Pheonix Lou didn't know how long she had been crying. Her eyes were swollen. The bandage on her right arm turned redder and redder.
She could feel pain all over her body, what happened last night played in her mind. He mistook her for another woman, led him to force himself on her. To be seen as someone else during her precious first time was even more painful.
What she knew, their relationship was professional. What did Desmond Claude take her for? A girl who he could toy around? A subordinate who warmed his bed? Prisoner without dignity? A mistress in needs? His lover's substitute? She's not that kind of person!
She purely did her job, what made her deserve to experience all of these?
She hurriedly wiped out her negative thoughts. She calmed herself down, convinced herself that it was an accident, they were adults, and it wasn't like the end of the world. Just let it go!
——
Claude Corporation, 50th Floor.
Luke Tyson had completed his report about the Wrights, he showed the pictures of all the young girls with the surname. Unfortunately, none of them had the face, the boss was looking for.
'Let's close this matter!' Desmond commanded.
Luke Tyson bowed, leaving the boss office. Since yesterday, CEO Claude seemed to be in a bad mood.
Ting! A message from the CEO.
'Take Pheonix Lou to the hospital. Later bring me her contract.'
As how he was commanded, Luke Tyson took Pheonix Lou to the hospital, got her bleeding wound treated.
She was wearing a long sleeved dress, her straight hair hung loosely reaching her waist. Wearing no make up, she was still very beautiful.
After her appearance in the Charity Dinner, people remembered her more as the mysterious girlfriend of Desmond Claude. Whenever, they saw her, they quickly noticed her.
Luke Tyson broke the silence in the car.
'You became famous now, Secretary Lou.'
No response. Since earlier, she was gloomy, her eyes was often seen in a daze, she didn't talk much.
Did something happened between her and the CEO? Why both of them were making such face? But the CEO seemed concerned about her, he never did that to other people. Was that only a coincidence?
'Assistant Tyson, please take me to see the CEO.' Pheonix spoke after a while.
Luke was startled. 'Are you sure you want to go there in this outfit?'
'Yes.'
Arriving at the Claude Corporation. Every eyes arround couldn't help to whisper to each other.
'Hey, isn't she the CEO's girlfriend?'
'Look! She is the rumoured girl!'
'She was so beautiful in person!'
'I can't believe the CEO had a girlfriend already!!'
'Talk about her, she seems familiar. Have we met her before?'
The lift reached the 50th Floor. Pheonix Lou walked straight to the CEO office. The people there had the same reaction as before.
In front of Desmond Claude, Pheonix Lou handed in her resignation letter.
'Please accept my resignation letter, CEO Claude.' Pheonix Lou bowed deeply.
Desmond Claude didn't do anything with the letter. His expression was as calm as water but anyone could feel his domineering aura by his cold eyes.
In the morning he already told her if he was going to be responsible, yet she refused. It was the best offer, he thought. Didn't she like him? Why she also asked for a resignation?
'Why should I accept your resignation?'
'We wronged each other, we are even now...'
'We are even, that's true.' Desmond Claude leaned his back to his chair, thinking of something then continued, 'However, It's only been a week since you signed the contract, I had even promised you I won't make it as hard as before for you. We can even renew it. I don't have to remind you that resignation means you breach the contract, except I annul the contract.'
She pursed her lips. It was stated the the penalty was 1,000,000,000 dollars. It was unfair from the start!
Pheonix Lou did a negotiation, 'CEO Claude, considering what happened last night, there will always be a possibility to implicate private matters in doing our job in the future and it can be troublesome. If my resignation is not accepted, what contract renewal do CEO Claude offer?'
It was easy to see, Pheonix Lou was quite stubborn in a good way. She would bounce when she hit rock bottom, she wouldn't let herself be drown in bad situation. The way she was, fascinated a certain someone.
Desmond Claude calmly replied, 'That makes sense. If that's the case, you can resign as my secretary and you are no longer my prisoner.'
Really? He accepted her resignation? She was no longer his prisoner? Just like that? It was easier than she had imagined. He agreed to annul the contract?
'In one condition.' Desmond Claud continued to explain.
There was no such thing as free lunch!
'Be my girlfrend!'
Desmond Claude was a man with his own principles. He took her first time, he would definitely take the responsibility even though she refused. So, by doing this, he could seize the opportunity.
After a week spending time together, Desmond Claude gradually changed his judgement. He had been thinking a lot since morning. Pheonix Lou was a girl after all, she lost her first time because of him, it would affect her in the future.
Pheonix Lou was flabbergasted, 'Girlfriend???! No, this...'
'It's just for temporary.' Desmond Claude showed her today's news from his phone. 'The public claimed you to be my girlfriend. We should continue to perform. Besides, I will pay you for this job.'
Paid fake girlfriend?!
Pheonix Lou directly rejected, 'No, you don't have to pay me to be your girlfriend!'
'So, you agree to be my girlfriend?'
'What?! I-i... '
'You can choose. I will annul the previous contract if you become my girlfriend.'
This cunning man!!!
Pheonix Lou found it terribly difficult to defeat him. She thought really hard and agreed to be his fake girlfriend in the end.
She fell for another trap of his with no option.
The previous contract was thrown to the paper grinding machine.
After some more discussion, Pheonix Lou was free to live in her apartment, to find another job in her usual male disguise, and had to be ready to present herself as his girlfriend.
Desmond Claude was no longer concerned about why she disguised herself as he thought what she did was pretty effective in playing her role as his so-called girlfriend. He might save her reputation, while he benefited from her in public view.
Leaving her job as a secretary in Claude Corporation was truly a loss, but it was the best way. Working professionally, yet having a complicated affair, even it was a fake one, with the boss made her uncomfortable, not to mention last night incident. She really didn't expect her life would turn this way.
Closing the door of his office, Luke Tyson beamed at her curiously. They were close colleagues after all.
'I met the CEO for resignation, Assistant Tyson.' She told him briefly.
'What?? I thought... but...' Luke Tyson didn't understand at all. He was confused and sad.
'We made another deal... you'll know it soon.' Pheonix Lou said in helpless tone.
'Yeah, the boss is calling.' Luke Tyson showed his buzzing phone.
Pheonix walked herself out of the building. Everytime she passed her previous colleagues, she got nervous, yet she forced her face remained calm and friendly. She could sense, their eyes stuck on her like she was a museum collection. The news really got her famous. What would her life be from now?
Desmond watched her got into a cab in front of the building from the 50th floor, standing near the window with one hand on his pocket, his expression was unreadable.
The assistant of his was still in his office after listening the tasks he was required to do.
'Assign 2 bodyguards for her but make sure she doesn't know.'
Luke Tyson couldn't find a word to describe his boss and Pheonix Lou relationship. They were not more than a boss and a male secretary before. However, in a short period of time after she was discovered as a girl, the boss and the girl interaction seemed change.
'Understood.'
Desmond Claude was left alone in his office. His mind began to be filled with the deceased girl in his memory. His heart was in pain whenever he realized she was gone from this world.
If only, he could meet her again, he would take her to his parents, got married, and she would be the only person appeared in the news with him.
Pheonix Lou with her bright double eyelid pheonix eyes once again appeared in his mind. Why did her image always overlapped with Phoenix Lou? They did share some similarities. Well, many people in this world looked a like but the investigation already showed its result, the girl name was Margareth and she died of heart disease.
Thinking throughly, Desmond Claude awared he maybe biased towards Pheonix Lou because of Margareth. Still, occasionally, Pheonix Lou could really draw his attention. He wasn't sure either.
The city lights has been turned on, the wind got bigger as the sky turned to black.
Pheonix had been cleaning her apartment after she got back her things from the Jade Lake Villa. She kept everything neatly in place, especially her pheonix pendant. She cooked for herself and ate alone in her little home.
Checking on her transferred salary, Pheonix sighed. 'I was well paid before... Nahh, I need to find a job!'
Ting! A new chat received.
Mr. Jerk: 'I'll pick you up at 12 tomorrow. Don't make me wait!'
Pheonix Lou: 'Are we going somewhere?'
Mr. Jerk: 'Just do what you asked!'
Tsk! He could say it nicely! Pheonix pouted her lips.
Her sadness rose up. She never had a boyfriend, yet she had lost her first kiss and her first time. Will she be alone for her whole life?
Ting! Another chat notification.
Assistant Tyson: 'The CEO had announced your resignation. Your admirers were sad hahaha...'
Pheonix Lou: 'They are sad because they think i'm a man.'
Assistant Tyson: 'Miss Lou is right.'
——
Desmond Claude picked up Pheonix Lou that day in his limited edition Jaguar. His masculine tall body looked fashionably hot, wearing mocha coloured blazer and black shirt underneath. His long legs wrapped in white trousers and a pair of black coloured shoes.
As they got in the car, he gave her a pen and a document, the renewed contract. Pheonix Lou took the pen and signed it obediently, the man wouldn't compromise even when there was a thing or two she disagreed.
Noting her action, a smile of satisfactIon came into sight in his perfectly well defined face. He sped up his car.
'Are we in a hurry?' Pheonix Lou asked.
'You need to change your shabby clothes.' Desmond Claude answered while his eyes were still on the road.
Pheonix Lou pouted her lips.
She left all the clothes he bought for her in his villa. Furthermore, she was not a rich young lady who was able to spend millions dollars for clothes. Everyday, she needed to disguise as a man, it wasn't worth to have so many clothes. If she hadn't been exposed, she wouldn't even go out as a girl this often.
Soon, they arrived in a high end mall. Desmond Claude opened the car door for her as he whispered in her ear in his deep voice, 'You are my girlfriend, act like one!'
So, that was the plan! A date! A fake date and a fake girlfriend!
Desmond Claude put his hand on her curvy waist, dragged her to a store. Pheonix Lou's face flushed red, she got nervous by his action.
The shopkeeper politely greeted them with a smile, reccommended some clothes for Pheonix Lou to try on. Pheonix Lou did what she supposed to do.
Desmond Claude sat himself on a couch in front of the fitting room, waiting for the girl.
Pheonix Lou came out to show the first dress. Everyone agreed the dress looked so stunningly sexy on her, the super tight cut exposed her excellent figure, and the backless style showed off her alluring back.
Her hourglass figure was slender but also fleshy in the right parts. It wasn't hard to make a dress look good on her.
Desmond Claude adam's apple bobbed. Hiding his thoughts, his face turned dark as he hurriedly asked her to change.
It wasn't his first time seeing her body, yet somehow it was getting harder to control his urge as a healthy normal man.