Chapter 742
Wooing My Ex-Wife
He suppressed his slight feelings of guilt and reprimanded her in a low voice, âYouâre complaining about me now? Whenever thereâs an inspection by the higher-ups, everyone else knows they should at least put on a show and maintain a serious working attitude. But you? Hunching over and whispering in someone elseâs ears all the time. If I donât discipline you, how can I command othersâ respect?â
Whitney lowered her head and bit her lip.
Indeed, she lacked experience in this matter and thus, deserved to face the consequences.
However, Charles was not entirely innocent. How could he reprimand me in such a self-righteous manner?
âYou knew where I would be working and that I would become your employee when you sent me to work this morning, yet you didnât inform me about it. Then this afternoon, you deliberately came here to witness me making a fool of myself. Itâs likely that you instructed Mr. Turner to inform me about this job.
Are you intentionally trying to make me look foolish?â Whitney retorted. He arranged for me to work in his company, yet I had to pretend I didnât know him. Is he intentionally trying to test my loyalty to the agreement?
Charles fell silent, his expression turning serious as he reached for his cigarette case and irritably lit a cigarette.
Bringing Whitney to work at his company was purely out of goodwill, as he did not want her to struggle with unreliable jobs that might put her in danger.
Initially, Charles was supposed to return to the Newton residence right away after taking care of the hygiene in the labâs bathroom.
However, he found himself inexplicably heading back to the company, driven by an irresistible urge to see how Whitney had fared on her first day of work. He also desired to witness her innocent and clueless expression, as well as the look of surprise on her face when she discovered he was the boss.
Yet, when Whitney said she did not know him ignited his anger, leading to the events that followed.
As he pondered, Whitney nervously fidgeted the hem of her clothes. A misty gaze lingered in her eyes, but she pursed her lips, refusing to give in. âMr. Newton, since Iâve agreed to sign the marriage agreement with you, I wonât casually violate any of its terms. You donât need to go through the trouble of testing me. I wonât let anyone in the company, except Isaac, know about our relationship. Iâll independently complete the tasks assigned by the company and wonât cause you any trouble. And I wonât let others think Iâve obtained this job because of you.â
Charles fell silent, his azure eyes narrowing as he took a deep drag from his cigarette, his frustration apparent. But didnât she get the job because of me? Does she really think she can enter the Newton Group so easily without my help? And whatâs wrong with leveraging my influence? Others would have longed for such a privilege, yet they donât even have a chance.
âI hope youâll live up to your words. Since youâve decided to work diligently, show me some results so that I wonât have to clean up any messes for you.â He spoke in a cold and resentful tone.
Whitney looked puzzled. âItâs only my first day at work. What makes you think Iâve caused you trouble?â
Charles irritably extinguished his cigarette and coldly advised her, âStay away from the women in the company. If anything happens, youâll have to deal with them yourself.â
âDonât worry, I wonât bring trouble to you, Mr. Newton,â she replied, tightening her grip on the seatbelt and turning her face away. âIs there anything else youâd like me to do? If not, Iâd like to get back to work.â
Charles glanced at his wristwatch. âItâs already past working hours. Why are you returning to the office?â
âIâve yet to finish organizing the documents,â she explained.
Whitney turned around to open the car door, but to her surprise, she found it locked.
Charles started the carâs engine, pressed the accelerator, and swiftly drove away from the underground parking.
Whitneyâs face turned pale as she was taken aback, gripping the seatbelt tighter. âWhat are you doing?
I said I want to get down from the car!â
âYou should have completed your tasks during office hours and relax after work. No overtime allowed.
Go home and have dinner,â Charles ordered.
Not knowing how to respond to his remark, Whitney could only stare at him. Does he have to be so bossy?
Charles maintained a stern expression as if he wanted her to know he was hungry and that she should accompany him home for dinner.
âMr. Newton, youâre being unreasonable. If I donât finish my work, how am I supposed to hand it over to my supervisor tomorrow? I canât have my salary deducted on the first day of work, can I?â she argued.
Charles sneered, his attention fixed on driving, showing no sign of turning back. âIf it werenât for Isaac speaking up for you, you would have been fired today. It would have been more than just a salary deduction.â
Whitney had never encountered someone so unreasonable. As a boss, shouldnât he be pleased and supportive when his employees are willing to put in extra effort? Yet, he forbids me to work overtime and wanted me to go home to have dinner with him.
Charles glanced at her knitted brow and sensed a trace of irritation. He could not help but feel somewhat guilty for treating her in that manner.
He added, âFrom now on, youâre my employee when youâre in the office, but the moment you step out of the building, youâre my wife, so you must obey me.â
Whitney remained silent, biting her lip and keeping her head lowered, feeling a sense of grievance.
Charles intermittently observed her, taking note of the glistening mist in her eyes. It enhanced the beauty of her exquisite emerald gaze, radiating innocence.
With her golden curls and distinctive features, she resembled a charming little fairy from a faraway land, albeit one being taken advantage of and exploited by him.
Charles inexplicably softened his tone. âYou can use my study as your workspace tonight.â
Whitney froze for a moment. She blinked and turned her head to look at him, only to find him focused on driving, not sparing a glance in her direction. Heâs willing to lend me his study? How generous of him.
Suddenly, Whitney found that Charles did not appear as detestable as before, and her anger toward him had also dissipated.
Suddenly, Whitney found that Charles did not appear as detestable as before, and her anger toward him had also dissipated.
Seizing the opportunity to defuse the tension, she responded, âThank you, Mr. Newton.â
Charles maintained his gaze on the road ahead as he listened to her acknowledgment, raising an eyebrow in response. It improved his mood considerably.
The two of them remained silent throughout the journey, yet the atmosphere in the car was surprisingly harmonious.
In the evening, Whitney used Charlesâ laptop and sat on the desk where he usually worked.
The comfort of the office chair was palpable.
Out of curiosity, Whitney ran her fingers along the armrest, a smile gracing her lips.
Just as Charles entered the room with a glass of milk, he caught sight of her smiling face.
He could not help but snort inwardly. Seems like granting her the privilege of sitting on my chair is enough to make her happy. What a naïve and shallow woman.
He cleared his throat and approached the desk, retrieving a flash drive from his pants pocket and handing it to her. âHereâs the file that Isaac made a copy of on your computer. It should be the documents youâve yet to complete. Go ahead and finish your work. I donât want you accusing me of being unreasonable and preventing you from working overtime.â
Whitney received the flash drive with a pleasant surprise.
She did not expect him to be so meticulous and prepared everything for her. In fact, she was ready to redo all the work for the evening.
As she connected the flash drive to the computer, she discovered that it contained all the necessary files, including the images she needed to add.
For someone in the early stages of learning, the flash drive was indeed a valuable resource.
âThank you, Mr. Newton. Youâre so kind. Iâm sorry for my attitude earlier this afternoon and for arguing with you. Please donât hold it against me,â she said with a sincere smile and an arched brow.
While Charles maintained a deadpan expression and his usual indifferent demeanor, he could not help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction.
He placed the glass of milk on the desk near Whitneyâs hand, his face stern. âI initially poured myself a glass of milk, but I donât feel like drinking it now. You take it and drink it.â
Whitney, who was absorbed in reviewing the computer files, felt a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. What am I? A garbage bin?
Taking into account Charlesâ assistance tonight, she chose to remain silent and accepted his request.
âOkay. Iâll drink it later.â
âRemember to drink it. Despite the wealth and influence of the Newton family, wasting food is a disgraceful act,â Charles remarked.
His words rendered Whitney speechless.