Third Person's POV
Cliff immediately pushed open the bathroom door. The room was filled with steam and a faint, sweet scent.
The smell was oddly familiar to Cliff, as if he had encountered it before.
But Melinda didn't give Cliff time to think. She threw herself into his arms. Feeling the smooth skin and the warm touch, Cliff shuddered and tried to push Melinda away.
However, Melinda wrapped her arms around his neck. Her face was flushed with a hint of red. Her eyes were filled with desire.
"Alpha Cliff... I really can't live without you. Don't you like me?" Melinda's voice was unusually soft and seductive.
Cliff felt an unfamiliar sensation rising within him. Just a gentle touch was enough to ignite the desire he had been suppressing.
"Cliff, look at me. You used to care for me the most," Melinda said, standing on her tiptoes and placing a kiss on the edge of Cliff's lips.
She then teasingly ran her tongue along his lips, a move that was both innocent and provocative.
Cliff felt his mind go blank, losing all sense of reason. In that moment, Melinda seemed to transform into Vanya in his eyes.
He instinctively reached out, cupping the back of her neck, and kissed her roughly.
Soon, their breathing became heavy. Cliff pinned Melinda against the bathroom door, kissing her fiercely and venting the anger that had been building up inside him.
"Alpha Cliff..." Melinda's face was so red it seemed to be bleeding. She had succeeded. She had finally won him over.
"Vanya... Vanya..." Cliff muttered, mistaking Melinda for Vanya.
Why did Vanya never look at him the way she used to?
Why didn't she gaze at him with the same loving eyes as before? The more Cliff thought about it, the more agitated he became. His actions grew wilder.
Meanwhile, Vanya, who had been working late at M Group in the evening, suddenly sneezed.
"Achoo!"
"Are you okay?" Theodore frowned, concerned. The office was empty except for him and Vanya.
Derrick and Grace had gone out for the night. During the day, Vanya had to intern at Thompson Group, so she could only manage M Group's various projects in the evenings.
"Maybe I'm catching a cold," Vanya said, sipping her hot Americano.
She had been extremely tired lately, with no time to relax.
"If you're not feeling well, don't go to the Dalton family banquet tomorrow," Theodore suggested. Because of the incident with Elmer, Vanya had been using her car accident as an excuse to skip the monthly Dalton family gatherings for the past three months. But this time, she felt she should attend.
Vanya shook her head. "I should go. I don't feel unwell. Maybe I just got a bit chilly. Don't worry."
Theodore raised an eyebrow. "You know I'm worried about you, right?"
Vanya's face turned slightly red.
"I thought you didn't know. The black tea I gave you, Grace told me you didn't drink any of it," Theodore said.
"I don't really like black tea..." Vanya replied softly.
"Black tea is good for your health, especially with the weather getting colder," Theodore said, taking out a packet of black tea from his drawer and preparing to brew it for Vanya.
"Let me do it," Vanya tried to take the tea, but she quickly pulled back when she touched the hot water.
Theodore smiled at her and said, "I'll do it."
"I'll pick you up after the Dalton family banquet tomorrow," Theodore added.
"Okay," Vanya agreed without hesitation.
Theodore was surprised by her quick agreement and teased, "Aren't you afraid I'll kidnap you?"
"No, I know my way back," Vanya replied, avoiding Theodore's eyes. She remembered that she had clearly rejected Theodore before, but he always seemed to ignore it.
Eventually, Theodore stopped making any obvious advances. Their interactions remained normal.
Sometimes she even talked to him less than she did with Derrick. Gradually, she stopped paying much attention to it.
She knew Theodore had his reasons for offering to pick her up, but she didn't press him.
The next day, Vanya arrived early for the Dalton family banquet.
Aldridge saw her and immediately greeted her with a smile, "Vanya, you're finally back! Are you feeling better?"
Vanya glanced at Elmer, who was sitting on the sofa nearby, and smiled, "I'm fine now. Don't worry, Aldridge."
Elmer had been released a few days ago. He was trying to hide his resentment as he looked at Vanya.
But his acting skills were poor. His true feelings were easy to see through.
"Come in! Mirabel has been missing you! She's prepared a whole table of dishes. Hurry up!"
Aldridge led Vanya to the dining table.
Vanya looked around the empty living room and asked, "Where is everyone else? Haven't they arrived yet?"
"They'll be here soon. Vanya, Dalton Media has been doing really well under your management. Where did you find that Calvert? He's brought a lot of benefits to the Dalton family. Many of our other projects have also made a lot of money!" Aldridge was beaming with joy.
Mirabel, sitting nearby, snorted, "It's just luck. Calvert has been working hard. What does it have to do with her?"
"You brat! Shut up!" Aldridge scolded Elmer sharply.