Chapter 39
Joycelyn’s cheeks burned as she stammered, “It’s clearly you!” She couldn’t finish the sentence and quickly fell silent.
Ellison’s voice was low and calm. “What about me?”
Joycelyn wanted to say he was too domineering, too demanding, but those words were only in her thoughts, never to be spoken aloud.
“It’s fine. I’ll just drink it,” Joycelyn said, her face flushed. She tried to sound casual, but she desperately wanted to bury her face in the soup bowl and gulp it down like water.
“I’m done,” Joycelyn said, wiping her lips with a tissue. “Shall we get to the work report?”
“Sure,” Ellison replied.
Joycelyn immediately stood up to get the report. Ellison ate his lunch slowly, while she sat across from him, going over the details of her work.
As she spoke, Ellison listened intently, occasionally asking a question or two. By the time he finished his meal, she had finished her report.
“That’s everything. If there’s nothing else, may I go rest now?” Joycelyn asked, her desire to leave clear.
“Go ahead,” Ellison said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. His eyes lingered on her hand, where the ring sparkled on her slender finger.
Joycelyn stood and was about to leave when something occurred to her. She turned back, her face serious as she looked at Ellison.
“Mr. Grant, I heard this ring costs tens of thousands of dollars. It feels too flashy for me. I was thinking of swapping it for something more affordable. Is that okay?”
A ring worth over 20 thousand dollars felt out of place on her hand, especially considering her ordinary background.
“Is 20 thousand dollars really that much?” Ellison asked casually, almost indifferently, leaving Joycelyn speechless.
A brief shadow passed over her thoughtful eyes, but she quickly explained, “To you, it might be nothing. But for me, it’s a lot—it’s almost a whole year’s salary. I can’t afford it, and I certainly can’t pay it back.”
“I never asked you to pay it back,” Ellison replied, his eyes narrowing slightly, his gaze steady.
In that moment, as his cold eyes met hers, Joycelyn felt a sudden sense of urgency rise in her chest.
His silent presence made her feel breathless. He looked composed, yet when his aura shifted, there was a sharpness to him—like a hawk’s piercing gaze—that almost felt suffocating.
“I know you don’t care about these things,” Joycelyn hurried to explain. Her voice grew softer, a slight tremor creeping into her tone. “It’s just… I don’t feel right accepting it. And… I don’t want to get used to relying on things I haven’t earned.”
She spoke gently, almost pleading. “I just want us to live within our means. Is that okay?”
Ellison didn’t respond immediately. He simply watched her in silence, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes calm. The midday sun streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow on his features, offering no hint of what he might be thinking.
Joycelyn swallowed, a wave of anxiety washing over her. She wasn’t sure if her words had upset him. After all, Ellison was like a prince, and probably few people dared to speak to him like she had.
As Joycelyn thought about it, she couldn’t help but feel a little regretful. Just as she was starting to feel uneasy, Ellison spoke up. “Got it.”
“What?” Joycelyn froze, her clear eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Thank you for understanding, Mr. Grant.”
Clutching her folder, she quickly bowed and hurried out of the room.
She kept her head down, walking briskly as if something was chasing her. She sighed in relief once she was safely in the elevator. “That was close! His angry expression is really intimidating.”
Joycelyn took a deep breath, her hand pressed to her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. Her legs felt weak, like they might give out at any moment.
Thinking back over the past few days, she’d seen Ellison’s more domineering and calculating side, as well as his cool, aloof demeanor. But this—his silent pressure—was something new. She had almost been scared into running away earlier.
“Ugh…” Joycelyn exhaled deeply, trying to compose herself. Once she exited the elevator, she put on a calm front as she walked toward her desk.
“How did it go, Joycelyn? Is Mr. Grant satisfied?” As soon as she sat down, Aurelia came up from downstairs, looking at her with curiosity and concern.
Selene and the others, who hadn’t been napping either, were all watching her closely. After all, this was a direct report to Ellison—something most people would never get the chance to do. Everyone was dying to know how it went.
“Yeah,” Joycelyn nodded, her hand trembling slightly as she picked up her water cup and took a sip. Her nervousness didn’t go unnoticed, and it made the others tense up too.
“Did Mr. Grant give you a hard time?” Selene lowered her voice, her tone filled with concern.
The others were watching her closely, clearly eager for details.
“It’s fine. Mr. Grant is just strict, and there are a few small things I need to work on,” Joycelyn replied.
“You look really scared,” Selene said, furrowing her brow with a worried expression.
“Then why do you look so pale?” Everyone who knew Joycelyn knew she was usually calm and composed, so seeing her this anxious was unusual—and it caught everyone’s attention.
“It was my first time reporting directly to the CEO. Who wouldn’t be nervous?” Joycelyn took another deep breath, her eyelashes fluttering. She didn’t dare look up at the concerned faces of her coworkers, feeling a wave of discomfort in her chest.
“So what does Mr. Grant think?” Aurelia asked, walking over to glance at the report. She noticed a few small notes written in the margins.
“It’s good that you made it out alive. Mr. Grant is the type of person who… well, he’s like a celestial being. His presence is something most people can’t handle.”
“The last time we had lunch, the tension almost scared the hell out of me,” Selene said, recalling the meal with a rueful laugh as she patted her chest for comfort.
Joycelyn couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, that was the first time I’ve ever seen you so quiet. You barely said a word and just kept eating.”
“Exactly! I was terrified. By the way, do you think Mr. Grant is seeing anyone?” Selene, recovering from her earlier shock, couldn’t resist switching gears and jumping into gossip mode.
Joycelyn’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, and she quickly looked down, pretending to be busy organizing her things.
“Joycelyn, you look really nervous,” Selene said, her sharp eyes immediately noticing something was off. She suddenly stopped her, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Are you… are you and Mr. Grant…?”
Joycelyn’s heart skipped a beat. Caught off guard and feeling guilty, she froze and fumbled for words. “N-no! What are you talking about? I’m not nervous…”
