'Did he actually yield because of one kiss? No, right? He's so stubborn, there's no way he'd fall just because of a kiss from me...' Chloe was still in denial over the fact that she held such power against Vernon.
How could he yield just because of a kiss? Was he that simple?
Vernon felt his cheeks getting hotter as he kept staring at Chloe's sweet lips. He had to admit that he got defeated by those lips. She gave him a deep kiss that evaporated all of the solid rages in his heart into thin air.
"I--I will have to go back to the office. There are a lot of things to do," Vernon said.
He was about to turn around, but Mackie suddenly yelled while pointing at his hands;
"Uncle! You have blood in your hands!"
"Ah--" Vernon quickly put his hands into his trousers pockets. "It's nothing. I was being careless and accidentally hit the wall," Vernon replied. "I'll get it treated later."
"But, that must have hurt!" Mackie insisted. She looked at her Mommy and remembered how her Mommy always treated her when she fell from the bike or accidentally cut her fingers with thorns in the garden.
Mommy would blow her wounds before treating them with medicine and then use band-aids so they won't hurt anymore.
"Mommy, please help Uncle! Can you blow Uncle's pain away?"
'Blow--" Vernon knew that Mackie was just an innocent kid who wanted Chloe to treat his wound. But his dirty mind traveled somewhere else instead.
Thus, Vernon shook his head vehemently and refused, "No need. I'll get it treated myself. I--I have to go now. Bye!"
Vernon awkwardly turned around and rushed upstairs to the penthouse.
Mackie tilted her head, "What's wrong with Uncle?"
"I--It's nothing, dear. Your Uncle is just busy with his job," Chloe said. Her cheeks also reddened as she had the same dirty mind that Vernon had.
"Mommy, are you okay too? Why is your face so red?"
**
Vernon washed his hands at the kitchen sink to clean all the dried blood. There was a sharp pain in his palm and knuckles, so he used the iodine in the first aid kit to clean the wound and used plenty of band-aids.
Though it didn't bother him that much, he'd be more than happy to receive treatment from his beloved woman.
"Maybe I overreacted...." Vernon wondered as he stared at his wounds. "Maybe I shouldn't have gone on a rampage before I could witness her cheating with my own eyes."
"But I just can't control myself...." Vernon murmured. "Just the thought of her leaving me with another man is enough to drive me insane. I cannot lose her for the second time. I refuse to."
Vernon knew that his obsession with Chloe might be unhealthy at some point because he truly could not imagine himself living without her by his side.
"But my heart only beats for her," Vernon sighed. "I only want her, and I don't care about the risk."
Vernon got a glass of water before going to the basement and driving his car to the office. Now that the chaos in his mind and heart had subsided, he could work like a normal man in that shipwrecked office.
**
Diamond was still sitting on the sofa.
She was dazed even after so long. She really thought that her friendship with her best friend was over because there was no way she would support a cheater.
'Ah, this is worse than just getting dumped on by my ex back then,' Diamond thought. 'At least I can find a new man easily to replace him. But I can't just find a new best friend. It's hard to find someone you can truly connect with.'
'Chloe, why did you do this to yourself? If Vernon doesn't satisfy you, you should just tell him, cut the relationship with him first before finding a new man, and I will still support you. Maybe I'll resign so that Vernon won't use me as a hostage to lure you back.'
'But you're cheating on him. You're no better than Vincent....'
As Diamond was lost in her thoughts, the elevator suddenly lit up. A Ding from the elevator snapped Diamond out of her daze.
Diamond turned her neck and watched as the elevator door slid open. She saw her boss coming out of the elevator calmly. He had fixed up his disheveled suit, tie, and combed his hair neatly.
Vernon looked at Diamond who slumped on the sofa defeatedly. He frowned, "Why are you slacking off now? Don't you remember how much work we have to do today?"
...
Diamond blinked a few times. She wondered if she was hallucinating right now.
How could her boss act so calmly after going on a huge rampage in this office? Did he just kill the man, dump his body somewhere, and return here to work again? What about Chloe?
Diamond stood in front of Vernon and asked, "Sir, about Chloe and that man named Jonathan...."
"It was a misunderstanding," Vernon said lightly. "It's my bastard mother who used her Driver's ID to register herself and she stayed inside my apartment. Dorothea manipulated Chloe by using her fake tears, saying that she wants to connect with me and wants to be part of my small family."
Vernon scoffed, "Well, I know that's just bullshit. I'm not like Chloe who can be easily influenced by fake tears. So I kicked that old hag out."
"T--Then, should we do something about her?" Diamond asked.
"No need, Vincent won't believe that dying old hag as well. She is just too crazy to be believable," Vernon said. "Besides, I have a bet with Chloe about that old woman."
Vernon's eyes darkened when he mentioned the bet, but he refused to explain further, so Diamond decided that she could just ask her best friend later.
Diamond was so relieved that her best friend did not cheat on Vernon. She just couldn't imagine having to cut ties with Chloe so abruptly.
Though, she also wondered why her boss could return to the office looking just fine.
In fact, he seemed to be in a good mood.