He crumpled the note in his hand and immediately dialed his secretary.
"Find Gemma Liu now." Charles demanded.
"Miss Liu? Isn't she back home in Shanghai?" He asked.
"No, I brought her out on a flight last night. She just left a resignation letter with me and I have that meeting with the Mo Conglomerate in ten minutes." Charles told him.
"But, sir, if she resigned then—" He was interrupted.
"She's not resigning. I won't accept it. Find her and bring her back to my room. I'll deal with her when the meeting is over." Charles said.
Secretary Li groaned. He knew Gemma's personality by now. There was no way she'd come peacefully or quietly and she couldn't care less about the President's order. She was the only person John Li knew of that could speak to President Wen so freely and still walk among the living. She also could stir up his anger quicker than most. And apparently she could cause the CEO to feel desire for a woman. Literally a miracle. Gemma Liu was complex, but it was obvious that she had the power to evoke deep emotions in the President that many thought were long eradicated from his life. If she were to really resign...John Li feared the consequences of such a reality. He had better find her quickly!
Meanwhile, Charles was struggling to concentrate in the meeting. Where had Gemma gone? If she came back, how would he handle the situation? Would she even come back at all? He was a powerful man but if he took her against her will he'd have to contend with her father and he didn't want to fight with him.
Wait, what was he thinking? He never grew attached to people or experienced sadness when they left. He had learned the hard way when his mother left that attachment to someone ended in pain. But if he wasn't attached to Gemma then why did he feel like he couldn't breathe when he thought about her disappearing from his life?
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Secretary Li found Gemma at the airport, waiting for an afternoon flight to Shanghai. He brought some of Charles's security team, hoping they'd persuade her.
"Assistant Liu, President Wen requests that you come back to the hotel with us." John Li told her.
"I highly doubt it was a request, gentlemen. But I'm no longer his assistant. I resigned.
"Miss Liu, President Wen said that he does not accept your resignation. Please come back with us." John Li said.
"I'm sure he doesn't accept it but he has to learn he can't always have what he wants." Gemma said coolly.
The men raised their eyebrows in surprise. The CEO had his hands full with this one.
They seemed to be at a stalemate. By then the meeting was over and a very angry Charles Wen was storming across the airport toward Gemma.
The men parted to let him through.
"How could you?!" He spat.