Chapter 9

Jerome opened his eyes and looked at her. “Do you want me to stay at Marriott International?” he asked.

“Of course,” she replied.

“Why?” Jerome asked.

“You are our big boss’s VIP guest. If you don’t stay at our hotel, the big boss, Alyssa, will be angry and our days will not be easy,” Angelia explained.

“Besides that?” Jerome inquired.

Angelia was a little embarrassed. “Wettiner said that if I could invite you to stay, he would give me a bonus of 100,000 Dollar,” she said.

“So, I’m only worth 100,000 Dollar to you?” Jerome was unhappy.

“Just by staying here, you are worth 100,000 Dollar. If I stayed here, it would cost me 10,000 Dollar,” Angelia joked.

Jerome looked away for about thirty seconds, then turned to Whitfield and ordered, “Go to Marriott International.”

“Okay,” Whitfield responded, adjusting the navigation.

Angelia was happy and immediately messaged Walden, “Jerome will arrive at Marriott International in about three hours.”

“Good. Come to my place tomorrow to get the Century Park tickets. The bonus will be settled with you during the Chinese New Year,” Walden replied.

If she could get a bonus of 100,000 Dollar, she would be one step closer to getting a divorce.

It seemed that Jerome’s appearance was not always associated with bad memories.

Jerome turned his head and couldn’t hide his joy.

Angelia played a game and became very tired. She yawned and saw that Jerome had fallen asleep.

She leaned back in her chair and fell asleep soon after, her head tilting and resting on Jerome’s shoulder.

Jerome opened his eyes and looked at her.

Her small head slid down with gravity.

He held her face and slowly put it on his lap, his hand naturally circling her shoulder to prevent her from falling.

Whitfield looked in the rearview mirror and was shocked.Mr. Taylor is not interested in women, even if they throw themselves at him, let alone leaning on his shoulder.

However, he not only doesn’t reject Angelia, but also dotes on her.

Could it be that Mr. Taylor has fallen in love at first sight with Angelia?

Wait, why did he add the word “also”?

The car jolted, and Angelia woke up to find herself lying on Jerome’s lap.

She sat up in surprise.

She secretly looked at Jerome and was relieved to see that he was asleep and probably didn’t notice her lying on his lap.

However, there was a noticeable wet spot on his pants, which might be from her saliva.

She felt guilty and embarrassed, and took out a wet wipe from her bag to gently clean the dirty spot.

But her hair kept tickling his abdominal muscles.

Jerome frowned.

If this continued, he would definitely have a reaction.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it hard.

Angelia rushed towards him, and her lips touched his face.

She was startled and quickly pulled back, her whole body tense.

Jerome was also stunned.

The electric shock from her kiss seemed to have gone into his blood, causing his heart rate and blood pressure to rise.

“I’m sorry,” Angelia said nervously, stuttering.

“I-I-I didn’t mean to.”

Jerome let go of her hand.

“What were you wiping just now?”

“Um…” Angelia blushed and found it hard to speak.

She laughed bitterly, feeling a bit self-deprecating.

She thought she was quite mature and could take on responsibility, but whenever she was with him, his aura was too strong, and she was afraid of making mistakes in front of him.

Because she knew that he held the power of life and death over too many people, and if he was unhappy, she would have to leave.

Fear outweighed reason.

Jerome looked at her with a mix of fear and helplessness, especially the dimming of her smile that made his heart ache.

He held the back of her neck, leaned in, and kissed her on the lips…

He held the back of her neck, leaned in, and kissed her on the lips…

Angelia widened her eyes in shock.

Yesterday during their adventure, he had kissed her, but she was too drunk to feel anything except for difficulty breathing.

But now, her mind was clear enough to feel his breath on her face.

Why did he kiss her?

Did he like her?

Impossible, just a few days ago, he had clearly told her that she wasn’t his type.

So, he must have taken advantage of her.

Angelia was angry and pushed Jerome’s shoulder forcefully.

Jerome held her hand and let go, “This is what you wanted, right?”

“What?” Angelia was shocked.

“On my first day, you took off your clothes in my room, told your colleagues you wanted to sleep with me, followed me to the alumni meeting, all to seduce me, right?” Jerome said bluntly.

Angelia’s face turned red then white.

She was so foolish to have done so many things that could be misunderstood.

“Mr. Taylor is high and mighty, unapproachable. Even if I had ten brains, I wouldn’t dare to seduce you. There was some misunderstanding before, and it’s all my fault for not explaining clearly. Since Mr. Taylor has made things clear, I also want to tell you clearly that I am self-aware and won’t have unrealistic dreams. Some jokes have been made in the past, but I will pay attention in the future,” Angelia said seriously.

Jerome said arrogantly, “What do you mean by all these words? Are you trying to seduce me?”

“I don’t have the intelligence for seduction, nor do I have the emotional intelligence for playing games. So seduction is not suitable for me. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. It won’t happen again. Please rest assured,” Angelia replied.

Jerome sneered, “So the words you said before about liking me, admiring me, and worshiping me were just jokes?”

“I like your talent, admire your achievements, and worship your high status. These are not jokes but sincere words. Since university, you have been my direction of study. Although I am still far from being as good as you, I am constantly working hard,” Angelia explained.

“You’re good at talking, but you’re wasting your talent in a small hotel,” Jerome said sarcastically.

Angelia knew she was going to be fired. Three years of hard work would be in vain, but she was not willing to give up. Even if she had to start over, she would find a way to support herself and Alyssa.Anyway, the broken bowl is broken, and she no longer fears him.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s buried, it’s fate’s arrangement. I can’t blame anyone but can only live well. Mr. Taylor, if you let me go, I will be grateful for your kindness. Mr. Taylor, if you don’t let me go, besides cursing you in circles, there’s nothing I can do.”

Whitfield chuckled. He had never heard of someone threatening Jerome with drawing circles before. Jerome’s sharp gaze swept towards Whitfield. Whitfield felt a chill down his neck and shrunk his head. Jerome remained silent with a cold face.

The car arrived at the Marriott International entrance, and Angelia got off. She saw the van that caught her last time was still there and unhappily went into the hotel. She made a call, “Jacob, it’s Angelia. I need your help with something. After it’s done, I’ll treat you to dinner…”

“Angelia.” Darcey finished work and saw Angelia returning. She approached and said, “Angelia, I have two things to tell you. June was fired, and the boss’s son came to work at the hotel today. He’s handsome.”

“Handsome guys can also be scum in disguise. Stay away from him. He’s not a good person,” Angelia reminded her.

“It sounds like there’s a story behind it?” Darcey gossiped.

“Don’t worry, even if there is a story, it’s just a flash in the pan. You should go back and rest.” Angelia patted Darcey’s shoulder. “I’m going now. See you tomorrow.”

Darcey waved and walked towards the door. “See you tomorrow.”

Angelia’s eyes darkened. She might be fired tomorrow, and her heart felt heavy.

Half an hour later, Jacob called, “Everything is arranged.”

“Thank you, Jacob,” said Angelia. She hung up the phone and walked out the front door. As she reached the road, two masked men got out of a van and grabbed her, forcing her into the vehicle.

Remaining calm, Angelia leaned back in her chair and asked the masked man next to her, “Did Sammie send you? Only that idiot would do something so boring and arrogant.”

“You don’t need to know who sent us,” the masked man replied aggressively.

Angelia chuckled and flipped her hair. The driver slammed on the brakes and nervously said, “Quinton, there’s a police roadblock up ahead.”

“Turn around quickly.”

The car turned around and was met with three police cars blocking the road. One of the officers opened the car door and pointed his gun at the passengers, sternly saying, “Get out of the car and put your hands on your head.”

The driver immediately raised his hands in fear.

Quinton was shocked and took off his mask, putting on a playful smile as he said to Angelia, “Sister-in-law, this was just a joke my boss and I were playing on you. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Staking out and kidnapping me, I don’t think that’s a joke. It would be better to let the police investigate,” Angelia calmly replied, getting out of the car.

The police took everyone to the station, and surveillance footage confirmed that Angelia was forced into the car.

Sammie rushed over and questioned Angelia, “What are you trying to do? Quinton is my friend, let him go.”

“If your friend kidnapped me, should I let him go too?” Angelia retorted.

Angelia shook off Sammie’s hand and firmly said, “I have no intention of letting this go.”Sammie is upset, “Don’t act shameless. I helped you have a son, or else you wouldn’t be able to pass my mother’s test.”

“Why do I need to pass your mother’s test? Your mother is biased against women and insists on having a son. I hope you remember our agreement. You can’t touch me, let alone the matter of having a son,” Angelia replied.

“I’m asking if you’re stupid. If you have a son, everything in Sammie’s family will be yours. No one else can get it,” Sammie said.

“Then go find someone who is willing to have a son for you, instead of raping me,” Angelia gritted her teeth.

“I’ve changed the plan. You just need artificial insemination. The sperm will be mine. My friend said that the gender of the baby can be controlled subjectively, whether it’s a boy or a girl. My mother likes boys, so we’ll have two for her. Since you’ve already been raped and had a child, what’s the harm in having another one?” Sammie said.

Angelia clenched her fists.

She had lost everything when she was raped – family, love, and everything else. Even though she left gracefully, only she knew the pain the wound had caused.

When she found out she was pregnant, the baby was already two months old, and her grandmother had also fallen ill.

She wanted to keep this child, at least there would be a new life by her side – a little bit of sunshine in the midst of despair.

“Sammie, a wound that has healed and scarred does not mean I want to be cut again in the same place. I was raped and had a child…”

Angelia’s eyes turned red as she recalled the long-buried memories.The humiliation, betrayal, injustice, and bullying of the past all ran through her mind.

Her eyes became misty and she coldly laughed, “Did you investigate me?”

“Before signing the agreement, I definitely had to investigate thoroughly. Who knows what kind of trash you are? Maybe you’re a prostitute. What if you’re sick?” Sammie said righteously.

Angelia looked at Sammie coldly, “You didn’t investigate thoroughly enough. I can tell you clearly and plainly that I won’t have a child for you. Don’t even think about it. Otherwise, your mother will have to bring you food in jail.”

Sammie became angry and picked up the tea cup on the table and threw it at Angelia, splashing her with water.

Fortunately, the water was not hot, but it still dirtied her clothes.

Angelia’s eyes flashed with resolution. She turned around and walked towards the door.

Sammie had seen how ruthless Angelia could be.

He became afraid and grabbed Angelia’s arm, and softened his tone, “I won’t force you to have a child. Just let my friend go.”

“Everything I’ve done is just to protect myself, but what you’ve done is already a crime. I’ll let you go this time, but I hope you’ll take care of yourself and not have a next time. Otherwise…you know, I’m capable of doing anything. I don’t have much to lose anyway.” Angelia shook off Sammie’s hand and walked out of the police station.

It was already dark outside. She looked at the time and realized it was almost 8 o’clock.

She quickly called Jacob, “I’m sorry for calling so late, but I want to treat you to dinner tonight.”

“I suddenly have a task tonight. Let’s do it another day,” Jacob replied.

“Okay, just call me when you’re free.””No big deal. Sister, I’m busy right now, I’ll contact you another day,” Jacob hung up the phone in a hurry.

Angelia put away her phone and got on the bus. There was no seat on the bus, so she grabbed the handrail and rested her face on her arm, staring blankly at the unlucky bear playing on the TV. The plot was funny, but she couldn’t feel happy.

Her phone rang, and she saw it was a call from Walden. She guessed it was to inform her that she had been fired. She answered the phone.

“Angelia, the boss just invited Jerome to dinner and asked about you specifically,” Walden said.

“Okay,” Angelia replied. “Jerome said your ability is suitable for a better job. The boss promised that when the hotel on the resort side is built, you will be the manager there,” Walden said with a smile.

“What?” Angelia was stunned. Wasn’t this supposed to be a way for her to get out?

She asked carefully, “Did Jerome object?”

“No, the boss’s intention is for you to be Jerome’s room manager during this time, without going to the business department,” Walden replied.

Every cell in Angelia’s body was resisting, “Actually, I don’t get along well with Jerome. He even got angry at me before.”

“He gets angry at everyone. People at the top of the pyramid are always decisive. Mr. Taylor is a cold-hearted person with a warm heart. Do you remember when you were bullied by Gallagher? Mr. Taylor sent a text message to the boss,” Walden said.

“Really?” She didn’t think Jerome would stand up for her.

Walden chuckled, “The gist of the text message was that you were his classmate and he hoped the boss would take good care of you. He will always pay attention.”

Angelia fell silent. Jerome really was a cold-hearted person with a warm heart.Just Jerome’s kiss to her was too clear, as if it was branded in her brain.

She was still a little afraid of Jerome. “I don’t have any spare work clothes at home. Can I come to work tomorrow morning?”

“He drank some alcohol today and needs someone to take care of him. Come over now, I’ll open the back door for you. Hurry up, Mr. Taylor will be back soon,” urged Walden.

Angelia took a deep breath. The big boss wanted her to be Jerome’s room manager. If she didn’t do it, she would be fired. That’s just how the workplace is. If you can’t do it, you’ll be eliminated. She still needs this job.

Angelia went to the hotel, Walden opened the door and handed her the work clothes, surprised, “What’s going on? Why are you so dirty?”

“I spilled the tea cup,” Angelia explained vaguely.

Walden didn’t ask any more questions, “Hurry up and go upstairs, take a shower first, there’s still time.”

Angelia looked up, went up the side stairs to the 19th floor, and went directly into her small room, locking the door and going to the bathroom to take a shower.

The warm water fell on her body, washing away some of her fatigue. Too many things happened today, she was tired, washed her hair, and stood in the water for a while.

Suddenly, the power went out. The hotel has its own power supply equipment and shouldn’t have a power outage. What’s going on?

She groped for the door and touched something cold and soft, screaming in surprise.

“Angelia.” Jerome had just come back and heard Angelia’s scream. Panic flashed in his eyes as he opened his phone’s flashlight and rushed towards Angelia’s room door.

Angelia’s room was locked.

He didn’t have time to think, so he just broke open the door.Angelia also ran out of the bathroom and saw a light, instinctively ran over and hugged Jerome, still afraid, buried in his arms, “There’s something in the bathroom.”

Jerome’s back was stiff, and Angelia was not wearing anything, he saw it.

She was still holding onto him, her heart beating fast, luckily the darkness provided cover.

Slowly, he hugged Angelia’s back and comforted her in a slightly hoarse voice, “Don’t be afraid, it’s okay.”

The light suddenly came on again.

Angelia looked up at Jerome, her gaze colliding with his eyes, and she remembered that she wasn’t wearing clothes, feeling embarrassed.

If she let go of him now, he would see everything, but she couldn’t keep holding onto him like this.

Her face was burning, her eyes flickering, her tongue tied, “You, you, you, close your eyes.”

Jerome looked down at her with a mysterious look, “Have you seen everything already? Is it too late to close your eyes now?”

Angelia was speechless.

She had rushed out of the bathroom and hugged Jerome without thinking.

Jerome didn’t push her away, which was already very polite of him.

But she didn’t want to be exposed again, and said vaguely, “Anyway, you didn’t look carefully.”

“Are you reminding me to take a closer look with your disappointed tone?” Jerome asked back, with an impulse to tease her.

Angelia was anxious, “That’s not what I meant.”

As soon as she spoke, she realized that her tone seemed to be coquettish.

She frowned, bit her lower lip in frustration, and lowered her head.Upon seeing her shy appearance, Jerome felt like a gust of wind had brushed past his heart, causing ripples to spread out in circles.

He decided to stop teasing her.

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her, wrapping it around her.

His jacket was large enough to cover her completely.

Angelia hid in his suit jacket and thought of the time he helped her plead her case.

It was impossible not to feel moved, but the kiss made her feel uneasy.

Jerome turned around and left her room.

When Angelia tried to close the door, she found that it had been broken and there were bloodstains on the door frame.

She looked at the suit jacket and noticed bloodstains on the cuff, which were probably caused by Jerome accidentally scratching himself while banging on the door.

She changed her clothes and grabbed the first aid kit.

Jerome was already working at his computer, and when he saw her come out, he stopped.

Angelia looked at his hand and saw a two-inch long wound near his little finger.

The wound had been cleaned and was no longer bleeding, but it looked deep.

She felt guilty and touched, and said softly, “Mr. Taylor, let me take care of your wound.”

He didn’t like her calling him that; it sounded distant.

“No need,” he said. “The wound is on my hand and is easy to get infected. It’s better to take care of it.”

Jerome didn’t say anything and kept his eyes on the computer.

Angelia had no choice but to put the first aid kit on his desk, take out cotton and disinfectant, and hold Jerome’s wrist to clean the wound.

The wound had not yet scabbed over and hurt when it came into contact with the disinfectant.

His hand reflexively trembled.

Angelia knew she had hurt him and apologized, lowering her head and blowing on his wound.”Does it still hurt?” Angelia asked with concern.

“No, it doesn’t,” Jerome replied in a deep voice.

Angelia applied some white powder on his wound, explaining, “This is an antibiotic that also helps to speed up the healing process. Later, I will put on a longer bandage, and you should avoid getting it wet today. It should be fine tomorrow after the wound has scabbed over.”

Jerome didn’t speak but nodded slightly.

When Angelia was putting on the bandage, her stomach growled twice embarrassingly.

She smiled apologetically, “Are you hungry?” Jerome asked.

“Yes,” Angelia admitted candidly, as her stomach had indeed growled, and she had rushed over without having dinner.

“I happen to be hungry too. Come with me for a bite to eat,” Jerome said, turning off his computer.

Angelia was surprised, “Weren’t you having dinner with the boss earlier?”

“I’ve had enough of flattery. How much do you think I can eat?” Jerome said, standing up.

Angelia found it funny when he said that, “So you knew it was flattery.”

“I have basic intelligence and judgment,” Jerome replied, walking towards the door.

As it was Angelia’s professional habit, she quickly ran over and opened the door.

Jerome looked at her, “Angelia, I don’t like it when people flatter me. You were my college classmate, and I remember you were the class leader, right?”

Angelia leaned her head against the door, smiling at being remembered, “I’m not flattering you; it’s just my job.”

“You seem to have a clear understanding,” Jerome said meaningfully, walking out of the door and pressing the down button for the elevator before Angelia.

They went to the parking lot together, and Angelia got into Jerome’s car.”What food do you recommend?” Jerome said as he worked on the navigation.

“There’s this place that makes really delicious lobster, and they’re all alive and cleaned properly. It’s served with lion head noodles and it’s super tasty. But it’s a small shop, I don’t know if you can go there,” Angelia said tentatively.

Jerome handed her the navigation device and said, “You can input the address yourself.”

As Angelia input the address, she continued, “It’s a special sight in Columbia, but the really good view is from the top of the office building.”

“When I have free time, you can take me there,” Jerome said.

Angelia handed him the navigation device and said, “I heard there’s a treasure here.”

“When you have time, take me there too,” Jerome said, looking easygoing.

They drove for half an hour.

“Your car can be parked in the underground parking lot of this mall, and the shop is in the alley and can only be walked into,” Angelia explained.

Jerome listened to her and drove into the underground parking lot.

As they walked out of the mall, a little girl holding a cardboard box with a red banner approached them.

The girl spoke softly, “Buy one, handsome guy and beautiful girl. It’s five Dollar, and it’s made by a centenarian. All the proceeds go to support the elderly.”

She was willing to support the elderly, but she hesitated because of the red banner.

Jerome glanced at her and took out five hundred Dollar from his wallet and handed it to the girl, saying, “Take one.”

The girl was surprised to see so much money in Jerome’s hand and thanked him, “Sir, you’re a good person. God will bless you.”

She handed the red banner to Angelia.

Angelia took it unconsciously.

The girl looked at Angelia and blessed them, “May you always be happy.”Angelia awkwardly smiled and said that she and Jerome were not in a romantic relationship.

She apologized and handed the red banner to Jerome, saying that there was a misunderstanding.

Jerome refused to take it and said it wasn’t her fault, and they should just put it in her bag.

Angelia put the banner in her bag and watched Jerome walk ahead.

She called out to him when he went the wrong way, and he turned around and went in the right direction.

Angelia thought that Mr. Taylor, who was usually arrogant, had a cute side.

They soon arrived at the store, and the owner greeted Angelia excitedly, asking if Jerome was her boyfriend.

Angelia explained that he was just a college classmate and ordered two pounds of lobster and two bowls of lion head noodles.

The owner insisted on giving them five pounds of lobster and mentioned Jonas, which made Jerome curious.

Angelia explained that she used to work there before joining Marriott International, and the owners were very nice.

The owner brought out a large plate of lobster, and Angelia thanked her in a cute way.

They had to wait for the noodles.

Jerome asked why Angelia left Detroit, but she didn’t want to talk about it and just said it was a coincidence.The landlady chuckled and walked towards the kitchen.

Angelia had eaten three lobsters but noticed that Jerome wasn’t eating.

“Go ahead and eat, it’s really delicious. Although it’s a small restaurant, it’s very clean and the lobsters are fresh,” she said.

Jerome responded with an “um” but didn’t start eating.

Angelia remembered that he had injured his hand earlier and would get it dirty if he ate the lobster.

She apologized and offered to peel it for him, to which he declined.

Angelia quickly peeled a piece of lobster meat and handed it to him, but he hesitated.

She felt she shouldn’t have held it in her hand and was about to put it in his plate when Jerome grabbed her wrist and ate the lobster from her hand.

Angelia asked if it was good, to which Jerome replied that it tasted good.

The landlady came out with noodles and teased Angelia, saying that it wasn’t common to peel shrimp for a classmate and that they were so in love.

Angelia explained that Jerome had injured his hand, but the landlady asked how it happened.

Angelia didn’t want to explain and jokingly threatened to put sauce on the landlady’s face.

The landlady laughed and ran away.

Jerome didn’t mind the landlady’s teasing and said she had a good personality.

The landlady came back and gave them disposable gloves, saying that Jerome was the first male friend that Angelia had brought to the restaurant.Angelia regrets coming here.

There was a misunderstanding earlier that made Jerome think she was trying to seduce him.

She must explain clearly, “It’s like this, I went to Marriott International and was very busy, almost no time to come here.”

“Busy with no time to find a boyfriend,” the landlady interjected.

Angelia became anxious, “Landlady.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything, go back to your work,” the landlady turned around and threw out another sentence, “You two look good together, it’s a pity you’re not classmates.”

Angelia was speechless and embarrassed, looking at Jerome and apologizing, “Sorry, she didn’t know, so she was just joking around.”

“Okay,” Jerome responded without getting angry.

He put on gloves, peeled a lobster, and put the meat in Angelia’s plate.

Angelia was pleasantly surprised. No one had ever peeled a lobster for her before, and it was Jerome. Her heartbeat inexplicably accelerated, and she felt uneasy and didn’t eat.

Jerome looked at her, “Why aren’t you eating? I peeled it with gloves, it’s not dirty.”

Suddenly, Angelia remembered that she had peeled the shrimp for him without gloves, no wonder he hesitated to eat it.

She put the shrimp meat he peeled into her mouth and said with a smile, “At this moment, I feel like I have reached the pinnacle of life.”

Jerome peeled another shrimp meat and put it in her plate.

As long as she starts well, now is not the pinnacle of her life, but just the beginning.

After eating the lobster, it was already after ten o’clock at night.

Angelia sat in his car and took out the red banner from her bag.

It was not appropriate to keep the thing he bought in her place.

She tied the red banner to the gear lever of the car, nodded, and the red banner shook, shining like blood between the eyes of the two.Jerome did not stop her behavior, but his face turned pale and he tightly pursed his lips.

In the middle of the night, Angelia was awakened by the sound of the neighboring bathroom flushing, and she turned over.

The neighboring bathroom flushed again, and there was a faint sound of vomiting.

She got up in worry and intended to go around and enter Jerome’s room, but remembered that the door inside was broken, so she went straight in.

Jerome was washing his hands.

Angelia saw that his complexion was very bad and asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jerome replied in a deep voice, walking towards the bed. Suddenly, his stomach churned violently, so he turned back to the bathroom and closed the door.

Angelia was worried that he had eaten something bad.

She went back to her own room and took out a box of spare vitamin B from the first aid kit, picked out three pills, and poured a glass of water.

Jerome came out of the bathroom and saw her standing by the desk lamp, her figure shrouded in a halo of light.

He walked up to her and said, “I’m fine, you should go rest.”

“I prepared some vitamin B for you to adjust your stomach. Take it first, and if it’s still serious tomorrow, it’s best to see a doctor,” Angelia handed him the glass of water.

Jerome grabbed her wrist, and the temperature of his palm was as hot as a cigarette butt. Angelia trembled slightly, but did not pull her hand away and looked into his eyes.

“Angelia, I’m only a few months older than you. You don’t have to say ‘you’ to me. It makes me uncomfortable,” Jerome said.

“I’m sorry, it was my mistake,” Angelia said softly.

Jerome didn’t like Angelia’s behavior.

He let go of her hand and said, “I won’t take any medicine. You can go back.”This is not medicine, it’s a vitamin,” explained Angelia.

Jerome stopped in his tracks, feeling a bit helpless and frustrated.

He turned around, took the vitamin from Angelia’s hand, and threw it directly into his mouth, swallowing it down.

“You can go now,” he said.

Angelia felt a bit embarrassed and left to go back to her own room.

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became about Jerome.

If something happened to him, she would be responsible.

The next morning, she walked quietly to Jerome’s bedside.

He was sleeping on his side, with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

His face was especially red, and when she touched his forehead, it was very hot.

Just as she was about to let go, Jerome grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

Angelia was startled and reminded him, “Jerome, it’s me.”

He knew it was her from the moment she entered the room.

He opened his eyes, and they were red.

Angelia was worried and said, “You have a fever, you should go to the hospital now.”

“I’m not going,” Jerome said decisively.

“I hate going to the hospital.”

“Then let me consult a doctor and get you some medicine,” Angelia said as she tried to get up.

He held onto her waist tightly, and she couldn’t break free.

Maybe it was because of his body heat or because she was embarrassed, but her face turned bright red.

“Jerome, you’re making it hard for me to get up like this,” she said.

“Then don’t get up,” Jerome said domineeringly.

“What?” Angelia didn’t understand what he meant.

“I want to sleep,” Jerome said, closing his eyes.

Angelia was confused.

Shouldn’t he let her go if he wanted to sleep?

Instead, he held onto her even tighter, and she tried to get up three times, but failed each time.Jerome is confused, did he mistake her for a teddy bear?

Angelia, feeling helpless, thought of waiting for him to fall into a deep sleep before leaving, and ended up lying on his shoulder.

After one minute, ten minutes, and one hour, she tried to get up five times but failed, feeling exhausted and unable to think straight, she eventually fell asleep.

Angelia was woken up by the heat on her stomach and the wetness, and she opened her eyes in a daze to see Jerome sitting up, looking at her with surprise.

Her thoughts also woke up, and she explained, “You had a fever yesterday, I didn’t mean to sleep here with you.”

Of course, he knew that he had forcibly held her to sleep, but… he had a dream, a dream that she was clinging to him like she did five years ago.

In the five years since then, he had not been with any other women, and his excess energy was consumed by exercise, but the memory of that dream from yesterday was too deep, and he accidentally did that.

“Go take a shower,” Jerome said.

Angelia had just woken up and was a bit confused, why did she have to take a shower so early in the morning?

Did she smell bad? She shouldn’t, she had taken a shower after eating lobster yesterday.

She reached out to touch his forehead, which was no longer hot.

Jerome let her touch him, and there was a strange emotion in his eyes.

Angelia felt something cold on her stomach and looked down at her abdomen, where there was something sticky on her pajamas.

Jerome cleared his throat, “I haven’t been with a woman for a long time, that’s why.”

Angelia looked at Jerome in confusion, and suddenly she knew what was on her pajamas.Her face turned red all the way to her ears.

‘I’m going to take a shower,’ she quickly got up from the bed and rushed back to her own bathroom, locking the door.

Her hand accidentally touched something soft and cold, causing her to retract it and look over.

She felt ridiculous, leaning against the door, closing her eyes, and patting her forehead.

How could she fall asleep on Jerome’s bed? And, she even stuck to his thing.

She was going crazy.

She took off her pajamas and threw them directly into the trash can.

Wait… if the cleaning lady comes up to clean later, she will misunderstand.

She picked up the pajamas, wrapped the dirty part, put them in her bag, and threw them away when she found a chance outside.

She finished taking a shower, feeling embarrassed to go to Jerome’s room.

For now, she couldn’t face him.

She needed some time to buffer, after all, it wasn’t Jerome’s subjective willingness, but his body’s reason.

However, she felt constrained, nervous, and awkward.

She called the maintenance department to report the door and went to the employee cafeteria for breakfast, where she ran into Walden who was also having breakfast.

‘Wettiner,’ Angelia greeted him.

‘Angelia, what are you doing here? Don’t you need to arrange Mr. Taylor’s meals?’ Walden was surprised.

Angelia’s face naturally turned red.

‘Mr. Taylor was very opposed to me arranging three meals a day for him before. Wettiner, did you get the Century Park tickets?’

‘Come to my office to get them in an hour.’

‘Okay.’

Angelia walked away with her head down.

Jerome’s room.

The cleaning staff had finished cleaning, and Whitfield was reporting on the work situation.

‘Jerome, the Cultural Bureau invited you to watch the performance at Century Park tonight.'”Find an excuse to push it.” Jerome’s gaze was fixed on the computer screen.

“Dawn has invited you to dinner three times already. Today is their final performance. Dawn is the daughter of your aunt’s friend. Your aunt called and asked if you could take care of her,” Whitfield reminded him.

“I know. What time is the first performance today?” Jerome asked.

“Ten o’clock in the morning.”

“Help me order a flower basket, and also buy two VIP tickets.”

Whitfield paused and asked curiously, “Are you going with Ms. Green?”

Jerome gave Whitfield a cold look and said, “Do I need to report to you who I’m going with? Also, don’t draw Angelia’s attention.”

Reluctantly, Whitfield nodded. He remembered Jerome’s evaluation of Angelia before: “knowing someone’s face but not their heart, only the appearance is good.”

How could their CEO, who wasn’t someone who judged people by their appearance, be deceived like this?

Angelia went to Walden’s office to pick up the Century Park tickets, and as she was leaving, she ran into Gallagher. Knowing she couldn’t afford to provoke him, she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

Gallagher noticed her and said, “Stop.”

Angelia stopped reluctantly and put on a fake smile, turning around to greet him, “Hello, Gallagher.”

“You ran away when you saw me,” Gallagher said unhappily.

“I was actually going to the nineteenth floor. Taking the stairs would be more convenient,” Angelia explained.

Gallagher raised his chin arrogantly and said, “I’m the deputy general manager of this hotel from now on. You should serve me well, you know?”

“I work in room management, and you’re not a room,” Angelia refused directly.

“From today on, I’ll be staying here. Go clean my room for me now,” Gallagher ordered.Angelia still had lingering fears about Gallagher’s bad intentions. “Could you please tell me your room number, Gallagher? I’ll arrange everything right away.”

“What do you mean? I want you to go.”

“The hotel has dedicated staff who clean better than I do.”

“Do they look as good as you?” Gallagher said wickedly.

Angelia sensed danger and warned sternly, “Gallagher, please behave yourself. If I am not willing, you will face legal consequences for your actions.”

“Legal consequences?” Gallagher arrogantly grabbed Angelia’s hand. “If the police can find even a hint of me forcing you in the hotel’s surveillance footage, I will marry you.”

Angelia was scared and pulled her hand out forcefully.

Gallagher was about to grab her again when the elevator door opened.

Angelia saw Jerome and without hesitation, ran behind him and grabbed his arm…

Jerome saw the pleading look in her eyes and said, “I’m going to the theater later. You’re familiar with Columbia, so come with me.”

“Okay,” Angelia immediately agreed.

Gallagher was furious and embarrassed. “Angelia, don’t forget, you still need to clean for me.”

Jerome’s face darkened and he looked at Gallagher with cold eyes, devoid of any warmth, even with a questioning tone, “Is Angelia working as a cleaner in the hotel?”

Gallagher, intimidated by Jerome’s expression, explained, “She is in charge of room management, including cleaning.”

“Does she need to clean personally?” Jerome asked further.

Gallagher hesitated and said that there was no need to clean, but changed his mind in front of Angelia and felt embarrassed. He said that she had to clean personally, but he was afraid of angering Jerome.Walden came over and heard Jerome’s final question. He smiled and said, “Angelia is the manager of the presidential suite, so she doesn’t need to clean it herself. Diana Manage just arrived, and there are many things she doesn’t understand.”

“He doesn’t understand, but you should know. I really doubt the quality and management ability of your hotel if you can hire someone who doesn’t know anything as the deputy general manager. There’s no need for us to continue our cooperation,” Jerome said sternly.

“Diana Manage studied hotel management abroad and just arrived at Marriott International. It’s inevitable that she doesn’t understand some of the rules,” Walden explained with a smile.

“Is that so?” Jerome looked coldly at Walden. “Before I came back, I didn’t want to see people who didn’t understand still working at the hotel.”

He took Angelia’s hand, turned around, and entered the elevator.

Gallagher watched as the elevator doors closed and kicked the trash can in front of the elevator in frustration. “Who does Jerome think he is? How dare he fire me? This hotel belongs to my dad. Why does he have the right to fire me?”

Walden looked uneasy and said, “If Mr. Diana finds out about this, it may not be as simple as just firing you. I suggest Gallagher resign on his own to calm Mr. Taylor’s anger.”

Gallagher remained silent.

In the elevator, Angelia looked at her hand that was still being held by Jerome and couldn’t help but think of what happened earlier that day. Her face felt hot and uncomfortable, so she pulled her hand away and brushed her hair aside.

Jerome looked at her and said, “You’ve dodged Gallagher once, twice. Do you think you’ll be lucky enough to do it a third time?””Gallagher is indeed arrogant and lawless. I told him I would report him, but he was still so arrogant, saying that the police couldn’t find any evidence of his coercion.” Angelia said indignantly.

After speaking, she felt like a child reporting to her parents. “I mean, that person is really despicable, and I won’t give him a third chance.”

“Usually, wear less makeup. There’s no need for light makeup, especially lipstick.” Jerome said sarcastically.

Angelia didn’t respond to his words.

They were both guest room managers, and wearing light makeup and being polite was a requirement of the company’s dress code.

When they went to the grand theater, Angelia saw the billboard at the entrance and didn’t expect Jerome to like ballet.

Someone took them to the VIP seats.

As the performance was coming to an end, a girl came out holding flowers, excitedly saying to the audience, “Today, I am very happy, especially happy. Thank you, thank you all.”

The lights flickered among the crowd, and finally landed on Jerome.

The girl looked at Jerome affectionately, couldn’t help but smile, and walked towards him.

Now Angelia understood why Jerome came to see ballet. “It’s not appropriate for her to sit next to him again, so as not to be misunderstood.” She bowed her back and ran towards the restroom direction.

Jerome wanted to hold Angelia, but she walked too fast and he didn’t catch her.

He frowned irritably and looked at Dawn, then returned to his usual coldness.

“Thank you, Jerome.” Dawn said softly.

“Um.” Jerome responded with no extra expression, with a distant aura, and not at all friendly.Dawn was embarrassed by Jerome’s cold attitude and said, “I still have some time left, wait for me.” Jerome didn’t answer, and Dawn didn’t wait. When he agreed, she smiled and left for the backstage.

Angelia washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. In a while, Jerome should be eating with his girlfriend. If she followed them, it wouldn’t be good, especially since she would feel like a third wheel.

But if she left without saying goodbye, Jerome’s mood could change unpredictably, and he might get angry with Thad. Should she call him before leaving?

Angelia took out her phone and called Jerome. “Where are you?” he asked. “Um, I’m a little hungry, so I went to eat first.”

“Wait for me at the door,” Jerome commanded in a domineering tone. After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone without giving her any chance to refuse.

Angelia waited at the door and saw him come out of the theater. He only glanced at her, pursed his lips, and walked straight to his car.

Angelia noticed that he didn’t seem very happy.

Could he be having a fight with his girlfriend?

She cautiously followed him from behind.

Jerome got into the driver’s seat, and she immediately got into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. He looked at her and asked, “Why did you leave just now?”

“Um, I was in a hurry,” Angelia said, trying to come up with an excuse.

She was afraid that Jerome wouldn’t believe her, so she explained in detail, “When I was a child, my mother used to say that I didn’t have a dragon head, so I couldn’t resist.”

Jerome: “……”

He now knew who Angelia was like when she was acting crazy.

He lowered his head and sent a text message.

Angelia waited for a while, and when he still didn’t leave, she looked around and scratched her neck.

The car was filled with his scent, a strong masculine hormone that made her uncomfortable. “Um, should we just stay in the car?” she asked.

“We’re waiting for someone, just a few more minutes,” Jerome explained.

Angelia assumed he was waiting for his girlfriend. “Actually, I can go eat alone,” she said.

“Neither she nor I are from Columbia. Didn’t you say you wanted me to show you around?” Jerome replied in a deep voice.

Angelia understood that he was asking her to be his tour guide. But when his girlfriend arrived, she would sit in the back seat and it would be inappropriate for her and Jerome to sit in the front like a couple. But if she sat in the back alone, then Jerome would be seen as the driver, which was also not ideal.

“Jerome, let me drive. I know the roads in Columbia,” Angelia said with a smile.

Jerome looked at her and then unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

Angelia became the driver, but when Jerome opened the passenger door, he sat in the front seat instead. Angelia felt a strange feeling in her heart, reminding him that the best seat was in the back behind the driver’s seat.

“Mm-hmm,” Jerome responded, looking down at his phone without any intention of moving.

“Jerome,” Dawn ran over.

Jerome lowered the car window and leaned his chin towards the back door. “Get in.”

Dawn smiled sweetly and got in the car, pausing slightly when she saw Angelia. To avoid any misunderstandings, Angelia explained, “Hello, my name is Angelia. Today, I’ll be your tour guide.””Oh.” Dawn looked away and said to Jerome in a coquettish tone, “I booked at Yutian Mansion. It’s a difficult restaurant to book. I heard that many people have to book a month in advance. I entrusted a friend to help me book it.”

“Let’s go to Yutian Mansion,” Jerome said to Angelia.

Angelia respectfully looked up and drove them there. Yutian Mansion was not far from there, and they arrived in five minutes.

“Jerome, we’re in room 308,” Dawn said, her gaze passing over Angelia’s face. “Angelia, you’ll need to wait for us for about two hours.”

“Okay,” Angelia replied.

Jerome looked unhappy and glanced at Angelia. “Why doesn’t anyone listen to me? You just follow me, but you should care about the people you should care about.”

“Um…” Angelia noticed that Jerome was angry, and her mind went blank for a moment.

“Jerome, Angelia is a girl. Don’t be so harsh on her. Director, let’s eat together. It doesn’t matter if there are more chopsticks,” Dawn said softly.

Angelia smiled awkwardly and followed them to the private room.

“Have you eaten here before?” Dawn asked Angelia, looking her up and down, not thinking she could afford to eat here.

“I have,” Angelia replied simply.

Dawn’s expression changed. “Then, later, it’ll be Angelia’s job to order. Recommend some delicious dishes for us. After all, Jerome is treating us, right, Jerome?” Dawn looked at Jerome with affection, like a hostess.

“Uh-huh,” Jerome replied.

In the private room, Jerome sat in the main seat, and Dawn sat next to him.

Angelia chose a seat farthest away from them, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

The waiter handed Angelia the menu and recommended, “Our lobster is made with fermented bean curd and fresh flowers, and the taste is very different from the ones outside.It’s our best-selling dish.”

“Jerome is allergic to lobster, sorry,” Dawn interrupted.