As soon as she answered the call, Alisha's voice roared like an angry lioness, "Jaylene Ziel, where the hell have you been?"
"I...uh..." Jaylene hesitated momentarily and then counter-questioned, "Alisha, is there something wrong?"
"Can't I call you without a reason?"
Alisha's tone was fierce, but she was evidently concerned, "Why didn't you come to work this morning? Are you still bothering about that loser Alexander Preston?"
"I was delayed by something this morning, but I'm on my way now."
Upon finishing her sentence, Jaylene hung up and quickly opened her wardrobe.
Joseph Thompson didn't deceive her; her clothes were indeed in the wardrobe, and they even had the fresh scent of detergent.
Just as Jaylene was done changing, the bathroom door opened again, and Joseph Thompson emerged.
His stylish, black, high-end handmade suit enhanced his tall, proud, and cold demeanor.
His solemn yet stern face, perfect facial features as if sculpted by an artist.
His thick, dark eyebrows, a pair of sharp and unfathomable black eyes, tall nose bridge, and thin lips. He exuded the silent, cold arrogance of a king, a prestige that demanded submission, looking down upon everyone like a distant emperor.
"I have something to attend to, so I need to leave. If you still feel unwell, you can rest here for a while. There are still two hours left until 2 p.m."
What? It's not even 2 o'clock?
Jaylene was dumbfounded, and she couldn't help but look up at the wall clock, only to widen her eyes in shock!
Indeed, it was only at 12 o'clock!
My goodness, she'd never slept so late before. Plus, she remembered having to work today, right?
Last night, she and Alisha attended the CEO's daughter's engagement party and were stunned to find out that the groom was Jaylene's own boyfriend. Distraught, she went to Freezing Point Bar to drown her sorrows in alcohol but didn't expect what followed...
So now, does that mean she's been skipping work all day?
"I have something to do, too. I'll be leaving." Jaylene grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
"Jaylene Ziel!" The man suddenly called her as she reached the doorway.
With a hand on the door handle, Jaylene turned around, staring at him warily, "What is it?"
Joseph watched her tense expression and walked over, his mouth forming a faint smirk. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Jaylene Ziel, don't take advantage of a situation and escape responsibility!"
"..."
It was only after seeing the playful smirk on his face that she snapped back to her senses. She shot him an irate glare before leaving.
Running out of the hotel and boarding the bus, Jaylene gradually regained composure and realized something -
Joseph had just called her by her full name, Jaylene Ziel.
But when did she tell him her name? Was it after she got drunk last night?
What else might she have told him after getting drunk? Did she blurt out her entire three-year relationship with Alexander?
...
Clayton Construction
Jaylene had barely reached the entrance when Alisha intercepted her.
"Was it worth it to get drunk for someone like Alexander?" Alisha pointed to Jaylene's forehead and scolded her sternly.
"Alexander is our Design Director," Jaylene cautiously reminded her, "Don't just randomly call him by his first name."
"What's so special about him?" Alisha showed no concern - wasn't he just a Design Director?
Others might be unaware of Jaylene and Alexander's relationship, but Alisha knew; Alexander was an orphan raised by the Ziel Family. Jaylene's father had treated him like a future son-in-law.
Six months ago, when Alexander became design director, they thought he would marry Jaylene this year. However, yesterday, news broke that Clayton Construction's CEO's daughter was marrying none other than Alexander!
Jaylene returned from a business trip a week ago, and Alisha accompanied her to the CEO's daughter's wedding. Jaylene was stunned to discover the groom was her Alexander!
At that moment, Alisha guessed that Jaylene was clueless about Alexander's two-timing and that he had sinisterly planned for Jaylene's temporary departure.
Jaylene gave a wry smile when she heard Alisha's words, "It's not about how special he is, but that he controls our future."
On top of that, Alexander was not only the Design Director but also the Clayton CEO's son-in-law. Everyone knew the CEO only had a daughter and no sons.
In other words, Alexander marrying Raine Thompson meant more than just marrying a woman - he married the entire Clayton Construction.
"By the way, your mom called last night looking for you," Alisha suddenly remembered, "I told her you were feeling down and with me."
"Thank you," Jaylene quickly expressed her gratitude.
She had just arrived home from her business trip not 20 minutes before she was called to attend the CEO's daughter's wedding banquet. Her mother must have become worried when Jaylene didn't return and was unreachable by phone and had then called Alisha.
"What's there to thank?" Alisha slapped Jaylene's shoulder, "Tell me, who were you with last night?"
"Huh?" Jaylene, still confused, stared blankly at Alisha.
"Don't even tell me you spent the entire night alone somewhere,"
Alisha immediately glared at her, "A man called me using your mobile phone this morning asking me to request leave for you. Who was he? Did Alexander's betrayal lead you to find a new boyfriend?"
Jaylene's cheeks flushed, and she quickly denied, "How could I find a new boyfriend that quickly? He's just a regular friend."
"Regular friend?"
Alisha looked at Jaylene, her gaze obviously inquisitive, "How regular? Regular enough for him to accompany you the whole night?"
"How do you know he was with me the whole night?"
Jaylene gasped, dread creeping over her. That damn Joseph, what did he tell Alisha?!
"He called me at 7 a.m.," Alisha gave her a sidelong glance, "When I asked where you were, he said you were asleep."
"..."
Now Jaylene was utterly speechless.
Damn Joseph Thompson, he really knew how to stir up trouble! Was he trying to broadcast her embarrassing night to the world?
"By the way, why didn't you answer your phone this morning? Later, when I called again, your phone was switched off."