After Melinda finished speaking, she stood up without hesitation, "Please, Mr. Thomas, I need to get back to work."
Watching Raymond leave angrily, Melinda felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
Why should she care that he was Emily's boyfriend? His concern for her was simply laughable.
Working late into the night, Melinda had to call the temporary babysitter from last time to help take care of Sam.
She decided to work overtime, immersing herself in a sea of experimental data, and had a three-hour video conference with the head of Valeria's top biomedical laboratory.
By the time the meeting ended, it was already late at night, and the clock's hands had quietly passed midnight. She gently rubbed her aching temples, took off her glasses, and leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, feeling more exhausted than she had in a long time.
Meanwhile, in the president's office of the Thomas Group, Raymond had also not left. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of whiskey, his gaze deep. His private secretary, Stuart White, walked in cautiously, breaking the silence.
"She hasn't left yet?" Raymond frowned slightly, his voice tinged with concern.
Stuart was momentarily stunned, then replied, "Yes, Mr. Thomas, the security just checked, Ms. Sharp has finished her video conference and is now resting in her office."
Raymond was silent for a moment, as if contemplating something.
Then, he slowly spoke, "Send her some late-night snacks."
Stuart was slightly taken aback, then nodded, "Yes!" He had been with Raymond for three years, and it was the first time he had seen Raymond show such concern for someone seemingly insignificant. This concern, though subtle, was enough to arouse curiosity.
Melinda had just gotten into a taxi when a black car quickly followed behind.
The car swayed, and she soon fell asleep.
The late-night streets were sparsely populated, with only a few cars speeding by occasionally. Suddenly, a piercing screech of brakes shattered the night, followed by a loud crash.
Melinda, sitting in the back seat of the taxi, was jolted forward, her head hitting the front seat. She nervously peeked out and saw a motorcycle lying in the middle of the road, debris scattered everywhere. The motorcyclist lay motionless on the ground not far away.
"What kind of driving is this?" The taxi driver angrily got out, checking the car while muttering furiously.
Melinda quickly got out and hurried to the injured person. She knelt down, gently feeling the person's neck for a pulse.
"He's still alive!" She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the driver was wearing a helmet, or the consequences would have been dire.
At this moment, surrounding vehicles stopped, some people called for an ambulance, and others started discussing the incident.
Melinda ignored all this, focusing on checking the injured person's condition, waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Just then, a black car sped over and stopped beside her. The door opened, and a man hurriedly got out.
"Ms. Sharp, is it really you?" The man looked at her in surprise, his tone revealing a hint of delight.
Melinda looked up, equally surprised, "Mr. Harris, what are you doing here?"
"I had a social event tonight, just finished, and ran into this unfortunate incident." Hugh frowned, his tone showing a trace of displeasure.
Melinda stood silently to the side, her eyes filled with worry.
Ten minutes later, the ambulance finally arrived. Melinda succinctly described the injured person's condition to the medical staff, and the injured person was quickly loaded into the ambulance.
The traffic police also arrived, conducting detailed inquiries with the taxi driver and Melinda.
Hugh never left, staying close to Melinda, his eyes showing concern.
Half an hour later, the situation was finally resolved.
The taxi driver walked over, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm sorry, my car needs repairs and can't continue the trip. You'll have to find another ride."
With that, the driver turned and left, leaving Melinda standing alone on the street at 2 AM.
She opened the ride-hailing app, but found no one accepting the ride.
This place was remote, and it was late at night, making it extremely difficult to get a ride.
"Ms. Sharp, let me take you home." Hugh cautiously approached.
Melinda smiled slightly, declining, "Mr. Harris, that's too much trouble. I'll wait a bit longer."
Hugh saw the "no rides available" message on her phone and, worried, said, "Ms. Sharp, this place is very remote, and it's late. It's hard to get a ride. Please, let me take you home."
Melinda looked at Hugh's concerned eyes, then at her phone. Worried about Sam being alone at home, she hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Hugh was delighted and quickly opened the car door for her.
They both got into the car, Hugh sitting close to her. Melinda gave her address, and the driver immediately started the car, driving smoothly in the direction she indicated.
Inside the car, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.
The smell of alcohol from Hugh made her uncomfortable. She frowned slightly and opened the window, wanting fresh air to come in. Hugh glanced at her, a playful smile on his lips, seemingly anticipating what was to come.
"Are you thirsty?" Hugh suddenly offered a bottle of water.
Melinda hesitated, politely declining, "No, thank you."
Hugh frowned slightly, seemingly displeased, "It's just a sip of water, Ms. Sharp, you won't even drink that?"
Melinda, feeling helpless, took the water, gently unscrewed the cap, and took a small sip. Hugh's gaze lingered on her, making her feel uneasy.
"Ms. Sharp, can I call you Melinda?" Hugh suddenly asked.
Melinda hesitated, then nodded, "Sure."
Outside the window, the bustling cityscape flashed by, and she felt increasingly uneasy, sensing Hugh's gaze constantly on her.
"Stop the car!" Melinda suddenly shouted.
However, Hugh seemed not to hear her, the car speeding up instead. His eyes were fixed on Melinda, watching her reaction.
Melinda felt her body getting hot, her chest tight and uncomfortable.
She didn't understand what was happening to her. Even with the window open, she still felt so hot.
Hugh noticed, a smug smile on his lips, "Melinda, you look very hot. Here, drink some more water."
Melinda took the bottle and drank another sip. The cold water slid down her throat, making her feel slightly better. However, she didn't realize that this water was making her feel even worse.
"Mr. Harris, please stop the car!" Melinda shouted again, her voice trembling.
She felt her body getting more and more out of control.
Hugh ignored her, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light, like a predator eyeing its prey. Melinda looked at him, her heart filled with fear.