“I just admire him, that’s all,” one woman scoffed. “It’s not like I’ve ever wanted to get close to him. Besides, I’m not into chubby guys.”
“Hey, Lara, how come Mr. Carrick is visiting our company anyway?” another woman chimed in, curiosity piqued.
Lara, the secretary, flashed a knowing smile. “Isn’t it obvious? Ms. Adams must have invited him.”
A collective gasp rippled through the group. The women exchanged wide-eyed glances, hardly believing their ears. “No way! Is Ms. Adams really that connected? To have someone like Mr. Carrick at her beck and call?”
Lara chuckled, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Connected? Maybe. All I know is she’s got some serious pull. First Beckett, now Mr. Carrick – she’s in a league of her own. Then again, with a face like hers, who can blame her?”
The implication wasn’t lost on the group. One woman’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “Hold up, Lara. Are you saying Ms. Adams is… that kind of woman? She doesn’t strike me as the type at all.”
“Doesn’t strike you as the type?” Lara scoffed. “You should’ve seen the way she looked at Mr. Carrick just now.”
“What are you getting at? You don’t think they’re… you know… in there, do you?”
“Hang on, didn’t Ms. Adams’s husband go in there too? The three of them? That’s… that’s impossible!”
Lara shrugged, unfazed. “You ladies are so naive. The games the rich play? They’re on a whole different level.”
“Wait, so you’re saying Ms. Adams’s husband would just sit there and watch while Mr. Carrick and she…?”
Lara heaved a sigh, shaking her head. “This world is more twisted than you can imagine. It’s not something you can wrap your head around in a few sentences. All that cold, pure image? It’s just for show.”
As Lara walked away, the women exchanged bewildered glances. Someone quipped, “The way she talks, you’d think she’s been there, done that herself.”
Laughter erupted as they moved away from the door, their gossip fading down the hallway.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Georgia carefully set a cup of coffee before Ferris. “Mr. Carrick, I’m truly honored by your visit. I… I’m at a loss for words.”
Ferris lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, the picture of arrogance. He patted the spot next to him. “Have a seat, Ms. Adams.”
Taking a sip of coffee, he fixed his gaze on her. “I’ve heard tales of your beauty, Ms. Adams. They say you’ve got men falling at your feet. Now that I see you in person, I must say, the rumors don’t do you justice.”
Georgia offered a polite smile, brushing off the compliment. Despite her position as chairwoman, she was still green when it came to the unspoken rules of the business world.
Noticing Georgia still standing, Ferris frowned. His eyes roved over her figure again – her slender frame, her delicate features. With each passing moment, his excitement grew, his mind wandering to less than gentlemanly thoughts.
“Come now, sit here,” he insisted, patting the sofa again. “How else are we supposed to talk business?” His eyes never left her legs.
Georgia nodded, innocently taking a seat beside him.
“So, Mr. Carrick,” she began cautiously, “about that investment in our company…”
“Isn’t that why I’m here?” Ferris’s hand found its way to Georgia’s thigh, sliding up and down. He had been itching for this moment. “But you know, Ms. Adams, it all depends on your… cooperation.”
As he touched her, his eyes gleamed with undisguised lust, his body inching closer.
Even Georgia, in all her naivety, couldn’t mistake his intentions now. She jerked away as if she had been shocked, scrambling to put some distance between them. “Mr. Carrick! What do you think you’re doing? Have you no shame?”
Ferris froze, his hand hanging in mid-air. For a moment, he just stared at her, caught off guard. Then, a sly grin spread across his face. “Oh, come now, no need to play coy. We’re alone here, so let’s cut to the chase. You want my money? Fine. But it comes with a price. Make me happy today, and name your figure. You catch my drift, don’t you?”
His eyes bored into Georgia, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Ferris was no stranger to these games. He had had his way with countless women – wives and secretaries of other bigshots, even female executives themselves. When Georgia had called, he had jumped at the chance to see if Hiphia’s reputed beauty lived up to the hype. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew he had to have her.
Georgia swallowed hard, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, Mr. Carrick, you’ve got it all wrong. I never-”
“Save it!” Ferris’s hand was back on her thigh in an instant. He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze. “Those jeans? You wore them for me, didn’t you? Bet you did your homework before calling. Knew I had a thing for denim, so you dolled yourself up just for me. With a body like yours in those jeans? You’re rewriting my whole damn playbook. Trust me, sweetheart, no man in his right mind would turn you down, no matter the price tag.”
Georgia felt like her whole world was twisted. Is this really what he thought of her? When she’d made that call, she hadn’t even dared to hope he’d show up. His arrival was shocking enough, but this? This was beyond the pale. These jeans? They were for her husband’s eyes only. What in the world did Ferris think he was playing at?
“Mr. Carrick,” she spat, leaping to her feet, fury etched across her face, “I suggest you watch your mouth!”
Ferris blinked, momentarily taken aback. Then, a cold laugh escaped his lips. “Watch my mouth, you say?”
In one swift motion, he grabbed Georgia’s wrist, yanking her towards him. She stumbled, falling right into his lap. As his hands roamed freely, he hissed in her ear, “You think I don’t know about your dirty little secrets? You’re nothing but a gold-digger who’s slept her way to the top. What, you thought I wouldn’t find out about you and Beckett?”