Chapter 13

The next morning, Jesse placed Sumi's hair clip on the table and slid it towards her, making eye contact and saying, "Here's your hair clip."

Sumi immediately picked it up and bowed at a 90-degree angle in front of her boss, saying "Thank you, ma'am."

"It's alright, just be more careful next time," Jesse said, picking up a file from the stack on the table in front of her. Before opening it, she looked up again, and her eyes met Sumi's. Sumi was still standing there, her eyes and body language indicating that she wanted to say something. Jesse sensed this and asked, "Is there something you want to tell me, Sumi?"

"Today is my birthday," Sumi said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "My friends are organizing a birthday party for me, and I was wondering if you could also attend. Would you be able to come to my birthday party today?"

Jesse had made up her mind in the morning to have dinner with Dezze. It had been a while since they had last met or spoken, their conversations limited to brief seconds or minutes due to her busy schedule. Today, she was fully prepared and planned to pick up Dezze as soon as work ended. the highlight was that she would spend the entire night with Dezze.

"I would love to, but I have an appointment," Jesse replied with a serious yet simple tone.

"Is the appointment with Miss.Dezze?" Sumi asked promptly, her eyes gleaming with a different intensity this time. Unlike before, she wasn't hesitant or fearful of asking her boss a potentially inappropriate question. She asked with unbridled candor, without overthinking the fact that the question was somewhat personal.

jesse was taken aback because her manager usually only listened to her, never asking questions in return. Although Sumi had been a huge fan of her written books before she became her manager, Jesse's last fan meeting had left Sumi looking quite disappointed. This time, jesse wanted to ask about it, but since Jesse had stopped writing, she had been spending her days on business trips and meetings so there is no time for it.

Jesse crossed one leg over the other, clasped her fingers together to form a fist, and spoke in a measured tone, "Don't you think you're taking this question a bit too deep, Sumi, by posing it to me in such a manner?"

Sumi immediately bowed her head at a 90-degree angle and apologized profusely, "Please forgive me, I asked the wrong question. I promise I won't make the same mistake again." She remained standing with her head bowed, awaiting Jesse's forgiveness, refusing to lift her gaze until she was pardoned.

Jesse smiled. also before Sumi's little antics sometimes made her laugh. Sumi's facial expression was priceless, reacting as if something terrible had happened, as if she had been fired from her job due to her mistake. Jesse couldn't help but laugh out loud at the thought.

Sumi, taken aback by her boss's laughter, slowly raised her head and looked at Jesse with a hint of surprise.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sumi asked cautiously, choosing her words carefully.

Jesse composed herself, stifling her laughter, and spoke to Sumi in a softer tone. "You didn't make a mistake so big that you need to apologize like this. We humans make mistakes sometimes, but there's a limit to every mistake. Some mistakes are unforgivable, while others can be forgiven."

Sumi nodded in agreement with Jesse's words and apologized again, "Sorry." Jesse forgave her, and Sumi, without asking any further questions, quietly exited the room.

As soon as she finished work, Jesse headed straight to Dezze's office. Upon arrival, she parked her car a short distance from the office and waited for Dezze to exit. Although it was already half past ten at night, jesse seemed more excited than exhausted. After waiting for a while, Jesse got out of her car and entered Dezze's office. As soon as she walked in, Mark, who was pacing around the office, exclaimed, "Oh, Miss Jesse! What brings you here so suddenly?"

"I'm here to meet Dezze," Jesse said, hesitating slightly before stating her purpose clearly to Mark.

Within moments, Dezze appeared before her, standing to Mark's left. Mark glanced at Dezze and said, "Look who's here, the one and only!" Mark then abruptly raised Dezze's right hand, as if she were a student in school raising her hand to signal her presence to the teacher.

But Jesse looked at mark as if she had been physically violated, as if someone had invaded her personal space, causing her immense pain, yet she unable to express it.

The silence between the three was brief, but Mark quickly picked up on the tension. Noticing Jesse's expression, he promptly let go of Dezze's hand and, with a sarcastic chuckle, asked Dezze- careful not to meet Jesse's gaze - "Are you wrapping up for the day, or do you still have more work?"

Before responding to Mark, Dezze glanced at Jesse to gauge her expression. Was she angry or pleased? After a quick assessment, Dezze replied, "Yes, I'm done. I was just about to leave." Mark flashed his sarcastic smile again and said, "Bye-bye." Not daring to say more, Mark hastily retreated to his workstation, practically sprinting away with his characteristic speed.

As Mark walked away, Jesse turned to Dezze with a gentle smile. She then picked up the bag slung over Dezze's shoulder, despite Dezze's initial hesitation. After clearing her throat, Jesse spoke up, "I've made reservations for dinner at a restaurant. Shall we head there?"

This was the first time Dezze had seen Jesse so carefree and happy. Normally, it was Dezze who carried Jesse's belongings, but now the roles were reversed. Jesse was ecstatic, and as she walked ahead, carrying Dezze's bag, Dezze followed closely behind, her gaze fixed on Jesse's flowing hairs. Jesse's thick, golden hairs shines radiantly and reaching just below her shoulders.

The crystal diamond stud earrings shaped like simple stars sparkled in her ears as they caught the light. Under the blue jacket, Jesse wore a white shirt with the collar turned up , and upon glancing down, Dezze realized that Jesse's outfit was perfectly coordinated - her formal blue pants, made of soft fabric, matched her jacket, while her white high heels complemented her shirt, though they had a less bulky design.

Dezze took a moment to collect herself, exhaling a deep breath. She looked disheveled, as if she had just rolled out of bed. She clenched her right fist and playfully pounded her forehead. She continued this gesture until they reached the car. As soon as Jesse opened the front passenger door, Dezze lowered her hand and got in. Jesse taking her place in the driver's seat after puts Dezze's bag to backseat.

As she sat there, Dezze couldn't help but glance at her attire again. She was still in her crumpled clothes, her hair disheveled, and her ears bare without any earrings. Her lips were also devoid of lipstick. She tried to moisten her dry lips with her tongue, but they soon returned to their parched state. Just a few minutes later, Jesse rummaged through the car's front compartment and offered Dezze a lipstick.

Jesse burst into laughter and teasingly said, "You look absolutely lovely in this state! It seems like you've got chocolate in your lips and you're trying to lick it off!" Still chuckling, Jesse started the car. Embarrassed, Dezze took the lipstick from Jesse and adjusted the rearview mirror. She carefully applied the lipstick, making sure to cover her lips evenly.

After driving a bit further, Jesse's mobile phone rang. The screen displayed the name "Manager Sumi", and Jesse answered the call. However, instead of Sumi's voice, she heard the voice of another woman.

"Hello ma'am, I'm calling from Health Care Hospital. One of your acquaintances, Miss sumi as she mention about you, has been admitted here. Could you please come and visit her? She's just been wheeled out of the operation theater and is calling out for you."

Jesse swiftly pulled the car over to the side and inquired urgently, "Manager Sumi? ...is she in the hospital? Is she okay? What happened?"

"It was a car accident. Miss Sumi was with three other friends, but they weren't hurt as badly as she. Unfortunately, Miss Sumi was seriously injured. other's parents have already arrived at the hospital, but Miss Sumi doesn't have any relatives here. So, she asked me to call you and inform you about the situation."

"Yes, I'll be right there." Jesse hung up the phone and started the car engine. However, she suddenly paused and looked at Dezze sitting beside her. Jesse tried to gauge Dezze's thoughts by looking into her eyes. But Dezze, understanding the situation, gestured with her eyes, indicating Jesse to turn her attention back to driving.