Christine had no idea how long she'd been lying on the carpet.
The multiple waves of climax had left her completely drained. Even more exhausting was her mental strain - shame, fear, guilt... All these emotions mixed together, consuming her consciousness.
Until she heard the bathroom door open and Adrian walked out. This time, he had not only freshened up but had changed into a new outfit, even carrying a briefcase.
He wore a long black cashmere coat over a black turtleneck sweater. The perfect tailoring complemented his broad shoulders and long legs, making him look like he'd stepped out of a fashion magazine.
He ignored her completely, walking straight to his desk. His hair was freshly styled, slicked back without a single strand out of place. Those graphite-gray eyes were cold and calm, as if the fierce invasion moments ago had never existed.
He pressed the intercom button, his deep voice filling the office: "James, come in in two minutes."
After speaking, he glanced once at Christine's naked body before turning away indifferently. He stood facing the night view through the window, seemingly absorbed in adjusting his cuffs and watch.
Christine realized he had given her just two minutes.
She scrambled up from the carpet in panic. Her body felt broken, limbs trembling and refusing to cooperate. Her wrists were raw and scraped, while her breasts, thighs, and waist were covered in alarming red marks from his grip.
She couldn't worry about that now, frantically gathering her scattered clothes and trying to dress herself.
By the time James walked in, she was still bent over, desperately trying to slip on her sandals.
The office was in complete disarray. Her juices still dripped down the floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving conspicuous streaks. The leather couch glistened wetly, and the scattered gag and tie on the floor - everything testified to the fierce sex.
James maintained his professional demeanor, nodding politely to Christine while offering her a glass of water and a throat lozenge.
Before she could awkwardly thank him, he turned to his boss: "Boss, we should leave soon. The jet is ready for takeoff."
Noticing Christine's surprised look, James smiled slightly and explained, "Boss has a summit in Tokyo the day after tomorrow. The jet shall depart at eleven-thirty."
Christine's eyes went to the clock - it was eleven.
So in just thirty minutes, he would be on a plane to Tokyo - after spending an hour and a half fucking her.
His time management was almost obsessive.
"Mrs. Christine, we must leave now. My apologies for not seeing you out."
Christine tried to say it wasn't necessary, but her throat burned so painfully she could only manage a hoarse mumble.
She nodded at James and practically fled the office, unable to stay in Adrian's presence any longer.
She limped toward the elevator, encountering Adrian's other two assistants - Thomas and Daniel, his security head and business assistant. She knew them before. Both wore suits and gave her quick, professional nods before striding into the office, likely preparing to leave as well.
It was nearly midnight when Christine got home. Everyone was asleep except Sophie, who was busy in the kitchen. Seeing Christine, Sophie immediately came to help her to a chair, noticing something was wrong.
Sophie brought her hot milk, while Christine sat there numbly. Under the kitchen lights, her thin face looked particularly pale, with obvious tear stains under her eyes. Sophie even noticed her split lip with traces of blood.
Sophie wanted to ask questions but held back, quietly waiting until Christine finished her milk and stood to go upstairs. When Sophie tried to help her up the stairs, noting her unsteady gait, Christine lightly pushed her away.
Sophie felt uneasy. A few minutes later, she quietly went upstairs to check on Christine.
The bedroom door was closed, and she could hear soft sobbing from inside.
Unable to bear listening, she tiptoed back downstairs and sent James a message: "Mrs. Christine seems upset. She's crying."
After a few seconds, she added: "What happened?"
James replied quickly: "None of your business."
At that moment, James sat in the front cabin of the private jet, checking Adrian's summit speech for the third time. His boss had extremely high standards for formal speeches, and everything had to be perfect.
After replying to Sophie, he glanced around the cabin. Thomas sat with his eyes closed, looking solemn, while Daniel lounged casually with his legs crossed, noisily flipping through a magazine.
After years of following Adrian around the world, they'd developed an unspoken understanding.
Sensing James's thoughtful gaze, Daniel looked up from his magazine. After they exchanged glances, Daniel suddenly flashed a mischievous grin - the kind that meant he was about to gossip.
Making sure Adrian wasn't in the front cabin, he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked meaningfully, "Hey, what do you think is really going on between the boss and… Mrs.Christine?"
James ignored him, returning to his work.
Thomas suddenly opened his eyes and said expressionlessly, "You know what happens to people who pry into the boss's private life? They disappear."
Truth was, James didn't understand Adrian and Christine's relationship either.
As Adrian's closest assistant, he knew well that Adrian never lacked women for physical pleasure. In all his years working for him, he'd never seen Adrian maintain anything beyond physical relationships.
Adrian never cared about their names, backgrounds, or personalities. If any woman was overconfident enough to think otherwise, she wouldn't appear in Adrian's bed a second time.
...So why Christine Blackwood?
He could only vaguely sense that Mrs. Christine was a kind, gentle, and good person. Now that young Mr. Ethan Blackwood was ill, no one suffered more than she did.
Perhaps their relationship had something to do with Ethan.