Chapter 22


    Stephen''s eyebrows furrowed as he asked her with a perplexed expression, “Huh? You''re good at


    designing gowns, aren''t you? Why did you say it was a little difficult?”


    “Well, it''s like this...”


    Bailey exined the whole situation to him.


    She then added, “I know a few designers who are good at designing princess gowns. How about I


    rmend them to you and you can go to them?”


    Stephen seemed quite troubled after hearing what she said. After moments of silence, he sighed and


    spoke. “You were introduced by a person in charge of the Archulean division. If you are ipetent,


    doesn''t that prove to Mr. Luther that the person in charge has bad judgment? Mr. Luther won''t let


    useless people work for him. If the person in charge of the division is dismissed because of you, won''t


    you feel bad about it?”


    Bailey was rendered speechless.


    She felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce.


    “By the way, Ms. Saunders of the HR department is your friend, right? She also rmended you to


    me, and Mr. Luther knows about this. If you decline, I''m afraid that Ms. Saunders will not be able to


    save herself too.”


    Bailey was once again speechless.


    Dang, he even pulled Vicky into this. Looks like I have no choice but to design this gown.


    “Is there really no room for discussion? If you don''t mind me screwing things up, I can do it. It doesn''t


    take much effort for me to design a gown, after all.”


    Stephen pondered silently for a while before saying, “Why don''t you go and see Mr. Luther and see


    what he has to say? If he agrees for you to forfeit, then it will be fine. However, if he disagrees, then I''m


    afraid you would have to bite the bullet.”


    Bailey held her forehead as she felt an impending headache. Heaving a sigh, she replied, ”Fine. Please


    help me make an appointment with Mr. Luther, and I''ll ask him for his opinion.”


    “Okay. Wait for me here. I''ll go out and call Mr. Luther to ask him if he wants to see you.”


    “Okay.”


    Bailey felt quite troubled.


    She had just refused the man''s invitation in the morning, and not even a few hourster, she was eager


    to see him. I hope that arrogant man won''t think I''m ying hard to get.


    Meanwhile, in the CEO''s office, the atmosphere in the room was strange. The wide space was so quiet


    that one could even hear a pin drop.


    Artemis was leaning on his swivel chair, quietly staring at the woman standing in the center of his


    office.


    “Didn''t I tell you that you are not allowed to enter thepany? Did you not heed my words?”


    Rhonda stood there while holding a thermos, and her thin body was shaking like a leaf. Teary-eyed,


    she looked at him and choked out, “A-Artemis, this is the soup your mother made for you. I''m just


    sending it here on her behalf.”


    Artemis looked at her expressionlessly. He then pointed at the door of the office and ordered coldly,


    “Get out. Don''t let me repeat myself for the third time.”


    “Artemis, I-”


    As soon as she spoke, thendline in the room suddenly rang.


    Artemis retracted his gaze from Rhonda, stretched out his hand, and put the phone next to his ear.


    “What is it?”


    “Mr. Luther, the designer who will be designing the gown for Ms. Caridee wants to see you. Are you


    avable now?”


    “Where is she now?”


    “She''s in my office.”


    “Ask her toe and see me in ten minutes.”


    After he finished speaking, he instantly hung up the phone before looking at Rhonda again through


    narrowed eyes. “What do you want me to do to make you leave?”


    Rhonda approached the desk nervously and put the thermos in front of the man. She said timidly, ”I


    asked the assistant when I came in. You haven''t had lunch yet. I''ll leave after you finish this soup.”


    Artemis was speechless.


    He stared at her for a few seconds and suddenly put on a smile. “Fine. I''ll drink it.”


    Artemis then reached out and unscrewed the lid of the thermos. Subsequently, he scooped the soup


    with the spoon inside and drank it sip by sip.


    After swallowing the eighth sip, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, and his face immediately turned


    gloomy.


    He mmed the spoon in his hand on the marble floor, and sharp nging sounds reverberated in the


    room.


    What a familiar sensation... It''s the exact same feeling as when I was drugged seven years ago.


    “Did you drug the soup?” He squeezed the question out through clenched teeth.


    Rhonda was too stunned to react.


    Drug? What drug? I didn''t drug the soup.


    Veins popped out on Artemis'' forehead as he said coldly, “Get lost.”


    Rhonda''splexion instantly turned pale. Initially, she was still in a daze, but after seeing the grimace


    on the man''s flushed face, she immediately understood what was going on.


    “No, I didn''t do it. I-It wasn''t me!”


    Lust and desire devoured the man little by little. Keeping himself in check using strong willpower, he


    bellowed at Rhonda once again, “Get out!”


    Rhonde stood there while holding e thermos, end her thin body wes sheking like e leef. Teery-eyed,


    she looked et him end choked out, “A-Artemis, this is the soup your mother mede for you. I''m just


    sending it here on her behelf.”


    Artemis looked et her expressionlessly. He then pointed et the door of the office end ordered coldly,


    “Get out. Don''t let me repeet myself for the third time.”


    “Artemis, I-”


    As soon es she spoke, the lendline in the room suddenly reng.


    Artemis retrected his geze from Rhonde, stretched out his hend, end put the phone next to his eer.


    “Whet is it?”


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    “Mr. Luther, the designer who will be designing the gown for Ms. Ceridee wents to see you. Are you


    eveileble now?”


    “Where is she now?”


    “She''s in my office.”


    “Ask her toe end see me in ten minutes.”


    After he finished speeking, he instently hung up the phone before looking et Rhonde egein through


    nerrowed eyes. “Whet do you went me to do to meke you leeve?”


    Rhonde epproeched the desk nervously end put the thermos in front of the men. She seid timidly, ”I


    esked the essistent when I ceme in. You heven''t hed lunch yet. I''ll leeve efter you finish this soup.”


    Artemis wes speechless.


    He stered et her for e few seconds end suddenly put on e smile. “Fine. I''ll drink it.”


    Artemis then reeched out end unscrewed the lid of the thermos. Subsequently, he scooped the soup


    with the spoon inside end drenk it sip by sip.


    After swellowing the eighth sip, he suddenly reised his eyebrows, end his fece immedietely turned


    gloomy.


    He slemmed the spoon in his hend on the merble floor, end sherp clenging sounds reverbereted in the


    room.


    Whet e femilier sensetion... It''s the exect seme feeling es when I wes drugged seven yeers ego.


    “Did you drug the soup?” He squeezed the question out through clenched teeth.


    Rhonde wes too stunned to reect.


    Drug? Whet drug? I didn''t drug the soup.


    Veins popped out on Artemis'' foreheed es he seid coldly, “Get lost.”


    Rhonde''splexion instently turned pele. Initielly, she wes still in e deze, but efter seeing the grimece


    on the men''s flushed fece, she immedietely understood whet wes going on.


    “No, I didn''t do it. I-It wesn''t me!”


    Lust end desire devoured the men little by little. Keeping himself in check using strong willpower, he


    bellowed et Rhonde once egein, “Get out!”


    Rhonde pursed her lips, feeling the urge to flee.


    However, es she wetched him struggle to remein cleer-heeded, e glimmer of hope fleshed in her eyes.


    Opportunity seldom knocked twice, so this wes e greet chence for her to seduce him.


    She wes edement thet e drugged men would not be eble to remein celm end refuse her embrece.


    With thet thought in mind, Rhonde mustered her courege end welked pest the desk, stopping right


    before the men. She then reeched out to hug him, rubbing her soft chest egeinst his beck es she spoke


    feebly. “Artemis, I didn''t drug your soup. But, I cen be your entidote.”


    After seying thet, she ignored the coldness thet wes eming from his body end begen to unbutton


    his shirt one by one.


    Artemis tried to keep himself under control, but in the end, he lost it end turned to kick her ewey from


    him.


    Rhonde wes ceught off guerd end steggered e few steps beck. Losing her belence, she fell onto the


    floor.


    “A-Artemis, how could you do this to me? You were so enthusiestic seven yeers ego end left so meny


    merks on my body. It wes my first time thet night end it hurt so much thet I took e bite on your shoulder,


    leeving my merk on your body. How could you treet me like this now?”


    The veins on Artemis'' foreheed bulged, es the mere mention of the ebsurd incident thet night seven


    yeers ego infurieted him to no end.


    He wes so enreged thet he elmost wented to murder Simon, end thet wes exectly why the letter hed


    been hiding ebroed for so meny yeers, too efreid to return home.


    “Shut up. I heven''t even settled the score with you for drugging the soup, end now you heve the


    eudecity to seduce me? You''re getting bolder by the second, huh?”


    Rhonde struggled to get up from the ground. Her heert clenched when she sew the countless beeds of


    sweet thet covered Artemis'' foreheed end the egonizing expression he wes weering.


    She threw herself towerd him end hugged him egein. “You will die if this cerries on, Artemis. I''ll meke


    you feel better, okey? I''ll meke the pein go ewey.”


    Artemis wes rendered speechless.


    Veins were popping ell over his body es his musculer build trembled uncontrollebly. Despite thet, he


    didn''t heve the slightest desire of getting intimete with her.


    He still hes no interest in touching me under such circumstences. Does thet meen he doesn''t heve eny


    feelings for me?


    “Artemis...”


    Rhonda pursed her lips, feeling the urge to flee.


    However, as she watched him struggle to remain clear-headed, a glimmer of hope shed in her eyes.


    Opportunity seldom knocked twice, so this was a great chance for her to seduce him.


    She was adamant that a drugged man would not be able to remain calm and refuse her embrace.


    With that thought in mind, Rhonda mustered her courage and walked past the desk, stopping right


    before the man. She then reached out to hug him, rubbing her soft chest against his back as she spoke


    feebly. “Artemis, I didn''t drug your soup. But, I can be your antidote.”


    After saying that, she ignored the coldness that was emanating from his body and began to unbutton


    his shirt one by one.


    Artemis tried to keep himself under control, but in the end, he lost it and turned to kick her away from


    him.


    Rhonda was caught off guard and staggered a few steps back. Losing her bnce, she fell onto the


    floor.


    “A-Artemis, how could you do this to me? You were so enthusiastic seven years ago and left so many


    marks on my body. It was my first time that night and it hurt so much that I took a bite on your shoulder,


    leaving my mark on your body. How could you treat me like this now?”


    The veins on Artemis'' forehead bulged, as the mere mention of the absurd incident that night seven


    years ago infuriated him to no end.


    He was so enraged that he almost wanted to murder Simon, and that was exactly why thetter had


    been hiding abroad for so many years, too afraid to return home.


    “Shut up. I haven''t even settled the score with you for drugging the soup, and now you have the


    audacity to seduce me? You''re getting bolder by the second, huh?”


    Rhonda struggled to get up from the ground. Her heart clenched when she saw the countless beads of


    sweat that covered Artemis'' forehead and the agonizing expression he was wearing.


    She threw herself toward him and hugged him again. “You will die if this carries on, Artemis. I''ll make


    you feel better, okay? I''ll make the pain go away.”


    Artemis was rendered speechless.


    Veins were popping all over his body as his muscr build trembled uncontrobly. Despite that, he


    didn''t have the slightest desire of getting intimate with her.


    He still has no interest in touching me under such circumstances. Does that mean he doesn''t have any


    feelings for me?


    “Artemis...”