“Anyone can take up the project. I can take up any project except this one!” As Rachel failed to struggle free of Justin’s grasp, she gritted her teeth and said, “Since this project is such an easy job, let someone else take it up instead. Lots of people would want to work on this!”
As soon as she finished her sentence, a gust of wind brushed against her ear. Justin slapped his hand against the door frame behind her ear, trapping her in a huge shadow by forming an enclosure with his arm and the wall in the corner. “I’m not consulting with you. This is a notice—either accept it or resign,” he asserted in a peremptory tone with a frosty look in his eyes.
Rachel glared at Justin; the feelings of resentment that had accumulated for many years surged in her chest, causing her to tremble involuntarily. She had thousands of reasons to say no to Justin’s threat, but she nevertheless replied, “I’ll accept it.” She agreed to take up the project only for one reason—she had to stay at Burton Pharmaceuticals by Justin’s side to find the evidence linked to Hans’ death. “I’ll accept it. Can you let go of me now?” She gradually calmed down while looking at the man fearlessly with an extremely cold look in her eyes.
Justin let go of her with a frown.
When Mr. Wayne saw them returning to the office, he asked with concern, “Chris, are you all right?”
Rachel managed a forced smile. “I’m fine; perhaps I ate something bad. Sorry for being impolite just now, Mr. Wayne. I’ll consult with you later about our collaboration. If you have any questions regarding our medicinal materials, you may ask me directly.”
“No problem. Naturally, someone recommended by President Burton must be reliable.” Mr. Wayne pushed his glasses. The greasy face behind his glasses looked as lewd as it had been back then, so much so that it disgusted Rachel just to take another look at it.
Justin watched their interaction the whole time, but he didn’t notice anything wrong with Mr. Wayne, who spoke and conducted himself in a very polite manner. However, Justin was puzzled by how alarmed Rachel looked. Could they have known each other before?
Rachel was hypervigilant at first, but Mr. Wayne didn’t overstep any boundaries at all. All he talked about was the collaboration between his company and Burton Pharmaceuticals, and this caused her to suspect that Mr. Wayne had forgotten her. After all, six years had passed since then, so it shouldn’t be surprising for him to forget a woman whom he had met just once in those six years. As Rachel thought of this, she slowly relaxed.
After the introduction, Mr. Wayne got up and said his farewells. Rachel said, “As for the matters regarding our collaboration, I’ll have my assistant draw up the contract and send it for you to look over.”
“Won’t you see me out, Chris?”
As soon as Mr. Wayne finished his sentence, Rachel unconsciously curled up her fingers.
Justin frowned at one side before shooting her a warning glance.
Rachel pinched the palm of her hand and forced a smile. “This way, please, Mr. Wayne.” As the elevator door slowly closed, she pushed the button to the first floor. “Mr. Wayne, if you are dissatisfied with any of the details we have just discussed regarding our collaboration, please come right out with it. We can talk about them.”
“You look more seductive compared to when I last met you six years ago, Chris. If President Burton hadn’t introduced us to each other, I wouldn’t have dared to recognize you.”
When Rachel heard Mr. Wayne’s words, her mind went black at once, and her temples pulsed.
Mr. Wayne then continued slowly, “However, compared to you, who can now speak, I prefer the little mute who couldn’t even cry out when being whipped back then. She was exciting and interesting enough—”
Rachel stepped back; she went so weak at the knees that she could hardly keep her feet. “You recognized me from the beginning.”
“How could I forget you, Mrs. Burton?” Mr. Wayne grabbed Rachel’s arm. “I still remember your smell very well in the past six years!”
Rachel’s head was buzzing as if she had gotten an electric shock. The arm that Mr. Wayne grabbed was so stiff that she couldn’t move it at all. She tried to make a sound, but she couldn’t make any when she opened her mouth.
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