Chapter 138

+15 BONOS “Mind dropping your act?” Violet asked sharply, her tone dripping with disdain. “You’re overdoing it.”

Emily’s face morphed into one of sorrow as her eyes quickly filled with tears.

“I never intended any harm… I don’t want us to be at odds,” she pleaded.

“Losing your voice isn’t a major issue. Many actresses aren’t known for their voices, right?”

Violet remarked, indirectly mocking Emily for having the talent to become an actress.

Pretending to not understand, Emily covered her face and wept. “Violet. I’m so tired. Why must you keep antagonizing me?”

Tired of Emily’s charade, Violet walked away. Soon, rumors spread about Violet’s entanglement with her sister’s fiancé.

Estelle’s view of Violet shifted as well.

Violet struggled to defend herself. She hadn’t chased after Oliver, yet she couldn’t deny her past.

feelings for him.

Feeling uneasy under Estelle’s scrutinizing gaze, Violet was subtly warned by Estelle during a design submission.

“Vivi, this isn’t a big company, but we must be conscious of our image.” Estelle cautioned.

Violet recognized her implication. Because her manager was one of the few people who believed. in her, she found Estelle’s remarks to be depressing.

“I never pursued anyone’s fiancé,” she softly said.

Estelle’s gaze was on Violet’s facial bruise, neither fully believing nor doubted her statement.

“Things happen for a reason. If it were just one incident, it might be seen as a misunderstanding. But multiple…” Estelle’s remark trailed off, leaving Violet disheartened.

Clearly, her manager didn’t believe her either.

“Return to work,” Estelle directed.

Leaving Estelle’s office. Violet couldn’t hold back her tears. She quickly wiped them, not wanting to seem overly upseť.

Estelle’s assistant informed Violet in the afternoon that she was no longer required to work on her current design draft. Someone else had been assigned the assignment.

This seemed to imply that Violet had been sidelined in the workplace, and that she might lose her job shortly.

Violet shrugged helplessly, devastated at the possibility of losing her job.

“Violet!” Estelle called out at day’s end, curiosity sparkled in her eyes. “The President wishes to see you.”

Other whispers inevitably reached Violet’s ears.

“She’s rumored to be a working girl. Is our president her client?”

“Perhaps. No one’s seen our president, but she’s been summoned frequently.”

Violet wiped her tears, and resolved to confront the president about these private meetings.

Upstairs, Lucius was in the President’s Office.

Violet scowled at him in dissatisfaction. She wondered if this man had nothing better to do than keep showing her. He even used the president’s name to summon her, further tarnishing her already soiled reputation.

Lucius’s initially calm eyes darkened when he set eyes on her.

He drew her close, his gaze intense, and asked, “What happened?”

His question was directed at the bruise on her face.

Violet nervously touched it, tilting her head in silence.

“Who did this?” Lucius asked, his fury rising as he demanded an explanation.

She didn’t want to bring up the incident with her father, which had left her both ashamed and heartbroken. Violet lied, saying, “I bumped into something.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that those finger marks came from bumping into something?”

Lucius challenged her, clearly skeptical of her explanation.

Violet remained motionless, knowing full well that bumping into something wouldn’t result in such marks.

His frustration was evident, and he commanded, “Tell me the truth!”

While he was saying this, he gripped her waist and pulled her into an intimate position on his lap.

+15 BONOS Violet struggled briefly, but Lucius gave her a menacing look.

Reluctantly, she remained seated on his lap, confessing. “It was my father.”

“And why would he strike you?”

She wished she knew the answer.

“Maybe he thinks I’m misbehaving.”

“Good that you know!”

Violet’s mind raced back to when Lucius had overheard Emily’s accusations against her. She felt her cheeks burn with shame.

Trying to escape his hold, she protested, “If you had any sense, you’d stay away from me!”

Her anger surprised even herself, leaving her feeling embarrassed and on the edge of tears. unwilling to show her vulnerability in front of Lucius.

Lucius gripped her waist tightly, refusing to let go despite her struggle.

Violet eventually became weary, and gave up with her attempt to escape his hold.

She was defeated and began to sob, asking, “Why does everyone enjoy seeing me suffer?

What have I done?”

“Who said you did anything wrong?”

Lucius finally loosened his grip, shifting from a forceful grip to a more comforting embrace.

Violet was overcome with emotion. She sobbed, burying her face in his chest.

He showed a hint of irritation at his tear–stained shirt, but this woman clung to him as if he were her sole support, demonstrating her dependency on him.

His struggle to push her away eventually turned into an embrace. He felt a sense of satisfaction at being needed.