Chapter 4

The office buzzed with excitement the next morning. "Did you hear? Ms. Sadberry broke up with her boyfriend! Her new guy is that rock singer, Warren Caldwell!" "They just made it official, and he's already been cast in our company's new ad campaign. He's filming with the branding team right now." "Man, dating a woman like Ms. Sadberry is like winning the lottery. That's a 20-year shortcut to success!" At that, a colleague glanced at Blake with a teasing smile. "Blake, if you weren't so into Elena, you could've definitely caught Ms. Sadberry's attention with your looks and background." Blake, who had always kept a low profile at work, suddenly became furious. "If you can't say nice things, then shut the hell up!" He immediately stormed off, leaving the group stunned. A few coworkers turned to Elena with eyes full of admiration. "Wow… He really loves you. We were just joking around, and he got mad." "Elena, I remember when you first joined the company—you were so quiet. Ever since you got together with him, you've really come out of your shell. "Love truly does make one change, and he's taken such good care of you." "This is such a fairytale romance—I'm obsessed!" Surrounded by their admiration, Elena felt nothing but irony. Only she knew the truth. Blake wasn't angry because he cared about her. He was angry because he wasn't good enough for Gabriella. She, too, had once struggled with self-doubt. Separated from her parents as a child and growing up in an orphanage, she had always carried a quiet sense of inferiority. Being with Blake had changed that. She became more confident and more open bit by bit. But the light that once saved her had long since turned into a blade, cutting her to pieces. Shaking off her thoughts, Elena focused on work. After finishing a proposal, she printed it out and headed toward her manager's office. Halfway there, a tattooed hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a firm embrace. "You must be Elena. It's no wonder the great Gabriella Sadberry sees you as a threat—you do have a bit of charm." It was Warren. Elena had no idea what was happening and instinctively struggled to break free. But before she could react, Warren yanked her into a nearby empty conference room and locked the door behind him. She stumbled, and her already injured knee slammed into a chair. The wound split open again, sending a sharp pain through her leg, forcing her to gasp. In that brief moment of distraction, he pinned her down against the table. "You know who I am, right? Have some fun with me. I'll pay you. It's better than throwing yourself at a man for free." One of his hands locked both of hers in place, while the other tore at her clothes. His rough fingers continued to violate her skin. His touch, his words—everything about him filled her with unbearable humiliation. Elena fought with all her strength, but he was too strong. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Just as her blouse was about to be completely ripped apart, the conference room door flew open with a violent kick. Blake strode in, silhouetted against the light. He quickly landed a solid kick to Warren's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. He shrugged off his jacket without hesitation and tossed it over Elena's torn clothing. He merely said, "Call the police." Then, he pressed Warren down and started throwing punch after punch without warning. The same man who had easily overpowered Elena just moments ago was now utterly helpless against Blake. Warren scrambled to dodge while shouting desperately, "Do you even know who my girlfriend is? How dare you lay a hand on me?" Blake's expression was nothing but pure fury. "I don't give a damn who you are! You crossed the line, so now you're paying for it!" Hearing the commotion, their colleagues rushed over, crowding around the scene. Shock rippled through them. So, the famous Warren was actually this kind of person? At the same time, they were moved by Blake's reaction. He didn't even hesitate to beat up their CEO's new lover for Elena. Elena simply stared at Blake's unconcealed rage and tension. Her heart, which had been numb and lifeless for so long, stirred for the first time in a long while. So, in moments of crisis… He did care about her.