Chapter35 You Just Like It This Way
Linnea hadn't had time to react yet.
Emily, hiding in the corner, went completely limp, only able to stabilize herself by gripping the sofa back. She had held onto a shred of hope, but then met a pair of emerald green eyes as gloomy as if looking at a dead person.
"Oh... Linnea, and them too."
It was over... Emily began trembling, wanting to flee, but bodyguards rushed forward swiftly, pinning her and several other secretaries and assistants down, dragging them before Caius.
Her gaze only dared reach as far as Caius's shoe tips, and... that woman!
How could she have imagined that Linnea, who seemed so unremarkable in the company, would actually receive Caius's affection, even if only for this moment!
"Mr. Caius, please let me explain..."
"Shut up." Caius interrupted her coldly. "From now on, you're all fired for serious violations of company policy."
As soon as he spoke, several people tried to beg for mercy, but Caius continued immediately.
"I hope you won't tell anyone about anything that happened tonight. Otherwise, I don't mind taking the time to instruct my subordinates to terminate all business dealings between the Thorne Group and your families."
Several people's faces went deathly pale. They didn't dare say another word.
As for Linnea, she had barely calmed down by now.
A feeling mixed with shock and wild joy attacked her brain.
Caius could actually do this much for her? Even though for him, it was just terminating business cooperation with an unimportant small family and firing a few secretaries and assistants who didn't have much access to company secrets.
Then... perhaps she could try to demand more from Caius?
"Feel better?"
"No... They colluded with so-called partners, trying to let filth crawl onto my body, ruin my work, even... push me away from you. How can this just be settled so easily!"
Caius raised an eyebrow. "So what do you want to do?"
Linnea probed, asking him, "Can I have the decision?"
"Of course." Caius kissed her lips lightly. "From here on, it's all yours. Have fun, Linnea."
Excited, Linnea walked before everyone and showed a dangerous smile. "I'm a very kind person, not vicious like you all. How about you drink the liquor on the table and apologize to me?"
But those were all drinks spiked with strong aphrodisiacs!
Emily's lips trembled, the eyes staring at her full of resentment and hatred.
And Linnea deliberately walked up to her, looking down. "Miss Emily, as the person who orchestrated this entire farce, you need to drink even more... Hmm, why are you staring at me like that? I haven't done anything excessive, have I?"
She shoved a glass into Emily's arms, letting the liquor spill on her. "I'm just returning exactly what you tried to do to me."
Emily wouldn't take it. Linnea smiled at her, then suddenly slapped her to the ground and called loudly for a bodyguard. "Since Miss Emily doesn't like drinking, let's prepare her favorite black coffee instead, shall we?"
Scalding black coffee was brought up.
"Drink it?" Linnea smiled wantonly. "In the past, it was all spilled on the hands of your 'careless' subordinates and wasted, but today, I guarantee you'll fully experience its heat..."
Emily seemed to taste the bloody flavor of her throat festering.
She tried to push it away, but Linnea shot her a look. The bodyguard gripped her hand, palm up, and poured that cup of steaming coffee onto it!
"Ahh!"
More bodyguards swarmed forward, pinning them down, force-feeding them liquor. Screams and pleas for mercy were extremely grating, but Linnea was too lazy to pay attention anymore.
After doing all this, the passionate blood that had rushed to her brain receded. She thought of Caius behind her, afraid he would punish her for being too extreme and violent.
To avoid punishment, she preemptively acted innocent. "Caius, sorry, I might have been too impulsive just now..."
"Impulsive?" Caius interrupted her. "So next time, what more cautious and calm method of revenge will you choose?"
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Linnea's eyes.
Of course not! Next time she would only prepare even more scalding water, burning these scum who tried to ruin her life until their entire faces rotted and they became mute. After all, if she didn't do this, the one who would ultimately suffer all this would only be herself!
But this momentary trance made her miss the best timing to conceal her emotions.
Caius walked over. For a moment, she didn't dare move.
But his large hand covered her clenched fist, kneading the fist open and taking it into his hand.
"Revenge should be done in the most intense way, shouldn't it?" Caius gently stroked her shoulder, smoothing out the trembling caused by her tension. Still in a teasing tone, "I like my cat to always seek revenge."
Her heart steadily returned to its place. It even came with a subtle excitement.
Caius took her out and drove onto the road. She sat in the passenger seat, staring at the destination on the navigation. "We're going to the gallery?"
"Yeah." Caius said. "To apologize to you."
Linnea couldn't help but think of that unpleasant "apology" a few days ago. She lowered her head, mumbling, "Is it really an apology, not a punishment?"
The latter showed her a mischievous smile. "Linnea, are you very dissatisfied with what happened that day?"
"Should I be satisfied?"
"But didn't you feel good that time? At the end, you were squirting all over the floor..."
"Caius!" Linnea shouted.
"Stop hiding it, you just like it this way." Caius whispered. "You like me treating you like a bad girl being punished, pinching that piece of flesh that gets wet, spanking it, making it hurt and feel good at the same time. Every time, aren't you excited? That mouth down there is more honest than the one up top. It almost bit my finger off..."
Linnea's face didn't lose its blush until after they entered the gallery.
Caius said that today, any paintings she liked in the gallery would be hers unconditionally.
Linnea's mood became wonderful again.
Although giving her the entire gallery would also be a small matter for Caius. But at least he was willing to spend effort coaxing her. This kind of emotional progress was enough to make her secretly happy.
However, this wasn't enough.
What she wanted wasn't Caius's possessive desire for his belongings, rewards for pets, but rather, something that came from caring...
After registering the paintings with Stella, Linnea walked into that studio from last time.
She had come in such a hurry last time that Linnea hadn't properly observed the studio. Coming in this time, she realized the studio was furnished as completely as a small lounge, even with a matching bedroom and bathroom. She really didn't know how much scheming Caius had when he had people renovate this studio...
When she entered, Caius was sitting upright on the sofa, reviewing documents.
As the actual person in control of the Thorne Group, Caius was always excessively busy. She sat beside him, quietly nestling up.
Caius gently stroked her cheek. "Tired from looking?"
"A little."
"Wait for me to finish reading this document, then come home with me."
His large hand wrapped around the back of her hand. Caius said nothing more, playing with her fingers while continuing to review the contract. Linnea leaned against him somewhat wearily, her gaze wandering, when she suddenly noticed the bookmark he was holding.
It was the one she had drawn for him last time.
"Didn't you not want it?"
"Did I ever say I didn't want it?"
"Hmph." Linnea's face showed stubbornness, but she smiled smugly inside. As expected, Caius did care about her a little.
Caius put down the document and held her on his lap. "Stop challenging me from now on, and I won't scare you."
"That depends on your attitude."
"Alright." Caius stroked her lips that were turned to the side. "Arrogant bad cat, seems like last time's punishment wasn't enough to teach you a lesson. Next time, I'll use a punishment method that scares you even more."
"Talking about punishment again?" Linnea said dissatisfied. "I knew it, you're not sincere about apologizing tonight either."
Caius finished laughing, then turned over, pressing her beneath him, nose tip against nose tip, murmuring warmly, "Okay, tonight is an apology, compensation."
"I hope you're satisfied with tonight's compensation... my baby."