Strapped for Cash

With a sudden sharp rebuke, Damien Sterling barked, "Get to the point!" The portly, balding middle-aged man, belly protruding, approached with a sycophantic grin.

"Mr. Sterling, this is one of our newly signed talents, great figure, and young too..."

But before he could finish, Damien disdainfully tossed the model's profile onto the pile already on the floor.

Glancing at the photographs, the image of the girl from last night flashed in his mind, her pale face unexpectedly among them.

Damien's brows furrowed in an instant...

To him, these women were all the same, including the one from yesterday.

A cold smirk crossed his face, his entire demeanor radiating an icy chill. Just another woman trying to seduce him.

The project manager cautiously presented another file, this time of a popular model from Asia, He Miao.

Damien frowned slightly, his expression a mix of annoyance and disgust, and he tossed He Miao's profile onto the ground as well.

The manager chuckled nervously, "She's one of the hottest models right now! Mr. Sterling, perhaps you might reconsider?" 

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Damien's captivating fox-like eyes turned icy, void of any warmth as they fixed on the manager.

"I heard, I heard," the manager quickly replied with a forced smile.

Sweating profusely, he realized how challenging it was to please the new, notoriously cold and stern young boss.

He knew he needed to tread carefully in the future, especially with the upcoming negotiations with a powerful rival, Harrington Global Enterprises.

On the same day, Emma Hart received a call from her grandmother, asking her to live with her and her brother for a while. Already strapped for cash after paying her rent, Emma found herself seeking additional part-time jobs to make ends meet.

The torn check flashed in her mind, but she quickly shook her head, dismissing it as if it were the plague.

Days passed and the weekend arrived. Emma, distributing flyers to passersby, shivered at the thought of her boss's stern warning, "If you don't hand them all out, don't expect to get paid today."

Rubbing her sore back, her phone suddenly rang. It was Ethan Turner. A flicker of surprise and joy passed through her, but recalling how he had coldly left her, her heart sank into disappointment.

Why was he calling?

Hadn't he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her?

Their years of relationship meant so little to him that he wouldn't even hear her out, choosing to believe another woman over her.

Yet, she hesitated, wondering whether to explain everything to Ethan.

Just then, a tall man bumped into her, causing her to stumble and drop her phone.

As she bent down to pick it up, she looked at the man's departing figure and started, "Hey, you..."

Before she could finish, her boss rushed over and pulled her aside.

"Didn't you see the Sterling Enterprises motorcade?

The new CEO is officially starting today. Don't get in the way!" he whispered fiercely.

Hiding behind her boss, Emma felt a bit dizzy, perhaps from the heat, but then remembered she was close to finishing her shift.

Determined to earn her half-day's wage, she shook her head to clear it and stayed focused.