Chapter 12 Ms. Smith Wears Less and Less
"Ms. Smith's outfits are getting skimpier by the day."
"Isn't she just trying to make things easier for Mr. Brown?"
William stayed silent. Thalia really could say anything that came to her mind.
As he walked past Thalia, his gaze fell on the food box in front of her.
"Breakfast with love."
William was unimpressed. "Are the reporters downstairs also here for 'breakfast with love'?"
"In the entertainment world, if reporters are staking out early in the morning, it's always for the big shots!" Thalia propped her chin on her hand, looking at William with a leisurely gaze.
William glanced at Thalia, took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and headed to his desk.
Thalia switched to a different seat. "Take off your tie."
William: ...
"When you don't wear a tie, you give off a sort of restrained, dangerous vibe."
"Do dangerous people even restrain themselves? Ms. Smith, did you not pay attention in school?"
Thalia had a rough academic history. Her poor grades often gave Hayden headaches, and she nearly got expelled several times. Hayden would usually resolve these issues with money.
Elementary school, middle school, high school, college—Hayden donated quite a few buildings along the way.
This was a well-known fact in Emerald City.
William's words hit Thalia where it hurt.
Thalia sat across from him, playing with William's pen, her casual demeanor somewhat irreverent.
"The incident with the sprinkler truck driver the other day—Mr. Brown hasn't given me any feedback yet!"
William responded coldly, "Ms. Smith, you’ve got the wrong person. I'm not your lawyer."
"Then whose lawyer is Mr. Brown?"
"Chase's?"
William shot her a look. "Are you worried I'll take Chase's case?"
Thalia stared at him and blinked. "Aside from me, no one in the Smith family can hire you."
"And if they do?"
"Then let’s see what happens!"
Thalia wasn't known for her kindness.
"Has Mr. Brown ever had a girlfriend?"
"What does that have to do with Ms. Smith?"
"Just curious!"
William: ... "Is Ms. Smith unemployed?"
"Am I annoying you? Then I'll go hang out with Brian and the others," Thalia said, making a move to get up.
But William stopped her. "This isn't your playground. If you're really that bored, go home and sleep."
"Are you scolding me?" Thalia looked at William, stunned.
"Mr. Brown, Mr. Thompson is here," Brian said as he entered, only then noticing the tension in the room.
The office door swung open, and William tossed a blanket at Thalia. "Cover up before you leave. I have interns in my office; be mindful of your appearance."
Seeing cleavage first thing in the morning was giving him a headache.
Thalia knew men’s weaknesses well.
As William was about to leave, Thalia blocked his path with a smirk. "Mr. Brown, is your bad mood this morning because you can look but can't touch?"
"If you want to touch, I'm not entirely opposed!"
Assistant Theo: ... speechless.
Thalia was too bold! Did she really just say that?
William was famous in the legal world for being cold and unyielding. Many big shots had tried to win his favor with women, but he remained unmoved, sending them back fully clothed.
But today, Thalia's soft, delicate hands were stirring up something in him.
"Thalia," William said, gripping her wrist, his voice trembling slightly. "Do you know I could cut off your hand and keep the damages under four figures?"
Thalia was unfazed.
She looked up at William, her face seductive. "Before you cut it off, can I touch you one last time?"
Theo, still in shock: ...
This was truly bold!
But why did he kind of like it?
Suddenly, he understood what Brian meant. Thalia, a stunning woman, pursuing William, who only cared about making money for capitalists—it was a waste.
A waste!
Any other man would have been won over by Thalia long ago.
William's face darkened. He threw the documents in his hand to the ground, grabbed Thalia's hands and pinned them behind her back.
Teeth clenched, he warned, "Thalia, don’t push it."
Thalia tilted her head and laughed, her arched brows even more dazzling than her cleavage. She leaned in and kissed William on the lips.
"Who knew! Mr. Brown likes this kind of position."
Theo: Any further and this will require a subscription.
William couldn’t deal with Thalia. Her relentless persistence was something he still couldn’t understand.
Decades of unchanging behavior.
Thalia watched William leave in shock, feeling quite pleased.
It was like taming a little wolf dog, slowly grinding him down.
This feeling was pure joy.
Thalia discarded the blanket with disdain and headed downstairs with her bag.
...
"What did you just do? Your lipstick is smudged everywhere."
Isla noticed Thalia’s smeared lipstick as soon as she saw her.
Thalia pulled out a mirror to touch up her makeup. "Did something not suitable for children."
"You kissed Mr. Brown again?"
"Are you trying to hire him for a case or do you have feelings for him?"
Thalia closed her mirror. "Isla, Mr. Brown is my shield right now. Until I secure my assets, I can't afford to lose him."
"The Smith family has so many eyes on me. If I don’t have a top-notch lawyer by my side, what do you think will happen? Twelve illegitimate children, and only two have shown their foolishness. The ones hiding their true abilities are the real challenge."
"You're smart," Isla said, but felt sorry for William.
"Isla, once this is over, how about I break Mr. Brown’s legs and keep him by my side?"
Isla’s hand shook on the steering wheel. She glanced at Thalia through the rearview mirror. "We live in a society governed by law."
"What a pity."
Thalia rested her chin on her hand. "Mr. Brown, despite his serious demeanor, is definitely a beast in disguise once his clothes are off."
Isla: ... What kind of talk is this?
"Isla, did you know men with high noses are very strong?"
Isla: ... Not suitable for children, not suitable for children.
... Evening ...
Thalia changed into something more low-key and headed to the bar district.
Her place was just a ten-minute walk away.
As she passed an alley, she heard a woman’s moans and the mention of "Smith."
Thalia’s first thought was that Hayden was out looking for women again.
She glanced into the alley.