C12

The night grew deeper.

Qiao Ann closed the newly revised proposal, which was an improved version of the previous draft. She was almost entirely confident it would satisfy him. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was already 3 a.m.

She lay down on her bed but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Mo Kai was unlike any man she had ever met. He was calm and composed, mature and poised. Even when she pushed boundaries with her teasing and provocations, he remained unflustered, seemingly adhering to a gentleman's code. She admitted she couldn't quite figure him out.

As her thoughts gradually blurred, Qiao Ann slowly drifted into sleep.

Under the hibiscus tree.

"Second Young Master..."

"Can I?" A deep, husky voice was filled with a restrained emotion.

"Yes," came the shy reply.

A soft, enticing moan escaped from her lips.

Amidst a shower of falling hibiscus petals, a petite figure straddled a strong, muscular body. The garden was in full bloom.

...

Qiao Ann suddenly opened her eyes.

Oh my gosh!

She had dreamt of Mo Kai. And she had been on top of him in broad daylight, no less! Her springtime fantasies were getting wild!

Qiao Ann patted her flushed face and sat up quickly, realizing she was already drenched in sweat.

Unbelievable!

It's natural to have desires, but this was the first time she'd had such a shameless dream, and it felt incredibly real. In the dream, Mo Kai wasn't as sharp and intimidating as he was in reality. Instead, he was gentle and refined, treating her with the utmost tenderness, as if she were a precious treasure. The experience in the dream was simply extraordinary.

Joanne shook her head, trying to dispel the vivid images from her mind.

"Buzz—buzz—" The phone on her nightstand vibrated wildly.

Joanne's wandering thoughts snapped back to the present as she grabbed the phone. "Xiaoya, what's up?"

Xiaoya's voice was noticeably urgent and flustered. "Joanne, you need to get to the office right away. Something's happened!"

At Fuyang Company.

Joanne pushed open the door to her office, feeling the curious stares of her colleagues.

Xiaoya turned her tear-filled eyes toward Joanne and pointed at the desk. "Joanne, it's her!"

In the swivel chair sat Wu Yao, her chin lifted arrogantly.

"Manager Qiao, oh no, Assistant Qiao."

Wu Yao's eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction as she slowly stood up, crossed her arms, and looked down at Joanne. "Sorry, but this office is mine now. If you want to..."

Joanne didn't bother listening to her nonsense. She turned on her heel and stormed into the office of her boss, Dai Ming.

Dai Ming was grinning as he flipped through a magazine featuring beautiful women when he was caught off guard by Joann's unexpected entrance. Flustered, he quickly tossed the magazine into a drawer.

Joann shot him a cold glance. "What's going on?"

"You've got some nerve barging in without knocking. And who do you think you are? Watch your tone."

"Who am I?" Joann scoffed, taking a seat across from Dai Ming. "The person in charge of all eighteen major projects in this area. Does that count?"

Dai Ming jumped up from his chair. "Yeah! You've got all the big projects under your belt. Aren't you worried about biting off more than you can chew?"

His loud voice attracted a crowd of onlookers.

At the door, Wu Yao saw the situation and couldn't resist stirring the pot. "Manager Joann, you've brought in a lot of projects for the marketing department over the years, but you keep all the big ones to yourself. Who wouldn't be upset about getting the leftovers?"

Joann gave her a dismissive glance. "Could you handle it if I gave it to you?"

"Oh, come on. Do you really think this place can't run without you? Let me tell you, Yao Yao is friends with Mo Kai from the Mosheng Group. This morning, Huachen announced they canceled the first round of eliminations for our projects."

Joann was taken aback, while the crowd buzzed with whispers about the surprising news.

"Did you hear? Mo Kai from Mosheng! Is our company about to hit it big? Wu Yao is incredible!"

"What do you mean, Wu Yao? It's Manager Wu now!"

The pride in Wu Yao's eyes was almost overflowing.

"You can have anything from the other projects, but Huachen is off-limits!" Jo Ann's tone was firm.

The company was full of people who knew how to adapt to changing winds.

Early this morning, Wu Yao had moved into Jo Ann's office. These seasoned professionals knew exactly which way the wind was blowing.

Naturally, it was time to pick sides and show loyalty.

"How shameless can she be? Manager Wu kindly helped her clean up her mess, and she doesn't even appreciate it!"

"Exactly, I've been annoyed with her for a while. She claims to be out expanding the market, but who knows what she's really up to."

Jo Ann turned her head, "Everyone, shut up!"

Her presence was commanding.

Everyone was startled into silence.

Dai Ming leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, "Jo Ann, aren't you aware of your reputation in Kang City? If you did it, why be afraid of people talking?"

In Dai Ming's mind, Jo Ann was capable and aggressive in her work, but sometimes too principled and confrontational. She often clashed with him. But since Fuyang relied on her, he couldn't afford to vent his frustrations.

But now, with Wu Yao and Mo Kai backing her, Jo Ann was nothing to him!