Chapter 33
"Sorry, Grandma, something urgent came up at the company. I need to head back now." I looked at Grandma Cooper apologetically.
Grandma Cooper was clearly disappointed, but she waved her hand and said, "It's fine, work comes first. Let Jason drive you back."
"No need, I can get back on my own," I quickly refused.
Jason had already stood up and said, "I'll take you."
I had no choice but to say goodbye to Grandma Cooper first and follow Jason out of the old mansion.
Once in the car, I lowered my head to fasten my seatbelt and said, "Mr. Cooper, you should explain things to Grandma later. We're not in that kind of relationship."
"What kind of relationship are we in?" Jason raised an eyebrow and asked back.
Meeting his affectionate gaze, I found myself at a loss for words.
"Anyway, not the kind Grandma thinks," I moved my lips, my tone somewhat stiff.
"Is that so?" Jason's voice carried a playful tone.
He leaned closer to me, his voice deep and teasing, each word tugging at my heartstrings. "But on this matter, Grandma and I share the same view. As long as you say yes, I'll arrange the wedding right away."
My heart skipped a beat.
Avoiding Jason's burning gaze, I awkwardly changed the subject. "Let's go. If we take too long, it'll be hard for me to explain."
I was only supposed to show Jason around DT Corp, but ended up at Cooper Old Mansion instead.
Jason stared at my uncontrollably reddening face for two seconds, a pleased smile playing at his lips.
My heart raced faster as I pretended to stay calm and turned to look out the window.
Fortunately, Jason didn't continue with any more actions that could cause misunderstandings.
Jason started the car and asked casually, "What did Brian want from you?"
"To get back to work, of course. It's working hours right now."
Something suddenly occurred to me. I turned to stare at Jason's profile, hesitating for a long moment, but ultimately couldn't hold back. "Can you be a bit more polite to Mr. Ethan? He's my boss."
Jason let out a cold laugh.
I frowned, my tone becoming more serious. "I'm serious. You attacking my supervisor directly puts me in a very difficult position!"
In my view, Brian was an excellent boss.
Without Brian, life with Jessica would have been much harder for me.
Jason remained silent.
I didn't speak again either.
Until we stopped at a red light, Jason turned his head, hooked my chin with his finger, and forced me to meet his eyes.
"What?" I asked uncomfortably.
"Don't talk, I'm looking," Jason said seriously.
"Looking at what?" I instinctively reached up to touch my face. Was there something on it?
"How can you not even know when you're being deceived?"
I angrily slapped his hand away and shouted, "What's wrong with you! How am I being deceived?!"
Jason just looked at me deeply, not bothered by the reddened back of his hand where I'd hit him.
The light turned green. He withdrew his gaze and drove, his tone casual. "Why don't you quit DT Corp and come work for me as my secretary?"
"The benefits here are better than there, the salary's higher, and..."
He paused, his words loaded with meaning. "No one will order you around."
Despite what he said, I still refused. "Sorry, Mr. Cooper, I don't have any plans to leave DT Corp right now."
I wanted to stay as far away from Jason as possible. Why would I voluntarily get closer to him?
Brian was also very good to me. I had no reason to switch jobs.
Jason said nothing more.
Apart from the music, there was no other sound in the car.
I said, "Just stop at the intersection ahead."
Seeing we were almost at DT Corp, I quickly spoke up.
"What? Do I have to sneak around with you?"
Jason raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of slowing down.
I honestly admitted, "Yes."
Jason clenched his jaw and snorted coldly, but deliberately stopped the car right at DT Corp's main entrance.
Jason said, "We're here."
How childish!
I took a deep breath, planning to get out and run straight into the company before anyone noticed.
Just as my hand touched the door handle, someone grabbed my arm.
Jason asked, "Leaving just like that?"
I answered, "What else? Did I forget to say thank you?"
He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Verbal thanks have no sincerity."
My face flushed as I cursed, "Pervert!"
With that, I got out of the car like I was escaping.
If I stayed any longer and someone else saw us, that would be bad!
"Stop right there! You actually got out of Jason's car?!" A sharp, angry voice froze me in place.
Mia, wearing high heels, angrily rushed up to me.
Her carefully made-up face was now full of rage.
"Ms. Wilson, I underestimated you! Being Brian's assistant isn't enough for you? Now you want to seduce Jason too?"
I was full of helplessness. Given her status, I could only suppress my anger and force a smile. "Miss Ethan, you've misunderstood. This was Mr. Terry Ethan's arrangement."
"You're still using work as an excuse. Have you no shame!" Mia got angrier as she spoke, raising her hand high to slap me!
I instinctively turned my head to dodge and unexpectedly bumped into a solid chest.
A familiar scent enveloped me.
"Ms. Wilson is just doing her job. Don't talk nonsense." Jason grabbed Mia's wrist.
The next moment, as if his hand had been dirtied, he forcefully shook it off.
Mia's body stumbled, and she staggered back several steps.
She looked at Jason in disbelief, her eyes instantly reddening. "Jason, are you taking her side?"
"If you can't even tell something that obvious, you should get your brain checked." Jason sneered, smoothly pulling me behind him to protect me.
Mia was provoked by his action and stared at me intently.
But the instant she looked at Jason, Mia's expression became pitiful and helpless. "Jason, what's the relationship between you two?"
"Who do you think you are? Do I have any obligation to report to you?" Jason sneered.
Mia's eyes grew redder, tears uncontrollably streaming down. "Why are you being so mean to me? I just want to know."
Jason looked at her expressionlessly, then suddenly reached out and pulled me into his arms, his possessiveness unmistakable. "Do you understand now?"
She had made quite a scene, and many people around were secretly watching the drama.
Mia could no longer bear it. She covered her face and ran into the company.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to threaten me. "Sue, you just wait! I definitely won't let you off!"
Why were these ridiculous things happening to me?
I stiffly pulled away Jason's hand from my waist. "You can let go now."
Jason released me and said with a smile, "Aren't you going to thank me?"
I paused, looking at him resentfully. "Who's the reason I was publicly humiliated in the first place?"
More and more onlookers were gathering.
Many of them were DT Corp employees.
Not wanting to stay there any longer, I said, "I'm leaving now."
Without giving Jason a chance to respond, I turned and walked toward the company.
To avoid running into Mia in the office, I deliberately waited in the lobby for a few minutes before taking the elevator upstairs.