In the office, Darnell felt a chill run down his spine under Areli’s icy gaze.
After entering the office, Areli said nothing and stared at him with a frosty expression, leaving Darnell somewhat at a loss.
Five minutes later, Darnell couldn’t hold back any longer. “Miss Fanshaw, if you have something to say, just say it!”
“Don’t look at me like a wronged wife who hasn’t been intimate with her husband in ten years.”
“If others see this, they might think I did something to you. It was not my fault that night, was it?”
“Miss Fanshaw, don’t hold it against me.”
“Sit down!”
Areli, dressed in a black suit, finally softened her sharp gaze and ignored Darnell’s teasing words. “What happened that night was an accident, and I won’t blame you.”
“But you must keep your mouth shut. No matter who asks, you are not to talk about that night.”
“Or else, I won’t let you off the hook.”
Her feelings towards Darnell were complicated. She wanted to kick him out of the company so that she didn’t have to see him around and recall the loss of chastity that night.
However, the three-year agreement was there, and firing him would cost over ten million, too high a price. She also worried that if she kicked him out, he might talk recklessly.
If Darnell spoke out of turn and damaged her reputation, she might be transferred away from the branch by the headquarters. She absolutely could not leave Whiteville these two years.
The project she was in charge of was at a critical moment, and she absolutely could not afford any mistakes. So after some thought, Areli decided to keep Darnell by her side and watch him while also helping her solve tricky issues. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t solve them. It was better than leaving him unchecked.
At that moment, Darnell timidly spoke up, “Is that all?”
Areli’s eyes turned cold, staring at Darnell and snapping, “Yeah, what do you want? Do you want to use it to threaten me, to sleep with me ten or eight more times?”
“Or have me keep you as a boy toy? Darnell, don’t gossip around, or I will definitely sue you with a lawyer.”
Darnell exhaled a long breath before saying, “Lawyers have too much time on their hands to mess with this?”
Areli knocked on the table with her finger. “If you behave, the lawyers won’t mess with you. If you affect my reputation, I won’t let you off.”
Darnell stretched out a hand and went on, “So… How about a hush money payment? You exhausted me, and I got hurt that night…”
“Darnell!”
Areli slapped the table with her fair hand. “Stop provoking me. The matter of that night ends here. If you dare to mention it again, I will finish you off.”
Her pretty face turned stern. “Now let’s get down to business. You should start work at nine, and it’s already half past eleven. Plus your absence yesterday, do you have any discipline?”
“If you want to quit your job, just say it.”
“Of course, I want to work, Miss Fanshaw.” Darnell reached into his pocket, pulled out a carrot, and took a crunchy bite. “You’re so beautiful. How could I not want to work as your assistant?”
Areli felt so awkward because of these words. Her pretty face turned stern. “Then why were you absent yesterday and came in so late today?”
Darnell pulled up a chair, sat down, and began to count on his fingers. “I had a reason for being absent yesterday.”
“First, the elevator broke down when I was coming down, trapping me for a full half hour and scaring me half to death.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Lillian.”
“She was also trapped and had a relapse. She must rest and adjust her emotions.”
“Second, I took your car to the repair shop, coaxing and threatening them to fix it within three days for your convenience.”
He didn’t mention Nick and Brian, intending to investigate on his own. He planned to tell Areli when he had solid evidence.
“Third, I was too tired that night, covered in injuries. I went back to clean my wounds and have a proper rest.”
“I really overdid it, and I still haven’t recovered today, sleeping until ten this morning, which is why I was late.”
Darnell leaned forward curiously and asked, “Miss Fanshaw, aren’t you tired?”
“Shut up!”
Areli’s pretty face changed, quickly interrupting Darnell, worried that he would bring up last night’s matters. However, hearing his reasonable explanations, the fierceness in her eyes lessened a bit.
However, she quickly straightened up. “You’re just making excuses. You are undisciplined, showing a brazen disregard for company policy.”
Darnell quickly reminded her, “According to the agreement, you can’t fire me…”
“Now you have only two choices.”
Areli didn’t give Darnell a chance to speak, raising a fair finger. “One, go to the warehouse in the suburbs as an administrator.”
“Two, sign this agreement and continue to be my assistant while also working in the sales department, holding two positions and doing both jobs well.”
Both options were designed to keep Darnell away from her.
Darnell frowned. “Neither option is good. Is there a third option?”
“Yes.”
Areli spoke indifferently, “You resign voluntarily.”
Hearing the woman’s words, Darnell bit into the carrot. “Miss Fanshaw, you can’t do this to me. You’re so heartless.”
Areli stared at him, pressing, “Choose one.”
Darnell shook his head vigorously. “No, I just want to be an assistant, working by your side.”
Areli didn’t respond to Darnell anymore, then unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a tempting glimpse of fair skin. Then, she tore her black stockings, messed up her hair, and made a mess of the desk, completely disheveled.
Darnell’s eyes lit up. “Miss Fanshaw, what are you doing? Do you need help?”
Areli took a deep breath, crooking her fair fingers. “It’s so hot. Come and help me unbutton.”
Darnell happily approached, about to help, but suddenly stopped, tilted his head, and said, “Fishy.”
“Oh, you’re quite smart.”
Areli leaned forward, creating a deep cleavage, her fingers on the phone, staring at Darnell coldly as she threatened, “Choose one or not?”
“If not, I’ll accuse you of indecency and call the police to have you arrested. It’s just the two of us here. I can frame you however I want. As for whether the police believe you or me…”
She shrugged. “You know the answer.”
Although she felt it was beneath her, as long as it could deal with this scoundrel, she didn’t care.
Darnell was astounded.
He subconsciously fastened his belt and retreated to the door. “Miss Fanshaw, that’s not fair. You’re a decent woman. You can’t do such a despicable thing.”
“Besides, I’m your savior. How can you scheme against me like this? That night, to detoxify you, I almost died of exhaustion.”
Areli shouted directly, “Somebody help! Darnell wants to rape me…”
Darnell almost fell. Was she serious?
“Lillian, call the security!”
Areli’s voice was very sweet and crisp. “Okay!”
Seeing Areli shouting, Darnell rushed forward in one move and stuffed half a carrot into her mouth.
“Miss Fanshaw, stop shouting.”
Darnell looked wronged. “You should wait until I really assault you before shouting. Now that you accused me of assaulting you, can I make it real?”
Suddenly, having a piece of carrot in her mouth, Areli felt extremely awkward, slapped Darnell’s hand away, and spat it out.
Then she kicked Darnell and shouted, “Bastard! Dare to stuff me with a carrot? I’ll kill you, and I’m going to call the police!”
“I’m sorry. Have some coffee to calm down.”
Darnell changed his demeanor and quickly picked up Areli’s cup, but stumbled on the way, spilling the coffee onto Areli.
Areli’s clothes were immediately stained, and she wiped her clothes with a tissue while shouting angrily, “Darnell, you did it on purpose!”
The coffee on the clothes was hard to wipe clean, and Areli was furious as she rushed into the bathroom to change clothes.
Darnell apologized with a guilty expression, “Miss Fanshaw, I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean it.”
Watching Areli slam the door shut, Darnell dispersed the playful look on his face, put down the water cup, looked up at the miniature cameras on the ceiling, and then took out a memory stick from his pocket to connect to Areli’s computer, typing rapidly with his fingers, and finally scanned it with his phone.
He successfully hacked into Areli’s surveillance camera system, and after putting away the memory stick, Darnell erased the footage.
After Darnell perfectly completed all this, Areli rushed out of the bathroom, and after coming out, she kicked him twice. “I hate you, you bastard!”
“Okay, I’ll sign the agreement.”
Seeing Areli’s murderous gaze, Darnell dodged the two kicks and jumped a few meters away, pulling over the agreement drafted by Areli.
“Miss Fanshaw, is there any clause in the agreement that makes me your boyfriend or fake marriage? If there is, it will cost more.”
Darnell chuckled, “Attending a party costs ten thousand once, meeting your family costs thirty thousand once, dealing with the unwanted advances costs fifty thousand, and sleeping with you costs a hundred thousand…”
Areli sneered, “Have you lost your mind? Would I humiliate myself like this?” Her pretty face turned cold. “Hurry up and sign it.”
“Thank God, I’m afraid of being your fake boyfriend. What’s the point of that if I can’t sleep with you? It will be depressing.”
Darnell shrugged, took out a carrot, and started eating again. He picked up the pen and signed without looking.
Areli saw him sign the agreement and calmed down a bit, then asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to read the content? Aren’t you worried that I’ll set you up?”
“There’s nothing to worry about. The agreement is nothing more than not revealing that night’s affair and obeying your orders in the company, and if violated, I will face a penalty. Right?”
Darnell’s voice was clear. “Besides, you have plenty of ways to deal with a scoundrel like me.”
More importantly, a scoundrel like him didn’t care about the agreement. What was there to be afraid of?
Areli pursed her lips, staring at Darnell, and hummed, “Good.”
After putting the signed agreement into the drawer, Areli quickly tidied up her clothes and soon returned to her aloof demeanor, then pressed the phone.
“Come in, Lillian. Take Darnell to go through the procedures. He’ll be under my direct management but work in the sales department as the head of the Python Group.”
Lillian quickly responded, “Yes.”
Darnell leaned back in his chair, looking at Areli, and shook his head.
“You’re making me an assistant and a team leader, and you only pay me the same salary. Miss Fanshaw, you’re indeed a shrewd businesswoman.”
Areli spoke fiercely, “The capable do more work. Aren’t you always bragging about your capability? Prove it and try to impress me.”
“If you can’t do it, just resign!”
Then she waved her hand. “Get out of here now!”
“Miss Fanshaw, don’t be angry. Want to hear a joke?”
Darnell raised the carrot in his hand and bit it.
Areli slapped the table. “Get out!”
Darnell rolled and crawled towards the door.
As soon as Darnell opened the door, a shout came from the hallway. “Help!”
Areli’s pretty face changed. It was Lillian’s scream.
Darnell ran towards the restroom.