On a frigid December morning in the presidential suite of a hotel, the heating was in full blast. Yet Lillian Hill sat in her chair, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Around the square table, besides her, were three others: her cousin Adam Hill, her boss, and her boss's girlfriend.
Four of them sat together, appearing like friends gathering. However, what was the reality? Lillian sighed inwardly, fearing there couldn't be anything worse—her cousin had been caught in a tryst with her boss's girlfriend by her boss himself!
Lillian was angry and anxious about this shocking debacle. She couldn't fathom why Adam would be with her boss's girlfriend. And now, knowing her boss's embarrassing secret, could she even keep her job? Her boss, a man of swift and decisive action, could he resort to extreme measures to keep this quiet?
The more she thought, the more terrified she became. She sneaked a glance at her boss, who was casually leaning in his chair, legs crossed, lightly tapping on the table, and playing with his phone under the table. His seeming indifference, so at ease, made her wonder if he was too stunned to react.
"Alexander, please let me explain..." Madison Blair said through her tears, desperately grabbing at Alexander's hand, "I had too much to drink with friends last night, and I don't know how I ended up here. I really didn't know. You have to believe me."
Alexander Sinclair furrowed his brows, suddenly withdrawing his hand and looking at her with distaste.
Madison's expression hardened as she bit her lip and glared at Adam, then suddenly pointed at him and yelled, "Alexander, it's him! He drugged my drink, took advantage of me, and afterwards tried to blackmail me. You arrived just in time to get rid of him for me!"
Hearing this, Lillian's eyes widened in shock at Adam. He looked stunned, staring at Madison, completely bewildered.
"Are you insane? As if I'd be interested in you?" Adam slammed his hand on the table, angry, "You were the one going crazy last night, kissing anyone in sight, begging for affection!"
Upon hearing this, Madison's face turned pale, and she stood up with righteous indignation, "Don't smear my name, why would I do that? Just look at you, you don't come off as a good person. It must have been you who lusted after me and harbored ill intentions!"
"Ms. Blair, you truly have no shame!" Adam retorted furiously, "It was clearly you who clung to me last night, refusing to let me leave, and now that your boyfriend is here, you want to pin this on me. No way!"
Lillian's face flushed, and she lowered her head uneasily, stealing a glance at Alexander. He continued playing with his phone, seemingly unfazed by the couple's argument.
Madison stormed toward Adam in a rage, "Cut the crap! Why don't you take a look at your own face in the mirror? You look like trouble, and if you think you can play dirty with me and get away with it, you're mistaken!"
"You shrew! How dare you threaten me?" Adam stood in front of her, glaring angrily.
Madison had never been called names like this and without hesitation, she slapped Adam across the face.
"Adam!" Lillian suddenly stood up and shouted.
Furious, Adam tackled Madison, and they started scuffling, hurling insults at each other.
Lillian, frantic, tried to break up the fight, pleading, "Stop it, both of you, just stop!"
Both Adam and Madison, blinded by anger like two enraged bulls, didn't listen.
Lillian couldn't hold back one or pull away the other, and with a shove, she stumbled backward, landing on Alexander's lap.
"Ah!" Lillian cried out, her face flushing red and her heart racing nervously as she stuttered, "Mr. Sinclair, I-I'm so sorry!"
Alexander looked at her with a cold, stern face.
Lillian cringed, trying to get up, but her legs gave out, causing her to fall back onto his lap a second time, and, as fate would have it, her hand unintentionally pressed down on his thigh.
Alexander frowned. What was she doing? Was she trying to seduce him?
"Mr. Sinclair!" Lillian almost cried out in fear, her face turning even redder.
Alexander put away his phone and said coldly, "Get out!"
"Mr. Sinclair, I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean to, please don't be mad!" Lillian scrambled to get off his lap, hurriedly apologizing.
Alexander dusted off his pants and stood up deliberately, then shouted at the two still scuffling, "Stop it, both of you!"
Stunned by his commanding presence, Madison and Adam ceased fighting.
"Alexander!" Madison's hair was a mess and she had a bleeding cut at the corner of her mouth. Crying, she ran toward Alexander, attempting to throw herself into his arms, and said pitifully, "You have to stand up for me!"
Alexander reacted quickly, swinging his hand to push her away before she got close, his expression one of disgust.
"Serves you right!" Adam, with scratches on his face, laughed gleefully at her misfortune.
"Kevin." Alexander suddenly spoke in a cold tone, "Take this man out and deal with him."
"Yes, Mr. Sinclair," Kevin Martin, standing by the door, responded, stepping forward to grab the culprit.
Lillian stepped in front of Adam, her voice quivering with nervous fear as she asked, "Mr. Martin, where are you taking my cousin?"
Adam hid behind Lillian, his voice defiant, "What do you want with me? It was that woman who seduced me; it has nothing to do with me!"
Kevin chuckled, "Mr. Hill, it doesn't matter who seduced whom. You messed with Mr. Sinclair's people, and that's a dead-end street!"
Adam's face turned ashen, fear making his legs give way as he collapsed to the ground. He scrambled over to Alexander, clutching desperately at his legs and begged, "Mr. Sinclair, it was all my fault, please don't kill me!"
Lillian felt a shiver in her heart and pleaded on behalf of Adam, "Mr. Sinclair, please let Adam go. I'm begging you!"
In a frantic bid for mercy, Adam quickly added, "Mr. Sinclair, for the sake of Lillian working for you, please spare me!" After a brief pause, he blurted out in desperation, "Mr. Sinclair, if you're looking for retribution, what about Lillian? She's sweet and beautiful and she could be your girlfriend!"
"Adam!" Lillian cried out in shock at his words, "Have you lost your mind? What are you talking about?"
She then turned to Alexander, anxiously trying to explain, "Mr. Sinclair, please don't be angry. Adam just speaks without thinking. Whatever compensation you want, we won't argue!"
Alexander let out a low chuckle, fiddling with his cufflink absentmindedly as he casually said, "Let's go with Adam's suggestion then."