Love's New Bloom by Simone Hastings

Chapter 30 Secret Lover

Chandler patiently watched the video to the end. Then he picked up the phone and returned it to Erin.

“Although the angle is a bit off, you got everything important. If you’re so confident, go ahead and post

it online.”

Erin trembled with anger. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She had presented such solid

evidence, yet he wasn’t even afraid.

“You’re the president of Frost Corporation. Aren’t you afraid that such a scandal will affect the

company’s public image?” She couldn’t help but remind him of the public impact of workplace

harassment.

“In the video, you didn’t ask for help. Moreover, it was taken secrelly. It’s not an exaggeration to say

that you had ulterior motives. Who will believe your side of the story when it’s exposed? Once the truth

comes out, you’ll be the one who won’t be able to survive in this city. Why should I be afraid?”

Erin’s courage was crushed in an instant.

Her face turned pale. Never did she expect that the video she thought would give her an advantage

was worth nothing in the eyes of the cold and ruthless Chandler. To make matters worse, she found

herself agreeing with his logic.

She felt utterly helpless. Was she going to let him lead her by the nose?

Proud and content, Chandler stood up and walked towards her in graceful steps. He then slipped his

large hand around her waist and buried his face in her fair neck. His hot breath tickled her skin as he

said, “That video alone wasn’t satisfying enough. I need to feel the excitement through a live show.”

Erin was so angry that she raised her hand to strike him, but he caught it instantly and grinned

wickedly. “Erin, why not save your energy and focus on servicing me instead?”

Ignoring her screams and struggles, Chandler lifted her onto his shoulder and strode toward the

lounge.

He was determined to punish her severely for daring to plot against him and repeatedly defying him.

Erin cried out in pain, but his eyes showed no mercy.

This ungrateful woman kept testing his patience, and he would make her learn to obey her. 1

Moments later, Erin got dressed in a daze, her skin marked with bite marks. The pain made her eyes

turn red, and her hatred for Chandler

grew stronger.

As Chandler put on his suit jacket, he enjoyed the sight of her blushing, angry face, and her tears of

despair.

He admitted that Erin’s body was a perfect match for him compared to the other girls he’d slept with.

That was why he couldn’t bear to let

her go.

After putting on her high heels, Erin turned around and asked patiently, “Can I leave now?”

His eyes flashed with a hint of danger as he walked behind her and hugged her. He spoke casually, but

his tone sounded dangerous.” Stay away from my cousin.” 1

His cousin?

Seeing her remain silent, Chandler continued, “I’m talking about Caleb Grant, the director of your

design department!”

Erin was surprised to learn that Caleb and Chandler were actually relatives.

Feeling her tense body, he uttered warningly. “Be a good girl and be mine for three months. If you dare

to play tricks on me again, I have plenty of ways to deal with you.”

“Can I go now?” Her patience nearly ran out at this point.

Chandler stuffed an elevator card into her pocket and said ambiguously. “From now on, you can come

up and find me directly.”

Erin struggled out of his grip and took the elevator card out of her pocket. She quickly ran to open the

door of the lounge and left the president’s office without looking back.

Raging, she lost control in the elevator and slapped herself in the face.

She was angry at herself. Why did she have to provoke this devil in the first place? Now, she’d become

the secret lover of the devil. It

wasn’t an ordinary office romance–she was Chandler’s plaything.

Erin scolded herself in her heart. Looking up, she saw her reflection through the elevator and instantly

regretted her impulsiveness.

She’d forgotten that she was still at work. The faint slap mark on her face was too embarrassing.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Caleb, who was just about to enter it..

Erin panicked and turned her face to the side, wanting to leave with her head down.

“Wait a minute,” Caleb said.

She froze in place as Caleb walked up to her and stood in front of her. “Where did you go just now?”

A hint of panic flashed across Erin’s lowered eyes as she replied. “Nowhere…”

“Erin, come with me to the office.” Caleb, who had originally intended to take the elevator, turned

around and walked toward the director’s office.

She followed behind him with a complicated expression, her head still lowered.

Outsiders might think that Caleb was going to scold her. She would become the laughing stock in the

design department again.

Office politics were unavoidable in the company. People would form cliques and spread rumors.

Inside the director’s office. Caleb took an ice pack from a mini fridge and handed it to Erin with a

concerned look. “Apply this first. Wait for the swelling to go down before going back to work.”

“Mr. Grant, I have too much to do today. I need to hurry back…”

“You can complete the work I assigned to you tomorrow.” Caleb frowned.

His generosity put Erin at ease. She asked. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Holding the ice pack on her face, Erin obediently sat on the couch. She didn’t expect her slap would be

so powerful that her face was swollen.

“You didn’t tell me where you went earlier. Also, what happened to your face?” Caleb’s face darkened.

He never thought someone in the company would resort to violence. 2

However, his question left Erin at a loss for words. She stuttered, “…just now…”

She couldn’t explain the reason for her behavior.

Caleb asked directly, “Don’t be afraid. Tell me, did someone at the company hit you?”

“No…” Erin denied it, but her lack of explanation angered him. “Erin, who are you protecting?”

Erin sighed and said. “Mr. Grant, I’m not protecting anyone. Actually, I slapped myself, but I’m not

comfortable telling you the specific reason why. Thank you for the ice pack. I’ll go back to work now.”

Staying longer would only make the atmosphere more awkward.

As Erin reached for the doorknob, Caleb walked up to her and said sincerely, “Erin, you said you don’t

have a boyfriend. Can you consider me?”

She looked up in surprise and said, “Mr. Grant, you…”

He continued, “I know I had a bias against you when you first joined the company, but after I saw the

pictures you’ve worked on, my impression of you has changed. I searched for your past designs online,

and honestly, they’re very impressive. You have the ability to work at Frost Corporation. I have high

hopes for you in the internal competition of the design department. I hope you work hard and win first

place!” 2