiation.

Seeing her stunned expression, I finally was in the mood to appreciate her beauty.

After happily receiving 1500 from her, I returned to my desk on the 28th floor of the company headquarters, with coffee dripping from my hair.

I happened to run into Clayton, who had just returned from a morning meeting.

He frowned at me.

He not only had a fetish about cleanliness but couldn't stand seeing those around him looking untidy.

Before he could lose his temper, I quickly reminded him.

"Miss Jones has quite a bad temper."

The implication was that it was caused by her.

He looked at me for a long time-Clayton had a pair of charming almond-shaped eyes, yet his gaze was always cold. When he focused on someone, it felt like one could freeze to death under his gaze.

I shivered and forced my signature sycophantic smile, "Shouldn't my dry cleaning fee be recoverable from the company?"

He couldn't be bothered to respond and walked into his CEO office.

I let out a long sigh of relief.

Shortly after, my phone chimed with a pleasant transfer notification.

It was really considerate of my boss to do it!

Today was another day of getting benefits from both sides!

I gleefully turned on my phone, incredulous at the amount of the money I received.

200! Only 200!

Damn it! He was really a stingy capitalist!

Cursing inwardly, I still sent a "thank you" emoji to my boss.

Part 2

My name was Elliana Gilbert, and I was the secretary to the Hearthrob Clayton.

Besides managing his daily life, my main duty was to handle affairs with his various girlfriends.

To put it simply, when he had a crush on a girl, I would help him succeed in sleeping with her.

When he got tired of one of those women, I had to ensure she never appear before him again.

After doing this job for a while, I couldn't help but develop some unrealistic fantasies.

I also wanted to be Clayton's woman!

Apart from not showing any affection, Clayton was incredibly generous to his women.

Not to mention the cars, houses, and jewelry during the courtship phase, even when breaking up, each woman could get one million from him.

I had calculated that even Paige Spencer, who was with him for just a week before inexplicably angering him and disappearing from his world, still got one million!

It showed that as long as one became Clayton's woman, even for just one night, she could conservatively walk away with a million.

He's like a money mover, tirelessly transferring the wealth produced by exploiting us ordinary workers to his women.

To us, he was an awful capitalist.

To his women, he was practically a charming philanthropist.

Comparatively, who wouldn't want to be Clayton's woman?

Yes, I, Elliana, his female secretary, had long wanted to be his woman.

Unlike Katherine and the others who really wanted to be with Clayton, I simply coveted his money.

I was not greedy and I didn't want much, just enough to buy a villa at the bottom of The Severed Mountain.

Of course, I didn't consider myself a gold digger.

I was merely reclaiming the overtime pay, the compensation for injury to my feelings because of being splashed with coffee by his ex-girlfriends and being abused as the eunuch, and the compensation for my industrial injuries from being on call 24/7, which caused irreversible damage to my young body, that Clayton should have paid me, in a different form.

As for the sex with Clayton that I would inevitably gain in this process, I could consider it as a mental bonus he paid for me.

To be honest, I had been looking forward to having sex with him for a long time.

It was shortly after I became his secretary when I went to his house to retrieve a document and happened to run into him just out of the shower.

At that time, he was only wrapped in a white towel.

His perfect pectorals, firm abs, broad shoulders, strong waist, and long legs were still unforgettable to me now.

But my biggest problem was that after three years of careful study, I still didn't know what type of woman Clayton liked.

His ex-girlfriends vary from plump to slim, beautiful to plain, outgoing to introverted, talkative to quiet, clever to clumsy, covering all types.

Sometimes I even suspected that Clayton was not going out but conducting a research project on the diversity of human females.

Because his girlfriends were so different that I couldn't find a common point among them.

Even the universal rule that men loved beautiful women didn't work on him.

Because among his many girlfriends, there were indeed several plain women who wouldn't stand out in the crowd.

How they moved him remained a mystery to me.

However, this also gave me great encouragement.

After all, if Clayton were like those other vulgar rich men who only had a crush on great beauties, wouldn't someone as ordinary as me never attract him?

Now, although his choice of women were broad and unpredictable, it was precisely because of it that I could have a chance.

As long as I had enough patience, I didn't believe I was unable to find a chance to sleep with him!

I must earn that one million, no matter what!

Part 3

As the saying went, fortune favored the prepared.

After being Clayton's secretary for two years, my opportunity arrived on April 3rd!

At one in the morning, I received a call from Kenneth Ford, asking me to take care of the drunk Clayton!

Clayton never drank, at least not once in the three years I had been his secretary.

I was skeptical but went there anyway.

After all, Kenneth was one of Clayton's best friend and one of the most renowned young men from rich families in the city.

When I arrived, I saw Kenneth being pushed out of the car by a hand.

That hand belonged to Clayton, because I recognized the designer watch on his wrist, which I had just picked up from the watchmaker's shop yesterday.

I pretended not to notice Kenneth's awkward situation and instead looked into the car with concern.

Seeing Clayton drunk was a rare scene to me. He was sprawled across the back seat, his face flushed, eyes unfocused, and hair disheveled like that of a lovable, shaggy dog.

Oh goodness, he was just too cute!

I really wanted to hug him and ruffle his hair.

"He just doesn't want to get out of the car!

He won't let anyone touch him, and he will get angry if anyone tries.

He's so insane that he doesn't even recognize me!"

Kenneth adjusted his hair, looking helpless yet maintaining his composure, living up to his reputation as the city's most gentlemanly man among the socialites.

"Sorry, I know this isn't part of your duty as a secretary, but in his current state, I really don't know who else to call but you."

Kenneth smiled at me, his eyes twinkling like stars.

Before I could respond to the emotions in Kenneth's eyes, Clayton spoke to me, "You've come?"

His voice was soft, yet in the dark night, it carried a unique gentleness.

I snapped back to reality from the emotions in Kenneth's eyes. Yes, Clayton, I had come! Not only was I here, but my million dollars was also on its way!

With the spare key to Clayton's house, it didn't take much effort to get him back to his bed.

Once he recognized me, he stretched out his hand to me and let me pull him out of the car.

After that, he obediently let me help him into the elevator, enter his mansion, take off his clothes and watch, and finally climb onto his bed, where he lay quietly.

After I wiped his face clean with warm water, he surprisingly reached out to touch my face. He was initially dazed, but then he started to giggle.

It was a smile I had never seen before-warm, tender, and, though I hated to describe it this way, seemingly filled with a hint of affection?

As I felt his warm fingers brushed against my face, I was amazed at how easy it was to sleep with Clayton.

It was so easy that I could almost see a million dollars rushing towards me from all directions.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, feeling my face flush with laughter.

But when Clayton actually kissed me, I suddenly felt something was off.

It was all too easy! If he really wanted to do this to me, he should have made a move three years ago when we first met. Why would he wait until today, when he was drunk?

Before I could figure out what was wrong with it, Clayton's kisses came down like a storm, and soon, I was lost in a daze.

Just as I closed my eyes, I heard Clayton whisper softly in my ear, "Close it! Close it!"

Damn it, even now he was bossing me around. What did he mean?

The door was already closed, and I was sure of it.

Annoyed, I opened my eyes to see Clayton looking at me with deep affection.

His eyes were moist, like a dog looking at its favorite master.

It seemed that he only had eyes for me.

It seemed that I was his world.

Oh my God, had Clayton fallen so deeply in love with me without my knowing?

My heart raced, and I felt guilty for making him wait so long.

I lifted my head to kiss him again, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

If anyone had ever had such an experience, he or she would know how difficult and exhausting this position was.

Yet, Clayton stubbornly turned his head away, refusing my kiss, still instructing, "Close it!"

All my efforts to kiss Clayton came to nothing. I looked back and saw that the bedroom door indeed wasn't fully closed.

But damn it, did it matter?! We couldn't stop it suddenly, or the atmosphere would be ruined!

But knowing Clayton's meticulous nature, I thought perhaps closing the door was important to him.

So, I patiently coaxed him.

"Be good, we'll close it later."

I tried to kiss him again.

This time, he didn't dodge. He closed his eyes contentedly, and his kiss, full of tenderness and love, landed gently on my lips.

Then, I heard a soft sigh like a feather in my ear, "Bai, you're finally back."

Damn it, he wasn't asking me to close the door; he was calling out to a woman named Bai with all his tenderness.

Anger and shame consumed me, and I instinctively pressed him back onto the bed.

He didn't mind, still gazing at me with affection, no, at that woman named Bai.

Enough, I knew something was fishy. Damn it, I directly give up that one million! I left Clayton on the bed without even tucking him in. He didn't deserve it!

Part 4

I stormed out of the Ward Family's house, embarrassed for foolishly thinking that capitalist Clayton would fall in love with me, and for feeling smug about it.

I almost forgot my humble identity as a hardworking wage slave!

I vowed that from now on, it would be just money relationship between Clayton and me!

I had already hailed a taxi, but the word "money" reminded me that I shouldn't just leave like this.

After all, if I left, wouldn't all my hard work bringing him home today be in vain?

I had to go back and wait until morning to confidently tell him, "I took care of you all night, now pay me the overtime!"

With that thought, I asked the driver to stop the taxi. As I got out, I received a call from Kenneth.

He asked how Clayton was doing.

I told him Clayton was asleep and reassured him.

I also subtly mentioned, "Mr. Ward kept calling Bai earlier, and it sounds like someone he really wants to see-" I paused deliberately before continuing, "If you know this girl, could you give me her contact information, Mr. Ford? I'm sure Mr. Ward would sleep better with her around."

Kenneth laughed heartily on the other end, "Elliana, you're quite something.

Why don't you come work for me as a secretary?

I'll pay you double."

But he also couldn't give me a million.

I shook my head internally, thinking double the salary was still worse than being a wage slave.

I politely declined, "It's not nice to poach Mr. Ward's secretary like that."

Kenneth laughed again and then told me, "I think your wish will come to nothing.

I really can't get Bai for your Mr. Ward."

Kenneth then kindly shared the story of Clayton and Bailee, leaving me dumbfounded.

Bai was a nickname for Bailee Nash, a name known throughout the city.

Probably no one in the city didn't know her, just like everyone knew Clayton.

But perhaps no one knew that Bailee and Clayton actually used to be together.

According to the usual gossip, if anyone in the city could be a perfect match for Clayton, it would undoubtedly be Bailee.

Kenneth also told me that the Nash and Ward Family had been on good terms for generations, and Bailee and Clayton were childhood sweethearts, the perfect couple of their circle.

Later, they went abroad to study and broke up for unknown reasons.

Kenneth speculated that Clayton might have cheated on Bailee, as after that, Clayton changed completely, indulging in a playboy lifestyle.

"You didn't know the old Clayton; he was a moral paragon, probably never even held any other women's hands besides Bai's.

He was so boring that we all didn't like to play with him.

But men all have a roving eye.

And in a seedier place like Zoshiasal, even if he didn't accost others, others would try to seduce him.

Over time, it was inevitable for him to have an affair, but Bai, being a lady from a rich family, couldn't tolerate it. That's probably why she broke up with him."

He paused and continued, "Once they broke up, he was unrestrained and had tried to sleep with another woman, which unleashed his true nature.

If you ask me for my opinion on it, that breakup was a good move. Now Clayton has been living life to the full.

He not only drinks and goes out with us for fun, but also has so many girlfriends, which is really envious!"

Kenneth grew more animated as he spoke, feeling a deep sense of pride in his and his friends' playboy lifestyles.

Suppressing my disdain, I continued to ask, "So what happened to Bailee afterwards?"

Kenneth, uninterested in Bailee, spoke of her with diminishing enthusiasm, "Ah, she later was going out with a penniless documentary director. Her family was in an uproar, but she insisted on marrying him, claiming it was her true love.

Anyway, they quarreled for a few years before they finally have got engaged recently."

Just as Bailee got engaged, Clayton got drunk.

My intuition was telling me there was more to this story!

Kenneth kept rambling, "Speaking of which, Miss Gilbert, you should really thank Bai.

If she hadn't dumped Clayton, you wouldn't have had the chance to take charge of his harem."

He wasn't wrong. As his secretary, my main responsibility was managing Clayton's romantic escapades.

And now, I finally grasped the most crucial secret of his affairs.

Even though I had a clear image of what Bailee looked like, I still searched for news about her to see her recent appearance.

In the photos of the news, she appeared even more striking than I remembered.

To be fair, she wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was quite attractive. The more I looked at her, the more familiar she seemed to me.

Why would I have such a feeling?

I couldn't recall.

For three hours, I couldn't figure out why.

As I dozed off on the carpet of the living room in Clayton's villa, Bailee's face reappeared in my mind.

I finally figured it out! I realized the common trait among all of Clayton's ex-girlfriends.

They all had a slight resemblance to Bailee.

Some had eyes like hers, others had noses or mouths like hers. Overall, none of them really looked like Bailee, but if I took their features apart and rearranged them, I could create several women very similar to Bailee.

Why didn't he just find someone more similar to Bailee, which was much easier?

I guessed it was either because he was unlucky to meet such a woman or his pride wouldn't allow it to happen.

Because doing so would be an indirect admission that he still loved Bailee.

Loving someone who didn't love him was a secret that the proud Clayton would never want anyone to discover.

Knowing Clayton as I did, I felt the truth was likely the latter.

What a weird and stubborn man!

Then I thought about how Clayton, like a child searching for a lost toy, patiently and tirelessly searched for replicas of that toy, only to find that none of them were the one he truly wanted.

Even though he was wealthy, with a father who was a Celebrity Crush and himself a Hearthrob, he still couldn't reclaim what he cherished most.

I couldn't help but laugh with joy. So, money couldn't buy everything, huh?

While I was laughing at midnight, a plan brewed in my mind that could let me make a fortune.

It seemed like fortune was smiling upon me, and I felt I would soon have a luxurious villa at the bottom of The Severed Mountain!

I practically sang my way back to Clayton's bedroom, eager to wake him up and share my win-win plan.

But when I opened the master bedroom door, I saw Clayton curled up on his massive bed, his long limbs tucked into a small ball, much like a lost puppy.

In that moment, my happiness vanished in an instant.

Today, Clayton was truly heartbroken.

Bailee was really the first love of the wealthy playboy Clayton.

And as poor as I was, who had never tasted the sweetness of love, I shouldn't mock his love.

I quietly exited the master bedroom, deeply hesitating about whether to execute my plan.

After all, I really didn't want Clayton to get his love back.

Why should he, a filthy rich capitalist, have something that a laborer like me didn't?

Part 5

The next day, as I was sleeping soundly, something seemed to step on my backside. It must have been my cat who got hungry again. I waved my hand to shoo it away, "Terry, fuck off!"

But Terry didn't budge; instead, it kicked me harder.

Outraged, I sat up, only to find Clayton glaring at me, and it was his esteemed foot that had kicked me.

I forgot that I slept in his living room last night! It was all because his carpet was too comfortable, even softer than my bed.

I picked myself up from the carpet, quickly putting on my signature fawning smile, "Good morning, Mr. Ward!"

He raised an eyebrow, showing his characteristic unpredictable expression.

"Terry? Huh?"

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

Others didn't know, but Clayton had a nickname, Terry.

The first time I heard his mother call Clayton "Terry," my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Then I took in a stray cat, Terry, a very spirited and especially mischievous black cat.

The day I found it, Clayton had just let loose a torrent of abuse against me for messing up a presentation.

Out of spite, I named it Terry.

From then on, I could boss it around at home, "Terry, serve me!" "Terry, obey my every command!"

How powerful I looked like that! How good it was to release my emotions! But I never imagined that one day this secret would be exposed by Clayton himself.

And it was my own mouth that betrayed me!

I tried to muddle through, "I was just talking in my sleep-"

He leisurely replied.

"Asking me to fuck off in your dreams?"

I was stunned for a moment, and I forced myself to make up the excuse, "You don't know that in order to serve you better, I specifically gave a cat the same name as yours and let it be my master.

So I wouldn't forget the feeling of serving you even after work."

While I was racking my brain for more excuses, Clayton suddenly bent down, getting close to me. He was a head taller than me, and this was the first time I was face-to-face with him while fully awake except for the affectionate kiss last night.

His eyelashes were long, and his gaze was as deep as the sea. I suddenly couldn't speak.

As I pondered whether a woman forcibly kissing a man would be counted as harassment, I finally heard him say.

"Elliana, you look clumsy when you lie.

If you want to stay by my side, you'd better be honest.

As long as you do your job well, I don't care if you dislike me.

Because honestly, I don't really like you either."

He then ordered.

"Clean this place up, and you can leave."

With that, he got up and walked past me toward his enormous bathroom.

I was fuming.

What did he mean by saying he didn't really like me?! How could he not like me?!

I was Elliana Gilbert, the most trusted, reliable and indispensable secretary to him! If word got out about it, how could I have the nerve to face others in the future?

But what could I do if the boss didn't like me?

I could only follow his orders and meticulously vacuum the carpet I had slept on last night, over and over again.

I even cleaned up his bedroom.

By the time he emerged from his enormous bathroom, his room had been as clean as the soldiers' dormitory. The room was sparkling clean, the bed sheets had no single crease, and the quilt was folded neatly.

The boss might not like me, but that was okay! As long as he couldn't do without me, that was enough!

Clayton scanned the room with an impassive expression, the relaxed look in his eyes revealing his satisfaction with my work. He asked.

"Why haven't you left yet?"

I cautiously reminded him, "Mr. Ward, I took care of you all night yesterday. I'm not feeling well today. Do you think I could take a day off?"

"Sure," he nodded, "But your salary will be deducted as sick leave."

I was so furious that I really wanted to slap him!

Part 6

That day, Clayton seemed particularly displeased with me that he kept bossing me around.

First, he said the meeting materials I prepared were not detailed enough, lacking sufficient data. After I supplemented it with comprehensive data as he requested, he then said it was too lengthy and not concise enough.

I seriously wondered if Clayton had ever learned the difference between the two words "detailed" and "concise".

Why didn't he show me something that was both detailed and concise!

In the end, after I painstakingly revised the draft many times according to his demands, he finally nodded and pointed to the first draft I submitted, saying, "Let's go with this one.

It's still not perfect, but it will do."

I really wanted to scream abuse at him!

By the time I arrived home wearily, it was nearly midnight.

Terry was meowing and jumping around, expressing its dissatisfaction with my absence for a day and a night.

Looking at him, I felt even more despair.

Who was the real master here?

I shouldn't have gotten a cat; I should have kept a dog.

After I fed Terry, cleaned its litter box, and brushed its fur, it finally calmed down, contentedly grooming itself in front of me.

I stretched my foot out.

"Terry, lick my foot and make me happy."

Terry ignored me, continuing to lick its own smelly paws.

Unwilling to give up, I moved my foot closer to its mouth.

"Terry, lick it."

It finally gave me the courtesy of a sniff, then, to my dismay, gagged.

Even Terry didn't like me anymore. I was so sad.

I missed the time when I first brought it home.

Back then, it would cling to my foot and lick it like a cute lamb, so gentle and affectionate.

But now, because I had been exploited too hard by Clayton, I hadn't been able to treat Terry well like I used to.

So, it didn't treat me well either.

I held Terry in my arms, realizing I couldn't wait any longer.

If I kept being a wage slave, I would never be able to give Terry the leisurely life in a big villa!

I had to take the initiative and become Clayton's woman.

With an all-or-nothing attitude, I worked through the night to draft a project proposal about how I would help him return to his beloved Bailee if he let me become his nominal girlfriend.

First, I clearly pointed out that Clayton's current behavior of having so many girlfriends would only let Bailee keep a distance from him and make her question his character, fundamentally seeing him as a scumbag.

Secondly, through a comprehensive analysis of Bailee, I concluded that as a proud young lady from a privileged bourgeois family, her most significant human weakness should be competitiveness.

Finally, I summarized the ultimate strategy that by setting ordinary myself as Clayton's "true love," I would pique Bailee's curiosity. Then, by having Clayton treat me, his "true love," better than he had done to her, his former true love, I would trigger her competitiveness, prompting her to return to Clayton.

At that point, I, the "true love," would gracefully step aside for them to be together again.

For this, Clayton only needed to pay me ten million as reward.

And that was just the money he would spend in sleeping with ten fake girlfriends.

But if he gave the same sum of money to me, I could help him win back Bailee's heart.

The bang for the buck couldn't be higher!

Of course, personally, I didn't want to see Clayton happy.

After all, he didn't deserve it.

But for the sake of money, I could overcome my jealousy.

I closed my laptop and, holding Terry, drifted into a sweet dream.

Clayton would gain love, and I would gain money-a win-win situation.

The next day, with an all-or-nothing spirit, I submitted the proposal to Clayton.

I had considered the consequences of failure.

But I'd give it my all, no matter the cost.

I cheered myself on.

Failure would simply mean becoming just another cog in the corporate machine, but success could change the fate of both Terry and me forever.

We, the ordinary proletariat, had nothing to lose but our limitations, and the world to gain.

Part 7

Clayton showed no signs of anything unusual all morning after I gave my proposal to him.

This left me a bit uneasy, as I wondered if he had even looked at my proposal.

It wasn't until the afternoon that he asked me to accompany him to play golf.

Once we arrived at the course, he unexpectedly dismissed the regular caddie and insisted on letting me take on the role.

After I had studied golf thoroughly to become Clayton's woman, it was a piece of cake to be a caddie.

But why should I have to do it?

Oh, right, because he was my boss.

As I took the heavy golf bag from the caddie under the hot sun, I saw Clayton's lips curl into a satisfied smile that he only showed when a scheme of his succeeded.

He must have read the proposal, and this was his way of punishing me.

For the next few hours, I was like a headless chicken, running back and forth on the course, picking up balls, throwing them, and then picking them up again.

Kenneth, who was playing golf with Clayton, praised me, "Elliana, you're incredibly capable. Is there anything you can't do?"

Clayton glanced at me with a half-smile and said to him.

"It's just that she is a bit too capable."

No matter how I understood it, I felt like there was a hidden meaning in his words.

Was he dissatisfied with my proposal?

Or did he think I was overstepping my bounds?

As I worried, Clayton and Kenneth got into the golf cart for the return trip.

I also wanted to join them to rest my feet, but Clayton stopped me.

"Elliana, you don't need to take it."

Huh?

I looked at him, puzzled.

"I think you have too much energy. Instead of worrying about things that aren't your concern, why not take a walk and clear your mind?"

Clayton smiled as he signaled the caddie to drive off.

I could only watch their cart disappear into the distance.

I muttered curses to myself. After trudging for an hour, exhausted and stumbling, I finally made it out of the golf course. Clayton's car must have already driven away. He had left me stranded in this remote area. My dreams of getting rich through Clayton had turned into curses against him.

He really deserved it since he couldn't get true love! Sod the ten million! I didn't care who would work for him, and I really didn't want to serve such a petty, vindictive, and stingy man!

Frustrated, I opened the ride-hailing app, only to find no taxis nearby.

After all, golfers here usually had their own cars.

I collapsed by the roadside, on the verge of tears.

The sky was gradually darkening.

I remembered a long time ago when I was similarly abandoned.

From that moment, I swore to find a way out.

Since I was not a princess, I didn't need a prince to save me.

There was always the bus even if there was no taxi! After walking for what felt like ages, I finally saw the nearest bus stop sign.

And Clayton's car was actually parked by the roadside. Was he waiting for me?

I stared blankly as the window of the back of the car rolled down, revealing Clayton's expressionless face.

"Get in," he said.

This was the real carrot and stick approach

At that moment, I wanted to refuse him with dignity, but my body, exhausted, climbed into the car.

I was utterly spent!

When I opened my eyes again, it was completely dark.

The car was parked in a courtyard, the driver nowhere to be seen. Clayton sat in the driver's seat, and the window wasn't rolled up as he was smoking.

A love song was playing on the radio of the car.

I couldn't see his expression, only the red glow at his fingertips flickering in the night.

This was the Clayton I didn't know, a lonely Clayton.

He seemed enveloped in a deep sadness, merging with the dark night, compelling me to break the silence.

"Where are we?"

He stubbed out his cigarette, "Ten million is too much."

Huh?

I was momentarily confused.

Clayton turned to me, "I can't give you ten million. If it doesn't work out, I'd suffer a huge loss.

But while you're being my girlfriend, I can pay you a monthly salary of three hundred thousand.

Think about it."

"Does it include sleeping with you?" I heard myself ask.