Chapter 5
Clarissa’s heart trembled violently. She quickly looked up, only to find herself face to face with her
boss, Theodore Ashford.
The man wore a dark gray suit with a black coat casually draped over his arm.
Under the elevator lights, his face was handsome to the point of seeming unreal.
His eyes held some unreadable emotion as he looked at Clarissa.
Had he just returned from some business engagement? Standing so close, Clarissa could smell the
faint scent of alcohol on him.
“Theodore… no, President Ashford?”
Clarissa’s mind had turned to complete mush. She looked back again to confirm the floor behind her.
This was indeed the CEO’s office.
“I’m sorry, I pressed the wrong button,” Clarissa hurriedly apologized and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Theodore called after her.
“President Ashford, is there something else?”
Clarissa maintained a calm exterior, but inside she was in agony, like water droplets splashing into
hot oil.
All those things she’d said in the elevator–surely he hadn’t heard them?
At least… not all of them?
Clarissa held Theodore in extremely high regard.
Even when someone of his status as a corporate leader tried to be casual and relaxed, they inevitably exuded an aura of authority.
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Agreed to Marry for Convenience–But He Craved Me Every Night
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Chapter 5
Clarissa had interacted with Theodore years ago.
Oxford University, where she studied, was a world–class institution, and its external cooperation department had a school–enterprise partnership with the Aurexon Group, providing opportunities every year to recruit the most outstanding talents for Aurexon.
She remembered first seeing him at the university’s centennial celebration.
Many domestic and international celebrities and media had attended that day. Theodore had only participated briefly.
Though he had intended to remain in the background, his presence immediately drew everyone’s attention the moment he appeared. Everything around him seemed redundant compared to his
brilliance.
A month later, Clarissa was selected as an outstanding student representative from the Business School to meet with him up close in the school’s conference hall.
During the meeting, the man’s cold, detached demeanor combined with his decisive and efficient approach reinforced Clarissa’s stereotypical impression of him.
She thought of him as a high mountain flower–to be admired from afar but never touched.
But now, goodness… had she just said many offensive things?
“Can we talk?” he asked.
Meeting his calm, deep eyes, Clarissa’s thoughts scattered.
What did he want to discuss?
What else could a boss want to talk about except work, right?
“President Ashford, I’ll definitely prepare the quote and partnership proposal for the Middle Bay project by tomorrow morning…”
“Didn’t you just say you wanted to spend your life with me?” Theodore asked with a straight face, his words surprisingly shocking.
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Agreed to Marry for Convenience–But He Craved Me Every Night
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Chapter 5
Clarissa’s mind exploded with a loud boom, and she nearly lost her composure. She wanted nothing more than to kneel and beg for forgiveness: “President Ashford, I’m sorry, I… was just talking
nonsense!”
“But I took it seriously.”
What did he just say?
Clarissa’s eyes widened as they stared at each other. The air around them seemed to freeze.
Clarissa’s first reaction was that her dignified, cold boss had somehow been bewitched and was about to do something as dirty and inappropriate as keeping a subordinate as a mistress.
“I don’t become anyone’s mistress,” she finally said after a long deliberation.
She spoke each word carefully, appearing serious, though she found the situation rather absurd.
“I didn’t explain clearly. I apologize,” the man leaned closer, his voice steady and deliberate.
“I don’t have a habit of keeping mistresses. When I said ‘spend your life with me,‘ I meant… marry
me.”
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