Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1861-1870

Ethan lifted his head slightly. Josephine immediately took the opportunity to cup his face tenderly in her hands and proactively planted a passionate kiss on his cheek. He was momentarily stunned by her actions before he instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her into his embrace. Smiling slightly, she playfully pushed him away. “I need to deliver these documents.”

When she moved away from him, he reluctantly withdrew his arm. Then, he turned around and watched her retreating figure with a pining look.

This scene was not only witnessed by Katrina but also by all of Josephine’s colleagues who were in the office at that time. They had seen the natural and intimate interaction between Ethan and Josephine, as well as the look of adoration and love for Josephine in Ethan’s eyes.

It was evident that Ethan loved Josephine more!

Jealousy was practically overflowing from Katrina’s eyes at this point. Once again, she could not understand what was so charming about Josephine.

Watching Josephine leave the room, she distractedly tidied her hair slightly. Then, she randomly picked up a document and walked toward Josephine’s desk.

Katrina innocently approached Ethan and said, “Mr. Quarles, I didn’t expect you to be here! Is Josephine away from her desk?”

“She went to deliver some documents,” Ethan replied curtly.

“Is that so? I happen to have another document for her!” she said, then she deliberately stepped to the side and continued, “In that case, I’ll just wait for her here!”

Standing in front of him, she occasionally tucked her hair behind her ear or pursed her lips. Her movements were filled with coquettish energy.

The rest of the female colleagues watched her flirtatious gestures with a mixture of scorn and derision. Be that as it may, Katrina brazenly continued to flaunt her coquettish charm.

After delivering the documents, Josephine rounded the corner and immediately caught sight of Katrina standing next to Ethan. She couldn’t help feeling extremely disgusted by Katrina’s aggressive courtship toward Ethan.

Approaching her desk, she questioned, “Can I help you?”

“Oh! You’re back! I just noticed that I brought the wrong document.” The document that Katrina was holding had been randomly taken from one of their colleagues’ desks. Naturally, she could not show nor hand them over to Josephine.

Josephine immediately saw through Katrina’s little trick and smiled. “Why don’t you show me the document?”

Katrina hastily hugged the document to her chest and guiltily burst out, “I grabbed the wrong document by mistake!”

“Did you grab the wrong document? Or were you deliberately being inappropriate in front of my boyfriend? Did you think I wouldn’t see through your schemes?” Josephine countered without giving Katrina any room to wriggle out of the situation.

“W-What are you saying?” Katrina blushed furiously, feeling so guilty that she did not dare to look at Ethan.

“What am I saying? I’m saying that you should stop sticking to my boyfriend like an annoying fly that won’t go away!” Josephine declared forcefully.

“Josephine, how can you insult me in such a manner? Mr. Quarles, please ask her to mind her manners!” Katrina immediately lodged her grievances to Ethan in hopes of showing him Josephine’s disgraceful side.

Ethan raised his eyes at those words. “Josephine is right.”

When Katrina heard that, she blushed so hard that even the tips of her ears went red. On the other hand, Josephine took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. “Katrina, you told me that my boyfriend invited Tori out for dinner. You also claimed that there was an ambiguous atmosphere between them in the restaurant. Did you witness the scene yourself, or were you simply repeating the nonsensical gossip you heard from others?”

His handsome face revealed his astonishment. “Who said that?” Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Katrina immediately panicked. Waving her hands in denial, she quickly explained herself. “Josephine, I was just repeating the gossip I heard from others. I don’t know anything. Please don’t blame me!”

Ethan abruptly turned to glare at Katrina with a frigid look in his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“No, no… Mr. Quarles, I simply repeated the nonsensical gossip I heard from others. I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry!” Katrina anxiously apologized repeatedly.

“That is to say, the meal he shared with Tori was just a normal interaction between employer and employee!” Josephine asserted. However, her gaze drifted toward a certain man. She was hoping that he could explain the incident.

Ethan quickly explained, “Joey, I did go to the restaurant that day, but I was planning to have lunch with you! I left immediately when I saw that you weren’t there. Afterward, I went to the place where you were holding an interview to have lunch with you! Do you remember that day?”

His response stunned her. “I do!”

“That’s right! Atticus invited me out for lunch that day. He claimed that he had business to discuss with me, so I asked him to bring you along. However, only a female employee was waiting at the restaurant when I arrived. That’s why I went looking for you instead.”

Katrina couldn’t help swallowing nervously. What? Is Miss Alford just a female employee in Mr. Quarles’ eyes? Doesn’t he know that she is the number one idol of the TV station?

“I see.” Josephine curved her lips into a smile and turned to Katrina. “Did you hear that? My boyfriend himself has clarified the matter. In the future, please stop spreading such malicious gossip lest you destroy his reputation.”

At this point, Katrina’s complexion had practically turned blue from fright. She frantically waved her hands and apologized. “I won’t! I really won’t! I will never listen to such nonsensical gossip again. I’m very sorry, Mr. Quarles. I was in the wrong.”

Ethan cast a grim look at her. “Leave!”

Katrina immediately slipped away as though she was fleeing for her life. The other employees who had gathered around to watch the show could also tell that Ethan was in a terrible mood at the moment, so they hastily clocked out of work and left the office without delay.

Hence, they did not see the man’s expression softening instantly when Josephine reached out to hold his hand.

“It’s fine. I didn’t misunderstand you either.” Josephine smiled brightly. She finally understood the whole situation now.

Now that she had gotten to the bottom of the matter, she felt extremely relieved. Nevertheless, Ethan’s gaze remained worried as he walked out of the company while holding her hand. When they entered the car, he immediately leaned over and looked into her eyes with a profound yet burning gaze. “Do you need me to explain further?”

Josephine shook her head with a smile. “There’s no need.”

In her opinion, he had not only been wronged but also falsely accused by her for no reason.

Ethan finally stepped on the accelerator. The sports car drove toward the villa that was just handed over to him.

The villa was one of the few bungalow villas located in the city center. It was very rare to have a villa with an exclusive courtyard of 500 square meters in the city center, where every inch of land was expensive. Hence, the price of the villa was naturally astronomical.

Josephine was amazed by the luxurious layout of the villa. There were eight European-style Roman columns decorating the front of the villa, which gave off an imperious atmosphere. Although they seemed fairly ancient, they were very well-maintained. When she walked into the hall, she was greeted by the sight of a spacious hall with a soaring ceiling of six meters. The crystal chandelier hanging down from the ceiling and the large floor-to-ceiling windows tempted her to take a nap on the couch. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning sun or admire the lights outside the window while leisurely working on an article she brought home from work.

On a weekday night, she could even cook a scrumptious feast, open a bottle of wine, and put on a song to enjoy a relaxing drink with Ethan after a grueling day at work. That also seemed like a pretty good choice!

“Do you like it?” the man behind her asked with a smile.

She turned around and exclaimed, “I love it!”

There was no denying that she truly enjoyed these types of villas that had their own unique atmosphere.

Therefore, she did not conceal her feelings and openly declared that she loved everything about the villa.

“Go upstairs and have a look.” Ethan took her upstairs, happy to see how much she adored the villa. It happened to be evening at the moment, so the glow of the sunset reflecting against the glass windows bathed the entire villa in warm colors.

Josephine and Ethan explored the second floor together. They eventually came to the master bedroom on the third floor. It was definitely the most luxurious master bedroom Josephine had ever seen in her life. Even the bathroom was bigger than her bedroom at home.

“In the future, we will be living here together. Just the two of us.” At that, he glanced over at her with a burning gaze.

Josephine nodded shyly. “Okay! I’ll move in with you.”

Ethan couldn’t help stretching out his arm to pull her into his embrace. Sensing what he was aiming for, she cooperatively raised her head to look at him. Their gazes met. Then, one leaned down while the other stood on tiptoes. They kissed each other gently, their movements natural.

Their kiss was so wild and passionate that Josephine could hardly control herself. Likewise, Ethan’s breathing became rough and heavy. Ever since meeting her, he had practically become a saint. His desire was often aroused by her, only to be forcefully suppressed by him.

“In that case, I will finish the renovations quickly so that we can move in together.” He held her hand with a look of anticipation in his eyes.

Josephine was also looking forward to that day. At the thought of them living together with him in this villa, she was certain that her future would be very wonderful indeed.

“Let’s go! I made a reservation at a restaurant for dinner.” Ethan led Josephine downstairs by the hand.

After dinner, Josephine received a message from her mother asking her to return home tonight. She knew that her mother wanted to talk to her. After all, she suddenly brought a boyfriend home. The unexpected situation had thrown her parents into confusion. It was only natural for her to return home to comfort them and explain the situation to them.

Ethan drove Josephine to the entrance of her house. Just as he was about to open his car door so that he could head inside to greet Josephine’s parents, Josephine stopped him and said, “Go back and rest. I’ll head inside by myself!”

He smiled and nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

She waved goodbye at him. “Drive carefully!”

After watching his car disappear into the distance, she finally turned around and went inside the house. Heidi was sitting on the couch, her posture indicating that she was obviously waiting for Josephine’s return. On the other hand, Mills had an apron tied around his waist as though he had just finished cleaning the house.

Josephine greeted them, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. “Dad! Mom!”

“You’re back. Come and have a seat. We need to talk,” Heidi said.

Josephine sat down on the couch while Mills brought over a cup of freshly squeezed juice that he specially prepared for her. Placing the cup in front of her, he urged, “Here, Joey. Drink this. It was freshly prepared just for you.”

“Dad, why don’t you take a break? Come take a seat and join us for a chat.” She persuaded her father to join them.

Taking off his apron, Mills took a seat beside them. Afterward, the small family of three began their frank discussion.

“Joey, do you genuinely have feelings for Ethan?” Heidi stared at her daughter seriously, trying to figure out whether her daughter was deeply in love with Ethan or not.

Josephine considered the question briefly before she nodded confidently. “Yes, I like him. I’ve never had such strong feelings for another person before.”

“Is that to say that you won’t marry anybody else but him?” Heidi probed further.

“I like him, and I also hope to marry him in the future,” Josephine answered. Whenever she started something new, she generally preferred to finish what she started and accomplish her goals. If she was only going to play around for fun, why waste her time in the first place?

“What about him? Does he like you? Does he like you to the point where he has decided that he will only marry you and nobody else?” Heidi carefully grilled Josephine for more details.

Josephine pondered for a moment and nodded once more. “I can tell that he likes me very much too.”

“Joey, in my opinion, Ethan is a good man. I believe you should give him a chance and have a long- term relationship with him.”

“Yeah!” From his words, she could sense her father’s support for her relationship.

Meanwhile, Heidi sighed heavily. “I don’t have any objections either. It’s just… When I think you might marry into another family far away, I…” Her eyes reddened with emotion. That was something she could not accept. It was not that she wanted her daughter to take care of her in her old age. She simply did not want a situation where it was difficult for her to even meet with her daughter in the future.

Josephine’s mood sank at the thought, as this was something that she could not guarantee.

“That’s enough. Our daughter’s happiness is the most important.”

Heidi wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. “I know, but I just can’t bear the thought of separating from her!”

Josephine scooted over to her mother and hugged Heidi tightly. “Mom, I don’t want to be separated from you either!”

“You often envy others because they have grandchildren. If you won’t let Joey get married, when will you finally have grandchildren of your own?” Mills cajoled and comforted his wife.

Josephine blushed furiously. It’s too early to talk about that!

Sure enough, that statement was more effective than any other consolation. Heidi was extremely envious that her best friends had grandchildren to pamper and love, so she sincerely wanted Josephine to give her grandchildren as soon as possible.

“Alright! I will support you in pursuing your own happiness.” The conflict in her heart had been resolved.

Josephine returned to her room and considered her future carefully. She hoped that she could perform her obligations of filial piety toward her parents no matter where she found herself in the future.

That night, she restlessly tossed and turned in bed. She could not fall asleep. At that moment, her phone rang. Picking up her phone, she glanced at the message. It was a message from Ethan. He had

sent her a picture of himself standing in front of the mirror, freshly out of the shower.

She instantly burst into laughter. This man was highly photogenic indeed, which meant that he generally looked good from any random angle.

‘Just finished my shower. What are you doing now?’

‘I’m about to take a shower,’ she replied.

‘Alright. Get some rest once you finish showering. You seemed exhausted today.’

The misunderstanding that occurred today had certainly drained Josephine emotionally.

‘Okay! You too,’ she responded.

On the other end, in the hotel, Ethan smiled and tossed his phone to the side. A few moments later, he suddenly received a phone call. Picking up his phone, he glanced at the screen and frowned slightly. In the end, he did not answer the call.

That was because the person contacting him was a woman. Moreover, she was his admirer who was trying to court him romantically.

Then, he received a message. ‘Ethan, where are you? I missed you so much!’

On a small island in a different country, a female model who had just finished swimming picked up her phone to check her messages. When she saw that she had not received any new messages, she chewed on her cherry lips and wondered, “Ethan, where are you?”

She had just received news from the Quarles Family that Ethan had asked his family for half a year’s vacation, and she wanted to know where he was hiding.

With half a year’s vacation, it was enough time for her to enjoy life with him.

“I will definitely find you,” she muttered to herself under her breath.

…

Josephine arrived at the TV station early in the morning for work. At the same time, she abruptly received a phone call.

It was from Dane Cooke, the vice president of the building materials company from before.

“Mr. Cooke, can I visit you at your company for an interview?” After she heard the interview location he provided, she tried to give a different suggestion instead.

“Miss Jacobson, I am very busy. Seeing as you are the one who wants to interview me, don’t you think you should be following my schedule?” Dane sounded very displeased on the other end of the line.

Thus, she could only comply with his initial suggestion. “Alright, then. I’ll see you at 3.00PM sharp today.”

“Miss Jacobson, I know the public has many misunderstandings about the company. Hence, I would like to take this opportunity to have a good chat with you. As long as it is the company’s responsibility, the company will not evade taking responsibility for the issue,” he added.

Unfortunately, she did not believe his words. All businessmen were unscrupulous in their pursuit of profit. Although they would always speak about placing great importance on protecting the environment and ecology, the truth was that they also carried out many shady and black-hearted operations in secret.

Therefore, she intended to expose the inside story of this industry to provide a warning and reminder to the local Environmental Protection Bureau.

After ending the phone call, she quickly received another call on the internal line. “Josephine, come to my office at 10.00AM sharp for an interview.”

The person on the other end of the phone was none other than Tori, who had decided upon Josephine’s interview in advance.

“Miss Alford, wasn’t the interview set for next Monday?”

“I’m leaving for my studies next Monday. I’ve already filed an application to Mr. Kowalski so that I can bring forward your interview.”

Josephine was left speechless by the sudden turn of events, but she could sense the malice that Tori bore toward her. By bringing forward the interview, the time she had to make preparations had effectively been shortened drastically.

“What’s wrong? Josephine, are you unsure of yourself? If you’re not confident in your abilities, then I suggest you just forget about the interview! You’re not bad at your job as a reporter, so you should just carry on in your current position!”

Tori’s mocking voice came from the other end of the line.

“I have confidence in my abilities. I’ll head over right away.” Naturally, Josephine had no plans to back down from the challenge. It was fortunate that she had made some preparations in advance over the past two days.

After eavesdropping on Josephine’s phone call from the side, Wren leaned over with an astonished expression and asked, “Joey, are you going to be interviewed so soon?”

“Yeah. The interview has been brought forward.”

“Good luck! I’m looking forward to the day when I see you in the broadcasting studio.”

Josephine packed up some documents before she headed upstairs. Tori’s office was located on the sixth floor, which was the most important floor in the entire company. It was where the evening news and important programs were broadcasted every day. All the people who worked on this floor carried a sense of superiority in the company.

Nevertheless, Josephine found herself on the receiving end of many envious looks when she walked into the office. She headed straight for Tori’s office and knocked on the door.

Tori was sitting at her desk and flipping through a document with a leisurely appearance. Seeing Josephine walking into her office, she smiled slightly. “There you are.”

Then, she stood up and walked over to the couch. Pointing at the seat on the opposite side, she invited Josephine to join her. “Have a seat!”

Josephine took the seat across from Tori, and the latter took out the list of questions that she had prepared for the interview. “I prepared ten questions for your interview. If you answer each question listed here to my satisfaction, then you will have passed my test.”

Josephine nodded in agreement as she stated, “Okay. Please go ahead and ask your questions, Miss Alford.”

“It seems that you are very confident in yourself!” Tori looked up from the document and glanced at Josephine.

“Yes, I am confident in my abilities in journalism,” Josephine replied.

“Hmph! Don’t be overconfident. Besides, you shouldn’t have too high hopes. After all, a person who worked as a reporter for the past three years like you must have forgotten all your learned knowledge by now!” Tori declared in a tone that sounded faintly insulting.

After Tori finished speaking, she brought up the first question in the book. Josephine pondered for a few seconds before she answered based on the information in the book and her own comprehension of the situation.

Tori frowned slightly after listening to the answer. She did not expect Josephine to answer her questions correctly.

In fact, she could barely believe that Josephine had such a deep understanding of the learned knowledge in the book. She pressed on with the second question.

Once again, Josephine provided a satisfactory answer. Tori glanced at the questionnaire in her hand. Half of the questions were questions based on textbook knowledge. It would seem that she could no longer rely on the questions she had prepared in advance. She had to come up with harder questions instead.

Therefore, she began to start asking the questions at the bottom of her list.

“Josephine, what qualities should a journalist possess?”

Josephine considered the question for a moment. It was an extremely broad question, so it was impossible to provide a comprehensive answer in just a few words. “In my opinion, a journalist should possess the following qualities—first, they should uphold proper decorum and a firm stance in any situation. Second, they should report the situation truthfully and comprehensively without any falsehoods. Third, they should have a good understanding of the overall situation and maintain a sense of responsibility. By modeling the correct example themselves, they can—”

“Stop!” Tori immediately interrupted Josephine mid-sentence and sneered, “Do you only know how to answer with cursory knowledge gained from books? Don’t you have your own opinions regarding the matter? Josephine, you can’t become a broadcaster simply by relying on rote memorization.”

Josephine fell silent. It was obvious that Tori was deliberately making things difficult for her. These were the correct and standard answers to the question that was asked, but Tori was intentionally asking for her personal opinion on the matter instead.

“These are the qualities that I need to achieve, as well as my personal opinion regarding this matter,” she answered calmly.

“Josephine, it seems to me that your knowledge is too shallow. Why don’t you train for another two years in the press department before trying again in the future?” Tori pushed the questionnaire to the side. The tone of her voice gave off the sense that the interview had ended.

“Miss Alford, I know that I did not perform well enough for your standards. Nevertheless, I hope I can be given the chance to prove myself at the job,” Josephine commented.

“If I allow you to pass so easily, it will be my fault if you somehow damage the image of the company’s broadcasters and destroy the company’s reputation. So, I will be firm in my role as the interviewer. Josephine, I do not believe you qualify to become a broadcaster.”

Josephine took a deep breath and pleaded, “Miss Alford, it is only natural to make mistakes. If I remember correctly, you yourself often made mistakes when you were just a newcomer. Everybody goes through a process of maturation, so please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Tori’s expression darkened at those words. “Josephine, are you trying to compare yourself to me?”

“That was not my intention. I am simply asking that you give me a chance to prove myself on the job. I am certain I will perform well,” Josephine explained patiently.

“I know you want to take over Miss Ain’s position! You are trying to replace her! You wouldn’t even have this opportunity if Miss Ain had not fallen sick in the first place! Are you so impatient to replace her? Should I warn Miss Ain about you?” Tori deliberately threatened.

When Josephine heard that, her expression also turned grim. “I do not harbor such thoughts.”

“I bet you do. You’re relying on your status as Mr. Quarles’ girlfriend to squeeze your way into the broadcasting industry. You’re just trying to snatch the limelight all for yourself! What an ambitious woman you are!” Tori continued harshly.

Josephine was starting to feel very speechless about the situation. Tori had always been looking for any opportunity to scold and criticize her, so the interview was just another means to humiliate her.

All of a sudden, she no longer wanted to continue with the interview. Standing up from the couch, she bluntly declared, “Miss Alford, I am a busy person. I don’t have the time to listen to your insults.”

After saying that, Josephine spun around to leave without another word. Tori made a cold and sneering remark from behind. “If you’re going to act in such a manner, then I won’t be able to sign your interview form.”

Josephine looked back and responded in a domineering manner, “I don’t need your signature.”

Then, she left the office and slammed the door behind her.

Tori couldn’t help but bite her lip angrily. What did Josephine mean? But, she indeed has the strength to pull off such a feat…

Picking up her phone, she dialed Atticus’ number.

“Hello? Mr. Kowalski, I’ve interviewed Josephine. I don’t think she is suitable to become a broadcaster.”

“Tori, didn’t I tell you to interview her just for appearances’ sake?! Why are you being so serious about this matter?” Atticus asked from the other end of the line.

“Mr. Kowalski, if you are planning to force me to work with somebody like that, then I refuse to work here any longer!” Tori threatened in a fit of rage.

She had been hired by Atticus at a high cost, so she was confident that he had to humor her to a certain extent.

“Tori, I don’t mean to criticize you, but do you really think I call the shots in the company? So what if you refuse to work with us? With his abilities, it would not take much effort for Mr. Quarles to hire ten others who are more famous than you. You should think about the possible consequences of offending Mr. Quarles. Take this advice as a kind warning from me.” After saying that, Atticus hung up.

At this moment, Tori’s expression became darker than before. She even felt a trace of panic entering her heart. If I no longer work in this company… Having offended her previous employer, she could no longer return to her former position. What’s more, there was always great competition for her current position. If she failed to dominate her position, then she would really have nowhere else to go.

A hint of resentment toward Josephine flashed through the depths of her eyes. It was Josephine who had pushed her into such a miserable predicament.

…

When Wren saw Josephine returning to her seat, she couldn’t help exclaiming in astonishment, “Why are you back so quickly? Is the interview over?”

“Tori was the only one to interview me, so I found the whole interview session to be a waste of my time,” Josephine bluntly explained.

“Why was she alone? Don’t tell me… Does she have the final say over the results of the interview?”

“Who cares? In any case, I refuse to be interviewed by her. I will ask Mr. Kowalski to arrange for somebody else to interview me instead.” Having said that, Josephine turned on her computer and resumed working.

“Joey, why do you need somebody else to interview you? You could just ask Mr. Quarles to sign your interview form! Wouldn’t that solve all your problems?”

“Really?” Her eyes suddenly lit up at those words.

“Of course! Which department will dare to reject you if you have Mr. Quarles’ signature on your interview form? You could join any department you like!”

She gave the idea some thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll follow your advice and ask him to sign the form for me tonight.”

“That’s the way!” Then, Wren leaned over and whispered, “Joey, considering our friendship, I hope you don’t forget about me once you’ve become part of the rich and wealthy! I’m not asking you for much. It’s enough if you add another 300 to my base salary once you become the lady boss of the company!”

Josephine burst into laughter. “What is that? If I really became the lady boss of the company, I’ll be the first to recommend you for the team leader position as soon as the position becomes vacant!”

Wren was so moved by Josephine’s declaration that she immediately threw herself at the other woman and hugged her tightly. “My darling Joey, I love you so much!”

At this moment, Josephine’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and hastily answered the call. “Hello, Mr. Cooke.”

“Miss Jacobson, please don’t forget about our interview session this afternoon! I specially made time for you, after all.”

“Of course! I will be at the clubhouse on time,” she said. After ending the call, she invited Wren out for lunch together.

Since she had an interview in the afternoon, she decided against inviting Ethan out for lunch. Nevertheless, she sent him a message to inform him about her interview appointment in the afternoon.

‘Okay. Be safe!’ Ethan replied.

She responded to the message, then went to the canteen with Wren for lunch. Along the way, she received many looks from various people. Some of them even took the initiative to greet her, which made her feel very awkward and embarrassed.

That was because most of them were from different departments and she did not know any of them.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and it was soon 2.00PM. Josephine was just about to leave for the interview with her colleague when she received a phone call from one of Dane’s assistants. According to the assistant, Dane had urgent matters to deal with and could not attend the interview today. The interview could only take place the next day. In addition, the assistant invited her to the clubhouse to discuss the topics of their interview tomorrow. When Josephine heard the assistant’s voice and realized that the assistant was female, she suggested that their meeting take place at a cafe instead. Unfortunately, the female assistant insisted on meeting at the clubhouse.

The truth was that Josephine did not like that kind of gloomy and smoky place.

“There’s no helping it. I am working and can’t leave my position. Miss Jacobson, it’s best if you come over!” the female assistant insisted.

Josephine went to her team leader for instructions. Even her team leader seemed puzzled by the fact that Dane had chosen such roundabout interview procedures.

“In any case, they are a large private company. If there are any topics that they wish to avoid in advance, then we have to follow their wishes and avoid those topics so as not to reveal the secrets of their industry.”

“Mr. Fox, are you saying that I should discuss the interview questions with his assistant in advance?” Josephine asked.

“Joey, do you have the time? If you don’t, I’ll send somebody else over instead.”

Josephine considered her options. Since she was in charge of the interview, it would undoubtedly be much easier if she went there herself. Besides, the other party was one of Dane’s female assistants. She believed that there was nothing to worry about since meeting with the female assistant would be quite safe.

“I have some time right now, so I’ll head over myself!” she said.

Her team leader nodded and gave her permission to meet the female assistant. Afterward, Josephine returned to her office. Grabbing her bag and notebook, she left the office and called for a cab to bring her to the high-end clubhouse.

After Josephine walked into the clubhouse, the female assistant immediately came down in person to receive her. Then, the female assistant guided her to a private room on the third floor. There was no desk for work in the private room. She took a seat, and the female assistant served her a cup of tea. “Miss Jacobson, let’s begin!”

Josephine nodded in agreement and began discussing work with the female assistant. The female assistant started by introducing the company’s background before bringing up certain issues that required special attention. After a while, she seemed to become thirsty from talking so much and offered some tea to Josephine. “Miss Jacobson, have some tea!”

At the same time, she picked up her own cup to drink some tea. Josephine had also gotten thirsty after traveling so far, so she picked up her teacup and drank the tea without hesitation. She was so thirsty that she finished half the cup in a single gulp.

“Miss Jacobson, I’ll get you some more tea once you’ve finished your cup.” The female assistant urged and stood up, looking as though she wanted to refill their cups.

Josephine picked up her cup and finished the rest of her tea, then she handed her cup to the female assistant.

When the female assistant turned around, the hint of a triumphant smile appeared in her gaze. The truth was that she had not invited Josephine to the clubhouse to discuss work.

Everything was simply part of Dane’s evil scheme. He had taken a fancy to Josephine and wanted to take advantage of her. That was why he had made these arrangements. As long as she finished that cup of tea, she would be vulnerable to his advances.

Afterward, he could just settle the matter with money and sweep everything under the rug. That was his usual method to deal with beautiful women, and he believed that Josephine would also keep quiet after the incident.

When the female assistant came back with a glass of water in her hand, she answered her phone in front of Josephine. “What? Are you coming over now, Mr. Cooke? Okay. Alright. Yes, Miss Jacobson is still here. We are discussing work matters.”

After ending the call, she turned to Josephine and stated, “Miss Jacobson, Mr. Cooke is coming over soon. Please wait for a while.”

Josephine frowned and answered, “In that case, I will ask my colleague to join me. We can finish the interview today.”

“No, no. Mr. Cooke is only coming over to take some documents,” the female assistant hastily elaborated. “Take a seat! I need to go downstairs to settle some work matters.”

Then, she left the room.

Meanwhile, Josephine couldn’t help but feel so hot that she stood up from the heat. She came to stand before the floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoyed the cold air coming from the air-conditioning. Why is my body burning up all of a sudden?

She fanned her face with her hand, thinking that the weather was far too hot. It’s only March! Why is it so hot?

She was generally more sensitive to subtle changes. The same also applied to her own body, so she brushed away her doubts without much concern. Feeling slightly bored, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Ethan. ‘What are you doing?’

‘At the house, monitoring the renovations,’ Ethan responded quickly.

His reply instantly filled her heart with a sweet sense of happiness. For some reason, she suddenly missed him very much. The images of his body that she occasionally saw by accident also popped up in her mind unprompted, causing her entire body to burn even hotter.

At this moment, her phone rang. It was a phone call from Ethan.

“Hi!” Josephine answered the phone.

“Did you miss me?” The low and hoarse voice was very seductive and captivating.

When she heard Ethan’s voice, a strange and unfamiliar wave of arousal immediately flooded her body. She instinctively realized that something was wrong.

Her body had become aroused for no particular reason. She inadvertently glanced at the cup of water on the table and her eyes contracted in horror. Was there something in the tea earlier?

The realization struck her abruptly—the female assistant was nowhere to be seen, and Dane was coming over soon. In truth, Josephine was not a fool. She had noticed Dane’s interest and feelings for her, but she never expected him to use such malicious and underhanded methods to harm her.

Catching her breath slightly, Josephine said to Ethan who was on the phone, “Ethan, I-I seem to have mistakenly drunk something. Can you come and pick me up?”

“What was it? Was it alcohol or was it something else?” Ethan instantly asked in an anxious voice from the other side of the line.

“It’s something else. I’m a little dizzy now.” Josephine was already feeling dizzy as she spoke.

“Send me your location. I’ll be there right away,” Ethan stated anxiously.

At once, Josephine sent Ethan her location. After that, she swiftly picked up her bag and made her way toward the door.

As for the assistant who stood guard outside the door, she was shocked when she saw Josephine push the door open and walk out. Panic instantly crept in and she anxiously pulled the other woman over. “Miss Jacobson, where are you going?”

“Let go of me!” Josephine yelled angrily before she shoved the female assistant’s hand away and sprinted toward the hallway.

Since the female assistant didn’t expect Josephine would sense something was wrong so quickly, she hurriedly chased after Josephine. She can’t leave! Dane is in the underground parking lot right now and he will come up shortly!

“Miss Jacobson, don’t leave yet. Mr. Cooke will be here soon.”

Nevertheless, Josephine ignored her, rushed into the elevator, and pressed the close button. Before the female assistant caught up to her, she had already taken the elevator down.

Stepping out of the elevator with her mobile phone in her hand, she gasped as she walked toward the entrance of the club. Her body felt somewhat weak and her steps seemed to have become light as soon as she was outside the building. She held onto a lamppost before she noticed the bus stop next to her. Without delay, she sat down on the bench at the bus stop and waited for Ethan.

While Josephine was waiting at the bus stop, Ethan’s car rushed toward the club like a ferocious tiger. He was utterly tensed as he stared at the navigation and watched himself getting closer to the destination. At the same time, Ethan had notified his bodyguards, who were never around him, to meet him at the club. For that reason, three cars carrying his bodyguards drove out from the nearby hotel at this moment.

Josephine, please be alright! Ethan prayed in his heart as he drove.

Ethan’s car was about to reach the club. After making a turn, he suddenly caught sight of a woman sitting on a bench at the bus stop just as he was about to head to the club. He took a glance at the woman, and he immediately stepped on the brakes when he realized who she was. It’s Josephine!

Ethan quickly got out of the car and came to Josephine’s side. Then, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Josephine… wake up.”

At this moment, Josephine felt her body burning like a fire. When Ethan’s face appeared before her eyes without warning, she stretched out her arms and hugged his waist, feeling uncomfortable. Nuzzling her face in his arms, she whimpered like a little puppy. “Ethan, I feel uncomfortable… Hug me.”

Just then, the bodyguards’ cars immediately followed suit and pulled over. Eight bodyguards got out of the car in unison.

“Who was the person that spiked your drink?” Ethan held back his anger and asked through gritted teeth.

“His name is Dane Cooke, and he is Vital Corp.’s vice president. He is… inside the club now,” Josephine replied before she hugged Ethan again. “Take me away! I feel uncomfortable.”

“Go in there and look for this guy. Once you guys find him, beat him up but don’t let him die.” After giving his order, Ethan reached out and carried Josephine in his arms before getting into the car.

With that, six bodyguards swiftly headed into the club while the remaining two drove the car, escorting Ethan and Josephine from the area.

Sitting in the spacious back passenger seat, Josephine kept touching Ethan’s chest. Meanwhile, Ethan held her hand and coaxed softly, “Joey, hold on for a bit longer, okay? I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“No… Let’s go to the hotel,” Josephine murmured. What she badly wanted right now was him instead of going to the hospital for an intravenous drip.

“Joey, stop it. We are going to the hospital,” Ethan muttered, his voice restrained.

After hearing that, she raised her head and cupped his face. Although her body was feeling extremely uncomfortable, she had a pulsing thought in her heart.

“I want to go to the hotel with you.” The words that escaped her lips sounded resolute despite her eyes being glassy.

“Are you sure?” Ethan gulped. She really does want me to help her, doesn’t she?

“Yes.” Josephine nodded.

“Drive to the nearby hotel,” Ethan immediately gave his order to the bodyguards in front.

As soon as they received the order, the bodyguard that was behind the wheel swiftly sped into the underground parking lot of a five-star hotel.

Ethan exited the car with Josephine in his arms while the bodyguards immediately went to the lobby to obtain a room card. In less than two minutes, the bodyguards finished the check-in procedure and delivered the room card to Ethan. With Josephine in his arms, Ethan took the room card and entered the elevator.

Inside the elevator, Josephine hung on Ethan’s body like a koala and buried her petite face in his neck. When her rosy lips came into contact with the skin of his neck, she parted her lips and bit it a few times in discomfort, leaving behind teeth marks.

“Okay. We’ll be inside the room soon. Just hold on a little longer,” Ethan comforted her.

Soon, the door was unlocked with a swipe of the room card. Ethan kicked the door open and went straight to the bed in the main room with Josephine in his arms.

The two almost fell onto the bed together at the same time. Josephine panted slightly before she started unbuttoning her shirt, practically disregarding any sense of shame. However, the more impatient she was, the messier her thoughts were and the more she couldn’t unbutton her shirt. As a result, she burst into tears of irritation.

“Ethan, help me!” she begged with a hint of a whimper.

Lowering his head, Ethan patiently unbuttoned her shirt. As for himself, he decided to tear his shirt off because he couldn’t be bothered to unbutton it.

In an instant, the expensive buttons that were inlaid with gemstones popped in all directions, exposing Ethan’s strong and well-built chest. He bent down and cupped Josephine’s face before kissing her rosy lips.

“Are you truly not going to regret this?” Still cupping her face, Ethan carefully reconfirmed with Josephine in regard to her decision after the kiss.

Josephine stared at him with glassy eyes and murmured, “I won’t regret this for the rest of my life.”

With that, she raised her upper body slightly and kissed his lips. Even so, she still remembered to remind him with a somewhat pitiful demeanor, “But you have to be gentle.”

Ethan chuckled silently before he promised her, “I will.”

…

Meanwhile, in the club, Dane was sitting on the couch and sipping his tea in frustration when the door was suddenly kicked open and six bodyguards barged in.

“Who the hell are you guys?” he questioned.

“You ought to pay the price for daring to lay your hands on Mr. Quarles’ woman.” Without further ado, the first bodyguard punched Dane in the cheek.

That punch knocked Dane to the ground, making him instantly come to realize that the bodyguards were there to avenge Josephine.

“Easy, gentlemen! Keep calm, please. Keep calm…”

However, unfortunately for Dane, this group of bodyguards was in no mood to talk things out with him at all. One after another, the six bodyguards punched him as if he was a sandbag. Shortly after, only

the sound of Dane’s howling was heard from inside the room.

Dane was practically paralyzed on the ground after he got severely beaten up. The bones in his entire body felt as though a car had run over them and he could only lie on the ground and gasp. Considering these bodyguards specifically aimed their punches at the most muscular part of Dane’s body, his internal organs were unharmed. Even so, the blows were powerful enough to hospitalize him for half a year.

His assistant, who went outside to grab a cup of coffee, returned to witness Dane lying on the ground. Feeling shocked, she shouted, “Oh my goodness! Mr. Cooke, what happened to you?”

“Quick! Call an ambulance!” Dane used up all his strength to breathe out these words before he passed out.

…

Currently, in the hotel, Josephine actively looked for comfort from Ethan like a little wild leopard. Ethan, on the other hand, was rather in a difficult situation. He was afraid of injuring her but at the same time, he had to satisfy her desire. For a moment, the whole process seemed restrained and suffering.

Finally, Josephine passed out tiredly in his arms after he satisfied her desires again and again. Her body was drenched in sweat, and a pinkish hue was painted all over her face at this moment. Ethan felt helpless and his heart ache as he looked at the marks left on her body. Never once did it cross my mind that our first time would happen under such circumstances. Oh, I sure hope that this won’t leave a sequela or trauma in Josephine.

After getting Josephine cleaned up, Ethan took her to rest in the guest room next to the main room. As for him, after he came out of the shower, he received a call from his subordinates reporting to him that they had severely injured Dane. Even so, he still felt he didn’t vent all his anger. What would have happened if I didn’t make it on time? What would have happened if Josephine hadn’t called me? That

b*stard would have undoubtedly tainted Josephine in an inhuman manner! Then again, regardless of how mad I am at that b*stard, I am to be blamed too. Josephine is the woman I like, and I have the responsibility to protect her from harm. Yet, I failed to do so today.

On the other hand, Josephine slept like a sleepy kitten from the afternoon until 9.00PM. After waking up faintly from her sleep, everything that happened before she went to bed suddenly filled her mind, and she instantly covered her face in embarrassment. It was as though doing so could restore her dignity. No… No! That was definitely not me! It was only my body that was burning uncontrollably like a fire. My mind was neither unconscious nor crashed. Yet…

Bits of the explicit and embarrassing details still lingered in Josephine’s memory, making her almost afraid to face Ethan.

Even so, she was even angrier with Dane’s behavior. I must expose the true colors of a sc*mbag and a monster like him!

After realizing that there was no one in the room, she couldn’t help but move her hands away from her face. Then, she carefully sized the room up. This room seems to be a guest room rather than the master bedroom of the suite. So, does that mean Ethan carried me here while I was asleep? In fact, my body feels extremely refreshed. This simply means another event took place before I went to bed, and that was, Ethan had cleaned me up. Ah! This is so embarrassing! I don’t want to live anymore.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. At once, Josephine pulled up the blanket and wrapped herself in it.

Looking at the protruding figure under the blanket, Ethan couldn’t help but curve his lips upward in amusement. Still, he eventually sat down on the edge of the bed gently and patted her lightly. “Are you awake?”

Upon hearing Ethan’s voice, Josephine waved her hands and refused to lift the blanket.

“What’s the matter? You don’t wish to see me anymore? Was I so bad in bed?” Ethan’s deep voice carried a hint of self-reproach.

As soon as Josephine heard what he said, she immediately got out of the blanket and praised, “No, no. You are good.”

After hearing her compliment, Ethan chuckled and said, “In that case, were you satisfied with my skills?”

Josephine gulped and nodded. Then, her eyes wandered to Ethan’s neck, which was slightly uncovered. When she saw the eye-catching hickeys that she had left on his neck, she couldn’t help admiring them rather daringly.

Suddenly, Ethan passed her the bag of clothes that he carried with him. “Here. I brought these over for you. Get up, put them on, and let’s go home.”

“Huh? Home?” Josephine blinked, feeling puzzled.

“The villa is ready, so we can move in,” Ethan explained. After all, he had always been someone who was the fastest when it came to taking action. Moreover, everything in the villa had been fully customized. All they needed to do was move in.

“That’s quick.” Josephine blinked in amazement. At the same time, she couldn’t wait to move in with Ethan.

“I don’t want to take you to stay at a hotel anymore. I want to spend time with you at home.” With that, Ethan bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “Let’s go home and take our shower again.”

Upon hearing that, Josephine said a little sheepishly, “Can you leave and let me get changed?”

Instead of leaving the room, Ethan smiled and turned around. Josephine felt somewhat powerless when she saw this. Therefore, she had no choice but to hurriedly change her clothes with his back facing her.

Once she was done, she followed Ethan to the underground parking lot of the hotel and got into the car. Looking at the neon lighting outside the window, Josephine felt a sense of security and exceptional warmth in her heart at the same time. A lifelong devastating event nearly happened to me today, but thanks to him, I was saved from it.

“Ethan, thank you.” Josephine expressed her gratitude softly.

Upon hearing that, Ethan reached out and embraced her. “Thank me? Nah… You don’t have to be so courteous around me now that we have upgraded our relationship.”

Curving her lips into a smile, Josephine hummed, “Okay! I won’t in the future.”

When they arrived outside the gate of the villa, the night view of a brightly lit villa that was filled with a mysterious and grandeur aura was reflected in Josephine’s eyes.

Seeing that Josephine was in a daze, Ethan held her hand and led her into the brightly lit hall.

Josephine was still studying the decoration style of the villa under the night sky even after they entered the hall. Suddenly, Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin gently on her shoulder. “From now on, this is our home.”

Like Ethan, Josephine was thrilled to share a home with him so soon. She turned around and hugged his waist. “I like this home a lot.”

Afterward, Josephine went upstairs to take a bath. She comfortably breathed a gentle sigh of relief as she soaked herself in the tub of lukewarm water. Just then, the door of the bathroom slid open without

warning.

This took Josephine by great surprise that she immediately hid her body under the water, revealing only her head. Panic was written on her face as she looked at the man who came in. I can’t believe he comes in wearing nothing but his boxers. Wait a minute! Is he coming in to take a shower too?

“A-Are you in a rush to take a shower?” Josephine blinked as she asked.

Unsparingly showing off his well-built figure, Ethan winked at Josephine. “Don’t worry. I won’t fight for the bathtub with you.”

As soon as he said that, he made his way toward the shower section and closed the door that separated the wet section from the dry section. However, the door wasn’t solid at all. It was merely a layer of glass that distinctly and vaguely covered the silhouette of the person inside the shower. This, in Josephine’s opinion, wasn’t considered as covered at all.