C4 Twin Vines Growing Endlessly

He shook me off with force and strode purposefully toward what I assumed was the restroom.

A bitter taste flooded my heart. I pulled a tissue from the box on the table, wiped the floor clean, and shoved the used tissues into my coat pocket before dragging my trembling legs out of the office.

In that moment, I saw the incident as nothing more than a dark, contemptible unwritten rule, believing it was behind me and that he and I would henceforth be strangers.

Little did I know, in the years to come, I would become inextricably entwined with this man, like vines wrapped around each other, growing ceaselessly...

I went to find Rowena to assist with my job application process.

Her expression mirrored the man's disdain, but she efficiently instructed HR to process my application.

HR informed me that I would officially start work the next day.

As I was leaving, Rowena's voice was icy, "Our headquarters is an international company. Performance matters, but reputation matters more. Don't bring any unsavory elements into this place! You have a one-month probation period. Sell a set within that time, and you can stay."

I understood she had pieced together what had transpired in the office. Her disdain was justified, and despite her reprimand, I harbored no resentment.

I nodded with conviction, "I'll remember that!"

"Good, see you tomorrow!"

I looked at her with gratitude, "See you tomorrow."

Stepping out from the Azure Coast marketing center, I gazed up at the vast blue sky. The early winter sun dangled lazily above, serene and tender.

I fought back the tears that threatened to spill.

From the moment I resolved to risk everything, I forfeited the right to tears and pity.

Dahlia was still at work until five in the afternoon.

I texted her the outcome of my job interview.

Then, I discarded the wad of tissues from my pocket into a trash bin, bought medicine from a pharmacy, and picked up a large bouquet of plum blossoms from a florist to visit my mother's grave.

The cemetery was a bit of a distance from the city center. Without a penny to my name, I couldn't afford a taxi, so I took the bus.

I picked up a newspaper and some loose change from the newsstand behind the bus stop. Once on the bus, I turned straight to the finance section. The main page offered nothing of value, but on the sidebar, a face caught my eye—a face that, despite six years passing, remained etched in my memory: the face of the man who had gripped my hand with a vicious sneer as I stabbed my father.

It was Bowen Everett, now going by the name Sawyer according to the paper. How could I not seethe with hatred for such a brazen man, living so lavishly?

There he was in the photo, beaming as he performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with his sister, Layla Everett—now Layla—by his side. Just seeing their faces made me nauseous. I snapped the newspaper shut and took a deep breath to quell my rising fury.

Then, a prominent photo in the finance section grabbed my attention: a man in a dark blue suit, exuding confidence and sophistication as he spoke at an economic forum, his gaze captivating. Was this not the same monster from the Azure Coast office?

I scanned the article for personal details about him, but it was all about the forum, mentioning only one name: Wesley. That name rang a bell. I narrowed my eyes, thinking hard, and then it hit me—he was a Haineville.

He was actually a member of the Haineville family!

I looked again at his face. Yes, there was a resemblance. And yet, it wasn't him. Not his looks, but his underhanded tactics didn't fit. The Amberley Group, owned by the Hainevilles, was one of the nation's leading enterprises, and the Hainevilles themselves were renowned for their strict family ethos and integrity. Those with crooked intentions wouldn't dare target the Hainevilles.

But Wesley had made a move on a newcomer like me in his office. Were the Hainevilles' reputation for propriety and uprightness merely a facade?

A sense of unease crept over me as I realized I'd tangled with a man of such significant stature right out of the gate.