Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 69: Joking?

Long Chapter.

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"Are you alright? I heard what Andrew did to you the other day," Clara asked Anne with worry in her eyes as Anne entered her office to submit some files on Monday morning.

"I’m fine, thank you." Anne replied politely not intending to share too much detail about the matter because she also wanted to forget about the whole experience. She had very nearly lost her job if she hadn’t reacted quickly.

Thinking back to it all now, she felt a little bit scared for how impulsively she’d acted in front of that ice cold man.

Her daring action of locking him in with her in that office made shivers race up her spine...he could have just strangled her to death and gotten rid of the body. But perhaps the man was just outwardly cold, not as heartless as he made himself out to be.

Clara sighed in relief after hearing that Anne was alright despite getting in trouble with Andrew. Clara herself knew what his temper could be like.

He was explosive like a deadly cannon blasting one unexpectedly and ruthlessly.

Clara had never attracted his rage, he’d always been too nonchalant with her that she never seemed to have attracted his rage before but she’d seen his anger towards others, one time, she’d even seen his rage become physical.

The memory of Jeremy Voss, an arrogant son of a wealthy billionaire, half dead, his limbs dangling around his body like an accessory, with blood dripping all over him immediately entered her mind. Clara had been horrified, she had been so certain that Jeremy was surely dead, he couldn’t be saved. She had been so certain that Andrew wouldn’t go unscathed for it, but despite the power the Voss clan had in Verizon, they couldn’t touch a single strand of his hair. That was when she realized he was indestructible. And his ire should be avoided at all costs.

"What happened? I’ve known Andrew for a really long time, he doesn’t just get mad for no reason. What did you do to offend him?" She asked probingly watching Anne with a keen curiosity.

Anne didn’t intend to keep that part to herself, in fact it still baffled her.

What had she done to offend him?

Nothing but her job, she’d done her job and apparently that offended him, tsk.

With a look of unamusement and the sudden desire to share a baffling experience, she said.

"He told me to get out." Then as if standing was not enough for her to explain the whole thing seeing the look of surprise in Clara’s eyes, Anne took her seat and began before Clara could ask anything further. "I know right? The minute I walked into the office he said get out. What was I supposed to do?"

"You didn’t do or say anything, he just told you to leave?"

Anne nodded like a henpecker. "And I couldn’t just leave, I went there for a reason right? Everytime he sees me he always seems to get mad at me. I mean, is it my face? Do I just have one of those annoying faces that pisses people off because I seem to always piss him off and I was fed up with it so I said..."

Anne was rambling on and on, somehow she seemed to have gotten quite comfortable with Clara. She was the type to open up to people when she became comfortable enough with them, hence she didn’t realize when she began to subconsciously do so. However her words were cut short when a knock suddenly sounded on Clara’s office door. Both women turned to the direction as Clara called, "Come in."

Cynthia, whose eyes seemed to settle on Anne, entered the office, nodding lightly in greeting.

"Miss Thompson, please come with me. My boss has asked me to call you to his office."

The young secretary’s words were like a bolt of lightning that hit Anne instantly.

"Me?" She asked, hoping it wasn’t her despite hearing her own last name, and Cynthia nodded in confirmation making Anne’s stomach sink,

"Just me?" She couldn’t help but nervously ask again.

"Yes, just you." Cynthia confirmed unhesitatingly.

Anne frowned, feeling a strange premonition.

What did the arrogant Andrew want from her now?

He was trouble, with his deadly handsome face and arrogantly dark eyes, she wanted to avoid him at all cost but here he was seeking her out of his own accord.

What did he want? Could it be work related?

Since she was the only one being called in, it won’t be about the event she and Rebecca were assigned to, right?

Clara’s eyes seemed to narrow in contemplation upon hearing Cynthia summon Anne on Andrew’s instructions.

"Has Anne done something to piss him off again? Let me come with, I’ll explain to Andrew on her behalf." She hastily said.

"I’m sorry, Manager Hastings, but you can’t come along. Mr. Sterling strictly asked me to call her," Cynthia explained.

Clara seemed contemplative for a moment before she nodded lightly in understanding.

"Anne, if anything goes wrong and he gets mad, call me, okay? I’ll come get you out of trouble."

Anne smiled gratefully and nodded. Dreadfully she dragged herself out to choicelessly follow Cynthia.

When they reached the director’s office, Cynthia didn’t follow her in. She stood outside and gestured for Anne to enter.

Taking a deep breath, Anne knocked and only entered when she was permitted to.

The man, whose intense concentration was pinned onto his computer screen, looked like a beautiful devil.

Without realizing it, Anne fell in a momentary daze.

His eyes were deep set, dark with long lashes fanning downwards due to his lowered gaze. Every inch of his face was sculpted magnificently. His lips were manly yet looked soft and pink yet there was an innate arrogance to his overall bearing, from his intimidatingly broad shoulders to his elegantly long posture. He was divine, yet savage at the same time.

Realizing she’d been staring for quite a while, Anne quickly recovered and broke out of her daze shaking her head to clear out the thoughts that this man’s physical appearance was incomparable to any other.

This arrogant man—he had a really pretty face if he didn’t scowl at someone.

She felt awkward being in his presence recalling what she’d done the other night, locking him up with her and tossing the key away.

Would he still be upset with her for that?

It didn’t seem so, judging by how she’d found herself after waking up the next morning. He clearly didn’t seem to be holding a grudge; otherwise, he wouldn’t have covered her with a blanket even if she were freezing to death.

She couldn’t say a word to call his attention after entering his office.

He clearly knew she had entered his office, but he continued to type, his fingers flying over the keyboard hastily. The space was filled with the sounds of typing.

Anne walked forward till she reached his desk, but he still didn’t raise his head to acknowledge her presence.

Why had he called her here if he was going to ignore her the whole time?

"Good morning, Mr. Sterling," she greeted.

"Morning." His reply was swift and concise, but not once did he raise his head nor say a word to her.

"Is there something you need me to do?"

"Yes." Another swift reply without him elaborating.

Anne waited and waited till her legs began to ache slightly, hoping he would tell her what he wanted her to do for him.

"Mr. Sterling?" she called.

"Hmm?"

Hmm? Was that all he had to say?

She might not have said anything, but she was clearly hinting that he should get on with whatever he wanted her to do.

"I’m... getting quite tired standing this whole time," she said with a hint of awkwardness.

"Then sit," he replied as if it was the most natural thing any sensible person would know to do.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

What would she do after sitting—stay there and just stare at his face?

Without arguing, she took her seat patiently, deciding to wait. He couldn’t possibly take forever.

He could go ahead and take his sweet time.

The office was cool and the air refreshing and relaxing. It was silent, but not in a way that made it uncomfortable. The light sounds of the man typing echoing in the space created a somewhat soothing atmosphere.

Since she had nothing to do, Anne studied the things she could see in front of her out of boredom.

There was a calendar on the man’s desk that marked a date—July seventh. She wondered if it was his birthday or a special day for someone close to him.

Looking at the man’s rigid face once again, she mentally shook her head. This man could care for someone enough to keep a special date related to that person in mind? She couldn’t picture it at all.

Recalling a little gossip she’d heard about him and how he saw women. The fact that he’d actually humiliated a woman once before without any mercy made it very evident how emotionally detached he was.

Could he possibly care for someone?

"If you find me that attractive, I’ll let you take a picture of me. Stare at it every night, frame it on your nightstand—whatever gives you the chance to look at it till you’re satisfied."

His sudden words broke into her thoughts, and she instantly became self-aware, sitting straighter in the chair, clearing her throat as she replied.

"I wasn’t staring, and I don’t have any intentions of taking your picture. And I certainly don’t find you attractive." Those words rapidly exited her mouth without much thought about them but she didn’t expect her words to make the man instantly halt.

His typing suddenly stopped, raising his head to stare at her. His eyes were ice cold, and Anne suddenly felt a chill.

Had she offended him with her words?

Tsk, did she have to specifically say that?

"That’s insulting," he suddenly said coldly.

Anne opened her mouth to apologize, she certainly didn’t want to annoy him on this fine morning because she was sure it would just ruin her day if he punished her again, but he suddenly cut off her words before she could even utter the apology.

"Do you know how many women would die to take a picture of me? Kneel for ten hours and I’ll forgive this insult." His voice fell heavily, and Anne suddenly felt like the office that had just a while ago been quite relaxing had suddenly become a place like hell.

Her mouth fell open.

She was to kneel...for how long?

Was he crazy?!

Of course, she’d known coming here was undoubtedly trouble. When had she ever been anywhere near this man without getting in trouble?

"But... I didn’t mean—" she opened her mouth to defend herself but stopped short as the coldness on his face suddenly changed, and she saw his lips slowly tilt up to a smile.

Anne felt her whole body stiffen. That was because the smile on his face right now wasn’t usual the cold, sarcastic hint of his lips raising, but something really close to a genuine smile.

It was like ice melting into something more warm, more approachable. The smile that surfaced on his face was a kind that was filled with amusement, as if he’d found her reaction quite hilarious.

She fell into a daze for a while. The sunlight filtering in through the windows behind him cast a glow over his face that made him look celestial.

She’d been right.

He looked totally different with a smile—breathtaking and warm.

"Did I scare you? I was only joking." His voice lacked that usual danger that oozed out of him, and his aura at the moment seemed... amiable.

She almost choked after hearing his words.

He was... joking?

The arrogant Andrew Sterling, joking?

Her expression must have been comical, because his small smile became a light chuckle.

This... was a dream.

This was definitely a dream!