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The elevator stopped on the 97th floor.
They stepped out first.
The receptionist at the front desk saw them and her expression immediately turned to ice. “How did you get up here?” she snapp-
- ed.
Chloe froze. “We’re here to deliver some documents.”
“Deliver what? Just leave it at the main reception! What department are you from? Who let you up here?” The secretary was rude,
her tone dripping with impatience and suspicion. The 97th floor was the executive core, a restricted area that required special
clearance.
The girl with Chloe was terrified into silence. Chloe’s face paled. Just as she was about to explain, the secretary noticed me. Her
entire demeanor changed in an instant.
She straightened up immediately, her voice becoming so respectful she sounded like a different person.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Payne. Mr. Payne is in a meeting. Would you like to wait in his office?”
I nodded.
The secretary immediately came forward to lead the way, her attitude utterly deferential.
Chloe stood there as if she’d been struck by lightning, a stunned expression on her face. Her eyes flashed with shock, confusion, and a hatred she could barely contain.
She recognized me.
Her colleague’s face was ashen. She vaguely recalled their conversation in the elevator, and a chill ran down her spine. They had been gossiping about the CEO right in front of his wife.
When the elevator had lit up for the 97th floor, she’d had a fleeting suspicion, but the documents were due by the end of the day, and applying for access was a hassle. She had decided to take a shortcut and piggyback on the ride up. Then she’d used Chloe as a shield.
After the 76th floor, there were only the four of them. She remembered glancing at the striking, cold beauty a few times. It was hard not to, but the sunglasses and frosty expression had kept her from staring.
She never imagined it was the CEO’s wife.
In person, she was even more beautiful than on Instagram.
