Before Michael Gordon could finish speaking, the interoffice telephone rang. He glanced at Ivy Aretha thoughtfully before answering.
Whatever the person on the other end said, he simply replied in a cold tone - 'not available'. This was a stark contrast to his lazily nonchalant demeanor just a moment ago.
After hanging up the phone, Michael's face was still emanating a gloomy chill, making Ivy feel that the temperature in the office had dropped by a few degrees.
Seeing that the situation was not favorable, Ivy quickly decided to leave. Any longer and she might upset him, losing her job before properly starting.
"Um, Mr. Gordon, today's my first day at work and I'm quite busy..."
Her meaning was clear - she wanted to leave. Seeing him glare at her, but not agreeing or disagreeing, she simply turned to go. Under these circumstances, it was best to avoid him.
"Busy? Are you busier than the boss? If the boss hasn't said he's busy, how can an employee say they're busy?"
This damned woman, he hadn't said he was busy, and yet she dared to? Michael's peach blossom eyes gazed intensely at her. Why did this woman always give him a feeling of familiarity? Had they met somewhere before?
Michael remembered the moment they first met yesterday, when Ivy saw him, the surprise was evident on her face. "Is that you?" Those words spread through Michael's mind.
Ivy felt unease under his familiar gaze, she could easily imagine how scorching the eyes staring at her were without even looking up. Memories of his smitten looks from six years ago appeared in her mind, and her heart beat wildly as she searched for something to say.
"You are very nervous!"
Seeing Ivy keep her head down and not daring to look at him, her body stiffened. Michael's suspicions about her knowing him grew stronger, and he was almost certain this woman had definitely seen him before, otherwise, she wouldn't react like she saw a ghost every time she saw him.
Despite not being able to topple kingdoms or claim the spotlight, Michael felt rather narcissistic about his looks.
However, why were Ivy's reactions upon seeing him always either surprise or horror? The only explanation was that she recognized him, and maybe it wasn't just that.
He could see that this woman disliked him a lot. At this possibility, thoughts raced through Michael's mind, and a sense of irritation washed over him. Unconsciously, he pulled on the collar of his shirt, then approached Ivy.
"Do you recognize..."
The word "me" was cut off by Ivy's blunt denial.
"I don't!"
Mere suspicion turned to certainty for Michael after seeing Ivy's hurried denial. This woman must know him. If she knows him, was entering Allure International a result of merely searching for work?
Michael looked at her with what looked like a smile, as he drew nearer, step by step. Whether it was her guilty conscience or him displaying too much confidence, Ivy instinctively retreated step by step.
She finally stopped when she backed into the wall, with no place left to retreat. Forcing herself to appear calm, Ivy looked up at him, secretly praying that this man wouldn't recognize her.
Due to her unease, Ivy's big eyes glared at him, her eyelashes trembling. This was like a little rabbit caught red-handed while on the run, obviously scared but trying to appear strong.
Confronted with Ivy's pellucid eyes, Michael felt his heartstrings being gently tugged, unable to break free.
"Gu... Mr. Gordon, no touching between men and women!"
Ivy found herself trapped between the wall and Michael, feeling his scorching breath and increasingly closer lips. With no other option, she spoke the first thing that came to her mind.
What could she do? Six years ago, this man already left an impression of a dissolute young master, and every time he made this move, her mind instinctively imagined his next step!
"No touching between men and women?"
Michael couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Ivy Aretha, did you time-travel here from ancient times?"
Seeing her frustrated expression, he couldn't help but want to tease her more. As he laughed, he brought his lips closer, acting as if he was about to kiss her.
"You scoundrel!"
Perhaps scared by his move, Ivy directly kicked at his crotch.
After this action, she regretted it instantly. Michael groaned, covering his crotch, sweat beads forming on his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gordon!"
Over the years, Ivy, raising her daughter alone, had numerous encounters with men who wanted to take advantage of her beauty, so this reaction had become instinctive. She only felt remorseful when she realized this man was her boss.
Michael covered himself for a while until the pain subsided. When he looked at Ivy's face again, it was no longer just black but a shade bordering on cyan.
fter a while, seeing her visibly uncomfortable expression, the gloomy look on Michael's face disappeared, replaced by a familiar mischievous air.
"Ivy Aretha, did you secretly climb into my bed in the past, only to be dismissed by me?" Michael looked at her, seemingly amused, "Is that why you got physical with me as soon as you saw me?"
Got physical?
The guilt Ivy initially felt instantly crumbled at his words.
Secretly climbed into his bed?
She was clearly raped by him! However, Ivy couldn't reveal this now, because if he remembered that he had taken her by force, her precious daughter might eventually be taken away from her.
"Mr. Gordon, is it possible that with so many women in your bed, you can't differentiate between those you dragged and those who climbed up themselves?"
Ivy looked at him with eyes that seemed to laugh, suppressing her hatred behind her indifferent tone, "After all, they say that for men, too many women in bed affects their memory and accelerates aging!"
Michael's heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned slightly dazed. This type of gaze and tone felt very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
He didn't get the furious reaction he expected from Ivy. Michael just stared at her, his eyes both familiar and unfamiliar, as if they were missing something from his memory - something like a soul.
It took Michael a while to finally say, "If we know each other, you can just tell me directly. Some tricks lose their fun after a while!"
Having said that, Michael sat back down in his office chair, looking at the documents in front of him, and didn't look at her again.
"We... don't know each other!"