Chapter 15: The Lipstick Mark on the Neck

At this moment, an angry shout came from behind: "The company hired you to work, not to discuss others! If you don't want to work, just say so!"

Melinda turned to see that it was Raymond's personal secretary, Stuart.

He walked over with a furious expression, and the few people in the lab were instantly silenced with fear. Stuart walked up to Melinda, gave her a complicated look, and then said, "Mr. Thomas wants to see you."

Melinda nodded and followed Stuart.

Entering the president's office of the Thomas Group building, she saw Raymond sitting behind his desk with a gloomy expression. "Mr. Thomas, you wanted to see me?" Melinda called softly, trying to keep her voice calm.

Raymond looked up, and upon seeing Melinda, his expression softened a bit. "Are you feeling better? Do you need a few more days off?" he asked with concern.

Melinda was slightly taken aback, not expecting Raymond to be so concerned about her, but she quickly regained her composure and replied coldly, "No, I'm not that delicate."

Raymond looked at her and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It had only been a few days, and she had turned back into the unapproachable Melinda. He waved his hand, indicating that she could leave. However, as Melinda turned to leave, he suddenly felt that her back looked familiar.

"Stuart!" he called out, "Go investigate the hotel incident from back then."

Five years ago, he was framed and drugged with gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a matter that had troubled him for a lifetime. He still hadn't found out who had drugged him. In the evening, after work, Melinda had just walked out of the lab door.

She heard someone calling her from behind. She turned to see a wealthy woman rushing towards her with an angry face.

"You shameless woman!" the woman screamed, raising her hand, "How dare you seduce my husband!"

Melinda was startled and quickly dodged the sudden slap.

"Are you crazy? Who are you?"

She looked closely and realized she didn't know this wealthy woman, and a surge of inexplicable anger rose in her heart.

The woman was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Melinda to dodge her slap. She glared and roared angrily.

"You seduced my husband, and you still have the nerve to argue? I'm going to beat you to death today!"

With that, she lunged at Melinda again.

Melinda's agile movements left Paula Hill's sudden attack empty-handed.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Melinda's eyes turned cold as she grabbed Paula's attacking hand.

Paula, furious, pulled her hand back and took out her phone from her bag, pointing at the photo on the screen.

"Melinda, you're a despicable woman, you even went after my Hugh!"

Melinda was stunned. Paula was Hugh's wife?

She looked around and saw that a crowd had already gathered.

"She looks so proper, but she's actually a vixen! Tsk tsk tsk!"

"Young girls nowadays, they use their looks to seduce men, it's really shameless."

The murmurs of the onlookers pierced Melinda's heart like needles.

"Mrs. Harris, nothing happened between Mr. Harris and me. Someone is clearly trying to frame me."

Melinda tried to explain.

"Frame you? Do you think I would believe your lies?" Paula said, pushing Melinda hard.

Melinda stumbled, tripped over a stone on the ground, and fell forward.

Her knee hit a nearby dry branch, leaving a bloody scratch. She frowned in pain.

Melinda struggled to get up from the ground, wanting to leave.

But there were too many onlookers, and she had no way out.

Seeing Paula about to pounce again, Melinda instinctively raised her hand to protect her face.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside the crowd: "What are you doing! Causing trouble at the entrance of the Thomas Group's bio lab, if you don't leave now, I'll call the police!"

Paula was startled. Thinking of the Thomas Group's status, she had to restrain herself. "You're lucky today!" she said, turning to leave.

Melinda lowered her hand and saw the security guards dispersing the crowd. Her eyes could only follow Paula's departing figure.

The next morning, Raymond was engrossed in reading documents in his office.

The door was pushed open, and Stuart walked in with Emily.

Raymond's brow furrowed slightly, and his expression darkened.

"Mr. Thomas, Ms. Lowe said she has an urgent matter to discuss with you," Stuart said.

Raymond waved his hand for Stuart to leave. "Why are you here?"

Emily looked at Raymond with tears in her eyes.

"Raymond, I saw the headlines. I didn't expect Melinda to be that kind of person. I'm really upset."

Emily's eyes were filled with tears, and her gaze at Raymond was full of guilt and apology.

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She said with a trembling voice, "I know, because Melinda is my sister, she has tarnished the Thomas Group's reputation. You don't have to worry about me. If you want to take action against her, I won't have any complaints."

Raymond's fingers lightly tapped the pen on the desk, making a thumping sound.

In the silent office, the sound was unsettling.

"What do you think I should do with her?"

"I went to persuade Melinda, but she was ungrateful and even insulted you. She went

too far." Emily's words carried a subtle expectation.

Raymond's brows furrowed tightly, and his tone revealed a hint of displeasure. "What did she say?"

"She said anything I've used, she finds dirty."

A trace of resentment flashed in Emily's eyes, and her voice carried a hint of grievance.

Upon hearing this, Raymond felt a surge of cold laughter in his heart.

Find him dirty? Melinda had been so proactive in kissing him last night, and now she called him dirty? How ungrateful!

He glanced at Emily and noticed she was secretly observing his expression, seemingly waiting for his comfort.

However, Raymond was somewhat distracted at the moment, his thoughts drifting far away.

Seeing this, Emily couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied.

Didn't Raymond realize that Melinda's words were an insult to him?

"Alright, I understand. You can go back now," Raymond said, regaining his composure and speaking coldly.

She bit her lip lightly, not wanting to leave just like that. She was about to say something when she suddenly noticed the red mark on Raymond's neck.

Emily's breath tightened, and she quickly moved closer to look. "Raymond, what happened to your neck?"

Raymond instinctively covered his neck, but it was too late.

Emily had already seen the red mark, and her expression turned ugly.

"It's nothing, I had an allergic reaction," Raymond explained.

However, Emily wasn't so easily fooled.

She stared intently into Raymond's eyes, trying to discern something from his gaze.

An allergic reaction? It looked more like a hickey to her.

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find the next chapter anywhere else. Happy reading!

At that moment, Stuart hurriedly walked in from outside.

"Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Harris is holding a press conference, saying she wants to give an explanation about yesterday's 'incident' with Ms. Sharp."

Upon hearing this, Emily tentatively asked, "Oh no, Mrs. Harris must be very angry and

wants to cause trouble. Will this affect the Thomas Group?"

Her voice carried a hint of excitement and anticipation.

She hoped this incident would severely impact the Thomas Group, making Raymond

hate Melinda even more.

However, Raymond didn't answer her question.

He opened his computer, and a live video window immediately popped up on the

screen.

The screen showed the scene of Paula's press conference.

"Today, I'm holding this press conference to clarify something!"

Clarify? Shouldn't it be to denounce? Emily felt a sense of unease.

Paula's next words made Emily tremble.

"Regarding the incident at the Thomas Group's bio lab entrance yesterday, it was all a misunderstanding. Someone with ulterior motives wanted to bring down our Eternal Elegance Jewelry. I was momentarily fooled and caused Ms. Sharp a lot of trouble. I sincerely apologize to her." What? Emily stared at the screen, her expression as if she had swallowed a fly.

She cursed Elsie countless times in her heart, wondering how she had handled things. She had promised that this time, Melinda would be utterly disgraced and driven out of Shadow City.

"What? You're not happy that the truth is out?" Raymond withdrew his gaze and looked at her playfully.

"Happy, of course, I'm happy." Emily forced a smile, "I knew Melinda wouldn't do such

a thing!" Her voice grew softer until it was almost inaudible.

Emily's heart sank to the bottom.

She didn't leave but instead used the excuse of going to the restroom.

As she reached the door, she overheard a few female employees talking inside: "I just

delivered some documents and saw it. The mark on Mr. Thomas's neck is definitely a hickey!"

"So, his girlfriend is showing off their affection? Leaving a lip mark on Mr. Thomas's neck so openly?"

"Maybe some woman climbed into Mr. Thomas's bed and left it!"

Emily's face grew increasingly ugly. She clenched her fists, trying to suppress her anger. These women dared to gossip about Raymond behind his back! She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and swept her cold gaze over them before turning to leave.

The female employees immediately fell silent, lowering their heads and not daring to speak.

She wouldn't care about these rumors. She wanted everyone to know that Raymond could only belong to her!