Cecilia Ford walked towards Callie Norris.
Instinctively, Callie took a step back.
Luckily, the enforcement officers were still around. She moved closer to them.
Although they weren't real police officers, at least they wore uniforms.
They should be able to scare off any troublemakers, right?
"Callie, come here," Cecilia called out, noticing Callie trying to avoid her. She stopped walking when she saw Callie retreating.
"What do you want from me?" Callie asked.
"You lied to me and tried to keep Shane all to yourself. Last night was the first time I ever apologized to someone, do you know that?" Cecilia couldn't let it go.
She had to get things straight with Callie.
"Shane was the one who made you apologize. You should go talk to him!" Callie replied.
Why was Cecilia coming after her?
Did she think Callie was an easy target?
"I'm not going to him; I'm coming to you!" Cecilia shouted impatiently. "When you lied to me, you had plenty to say. Now, why are you acting all scared?"
Callie stared at her. "You want to harm me, so of course, I had to keep an eye on you."
Cecilia was speechless. Was her intention that easy to read?
She really did want to harm Callie. She also wanted to remove her from Shane's side.
But she hadn't thought of a good way to do it yet.
Feeling frustrated, she had directly confronted her.
Callie observed Cecilia's expression.
She clearly didn't deny it.
So, those people earlier were indeed sent by her.
Callie clenched her fists tightly.
"I will never leave Shane. There's no way I'll let you have him."
Since Cecilia had already made a move, Callie was furious too.
If she couldn't have peace, then no one would!
"And I'll also tell him that you're a wicked woman," Callie continued.
Cecilia's face turned red with anger.
"You, you..."
Callie straightened her back.
If she showed any weakness, everyone would think she was easy to bully!
"Callie!"
Cecilia was blinded by rage. She couldn't calm down; all she felt was anger.
She wanted to beat Callie to a pulp.
Callie calmly dodged her and warned, "If you touch me, I'll call the police and report you for assault."
Cecilia was dumbfound.
She was about to explode with fury!
"I won't let you get away with this. You just wait!"
With that, Cecilia stormed off in a huff.
Callie didn't relax.
Instead, she became even more cautious and tense.
She needed to stay on guard against those who wanted to harm her.
First, there was Belinda Ayers and now Cecilia Ford.
Shane Robinson's good looks was a curse!
He brought her so much trouble.
If she got caught this time, who knew what might happen? That thought alone made her skin crawl.
...
Callie Norris returned to the performance venue.
The event was nearing its end, and her dance group's performance was already over. They were packing up to leave.
When Callie arrived, Principal Lopez pulled her aside and asked, "Why did you leave so suddenly without saying anything? You had me worried sick."
Callie Norris said, "I ran into a little trouble. Sorry for causing you any inconvenience."
Principal Lopez replied, "Oh, it's no trouble at all on my end. I'm just worried about you."
Callie lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the thoughts swirling in her mind.
Today, there were no classes because of a performance. After the show, they would return to the dance studio and then be dismissed for the day.
Once all the children had left, Callie and the others cleaned up the dance studio together.
Principal Lopez said, "Everyone worked hard today. I've reserved a spot at Golden Sun Restaurant. Let's go relax and unwind."
"I'm not going," Callie said, feeling exhausted and wanting to rest.
Principal Lopez didn't insist. "Alright then. Take care."
"Have fun, everyone," Callie said as she parted ways with the group.
While they went out to enjoy themselves, Callie headed home.
On her way back, her heart was still pounding, as if she hadn't fully recovered from the earlier scare.
Before the car reached her place, her phone rang.
She answered it, surprised to hear Shane's voice.
"Come to the office," he said.
Callie Norris felt utterly exhausted and just wanted to go home and rest.
"Whatever it is, just tell me over the phone," she said.
There was a noticeable pause on the other end.
Probably because of Callie's tone.
"Someone came by saying you hit them. Aren't you going to come and face them?"
Callie was baffled. "???"
She hit someone?
She was always the one being bullied, wasn't she?
When did she ever get the chance to bully anyone?
A poor girl with no father to care for her and a mother who wasn't around—who could she possibly bully?
She rubbed her temples vigorously. "Got it."
There was a grunt of acknowledgment from the other end.
After hanging up, Callie gave the driver a new address.
She took a deep breath, trying to gather some energy.
Who was causing trouble this time?
Before long, the car stopped at Skyreach Corporation.
Callie paid the fare and got out.
As soon as she walked in, a secretary approached her, clearly waiting for her.
"Follow me," the secretary said.
Callie nodded.
Soon, she was led to the reception area.
Shane was there, along with Cecilia and her father.
Cecilia's face was bright red. There was even a slap mark.
Callie stared at her for two seconds, thinking, "Did she slap herself just to frame me?"
Could she really be that ruthless to herself? She would stop at nothing to frame me!
"Dad, it was her who hit me. You have to stand up for me!" Cecilia clung to her father's sleeve, sobbing.
"What proof do you have that I hit you?" Callie asked.
"What more proof do you need? Isn't the mark on my face evidence enough?" Cecilia glared at her.
Callie found it laughable. "By your logic, the injury on my arm must be your doing then."
She rolled up her sleeve.
The scratches from when she fell into a pit were still visible.
"The mark on your face, just because you say it was me, doesn't mean it's true. But the injury on my arm, I have evidence. Everyone knows I fell into that pit because of you and got scratched. Should I also demand an explanation from you?"
Cecilia Ford was speechless. "You're twisting the facts."
Jenson underestimated Callie's eloquence.
He didn't expect her to be so articulate.
But for his daughter's sake, he remained firm. "You falling into the pit wasn't intentional on her part, but you hitting my daughter was deliberate, wasn't it? Let me tell you, my daughter has never been treated like this. You must apologize to her for this incident."
Shane glanced at Callie.
He was well-acquainted with this woman's sharp tongue.
And true to form, she didn't disappoint.
Instead of finding Callie's words too harsh, he actually admired them.
He liked it when Callie Norris showed her claws.
Like an angry cat.
Protecting herself with her sharp claws.
"Sure, she fell into the pit by accident, but how can you be so sure that Callie hit your daughter on purpose? Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't intentional on Callie's part either."
Shane spoke calmly and steadily.
It was clear he was standing up for Callie.
Jenson was lost for words, "..."
"How could a hit to the face not be intentional?" Jenson Ford felt like he had been unfairly treated.
Could someone accidentally slap another person in the face?
What he didn't know was that his daughter had slapped herself a few times to provoke him into confronting Callie.
If he knew, he would probably be furious!
Callie retorted, "Then how can you prove that she didn't push me into the pit on purpose?"
Jenson thought he had the upper hand, but suddenly found himself at a disadvantage.
His daughter was clearly more seriously injured!
"President Robinson, are you blatantly showing favoritism?"
Jenson didn't bother with formalities anymore.
This was heading towards an all-out confrontation.
Shane had no intention of breaking ties, but he wasn't afraid of it either.
"Just like you, I am fiercely protective of my own."
He waved Callie over.
Callie obediently walked over and sat beside him.
Jenson felt Shane was being completely unreasonable.
Cecilia was his own flesh and blood, his precious daughter.
Who was Callie to Shane?
"She's just a woman who could be found anywhere and just happens to be prettier. How can she compare to my daughter?"
Hearing this, Callie felt a sharp pain in her heart. Both were daughters, but look at how different their fathers were.
At that moment, she tried to make her expression look relaxed.
But she couldn't. Instead, her face grew colder.
It was a coldness that came from deep within her heart.
"Sorry." Suddenly, Callie spoke up.
It wasn't that she was backing down or giving in; it was because of this father.
Perhaps Callie's change in attitude was too abrupt.
Jenson and Cecilia both wore expressions of obvious surprise.
Shane turned to look at her. She appeared calm.
Yet, this was so unlike her usual self.
He knew very well how tough she could be.
Shane reached out to hold her hand. Only to find it was ice-cold.
Cecilia thought she must have heard it wrong, "I didn't hear you. Say it again."
Callie looked at her and repeated, word by word, "I'm sorry."
Having said this much, the Ford father and daughter couldn't continue to press the issue.
After all, she had apologized.
Pushing further would make them seem unreasonable.
Jenson Ford said, "Since you've apologized, it means you admit to hitting my daughter. However, we are magnanimous people and won't pursue this matter any further. I hope this ends here."
After speaking, Jenson Ford added, "And let's consider the matter of you falling into the pit settled."
Callie responded with a soft "Mm."
Jenson then turned to Shane, "President Robinson, we apologize for the disturbance, but the issue has been resolved. If we have business dealings in the future, I hope we can maintain the same relationship as before."
Shane's face remained expressionless, making it hard to guess his thoughts. He responded coolly, "Of course."
With that, he called in his secretary. "Show them out."
The secretary approached Jenson and gestured politely, "I'll escort you downstairs. This way, please."
As the door to the reception room closed, Shane Robinson finally spoke, "Why did you admit it?"
Callie lifted her eyes slightly to look at him. "Shouldn't you be asking why I hit her?"
"I know it wasn't you who hit her," Shane said with absolute certainty.
His expression darkened. "Don't you believe I can stand up for you?"
Callie shook her head. "No."
She added, "I'm tired."
Noticing the fatigue on her face, Shane said, "There's a resting room in my office. You can sleep there for a while."
Callie didn't refuse. "Thank you."
Shane stood up, glanced at her, and said, "You're welcome."
Callie followed him to his office. It was spacious, with a hidden door on the left. A simple push opened it.
The room seemed simple but had everything: a wardrobe, a desk, and a private bathroom.
It was clean and tidy.
"You can sleep here. I'll wake you up when I get off work, and we can go back together."
Callie nodded.
She lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.
Staring at the ceiling, she suddenly said, "Cecilia has a good father."
It was a seemingly random statement, but Shane understood. He drew the curtains, darkening the room.
As he walked out, his steps paused briefly beside the bed before he continued.
The door closed softly.
Callie heard the door click shut and curled up. She placed her hand on her abdomen, trying to give the child some warmth.
The presence of this child gave her enough courage and strength.
She closed her eyes.
Shane walked out of the office. "Secretary."
The secretary immediately walked over. "President Robinson."
Shane Robinson said, "Look into who Callie met today, and also investigate Cecilia Ford. Specifically, find out who hit her."
"Yes, sir," the secretary responded, bowing slightly.
"Go now!"
Shane returned to his office.
In an unfamiliar place, Callie didn't sleep well. After about an hour, she woke up and got out of bed, feeling much more refreshed.
She made the bed neatly and drew back the curtains, letting light flood the room.
She walked out of her room and saw Shane Robinson sitting at his desk, which was piled high with documents.
Shane was wearing only a white shirt, with his suit jacket and tie hanging on a nearby coat rack.
The collar of his shirt was slightly open, revealing his long neck and a small part of his collarbone...
He seemed to be facing some kind of problems, his brows furrowing from time to time.
There was a meticulous focus in his concentration.
It was the first time Callie Norris had seen him working.
So, this is how serious he looks when he's working.
Shane Robinson sensed her presence and looked up.
The two locked eyes.
Callie Norris was the first to look away.
"I..."
"Make me a cup of coffee."
She was about to say she was leaving.
But Shane had asked her to make coffee instead.
Considering he had let her sleep in his bed, she figured she should return the favor.
"Do you want sugar?" she asked.
"No need."
Callie Norris walked out of the office.
She wasn't familiar with the place, and as a doctor, she didn't understand the urgency of office life.
Everyone working on this floor was part of the company's upper management.
They all looked serious and meticulous.
Callie slowly searched for the break room.
Luckily, it was in a noticeable spot.
She walked over and saw someone making coffee inside too.
Seeing an unfamiliar face, the woman asked, "New here?"
Callie smiled but didn't respond.
The woman asked again, "What do you need?"
"Coffee," Callie Norris replied.
"The coffee is in the top cabinet, cups are in the bottom one, and there's hot water over there," the woman said kindly.
"Thank you," Callie said.
The woman had just seen her coming out of Shane Robinson's office, so she didn't leave after making her own coffee. Instead, she watched Callie Norris and asked, "Are you close to President Robinson?"
Callie Norris shook her head.
The woman took a small sip of her coffee. "So, you know President Robinson well?"
Callie paused in her action of filling a cup of water and replied, "Not really."
"Is that so? I saw you coming out of President Robinson's office."
The woman clearly didn't believe her.
Callie said, "I was there to clean."
The woman looked her up and down. "You're so young, doing cleaning work?"
Callie responded, "I don't have a degree, so..."
She wasn't lying on purpose; it was just that no one knew her true identity.
She didn't dare to reveal it recklessly.
What if it caused trouble for Shane?
That would be a huge mistake.
"A cleaner who can also make coffee?" The woman was skeptical of her story.
"The secretary wasn't around, so I was asked to make coffee temporarily," Callie explained.
The woman seemed to want to say more, but Shane appeared at the doorway of the break room.
She immediately stood up straight. "President Robinson."
Shane gave a slight nod, but his gaze was fixed on Callie, staring at her without any attempt to hide it!
Callie Norris had no idea what Shane meant by that.
She quickly said, "I'm not familiar with this place, so I took some time finding the break room. You must be very thirsty! I'll bring the coffee to your office right away."
The woman's expression paused slightly.
In truth, it was she who had held Callie back with conversation, causing the delay.
Shane disliked staff gossiping and whispering during work hours.
Had she just broken a rule?
Shane gave her a cold glance before turning and walking away.
The woman's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, almost leaped out of her chest. She thought she was going to get a formal warning.
Luckily, she wasn't.
She dared not gossip anymore and immediately returned to her workstation.
...
In the office.
Callie placed the coffee on the desk.
Shane stood behind her, looking at her back. "You don't want others to know your identity?"
Callie turned around.
Had he heard what she said?
"I just didn't want to cause you any trouble," Callie said with a smile.
Shane sat down, his eyes deep and thoughtful. "How do you know that admitting you're my wife would cause trouble?"
Callie quietly looked at him for several seconds.
"When we got married, you set the rule that I couldn't claim to be your wife in public. I've been following your rules, listening to you."
"My rules, huh? You seem to ignore most of them, but this one you follow to the letter," Shane said, feeling a surge of irritation. He couldn't understand why she was so eager to distance herself from him in front of others.
It was as if she thought he had the plague.
Callie smiled softly. "Some rules are meant to be followed."
"Is that so?"
Shane Robinson didn't quite believe her.
"Of course," Callie replied firmly.
"If you remember and follow everything I say, then tell me, if I ask you to stay by my side, will you obey?"
Shane casually picked up his coffee cup, using the action to mask his uncertainty. Would this woman still want to escape? Had she forgotten about her lover?
Callie Norris lowered her gaze slightly. "I—will obey."
A hint of joy that he couldn't hide appeared on Shane Robinson's face.
"I have some work to finish. If you're bored, read a book."
Callie walked over to the bookshelf, but none of the books interested her.
She liked reading medical books. But here, it was all business books. "Your books are so boring." Shane Robinson, "..."
"And your medical books aren't boring?"
Callie Norris confidently replied, "Nope, they're fascinating. You'll know if you read them."
"I'm not interested." Shane scoffed.
Callie Norris pouted, "You just don't appreciate them."
"There are many books here, rare editions that I treasure. You're the one who doesn't appreciate them."
Shane was not willing to back down.
Neither was Callie.
She'd rather sleep than read those books.
She curled up on the sofa and closed her eyes.
Shane Robinson, "..."
Hadn't she already slept? How could she sleep again?
Shane asked, "Are you a pig?"
Callie really wanted to snap back, "You're the pig!"
But considering she was on his turf, she decided to hold back.
This man, Shane, might seem good-tempered now.
But when he gets angry, it's a whole different story.
Callie thought it was best to play it safe.
There's a saying that goes, "Suffering is a blessing."
If he called her a pig, then so be it.
Ever since she got pregnant, her appetite had improved, and she slept more.
She did have some pig-like traits.
Callie didn't talk back, which Shane found unusual. He casually tossed a financial magazine from his desk at her.
Callie swiftly dodged it and laughed, "You missed."
Shane was speechless.
This woman was really something—both mischievous and infuriating.
Yet, for some reason, seeing her smug expression was amusing.
...
The next day.
As soon as Shane arrived at the office, his secretary came to report.
"President Robinson, I've investigated everything you tasked me to do. Yesterday, Miss Norris was almost kidnapped at the entrance of the dance studio. Luckily, she was quick-witted and managed to escape. Cecilia appeared at the scene afterwards; she seems to be the one who planned the kidnapping. Also, about her face... she hit herself. Her car has a dash cam, and I've bribed her driver to get the evidence."
Shane Robinson was shocked to learn that Cecilia had attempted to kidnap Callie Norris. This was definitely crossing his line.
"Get me Jenson Ford."
His voice was cold and deep. "Yes, sir," the secretary replied.
When Jenson Ford's secretary informed him that Shane wanted to meet, he was quite surprised. Without much thought, he agreed.
They arranged to meet at a restaurant for lunch.
While eating, Jenson asked, "You didn't call me here for a business collaboration, did you?"
Shane remained calm, slowly chewing his food. After swallowing, he took a sip of water before speaking leisurely.
"If there's a suitable opportunity, I'd be more than willing to collaborate with President Ford. However, that's not why I called you here today."
Shane slid a tablet with a video towards Jenson.
"What's this?" Jenson Ford asked, puzzled.
"Take a look," Shane replied.
Jenson glanced at him, feeling a vague sense of foreboding, but he still tapped on the tablet to play the video.
Very quickly, he saw the content of the video. His daughter was slapping herself across the face. And there was sound too.
In the quiet room, the crisp sound of a slap echoed clearly. Jenson 's old face turned a deep shade of red.
This was the most humiliating moment of his life. And it was all thanks to his daughter.
"Callie has no background, no support, and no powerful father to back her up. So when she was wronged, she didn't dare to speak up and had to apologize obediently. She might be willing to let things go, but I can't. When my people are wronged, I must seek justice for them. So, President Ford, you must give me an explanation, or this matter won't end here."
The veins on Jenson's hand bulged with anger.
He was both furious and deeply embarrassed.
"I'll have my daughter personally apologize to Miss Norris," Jenson said, trying to maintain his dignity.
Shane was not satisfied with this.
"Your daughter even tried to kidnap her. I wonder if that was under your orders?"
"What?"
Jenson nearly jumped out of his seat.
How much had Cecilia been hiding from him?
"Kidnapping is a serious crime. You can't just make such accusations lightly."
Jenson knew his daughter was willful, proud, and arrogant.
However, kidnapping was something she wouldn't dare to do.
Shane had arranged the meeting, and he was well-prepared.
There was a surveillance camera right outside Callie's dance studio, capturing the scene of her being taken away clearly. Not long after, Cecilia Ford appeared on the footage.
Jenson was left speechless.
The evidence was right in front of him!
"I will give you an explanation for this matter," he said.
With that, Jenson stood up and left.
He carried his anger back home.
He had lived to this age, only to be played by his own daughter.
"Dad, you're back..."
"Slap!"
Cecilia Ford hadn't even finished her sentence when Jenson's hand came down hard on her cheek.
Cecilia was stunned.
In all her years, her father had never laid a hand on her!
Her eyes filled with tears of grievance.
"Why did you hit me?"
"Didn't you want to be hit? You can slap yourself, but I can't slap you?!"
Jenson's voice was filled with anger. "I've never been so humiliated in my life. Now, thanks to you, my reputation is in shambles, and you still have the nerve to cry?"
Cecilia was taken aback. "Dad, how did you know I hit myself?"
"Do you think Shane Robinson is a fool?" Jenson stared at his daughter. "I can't understand why you would do such a thing."
"I just can't stand that woman being around Shane. You said you would introduce me to him," Cecilia choked out between sobs.
Jenson nearly fainted from rage.
"Yes, I wanted you to marry Shane, and you like him. That's a good thing. But the premise is that Shane Robinson has to be interested in you. If he's not, what good is my introduction? You slapped yourself to make that woman apologize to you. What did you gain from it? I simply can't understand why you would do something so foolish."
"If she's gone, I think I have a chance," Cecilia Ford whispered.