Chapter 10

“Oh, don’t be mad, Edith! You’re a beautiful woman. You’re also working beside Mr. Jasper! I believe that you’ll captivate Mr. Jasper sooner or later. So, it would be bad if you start getting wrinkles and lose your chance that way…” Samantha smiled brightly when she spoke, making it seem like she was saying all this for Edith’s sake… But she was just making fun of her at this point. Edith had been working for Jasper for so many years, but she never managed to get even a single glance from him. No matter how much she did, Jasper didn't care at all. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have slept with Willow instead of her. Back then, Samantha originally intended to head to Willow's house to pester Xavier, but she overheard Edith's call with Jasper. She got the gist of the situation that Jasper had landed in the old storage house and slept with Willow, and he had sent Edith to pick her up. He wanted to give Willow a life of luxury and wealth. However, Edith took advantage of the fact that the old storage house had collapsed and washed away by the heavy rain. She lied to Jasper, claiming that Willow had been crushed to death. Then, Edith realized Samantha had been eavesdropping, so she gave her money to keep quiet about it. She didn't want this matter to be exposed. Since Samantha didn’t want Willow to be in a better place, she agreed to help. For a more realistic effect, she even convinced Lara to have a funeral for the pig that got crushed that night. Lara treated the pig like her baby and, unbelievably, agreed to the offer. The entire village attended the funeral as well. Edith didn’t want Jasper to find Willow; she didn’t want another woman to get closer to him. Samantha could immediately tell that Edith had feelings for Jasper. She had been using this fact to blackmail Edith into giving her quite a sum of money for the past five years. Edith grabbed the document beside her and threw it at Samantha. “Leave!” Edith stood up with both hands resting on the table. She was so angry that her eyes twitched frantically, and her chest heaved. Samantha quickly walked out of the office but glanced backward inside and snorted. ‘She’s just a dumb woman with wishful thinking! What’s with that attitude?’ As soon as she got out, she saw Willow cleaning the floor outside. She strutted over before intentionally stepping on the mop again. Willow froze; she knew exactly who it was as soon as she saw the pair of high heels again. “Do you like being a nuisance? Is that your hobby?” she said as she glared at Samantha. Samantha boiled with anger after hearing the insult. Fuming, she reached out as if to grab Willow's hair. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson you won’t forget, you b*tch!” She had already let Willow off the hook in the nightclub before. That had already irked her, and now she needed a place to vent after Edith had infuriated her. Willow noticed Samantha's long, manicured nails as the latter reached out. They looked sharp and terrifying. Willow quickly moved out of the way, then pulled the mop away before swinging it at Samantha. Samantha kept dodging the mop, and she realized that she didn’t have a weapon of her own. She quickly ran right into the elevator before frantically pressing the button to close the doors. She even threw quite a heinous insult at Willow before the doors were fully shut. Willow was completely infuriated. It took a long time before she was able to calm down. She vented out all her anger by mopping the floor even harder. ‘Don’t let me see you again, Samantha! I’ll tear your face apart if I do!’ Another elevator door opened, and a pair of black leather shoes brighter than the floor appeared in her line of sight, almost stepping on the mop. ‘Another one?!’ Willow was still fuming and flung her mop haphazardly at the shoes. “Move! Can’t you see that I’m mopping here?!" Willow said in a harsh tone filled with hate. She went back to mopping, but she was suddenly lifted up by the shoulders like a small chick. “Hey! Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go!” Willow shouted while she frantically kicked the air. She was thrown to the side and stumbled a few steps back. When she finally regained her footing, she angrily raised her head, ready for a verbal reprimand at whoever it was who had interfered with her job. A face so handsome that would incite jealousy came into her vision. The man was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. He was tall and imposing, and the air around him was cold and intense. His sharp features were graceful, and his eyes were deep and hard. The words on Willow's tongue died as shock overcame her. She looked at the man in astonishment. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she should tone down her attitude or offer an apology. ‘It’s him again?! Is it my fate to keep bumping into him?!’ Jasper glared at Willow and said coldly, "Woman, do you want to die so badly?" He was angry! Willow could feel the unbridled rage festering in him. His expression was furious, and she could almost feel how cold the air around them had gotten. If looks could kill, she would be dead by now. ‘This is just terrifying!’ Willow's expression immediately softened, and she apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry. I thought someone was causing me trouble again. I didn't mean to say or do that to you.” “What’s the point of playing tricks like these? Are you just trying to get my attention? You want to seduce me or something?” Jasper stepped closer toward Willow as he continued to glare at her. This was her third time apologizing, saying that it wasn’t intentional. He could believe those words the first time and reluctantly accept them the second time, but he’d be an idiot if he still trusted her after the third! ‘She did this intentionally! She’s trying to get my attention in another way!’ Driven back by his imposing presence, Willow heard his words and found them both infuriating and amusing. “Me? Seduce you? You’re the boss here! Self-awareness is a thing, okay?” she said incredulously as she pointed at herself. Willow stumbled back until she bumped into a wall; Jasper slammed her hand into the wall, trapping her in between it and him. “That’s exactly what you lack! At least take a look in the mirror before playing tricks in front of me!” Jasper exclaimed, his intense gaze still fixed on her. Though her clothes were quite shabby—faded jeans and a white T-shirt that was slightly yellowed—it was clean and neat. She had an upturned nose and cherry-red lips, and her dainty face had no makeup. Even so, her skin looked delicate and smooth. Her eyes were large, bright with caution and panic as she glared at him. Willow was bewildered. She was calling Jasper narcissistic, not herself. ‘His comprehension ability’s making me worried…’ Jasper's presence was intimidating and suffocating. Adding that with his scrutinizing gaze, Willow struggled to catch her breath as she was held against the wall. Bracing both hands on his chest, she tried to push Jasper away. “Okay! Fine! I’m the narcissistic one! Please move! I’ll leave and fix this flaw once and for all!” Jasper coldly scoffed before letting her go. Willow quickly slipped away, almost bumping into Edith when she exited the office. Edith's heart sank when she noticed Jasper by the elevator and how Willow had been nearby. ‘This is bad! He saw the woman!’