108 Unexpected

"$5000. You'll understand that it's worth it. Payment first."

"Fine. But if you double-cross me, you'll pay, no matter how much you try to hide your identity."

"That won't be necessary."

Saying so, the masked woman who had asked for a secret meeting with a leading gossip magazine handed over a memory card while taking a thick wad of cash with the other.

Counting the notes, she kept an eye on the person in front of her, who immediately inserted the memory card into a camera he was wearing before checking the photos.

Seeing the elaborate red carpet and rose petals, the journalist frowned, wondering who it was.

The next image showed a gorgeous woman getting off the lift, but as it was his line of work, he could tell with certainty that this wasn't anyone who was famous.

Wondering whether he was being cheated, he flicked to the next image and almost dropped the camera in shock.

The CEO of Happle, Inc!

Reportedly one of the coldest men in the business industry whom no woman could approach, he was the heartthrob of many, many women both due to his incredible background and impeccable looks.

Any magazine which printed an article about it sold like hotcakes, but now, he hesitated whether to accept these images.

This was because Happle, Inc. was notorious for suing any magazine that dared to print anything untoward about the CEO.

It didn't matter whether they won or lost in the end. The legal fee alone would bury the magazine, making any profit gained seem negligible.

Hence, there was almost no gossip about this man, and all the articles printed in reputed magazines were approved by Happle.

However, this was just too big of a scoop.

If his magazine broke this story, there was a chance that it could be catapulted to the top.

It was a small one, and couldn't compete against the heavyweights anyway. After gaining popularity, he could simply get as much money as possible and close the magazine itself before they sued.

If they sued him, personally, he might still be able to afford it.

As he calculated in his mind, the woman in front of him, who seemed to be done counting the cash, spoke.

"I chose you because you would see the potential. Break the story. It will be worth it."

"Mind your own business."

Saying so, the man left, but he couldn't hide his smile from the woman.

Seeing this, the woman chuckled and walked out of the desolate street where they had just carried out their transaction.

Removing her mask, she dumped it in the trash, revealing the same face which had burned with jealousy on seeing the CEO and that woman before in the hotel.

Indeed, it was Ellen.

Laughing coldly to herself, she mumbled, "Now I'll see how you lead a peaceful life with the paparazzi bugging you everywhere. Checkmate, woman."

Feeling very proud of herself, she walked back to the hotel to resume her job.

...

The next day, Liz woke up with a smile on her face.

She had been dreaming of flying in the air, only, the jet was replaced by a gigantic lobster, which coincidentally looked like the one they had eaten during lunch.

Yes, she had a very vivid imagination.

Getting up and yawning, she couldn't help but remember the day before and smile even wider.

After she had broken the ice by making that statement, they had a very normal lunch for once, with no strange incidents of things falling.

The spread had been delicious, comprised of all the famous dishes in Seattle.

The lobster had especially been something to remember, due to its complex flavor which played with her tastebuds before almost melting in her mouth.

Clearly, that was why she had even been dreaming about it.

As for the conversation, because it was just their first date, she and the CEO had talked mainly about casual things instead of foraying into personal territory.

For example, the CEO told her about Keren's passion with casinos which had begun in their childhood itself, when she used to bug him to play blackjack with her.

Liz, on the other hand, spoke about Derek and his fascination with jets, along with his other interests.

After the lunch, they drove to the casino for the opening ceremony, but Liz had actually fallen asleep because she felt worn out from the jet ride.

When she woke up, the limousine had actually been empty, so her plan of thanking the CEO for the wonderful date had been foiled.

Apparently, he had to leave to handle something urgent regarding the Casino.

The next time she met him was on the stage for the ceremony, and there was no time to talk then, as there were many VIPs who constantly bugged the CEO.

After the ceremony, he was whisked away by Keren for something, so Liz went back to the hotel room alone and crashed.

Resolving to thank him today, Liz turned around to see that her phone was ringing.

It was only now that she realized that it was an odd time, and seeing the great number of missed calls, she realized that it was her phone that had probably roused her.

Immediately picking up, she said, "Mom! What's wrong? Why did you call so many times?"

On the other end of the line, it seemed that Mary was surprised that Liz had picked up, so she took a moment to answer.

"Liz! Have you checked the news? Some gossip magazine is saying that you went on a date with your boss! And that you might be a gold-digger who got lucky!"

Hearing this, Liz jaw dropped, and she couldn't respond for a while.

Her…a gold-digger?

"I'll call you back."

Saying so, she hung up and immediately googled "William Bradshaw News".

The first result caught her eye, and the headline made an expression of anger appear on her face.

"Cold no more! William Bradshaw on a date with his PA! Exclusive pictures unearthed! Has a gold-digger finally succeeded?"