"Don't touch me, you creep! Get your filthy hands off me!"
Hailey Tang let out a high-pitched shriek as she swung wildly, her arms flailing like a windmill caught in a hurricane. She slapped at Ethan Yu's chest and arms, kicking and clawing as if her life depended on it.
Ethan grunted, dodging a particularly vicious elbow aimed at his chin. He lunged forward and caught her wrists before she could land another hit.
"You absolute lunatic—let me go!" Hailey screamed again, twisting like a fish on a hook. "You said you wouldn't touch me!"
"Shut up!" Ethan snapped, his voice low but dangerous.
His tone was so sharp it actually worked. Hailey froze, glaring at him with wide, furious eyes. Her breath came in quick bursts, but she stopped struggling—for the moment.
"I'm warning you," she hissed. "Touch me again and I swear I'll call the cops."
Ethan stared at her, his face unreadable. For a second, something like amusement flickered in his eyes.
So this was the legendary Miss Hailey Tang—brave enough to take on a CEO in public meetings, but terrified of a little physical contact?
It was oddly…adorable.
Still, her total rejection of his touch was like a slap to the face.
"Relax," Ethan scoffed, his grip loosening slightly. "Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't touch you if you paid me."
Without giving her time to react, he yanked her by the wrist and started marching toward the door.
"Where do you think you're taking me?" Hailey stumbled after him, nearly losing a shoe. "Hey! I'm serious! Ethan Yu, you psycho, answer me!"
He didn't respond.
She tried to twist free, but his grip was like steel. He dragged her out of the office, down the hallway, and into his private elevator.
Just as the doors slid shut behind them, another elevator on the opposite side opened.
Lin Xin'er stepped out, heels clicking on the tile as she made her way toward Ethan's secretary.
"Miss Li," she said sweetly, "is the CEO still inside? I just realized I left something in his office."
Miss Li looked up from her desk. "Oh, Mr. Yu just left. He took the missus with him."
Lin Xin'er's eyebrows lifted. "Together?"
"Yes, though…" Miss Li leaned in, lowering her voice. "They seemed to be… arguing. She didn't look happy."
Lin Xin'er's lips curled slightly. Jackpot.
"Oh? That's unfortunate," she said, feigning surprise. "I just wanted to grab my wallet. I left it in the shopping bag on the couch."
"I'll help you look," Miss Li offered, standing up.
Inside the office, Lin Xin'er's eyes locked onto the sleek shopping bag on the sofa—the one with the elegant dresses she'd picked out for Hailey. She opened it and smiled faintly.
All the clothes were untouched. Exactly as she expected.
"She didn't wear any of it," she murmured, sounding just a little disappointed.
Miss Li peeked over her shoulder. "I guess not. She stormed out still wearing the same outfit she came in with."
Lin Xin'er let out a soft sigh. "Guess she didn't like my taste."
"She's… particular," Miss Li offered diplomatically.
Then, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening, she leaned closer. "I think they're having a fight. When they left, Mrs. Yu was yelling for him to let go. But he just dragged her away."
Lin Xin'er looked up sharply. "Really?"
"Really. It was kind of intense. I don't know what's going on between them."
But Lin Xin'er had a good guess.
Bingo. Just as she had predicted—Hailey refused to wear the outfits, Ethan got mad, and now the tension between them was boiling over. She didn't even need to do anything else. Hailey's pride and stubbornness did the job for her.
And now? All she had to do was sit back and wait.
Meanwhile, inside the elevator…
Hailey stood stiff as a board, arms folded tightly across her chest. She refused to look at Ethan, who leaned against the mirrored wall like he owned the place.
The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.
The moment the doors opened, Ethan dragged her out again.
"Would you stop pulling me like a damn ragdoll?!" she snapped.
"I told you I wasn't touching you," Ethan said calmly. "Dragging doesn't count."
"You are such a jerk."
He led her into one of the executive lounges on the top floor—quiet, private, and away from prying eyes.
"Sit," he ordered.
"No," she fired back immediately.
"Hailey."
"I'm not your pet. You don't get to boss me around."
"Fine," he said coolly. "Then stand there and listen."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why are we here?"
Ethan exhaled and pulled down his collar, revealing a fresh red bite mark on his neck. "You bit me again. I think that's worth at least a five-minute conversation."
Hailey blushed to the tips of her ears. "You were threatening to undress me! What was I supposed to do, thank you?"
"I wasn't going to do anything inappropriate. I just wanted you to change out of that coffee-stained dress."
"Don't pretend you care about my fashion choices."
"I care about how you look when you're by my side. And you know what I care about more? You refusing every damn thing I try to do for you."
She turned away, arms crossed. "You didn't buy those clothes. Lin Xin'er did."
"So what?"
"So I don't want her dressing me like I'm her Barbie doll, okay?!"
Ethan paused. That, he didn't expect.
Hailey looked down, her voice quieter now. "I don't care if it's Chanel or some luxury designer. I don't want to wear something she picked out. Especially not when she's still hanging around you like a lovesick puppy."
That hit harder than she intended.
Ethan stared at her for a long moment, then walked over and sat down beside her—not close, but not far either.
"Why didn't you just say that?"
"Because you don't listen," she muttered. "You never listen. You just… decide."
Ethan let out a long breath. "Fine. I'll talk less, listen more. Starting now."
"Yeah right," she scoffed.
He smirked. "Want to test me?"
Hailey gave him a sidelong glance. "What, you want me to yell at you again? Or bite you somewhere else?"
"I'm warning you, Tang," he said in a low voice. "Bite me one more time, and I'll bite you back."
Her face turned bright red. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
Just then, the door creaked open slightly. A janitor peeked in, eyes going wide.
"Oops—sorry! Didn't know anyone was here!"
"Out," Ethan said without turning his head.
The door shut immediately.
Hailey covered her face with both hands. "I cannot believe this is my life."
Ethan chuckled. "You're the one who bit the CEO in public. Twice."
"Because you act like a caveman!"
"You like cavemen," he teased.
"I like coffee, not cavemen."
He stood up and stretched. "Come on. I'll take you home."
"I can go by myself."
"Too bad," he said. "I'm driving."
And for once, Hailey didn't argue.