Chapter 17

Willow was already in a bad mood. When Jasper deliberately tripped her, she lost her temper for a moment. Edith saw Willow acting insolent and was about to berate her, but a single glance from Jasper stopped her. Jasper stood up, and approached Willow. "If you had eyes, wouldn’t you see there's a foot here?" His tall and imposing figure was akin to a mountain, casting a looming shadow over her. The air around him was frigid and icy, and it followed him wherever he went. Wasn't she trying to seduce him? She had intentionally brushed against his suit earlier, and then deliberately swept his shoes. He wanted to see just how many tricks she had up her sleeve! Intimidated by his overwhelming presence, Willow took a step back. She finally noticed that his polished black shoes were now streaked with white dust. It clearly wasn't footprints, but the result of her sweeping it with her broom. His shoes were impeccably black, not a speck of dust on them. The thin white line of dust stood out conspicuously. Suddenly, Willow realized that she had accidentally swept his shoes. No wonder he had said she didn't have eyes. This was him coming to settle accounts after the fact. Well, he was a big shot. She was just a commoner, and couldn't afford to offend him. Willow looked up, and gave him a sheepish smile. "Hehe... You're right, Mr. Hughes. There was something wrong with my eyes. I'll clean it up right away. Please don't be angry." Swiftly grabbing a cloth hanging from her waist, she crouched down and hurriedly wiped his shoes a couple of times. Just then, her phone rang. It was the head of the janitorial department. She hurriedly answered, "Alright, I'm coming right away." Having only wiped one shoe halfway, she didn't have time to stand up. She looked up at Jasper’s handsome face from her crouched position. From this angle, his chiseled features seemed to emit a luminous glow under the lights. He seemed as noble as a deity. Her heart skipped a beat under the impact of his presence. She said hastily, "Dale's looking for me, sir. I have to go. Goodbye, sir!" Before he could respond, she dropped the cloth and fled the conference room as if in a hurry. Watching her quick escape, Jasper's face darkened, his displeasure evident. She dared to do half a task before him and escape without cleaning his shoes properly. She was the first person to do so. She was so audacious! Jasper's voice was cold as ice as he asked Edith, "Who's Dale?" For that man, she left the task half-done and didn't even clean his shoes properly before running off. Did that man hold a higher place in her heart than him? Accustomed to being respected by countless individuals and always being placed first, Jasper's dissatisfaction grew the more he thought about it. Edith replied, "It's the security guard who confessed to Lara at the elevator entrance yesterday." Edith was furious and resentful about Willow's continuous attempts to capture Jasper's attention and seduce him. So, she exaggerated the facts. "I heard from the head of janitorial department that Lara initially rejected Dale's advances yesterday. Later, he told her he owns two properties in the city. That's when she agreed to be with him. She’s probably eager because he asked her out on a date." Jasper had seen Willow being pursued by someone at the elevator yesterday, but he hadn't paid much attention as Willow had sharply turned down that person. How could a mere janitor capture his interest? Upon hearing Edith's report, an inexplicable anger surged within him. His expression grew darker and colder. So, she was just a greedy, vain, and cunning woman without principles? Repeatedly trying to entice him was all for the sake of money, wasn't it? Seeing that he wasn't taking the bait, she settled for someone else. Such a money-driven woman. She was truly despicable! "Hughes Corporation doesn’t allow office romances. Fire them both!" Jasper's eyes turned icy as he gave his command. Edith was delighted, and nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir! I’ll take care of it immediately." Jasper soon received a message from Tyson. Tyson had selected a venue for a fashion show, and wanted Jasper to personally see and decide. Jasper left Hughes Corporation, and headed to the venue. - After Willow rushed out of the conference room, she quickly took the elevator to the tenth floor. The head of the janitorial department had called to inform her that the police had arrived, and she needed to go downstairs to handle the situation. The situation which concerned Dale and his wife. Willow couldn't explain the situation to Jasper in a few words, nor could she let Jasper know that she, a mere janitor, had managed to bring the police into Hughes Corporation. That would give Jasper the impression that she only caused trouble and didn't benefit the company whatsoever. It would likely lead to her dismissal. So, she briefly mentioned that Dale had contacted her. It wasn’t a lie—she really was dealing with something related to Dale. As she entered the tenth floor in the janitorial department, she heard Dale's wife speaking in a sharp and malicious tone. The middle-aged woman was twisting the truth as she argued with the police. Gloom washed over Willow. The frustration she'd felt in the conference room, which she had kept under control, now erupted. She walked briskly to the police, maintaining a composed smile as she said, "Officer, please don't listen to her baseless accusations. She's trying to frame me without any evidence." "My husband's broken leg is the evidence! You shameless woman! You're still being stubborn!" Dale's wife viciously accused Willow. Willow maintained a polite, but unwavering demeanor. "It seems you’ve only listened to your husband's side of the story. I happen to have a recording here. Would you like to hear it?" Willow had indeed recorded what Dale had said to her at noon yesterday. She wasn't bluffing Dale. Having worked in various tough jobs over the past few years—from factory work and delivery, to dishwashing and waitressing—she had seen all sorts of people and learned how to protect herself. When Dale first harassed her, Willow immediately thought to use her phone's recording function. This was her way of safeguarding herself. The phone captured Dale's wicked and arrogant threats, in which he implied that if Lara agreed to sleep with him, he would stop bothering Willow and get someone else to do the dirty work. She would only have to do easy tasks. Lara, however, responded with anger and sharp retorts. Willow worked at Hughes Corporation using Lara's name and ID so that her salary was deposited directly into Lara's account. Because of that, everyone referred to her as Lara, including Dale. When the voice of Dale's crude threats played from her phone, Dale's wife's face momentarily paled. However, she stubbornly insisted that it was Lara's fault, and that Lara had enticed Dale first. Willow sneered. "It's not so simple now. I intend to sue you. I want to sue Dale for harassment, and sue you for emotionally damaging me with your hurtful words!" Dale's wife hadn't expected the seemingly meek woman to be so clear-headed at such a crucial moment. A trace of panic flickered in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She angrily pointed at Willow, and shouted, "You wretched creature! You're a vixen! What did you do to manipulate Dale into saying those things?" Dale's wife showed her aggressive side, typical of a shrew. Her appearance was exceptionally unattractive. She was attempting to discredit the recording in Willow's possession. "Officer,” Willow said, “as you can see, she assaulted me personally. That's another charge against her." Willow calmly addressed the police officer, enduring the insults hurled her way and highlighting the harm the woman had caused her.