Sarah carefully pushed the door open.
The basement was as luxurious as ever, with the crystal chandeliers casting a mesmerizing glow.
If it weren’t for all the bottles scattered on the table, Sarah would’ve thought the scene looked a lot more beautiful.
She casually picked up one of the bottles to take a look.
Wow.
A bottle of Romanee-Conti from the year she was born. One bottle of this stuff would cost as much as a Himalayan diamond buckle bag.
Holden was on the couch, his tie loosened and two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing his prominent collarbone.
Sarah couldn’t help but find it a little sexy, but no matter how attractive Holden was, he was still someone she’d think twice before approaching. Maybe it was because he felt like he was from a completely different world.
His face was pale. Seeing the bottles sprawled all over the table, Sarah guessed he was probably dead drunk.
She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to grab his arm. “Mr. Holden? Mr. Holden? Let me help you to your room.”
He suddenly opened his eyes.
Holden’s eyes were narrow, with deep-set brows, giving him an almost mixed-race appearance. He was so handsome that up close, he looked like a visual novel character come to life, his features so flawless they seemed unreal.
His cold gaze startled Sarah, and just as she was about to pull her hand back, Holden grabbed her wrist. Her delicate, pale wrist looked even more fragile in his long, powerful hand, the contrast under the light strikingly clear.
At that moment, Holden had none of his usual gentle and warm demeanor. His gaze was as cold and unreadable as a reptile’s, and she couldn’t figure out what was hidden in those deep eyes.
“Mr.-” Sarah started to speak, but before she could finish, Holden pulled her into his arms.
With the difference in their sizes, Sarah had no room to resist. Just as she wondered if Holden was going to do something crazy in his drunken state, his cold hand suddenly wrapped around her slender neck. “Wanna die with me?”
“!!!” Sarah was completely stunned.
She definitely didn’t want to die. She hadn’t even spent all the money in her bank account yet. And she really couldn’t understand why.
Holden was worth millions-like a cheat-code protagonist in a feel-good novel. Why would someone like him be so desperate?
Sarah cautiously reached out with her other hand to grab Holden’s, and his grip tightened before loosening again.
“Um… I think living is pretty good,” she said carefully, not sure if he could even understand her. After all, when someone was this drunk, they often had no clue about their surroundings. “Mr. Holden, maybe you’re just under too much stress from work. You need to rest. How about I help you to bed, okay?”
Holden’s hand let go of her completely, and his icy gaze was fixed on her.
In this state, Holden seemed calm. The alcohol had made him forget everything that had happened in the real world, leaving him lost in his own deep sea.
In the depths of a ten-thousand-meter ocean, no light could reach, no matter how brilliant. The water temperature was below three degrees, and any creature that existed down there would be monstrous and hideous. But there were no monsters-only endless, unfathomable loneliness.
Sarah’s mouth moved, but to Holden, all he heard were sounds with no actual meaning. He couldn’t comprehend what she was saying, like a human unable to understand a whale’s language.
She suddenly reached out and gently touched Holden’s forehead, testing his temperature.
Holden grabbed her wrist. “Do you want to jump off a building with me, or into the ocean?”
Sarah replied, “I’d like to go upstairs and get some sleep. It’s twelve o’clock, big boss. We need our beauty sleep.”
Staying up past twelve was considered staying up late. As an actress, good skin required plenty of sleep.
But Holden seemed completely lost in his own world. Sarah didn’t know what his past was like or if he had some kind of mental illness.
In the original story, Holden was introduced as the most high-profile character, immensely powerful with unmatched wealth and influence. A person like that, seemingly invincible, how could he possibly have any trauma?
Why was he thinking about death after getting drunk?
Sarah was sitting on Holden’s lap. It was an awkward position, but no matter how hard she tried to get up, she couldn’t break free from his grip.
Maybe, deep down, Holden was just a particularly cruel person. A lively little bird had suddenly flown into his domain, and of course, he wanted to drag her into the depths of the sea with his waves.
He picked up a bottle from the table and, without giving her a choice, poured a mouthful into Sarah’s mouth. “Drink with me.”
“…”
******
The next morning, Sarah stumbled downstairs, her head throbbing.
Butler Ted handed her a cup of hot milk.
Sarah sighed, “I’m so miserable, really.”
The average daily wage in her industry was 3 million, yet she didn’t even earn half of that. And on top of it, she had to drink with the boss.
Sarah was such a lightweight that she passed out after just two drinks and had no recollection of what happened the night before.
Butler Ted remained silent.
Lowering her voice, Sarah asked, “Do you know your boss is suicidal? I’m afraid one day he’ll snap and kill me along with himself.”
Butler Ted reassured her, “Don’t worry. As long as Young Master doesn’t fall in love with you, you’ll be fine. The only time you’re in danger is if he loves you.”
Sarah was skeptical. “Really?”
Butler Ted nodded. “Have I ever lied to you?”
Sarah hesitated. “But what if your boss falls for me? I’m pretty good-looking, you know.”
“He won’t,” Butler Ted said confidently. “Young Master is usually very rational. He won’t love anyone. Lady, just make sure you don’t fall for him instead.”
Sarah thought for a moment. That did make sense. An irrational Holden was rare, and a love-struck Holden was even more unlikely.
Most of the time, Holden was-
Sarah glanced at the man walking over from the side.
He was as elegant as ever.
Holden sat down at the dining table and smiled slightly. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Sarah replied mechanically.
She shoved a whole egg yolk into her mouth, and predictably, it got stuck in her throat. She quickly gulped down some milk.
Holden watched her actions, his lips curling up ever so slightly.
“I was abroad for a meeting, and I attended an auction in between,” Holden said, placing a velvet box in front of her. “You were saying your life is tough?”
Sarah suddenly realized that Holden must have overheard her conversation with Butler Ted.
She opened the box.
The ten-carat ruby brooch inside nearly blinded her.
“It’s not tough, not tough at all,” Sarah said quickly, pinning the brooch to her knit T-shirt. “Boss, I’ll remember you for the rest of my life. You’re always the man I love the most.”
Holden raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Sarah worried Holden might think she was breaking their contract, so she quickly clarified, “Um, I mean, besides Ronald, you’re the one I love the most. You know, like how an employee loves their boss.”
Holden gave her a sarcastic smile. “I just let you try it on. Didn’t say I was giving it to you. Put it back.”
Sarah, “…”
Oh, no, my life really is tough.