Chapter 53

SYBIL got off the car by herself and followed Chase inside the lobby. Everyone was looking at her, and she was making people’s heads turn to her as she walked behind him. And she knew the reason. It must be the way she looked at that moment. Chase said she would be his assistant, but he made her wear a sophisticated-looking dress on her very first day at work.
“I will be the talk of the town, for sure—aww!” She bumped into Chase’s back when he stopped in front of the elevator.
“Careful,” he told her upon turning around. Chase pulled her to his side and wrapped an arm around her waist.
But she removed his arms immediately and stepped away a little.
“What was that for?” he asked with furrowed brows.
“Everyone is looking at us now.”
“So?” He snaked his arm around her waist again and pulled her back. He even planted a kiss on the side of her head, making the onlookers gasp.
There was no way she could stop him from doing whatever he wanted now that he was on his turf. Chase was the one who set the rules now.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have worn this dress,” Sybil said with a wince. “I came here for work, but you made it look like we are going to have an engagement party or something.”
She let out a sigh as they stepped inside the elevator.
“Sybil.” He heaved a sigh. “Perhaps you should stop thinking—”
“How can I not think about it?” She shut her eyes tightly for a moment before meeting his gaze. “Chase, everyone must be looking at me like that because they know that you are already engaged with Prudence, and yet—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Who says that the engagement doesn’t matter? Chase, it’s not even off, and your father plans to announce your wedding publicly!”
Now that people saw her with Chase getting intimate together, she would probably be labeled as the other girl—a mistress. And that was what she didn’t like.
“Sybil, listen…” He held her hands. “I’m working things out, believe me. It’s just that convincing my father is hard. But I already started talking with his cousins and our family’s elders one by one. Let’s hope that we will get a good result soon.” Chase sounded so desperate.
She felt bad for him.
“I didn’t give this a thought….” She withdrew her hands. “I didn’t know you would be defying your father’s will just because—”
“It’s a marriage of convenience, Sybil. I don’t even have the smallest feeling for Prudence.” Chase cupped her face. “But when I’m with you… it felt so liberating. You make me feel like I’m human… and that makes me love you more each time we’re together. Just like this….”
She immediately felt her tears well in the corners of her eyes. Those words felt so sincere. It felt like it was his heart speaking to her at that moment. Chase was about to kiss her, but the elevator doors opened, and his father stepped inside.
Sybil moved away from him and stood behind him.
“`Pa,” Chase greeted his father.
“I thought you were already up in your office,” Francis said in a low tone, making the atmosphere awkward.
“Ruth asked me to drop her by the orphanage.”
“You brought her here.”
“Yes. She’s going to work for me from now on.”
“You don’t need a fuck buddy inside the office, Chase.”
His father’s remark made him clench his hands.
“This is too much!” Chase snapped.
Sybil’s eyes widened when she saw him raise a fist. She thought he would punch his father, so she immediately went between them and pushed Chase to the other side of the elevator.
“Chase, calm down,” she told him with a shaky voice.
“It seems that my father had forgotten about respect,” he said through gritted teeth. “And I won’t tolerate this amount of disrespect towards you even if he is my father.”
She felt something cold running up and down her spine when she saw Chase’s eyes darken. Sybil immediately reached for the elevator button, and soon the doors opened on the next floor. She tugged him out to get some air and be separated from his father. She was scared they would kill each other inside the elevator.
“Chase…” She grasped his arms. “Please don’t do that again.”
“What?” He scoffed. “Are you defending my father despite what he said? You’re ridiculous, Sybil.” Chase wagged his arms to free himself from her and started walking away.
“Chase!” she called. But it wasn’t enough to make him stop and look at her again. “Chase, please…”
She stomped her feet and groaned out of frustration.
“Damn it,” she muttered as she tried to catch up with him. “Chase, hey!”
Sybil grabbed his hand when she reached him. At last, he halted and turned to face her.
“I can’t understand why you’re suddenly mad at me for—”
“I’m not mad at you.” She cupped his cheek and stared into his eyes. “I’m thankful… and I couldn’t thank you enough for always taking my side, Chase. But I think… you shouldn’t let your anger consume you. I know Francis isn’t treating me well, but he is still your father. We all live under the same roof right now. I don’t want to see you hurting each other just because of me.”
Sybil felt her tears rolling forth her cheeks.
“Hey…” He quickly wiped her tears. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m scared that you will beat each other to death just because of me….” Sybil couldn’t hold her tears. She started sobbing and didn’t know why she was overly emotional.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you feel scared.” Chase kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose. “It’s just that I couldn’t hold myself back. It’s a good thing that you were there.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.
“I don’t want something like that to happen again, Chase,” Sybil said in a muffled voice. “If you do that again, I swear I will leave your house, and you will never see me again….”
“Hm.”
“Promise?” She raised her head and looked at him intently.
“Promise.” Chase caressed the side of her head.
“Alright.” She moved away from him. “Enough of the drama, and let’s get to work.” Her forehead creased when he suddenly laughed. “Why are you laughing?”
Chase pocketed his hands and tilted his head to the side.
“It amazes me how you can change your mood so quickly. That must be in every girl’s DNA.”
Sybil’s lip twitched. She then turned around and walked away.
“Hey, Sybil! Wait for me!”
But she didn’t listen and walked briskly instead.
“You don’t know where’s my office, Sybil,” he said, chuckling.
She shut her eyes tightly before stopping.