Donovan, seeing Chloe waiting at his office door, figured she had changed her mind. He was internally scornful – attempting to play hard to get was a fool's game in his eyes.
Chloe snapped back to reality, knowing she was there to plead with Donovan. Her voice softened with a hint of appeasement, "Good morning, Mr. Blake."
Donovan ignored her, opened his door, and went to sit at his desk. He booted up his computer and started sorting through files.
"Do you need something from me?" he asked coldly, with an air of detachment.
Hearing the rasp in his voice, Chloe remembered the heavy rain from the night before and his lack of an umbrella. She quickly asked, "Mr. Blake, do you have a cold? Make sure to drink plenty of water. Do you need any medicine?"
"Stick to the point," Donovan's voice carried a note of impatience. Chloe's concern sounded insincere to his ears.
"Mr. Blake, the thing you said yesterday, does it still stand?" Chloe asked, forcing the words out despite her nervousness.
"What?" Donovan didn't even look up.
Chloe wondered if he was pretending or had genuinely forgotten.
"About getting married," Chloe raised her voice slightly, her tone quivering.
It seemed like Donovan finally caught on, "That? What about it?"
Chloe had expected Donovan's attitude. She was well aware that the moment she approached him with a proposal, his haughty demeanor would surface. But even with his arrogance, she had no option, as she had already lost the upper hand.
“Do you still need someone to marry? ”Chloe attempted to infuse her voice with a flattering tone.
Donovan could easily detect the tone of flattery.
“Yes, I am in need of someone,” he responded, lighting a cigarette and reclining in his office chair, his gaze fixed on Chloe.
"You approached me yesterday, and I hadn't thought it through. But upon reflection, I am willing to go through with it,” Chloe admitted, swallowing her embarrassment.
To Donovan, however, her demeanor just seemed like an affected display.
"I do need a wife, but how do you know I haven't found the right person yet?" Donovan countered Chloe's assumption.
Anxiety flashed in Chloe's eyes as she quickly calculated her next move to raise money if Donovan wasn't going to be the solution.
Seeing her expression, Donovan thought, 'I had thought Chloe was confident, but it looks like she's all flustered now.'
"Why the sudden change of heart? I recall you saying you had a boyfriend," Donovan asked after a brief silence.
"You said yesterday that I could set terms. I need the money, and you need to sort things out for your Samuel. I think that's a valid enough reason," Chloe justified.
"That's straightforward," Donovan cracked a half-smile that was hard to read. "May I ask what you need the money for?"
Chloe thought for a moment. Revealing that her mother was seriously ill would uncover her frequent absences and jeopardize her job at New East International Group, so she decided to use her boyfriend as a cover again.
"You know how it is. The housing prices in Maple Valley are exorbitant. It's about sixty or seventy grand per square foot. My boyfriend and I would need two hundred years to afford a place. He told me yesterday that he's going out of town for an internship, and I'd like to earn some extra cash in the meantime to surprise him when he gets back," Chloe lied convincingly.
"Do you think your boyfriend would agree to this arrangement?" Donovan probed further.
"Of course, he wouldn't agree. I plan to keep it from him. Keep it completely secret."
"How much do you want?" Donovan asked, his tone still detached.
"How much are you willing to give?" Chloe's tone shifted back to one of righteous indignation.
Donovan had initially thought of offering five million, but seeing how eager she was to make money and feeling an increased distaste for her. He suddenly didn't want to make it easy for her. He wanted to punish her.
"A base salary of one million," Donovan said casually. "There'll be some detailed terms, I will give you a written agreement with performance evaluations. Anyway, working for me, making five million a year is no issue, and if you stay for two years, I'll give you a house."
Chloe froze for a moment. Five million a year? Was it really that easy to make money with Donovan?
"Deal. Let's add each other on WhatsApp. If you need anything, just let me know."