Amelia walked back into the room, and before she could even sit down, Nick grabbed her arm and pulled her into the chair right next to him. His arm draped over her shoulder in a way that was both protective and possessive, making it clear to everyone watching.
"Nick, this isn't right," Amelia muttered, trying to shrug his arm off.
"Please," Nick whispered urgently. "These old guys brought in those girls. They're relentless."
"Handle it yourself," Amelia snapped, getting more irritated. "Why should I be the one to help?"
From across the room, Rowena watched with growing jealousy. *That bitch,* she thought. *She's really playing it up with the handsome CEO.*
Amelia could feel eyes on her and Nick, which only made her more uncomfortable. She stood up abruptly and pushed Professor Lewis into the seat between her and Nick. It created a barrier, and Amelia let out a small sigh of relief. But just as she did that, Rowena made her move, sliding up to Nick with a sly smile.
"So, you really quit smoking, huh?" Rowena purred. "Not even interested in trying a new vape flavor?"
"No, thanks," Nick replied, sipping from his drink without looking at her. He quickly called over Adam, who had just come back from the restroom, and motioned for him to sit on his left.
"Hey, sit here, man," Nick said, happy to have Adam as another buffer between him and Rowena. With that, Nick turned back to his conversation with Professor Lewis, diving into a discussion about the latest advancements in graphene battery technology.
"I had no idea you used to be a scientist, Mr. Zhao," Adam said, clearly impressed. "With a professor like you, I bet none of the students could focus on their work."
The comment made Amelia's ears burn. She glared at Adam, who clearly had no idea what kind of reaction he'd just triggered.
"What do you think, Amy?" Nick teased, flashing a playful smirk. He remembered how, back when he was teaching, Amelia couldn't even solve basic problems in his class.
Amelia scoffed and muttered under her breath, "Ugh, so full of yourself."
"I know I'd be very motivated if my professor looked like you," Rowena chimed in, without anyone asking for her opinion. She leaned forward, grinning, and reached over to refill Nick's glass, shooing Adam away in the process so she could slide in closer to Nick.
Amelia's irritation was growing by the second. She could feel her patience wearing thin, especially as Rowena kept finding excuses to brush her hand against Nick's arm, shoulder, or even his leg. It was like she couldn't stop herself from trying to touch him. The whole act was ridiculous, and it made Amelia's blood boil.
"Stupid bitch," Amelia grumbled to herself. "Who's the real slut here?"
Rowena, noticing Amelia's discomfort, only leaned in closer to Nick, her movements becoming even more obvious. She was thriving on Amelia's frustration, pushing things further just to get under her skin. And then, in a dramatic gesture, Rowena pretended to trip as she reached for a snack, using the opportunity to "accidentally" pull Nick's face closer to hers and plant a kiss on his cheek.
"OOOHHH!" the room reacted in unison, everyone shocked at the boldness of Rowena's move.
The kiss was anything but accidental, and everyone knew it. The whole thing was shameless, but Rowena didn't care. She was convinced that being a hot, sexy woman gave her a free pass to do whatever she wanted without consequence.
"Oh, sorry! That was an accident!" Rowena said coyly, batting her eyelashes and pretending to be embarrassed.
Before Nick could even react, a sudden blur of movement caught everyone's attention. Amelia snatched a drink from Professor Lewis's hand and, without a second thought, threw it directly into Rowena's face. The cold liquid splashed all over her, soaking her hair and makeup in one quick motion.
Amelia stood there, her eyes flashing with rage but a wicked smile on her lips. "Oops," she said mockingly. "My bad! It was an accident."
"You bitch!" Rowena screamed, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at Amelia. "You did that on purpose! Look at this! She's out of control! How can anyone tolerate this newbie?"
"I said it was an accident," Amelia responded coolly, but her tone was laced with venom. "Do you know what *wasn't* an accident?"
Before anyone could intervene, Amelia grabbed a full bottle from the table—probably the most expensive one there—and emptied its contents over Rowena's head. The liquid poured over her in a steady stream, drenching her completely. Amelia watched with satisfaction, releasing years of pent-up anger and frustration in that single action. Every insult, every moment of bullying Rowena had inflicted on her, came rushing back, and Amelia let it all out.
Rowena stood there in shock, her entire body soaked, her perfect hair and makeup ruined. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Her lips trembled with disbelief as she stared at Amelia, trying to comprehend how the quiet, reserved woman she used to pick on had just humiliated her so publicly.
Leaning in close, Rowena hissed through clenched teeth, "You little—"
Amelia, still smiling wickedly, leaned in just as close and whispered back, "If you're going to pick a fight, you better know who you're messing with."
Amelia looked around, then quickly apologized. "Sorry, I guess I drank a bit too much. You won't report this little scene if your brains are still in your heads," she almost yelled, her tone a bit harsh, fueled by the situation. She said that to save face, even though she hadn't had a single drop to drink. "Go ahead, keep having fun."
The girls in the room silently felt relieved that they hadn't touched even a strand of Nick's hair earlier. Otherwise, they might have ended up in the same mess as Rowena.
Without being told, Amelia left the room. She felt a sense of satisfaction from punishing Rowena, but for some reason, she was still upset. She hadn't wanted to act so wildly, but Rowena didn't know her limits and had crossed Amelia's threshold for patience.