Chapter 11 Jealous of Other Men Buying Her Coffee

"Adeline!" Melissa shouted, her eyes widening in fury. Adeline sneered. "How dare a mere deputy director like you speak to me like this?" The force of Adeline's slap was sharp, and Melissa's face quickly turned red and swollen. She angrily glared at Adeline. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to tear her apart. "Melissa, let me warn you," Adeline said. "If you ever lay a hand on my people again, I'll make sure those slaps land squarely on your face." Her eyes locked onto Melissa with a chilling intensity. "Since you're so dissatisfied with me, prove with your abilities that you can replace me. Otherwise, stop being so petty. It just makes you look cheap." Adeline then turned to Charlene, who stood silently with her head lowered. Flashing a smile, she said, "Charlene, your blush looks a bit too light today. Should I help you fix that with another slap?" Charlene lowered her head further. "No, thank you, Ms. Keller." "Adeline, what are you so smug about?" Melissa seethed, covering her swollen cheek as she pointed at Adeline. "You've offended the Lambert Group. Gee Maison is going to suffer because of you. Do you really think Gee Maison will still keep you around after this?" Adeline's smile deepened as she shrugged nonchalantly. "Let's all go down together." Without another word to Melissa, she turned and motioned for Debra and Janet to follow her into her office. Melissa seethed with rage as she watched Adeline walk away. "She's just a Creative Director," she muttered bitterly. "What's so special about her?" … As soon as Adeline entered her office, she inhaled sharply and quickly shook her bandaged hand. The pain made her grit her teeth. She had become so used to using her right hand that she had forgotten to switch hands when she slapped Melissa earlier. "Adeline, did I say something wrong?" Debra asked, looking at her cautiously. The mark of a slap was clearly visible on her face. It was obvious that Melissa wasn't happy with the situation, but it was the first time the two had publicly clashed like this. Debra felt guilty, fearing that her words might have caused trouble for Adeline. "Melissa's slap was unjust, but my return slap was justified. You didn't do anything wrong," Adeline said. Adeline picked up her phone and sent Debra a payment with a smile. "For your troubles, take the evening to relax." Debra's eyes widened when she saw the five-figure amount in the transfer. That slap she endured was worth 10 thousand dollars. "One more thing," Adeline said, turning to Janet. "Don't pursue that project with Mark's company. People like him don't deserve to work with us." "He's backed by the Lambert Group..." Janet said hesitantly, feeling nervous about offending such a powerful entity. Adeline smirked. "The Lambert Group is huge. They wouldn't waste their time crushing us just over a small company like Stellar." "What about Mr. Chatman?" Janet asked. "Once Mr. Chatman returns, I'll explain the situation to him," Adeline responded. Her calm words reassured both Janet and Debra, and they finally relaxed. As they left the office, Janet whispered, "Are you sure the man who left with Adeline last night was the president of the Lambert Group? I've heard he's got a terrible temper and is known for holding grudges. If he really was the president, how is Adeline fine and unharmed today?" Debra hesitated. She had only seen the Lambert Group president in a few photos, and the lighting in the private room last night had been too dim for her to be sure. The man had looked similar to the photos, but she couldn't confirm it was him. "I might have been mistaken..." she said. "Lucky for her," Janet sighed. "If it had been him, Adeline would've been in serious trouble." … In the afternoon, Adeline received a call from Christopher. "Come down," he said. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Adeline noticed it was precisely 4:00 pm. She couldn't help but feel pleased that he was right on time. When she stepped out of the office, her eyes were immediately drawn to a stunning limited-edition Bugatti hypercar parked across the street. The sleek combination of deep red and black gave both the car and its owner an aura of undeniable sophistication. The windows were tightly rolled up, so she couldn't see who was inside. A smile tugged at the corner of Adeline's lips. Only Christopher could be driving such a flashy car with an equally eye-catching license plate number in all of Gillstone City. "Ms. Keller!" Just as she was about to approach, Adeline bumped into Miguel, the new intern in Gee Maison. He had just returned from an errand and was buying coffee downstairs. "Ms. Keller!" He greeted her enthusiastically. Adeline returned his greeting with a polite smile. Miguel handed her a cup of coffee. "Ms. Keller, please accept this coffee." She tried to politely decline, but Miguel's enthusiasm was hard to resist, so she accepted. Meanwhile, Christopher sat in the driver's seat of the Bugatti with one hand resting on the steering wheel and the other casually propped under his chin. His sharp, intense gaze locked onto the pair as they talked. Adeline had her long, dark hair casually pinned into a low bun. She wore a simple, loose white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, showing her delicate, pale wrists. Her black A-line shorts were paired with a black belt that highlighted her slim waist and fair legs. Though her outfit was simple and practical for work, it carried an effortless charm that was impossible to overlook. Every subtle expression and graceful movement she made was undeniably captivating. Christopher narrowed his eyes as he watched Adeline laughing and talking with another man. A mocking smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, there was a knock on his car window. Adeline stood by the car and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She couldn't see Christopher's face through the glass, but he could clearly see her. She mouthed "open the door" and tried again, but the door still didn't open. Realizing he was doing it on purpose, she frowned. Just as she turned to walk away, the car window rolled down. A hand shot out and knocked the coffee out of her hand. The cup hit the ground and spilled coffee everywhere. Adeline quickly stepped back, but some of the coffee still splashed onto her shoes. Her temper flared up instantly. Before she could respond, Christopher's icy voice came from inside the car. "Adeline, are you a beggar?" Christopher's face twisted with irritation as he stared at her sharply. Adeline's frustration grew at his words. "Christopher, are you crazy?" she snapped. He smiled bitterly, "What's wrong? You can't even buy your own coffee after marrying me? Are you happy someone else is treating you?" Adeline stopped for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Christopher, are you mad because another man bought me coffee?" As his expression grew darker, she pretended to fix her hair and sighed dramatically. "Ugh, it's such a headache when men keep offering me coffee every day." As soon as she finished, Christopher pressed the gas pedal, and his car zoomed past her like a bullet. The exhaust fumes blew into her face, making her cough in frustration.