Chapter 17 Impure intentions

Unlike the Espresso that Grace often drank in Italy, the Australian specialty, Flat White, was milder and richer. It consisted of one shot of Espresso and one part milk, reducing the bitterness and acidity of the coffee to a minimum. The rich taste of milk played a significant role, creating a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth through the harmonious combination with coffee.
Grace cautiously took a sip and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Dan: asked "Is it delicious?"
Grace nodded vigorously.
Dan: teased her, "You betrayed Italy."
Grace's smile widened.
Of course, it wasn't just because the coffee was delicious, but also because... of Caesar.
He was still a respectable person. After Grace requested that they maintainkeep distance, he truly started keeping his distance from her.
And there was no intention to deliberately isolate her. When they greeted each other just now, he also nodded towards her.
Everyone was happy.
Grace's anxious heart once again slowly calmed down. The incident that happened last time became a small interlude that could be completely turned over. After the first race ended, she thought she could finally chat with her host normally.
On the third day of arriving in Melbourne, the race cars were allowed to enter the circuit for practice.
The first race would take place on the following weekend with practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday.
Three days of intense racing activities, the entire team would be there to cheer for the drivers.
In the first week, Grace joined the PR department colleagues.
The selected questions and prepared answers to the questions sent by the media need to be reviewed and approved by the PR department. Both drivers need to accept interviews from up to a dozen media outlets before the race, not to mention some public events. The drafts of these events need to be reviewed and approved in advance by the PR department.
The approved drafts will then be sent to Caesar for final review. As the race approaches, he oversees every small detail.
James privately complains, feeling that the PR department is under too much pressure now, with Caesar controlling everything, and it's not as easy as it was when the previous manager was there.
As a result, the task of receiving feedback and suggestions for manuscript revisions inevitably falls on Grace. It could be said politely as receiving feedback and suggestions for manuscript revisions, but not so politely, it means being pointed out mistakes face-to-face and accepting criticism.
Caesar pursues efficiency and requires direct communication between the PR department and him, instead of going back and forth with emails, dragging out even small matters for several days.
Grace prints and organizes all the documents, and she takes Seth's elevator card to get to the top floor.
After ringing the doorbell at Caesar's suite, the sound of electronic unlocking quickly comes from the door.
Grace keeps her breath and calms her emotions, then raises her hand to push the door open.
An empty and simple suite living room, elegantly designed but not overly complicated, with a deep gray carpet extending to the bottom of the white walls, and a huge linear lamp hanging in the center of the living room.
Caesar walks out of the bedroom.
He is not as strict as he is in the company, wearing only smoke-gray shirt and black trousers.
"Please have a seat," his voice is calm, without any extra emotions.
Grace responds, concentrating her thoughts entirely on her work.
A deep blue sofa, much softer than Grace expected. When she sits down, she feels like half of her body sinks into it.
She moves her body towards the edge of the sofa to ensure a relatively upright sitting posture.
Then... she realizes she is wearing hotel slippers.
Before leaving, she made sure she didn't forget any documents, take her pen, and make sure her clothes weren't pajamas.
And then she walked out wearing slippers.
Grace's face turns pale, and she's sure Caesar must have noticed.
In Caesar's suite, Caesar himself is still wearing clothes and shoes that can be worn outside, while Grace is wearing seemingly casual slippers.
Goosebumps rise in Grace's heart, i. It's actually a small matternot a big deal. But it's not entirely insignificant.
Fortunately, Caesar didn't pay any attention to her slippers. He walked closer and sat beside Grace.
Grace hands over the manuscript and he starts to quickly browse through it.
The whole process is professional and precise, identifying problems, providing solutions, and saving the PR department a lot of time.
After the discussion is over, Grace reiterates the points that need to be revised to ensure there are no omissions or misunderstandings. During this time, her phone rings.
Grace is startled and immediately tries to hang up the call, but Caesar says, "Go ahead, t. This isn't a formal work setting."
Since he said so, Grace had to answer the phone.
"I don't want to answer the phone."
The caller displayed on the screen is Dan.
Grace answersed the phone.
Dan's voice comes through the phone loudly:, "Grace, do you prefer almond hazelnut or matcha chocolate?"
Grace is confused:, "What is this about?"
Dan: answered, "We just came out of a place nearby called a famous ice cream shop after our visit to the wildlife park. These two flavors are the best sellers. Which one do you like as a return for when you treated me to coffee last time?"
Grace replied, "No needthanks., Yyou helped me last time."
Dan: smiled, "It was nothing, i. If you don't choose, I'll buy both?"
Grace doesn't want to dwell on it:, "Almond hazelnut, thanks."
The call ends quickly, and Grace quickly shuts down her phone.
Caesar sits silently beside her, listening to the entire conversation.
Grace finishes checking all the documents, s. She bendst down and kneelsed down in front of the coffee table a little further away from her, and rearranges the scattered documents in order.
Caesar sits behind her.
She iswas wearing a black full-body skirt, with a playful yet sexy style.
The neckline iswas low, both in the front and the back.
Wherever herhis gaze falls, youhe can see her slender neck and snow-white back.
Her legs arewere kneeling, facing away from him.
Her toes arewere supported on the ground, while her heels are raised high. A rosy complexion can be seen beneath her fair skin.
"Okay, then I'll leave now." Grace holdseld the materials and preparesd to get up.
Caesar shoutsed, "Grace."
Grace freezesoze in place.
At the moment, she iswas in a kneeling position, much shorter than Caesar. Her gaze becomesame inexplicably upward, even her breathing iswas somewhat irregular.
"Are you close with Dan?" he askeds.
Grace breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he's going to criticize her work.
"We live close by, so we often actgo out together," Grace honestly answersed.
Caesar nodsded calmly and says, "You may go."
Grace standsood up, holding the documents in her hand.
She brushesd off her skirt and walksed slowly towards the door.
When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around.
And she comesame across Caesar's gaze that he didn't have time to avert.
Grace now sure that Caesar iswas not someone who would take out his personal emotions on his work, and she iswas extremely relieved about that.
So, her voice becomesame more determined when she speakokes.
"You called me to report, but your intentions areweren't purely professional, right?"
That day at her house, they were so intimate.
He slapped her genitals, and she climaxed because of him.
If she hadn't opened her eyes and briefly regained her sobriety from the intoxication, Grace thought Caesar might have wanted to sleep with her.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be trying so hard to see her now.
He may not like her, but he likely wanted to sleep with her.
Grace hasad also heard of the chaos in the financial world.
She fell silent for a moment and said, "Caesar, I don't like you, and I will never sleep with you. If that's what you had in mind, then I'm sorry."
"Because I will never sleep with you."