Necklace

The icy touch of the diamond sobered Marigold up a bit, and she wanted to refuse, but quickly, Brian's intoxicating scent of hormones lingered around her ears. The familiar voice from the Fantasy livestream, seductive and lazy, echoed in her ears. She began to sink deeper and deeper, her mind preventing her from uttering a refusal.

"So, please accept this gift. It's the perfect marigold for you, personally chosen by me. I want to see it on your neck all the time when you're at work. And when we celebrate our one-year anniversary, the second, the third... I hope even after decades, I can still see it on your neck."

Marigold, with a slight tipsiness, touched the marigold pendant swaying on her chest and smiled gently. "Isn't that going to be worn for a lifetime? Instead of calling it a gift, it's more like a shackle. Besides, it's too precious."

Brian gently tugged the necklace from behind her neck and whispered, "Not at all, Mary. You don't know how jealous I am of this necklace. How I wish it was me who graces your neck, from the first anniversary to the second, the third… And even after several decades have passed, when you died peacefully in dream, I long to rest as a companion upon your still heart, joining you in eternal peace in the somber depths below.

"Brian, you..." Marigold's heart suddenly couldn't stop pounding. She thought she was going crazy.

Marigold couldn't believe her ears. How could these words be something a normal boss would say to their subordinate? But she was deeply moved and couldn't sense any falsehood in them. Brian's fluffy head was right by her side, and with a reach of her hand, she pulled him closer to herself.

"Brian, it seems like you enjoy crossing the boundaries between boss and employee, huh?"

"I am the boss, I have the final say. This doesn't count as crossing boundaries. You and I were both cheated on and dumped at the same time. Don't you think that's a kind of fate?"

Brian's head gradually lowered to her lips, and Marigold only had to lean forward a bit to kiss his face. But he was nine years younger than her. He was still a child. Marigold's only shred of rationality was focused on this matter. Perhaps he had played around with many supermodels and actresses, maybe he had even been engaged to a wealthy woman, but he was still young. The perspective on relationships for young people was different from hers.

"Tell me, are the things written in newspapers and media true?"

"What things? Oh, you mean the rumors? Don't worry, I'm not that much of a playboy. Most of the rumors were deliberately spread by me, just to break off the engagement with Whitehouse. You know, I'm loyal to my own choices. There are very few women in this world who can make my heart flutter. And you, Mary, happen to be one of them."

Marigold completely fell under the spell of his repeated "Mary." Her body leaned forward slightly, and she pecked at the face of this puppy-like guy. Brian immediately widened his eyes, his face turning as red as a tomato, as if his brain had completely stopped working.

"Bad Mary, did you know that I have feelings for you and came here to seduce me? You're so naughty, knowing well that I can't resist."

He picked up Marigold, placing her on the dining table, and passionately kissed her. The food and plates were pushed aside.

No waiters came over. They were all tactful. In the vast restaurant, there were only the heavy breaths of the two of them, accompanied by the uninhibited rhythm of jazz piano, making the scene even more chaotic and mesmerizing.

"Don't make a mess here..." Marigold struggled to control the rushing stream within her, as if melting ice and snow, her vitality began to surge within her body. "The cutlery here is very expensive..."

"This is the only place worthy of us," Brian lightly supported Marigold's body with one hand, while the other hand continuously roamed over her, moving downward. "Bad Mary, I can't hold back anymore, but you're still worried about the table and cutlery. I'm going to punish you, punish you thoroughly and doubly..."

OL's shirt is pulled open with one hand, revealing a black lace bra underneath. His large hand gently kneaded her nipples, prompting a squeal from the sensitive Marigold.

Brian raises the glass again, and the remaining red wine, like blood, drips onto her white marble breasts, trickles down her skin, over her bra (where a small pond has formed), skimmed down her lower abdomen, and seeped into her underwear.

"So, you want me to keep going?"

"Yes, yes..." It had been so long since Marigold had had such a surge, she had no time to think, and she spoke directly to the answer her body needed. Brian then continued rubbing and stroking her sensitive areas, even preparing to crouch down and catch the excess wine flowing from underneath her with his mouth. But just then, the ring of the phone starts ringing wildly.

It was Brian's phone. Marigold immediately came to his senses and glanced at his screen. It's Jenny.

Brian doesn't hear you at all and continues to attack Marigold's lower body. But Marigold's heart is getting cold. She clutched the phone in her hand, dropped it onto her flat stomach and said coldly, "Your ex- fiancé."

"Leave her alone."

"I'm not in the mood right now. We're still in working hours. This meal should be over," Marigold said, frustrated. Brian reluctantly climbed off Marigold and angrily threw his phone to the ground, startling her.

Seeing her startled, Brian hurriedly approached her, soothing her with a gentle voice and helping her get dressed.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional. It's just... that name triggers my PTSD. I don't want to see any messages related to her. And you're not allowed to let her into my office—never," Brian explained, remorseful.

Marigold nodded, calming down a bit. What had she done? It was only their second day of knowing each other! And what had she done?

"I... I'll go change my clothes," Marigold quickly tried to escape. She didn't want to encounter any of the staff. It was too messy. Too disheveled. How could she let her desires overpower her reason? It shouldn't be like this.

"Wait," Brian stopped her and sent some messages. Soon enough, someone delivered some pre-purchased clothes. Brian took them and helped Marigold change. She quickly cleaned herself up in the restroom, removing any traces, and put on the clothes Brian had arranged. Strangely, they fit her perfectly.

Had he grasped her secret so quickly? Or had he been prepared, waiting for this moment? Marigold suddenly felt a chill. This man wasn't as harmless as he appeared on the surface. He might be far more complex than she had imagined.

After the meal, Brian drove Marigold back to the company and made excuses to slip away. Just as Brian left, a stylish and tall woman approached her desk.

"Where's Brian? I need to see him!" the woman demanded. It was Jenny.

Marigold felt annoyed at the sight of her, but being in the same company, they couldn't avoid encountering each other. She politely replied, "I'm sorry, but the boss isn't in the office right now."

"Is he not here or is he avoiding me?" Jenny took off her oversized sunglasses and stared at Marigold with arrogance, sneering, "Did you really break up with that loser just now and now you're trying to snatch Brian? Let me tell you, even if the sky falls, Brian is mine. Ask anyone on the board of directors, they all know about our relationship!"

"I'm sorry, but the boss is indeed not in the office right now. And, he unilaterally ended the engagement with you," Marigold calmly responded.

"He wasn't the one who proposed in the first place. His grandfather and my father haven't even spoken yet, so who gave him the right to make decisions? Ridiculous. Do you think being his secretary allows you to rise to the top? Brian, I know you're in there. I saw you coming back intimately with your secretary. Don't hide, we need to talk!" Jenny exclaimed, with an air of superiority.

Marigold blocked her path with her body and advised, "I don't want to intervene in the personal matters between you and the CEO, but Mr. Brian has given instructions that you are not allowed to enter this office."

"Oh? Has it started?" Jenny's voice became sharp, and her expression gradually turned sinister. Her lovely doll-like appearance transformed into that of a wicked witch. "Tell me, how much money did it take for you to leave Brian? Whatever he offered you, I can offer more. That loser can also be yours again. After all, I was just playing with him."

Marigold suppressed her anger and raised her voice to retort, "Thank you, but I don't need that. Also—"

She took out the blank checkbook Brian had left for her from her pocket. "This is my compensation. If you can write a check that is more valuable than this, then I might consider resigning."