Chapter 8

Calvin stayed silent, but Carter misinterpreted his quiet demeanor as fear, his smugness growing. "So, this is the guy you ran off to marry? Other than being younger and slightly better-looking, he's got nothing. No money, no backbone. He's just a cowardly wimp!" He threw Calvin a look filled with disdain. Daniel yawned, casually digging a finger in his ear. "Whose dog got loose? How noisy." That was enough to set Carter off. "Who the hell are you calling a dog, you piece of trash? If I don't have you begging for mercy on the floor today, I'll eat my foot! Boys, get over here and teach this pretty boy a lesson!" A few of his bodyguards started advancing on Calvin, but Daniel moved first, taking them down with effortless kicks before they could get close. "Useless idiots!" Carter cursed, fumbling for his phone as he shot a furious look at the trio. "None of you are leaving here today!" "No problem," Daniel said lazily, sprawling back onto the couch. "We'll wait for your backup." "Cocky little punk! Let's see if you're still so mouthy in a few minutes!" Carter spat, sneering as a wave of reinforcements poured into the room. Seeing them arrive, Carter hurried to greet their leader. "Mr. Page, thank God you're here! You've got to teach these punks a lesson!" Austin Page raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry. In my territory, no one disrespects you. Today, I'll make sure they regret it." Grinning, Carter pointed at Calvin, who was sitting calmly on the edge of the couch. "Mr. Page, that's him!" "Let me see who has the nerve to—" Austin's words froze in his throat as soon as he recognized Calvin's face. A wave of dread washed over him, his face went pale, and cold sweat trickled down his back. With trembling legs, he walked over, bowing and stammering, "Mr. Reed… Mr. Porter…" Oblivious, Carter yelled impatiently from behind, "Mr. Page, don't let them off! Teach them a lesson they'll never forget! They dared to insult me—show them what happens when they mess with you—" Before he could finish, Austin spun around and kicked Carter to the ground. Carter yelped in pain. "Mr. Page, why are you kicking me? They're the ones who need to be taught a lesson!" "Shut up!" Austin ground out through clenched teeth, barely stopping himself from kicking him again. "Do you even know who's standing in front of you? This is Mr. Reed! Insulting him? Are you insane?" Mr. Reed? Calvin Reed? The realization hit Carter like lightning, leaving him stunned and speechless. Calvin, a lit cigarette held casually between his fingers, looked down at him with cold amusement. "Weren't you mouthing off just a moment ago? What happened? Cat got your tongue now?" Carter, paralyzed with fear, dropped to his knees with a loud thud, slapping himself across the face. "Mr. Reed, I was blind—I didn't know what I was doing! I swear, I'm innocent! She's the one who came on to me, and dragged me into the room! I didn't touch her, nothing happened, I swear!" Alexia's heart sank, her body going rigid. Carter's words felt like a blade hanging over her, ready to drop. As much as she despised Carter, her fear of Calvin ran even deeper—he was ruthless in ways Carter could never match. Calvin's brow furrowed, his gaze turning even colder. "Get out." "Thank you, Mr. Reed! I'll… I'll go right now…" Carter scrambled to his feet and fled as fast as he could. Calvin crushed his cigarette, extinguishing it. Ever the sycophant, Austin quickly extended his hand like a makeshift ashtray. "Take care of your dog," Calvin said coldly. Austin nodded frantically, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Of course, Mr. Reed. I'll make sure he's dealt with properly." Finally, the crisis was over. Alexia let out a shaky breath of relief. But she instantly felt a heavy, intimidating presence looming over her. She looked up. Calvin's narrowed eyes glinted with icy disdain. "Get out of here. Stop embarrassing yourself." Her whole body flinched. Without pausing to explain herself or risk further misunderstanding, she slipped out of the room as quickly as possible. But she didn't leave the building entirely—she couldn't afford to lose this job. No matter how shaken or humiliated she felt, she needed the money. Desperately. Besides, Calvin was too busy to waste time checking on her. Steeling herself, she wiped her face, steadied her nerves, and threw herself back into her work. The next morning, drained and exhausted, she returned to the Reed residence at 6:00 am. Just as she walked into the foyer, she ran into Victor. "Out and about so early?" Alexia's gaze flickered, and she quickly forced a smile. "I went for a morning jog. Did a couple of laps." "Good habit! Young people should be full of energy," Victor said warmly. "Your mother mentioned last time that you graduated from university in June but still haven't found a job?" Alexia lowered her gaze, nodding with a hint of bitterness. "There's an open position in the company. After breakfast, let Benjamin take you over to start the onboarding process," Victor said. Alexia was stunned, barely able to believe what she was hearing. When she recovered, her heart leaped with joy. "Thank you, Grandpa." At 9:00 am, a sleek black car pulled up in front of the towering Reed Group building, its glass facade gleaming against the sky. Following closely behind Benjamin, Alexia stepped inside. The elevator took them up to the 28th floor. As they exited, Adrian approached. Benjamin waved him over. "Adrian, could you take Mrs. Reed through her onboarding paperwork?" "Of course. Please follow me, Mrs. Reed." The title made Alexia feel a bit awkward. "Just call me Alexia—or Ms. Vega," she corrected gently. Once her onboarding was complete, Adrian led her to her desk, outlined her duties, and added her to the company's WhatsApp group. She had just finished organizing her workspace when the office phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?" "Two coffees, no sugar. Bring them to the lounge," said a curt voice on the other end before the line went dead. Alexia quickly prepared the coffee and headed to the lounge. With a cup in each hand, she leaned in, trying to push the door open with her shoulder. Just as she leaned forward, the door swung open from the inside. Caught off guard, she stumbled, the momentum sending her crashing into someone's chest. The impact was sharp enough to bring tears to her eyes. Before she could fully process what had happened, a cold voice sounded above her. "Why is it you?" That voice… It was unmistakable. It was him. Calvin. She looked up to find herself staring into Calvin's stern, chiseled face. Alexia froze, ready to explain. "I—" "You've certainly been busy. Last night you were out messing around in places like that, and now here you are, first thing in the morning, trying to butter me up?" Calvin cut her off, his tone dripping with scorn.