Chapter 296
Jenny scoffed, "As if you could possibly compensate for this."
"I'll figure something out. There has to be a way." I murmured, a hint of helplessness lacing my words.
"Just drop it, John. We're not together anymore. Take care of your precious Ms. Jones. I don't need your pity."
Her voice was ice, but I caught a flicker of pain in her eyes.
Did she really not care? My mind spun with confusion.
"I messed up, so I'll deal with the fallout."
"This isn't something you can just 'deal with'."
Jenny pointed at the door. "Get out. And don't ever show your face here again. If you do, I swear I'll tell everyone about you and Ms. Jones."
"Go ahead. If the company fires me, so be it. At least I'll have time to fix this."
She bit her lip, her face a mask of fury. "You're unbelievable, John. Threatening me? You think I haven't suffered enough? Is this what you want? To see me broken and humiliated, my career in ruins? Does that make you happy?"
Her words were like daggers to my chest.
"No! Of course not."
"That's easy for you to say!"
I stepped towards her. She flinched, her eyes wary. "What are you doing? Don't even think about trying anything. This is a workplace."
I reached out, and she cried out, "John!"
My fingers brushed her cheek, and she trembled. "Does it hurt?" I asked, my voice thick with regret.
She turned away, swatting my hand away, a flicker of panic in her eyes. "Just leave, John. If you don't, I'll call security."
"I'm sorry," I murmured, withdrawing my hand. "I would never, ever think of you that way. Not then, not now, not ever."
She didn't reply, her face a cold mask. "You may have forgotten some things," I continued, "but I haven't. I remember everything you said, every single word."
"Get out!" she choked out, her voice suddenly sharp.
"Fine. I'm going."
I walked towards the door. "I was just trying to help, Jenny."
And with that, I left her office. As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, a smile spread across my face.
Back upstairs, it was time to resume my playful banter with Amelia.
At noon, after wrapping up work, I let Amelia know I was heading out to the Emerald Skyscraper.
Choosing this location for the company was proving to be a smart move.
The drive was quick.
It dawned on me that I hadn't been to the office in a full week.
As I entered, Sophia Roberts, the receptionist, greeted me with a bright. "Good afternoon, Mr. Carter!"
I gave her a nod and continued inside, acknowledging the greetings of the other employees who stood as I passed.
The marketing department had expanded, making the space feel a bit cramped.
Savannah was in. She fell into step beside me. "John, we settled that case from last week."
"Excellent work, Savannah."
It had been our first legal challenge since the company launched a month ago. A blogger had accused us of plagiarism.
In this age of recycled content, even baseless accusations had to be taken seriously.
As it turned out, the blogger was the real plagiarist, with 90% of his content stolen from others.
Savannah had handled it masterfully, resolving the issue within a week and even securing compensation for our troubles.
Having legal counsel was proving invaluable.
Once I signed the reimbursement form, Savannah left. Holly, alerted to my presence, arrived with her team for their progress report.
Then came Mia. I'd missed her, even though it had only been a few days.
She looked stunning, as always. The moment she saw me, she playfully tugged at my belt, making me laugh. "Someone's eager."
"You smell divine," I said, leaning in. "I could smell your perfume from across the room."
"And whose fault is that?" she teased, her eyes sparkling. "Surrounded by beautiful women all day, it's no wonder you're picking up the scent."
"I don't know about the scent," I countered, "but I'm definitely picking up something else."
Mia was insatiable, always in the mood.
I felt a pang of guilt. We'd already been intimate twice that day, and I wasn't sure I could keep up.
I pulled her close, stopping her advances. "Can't we just enjoy a hug? I've missed you. Let me hold you."
She melted against me, her lips finding mine.
My teasing was having its intended effect. She was writhing against me. "Master," she breathed, "when can we...?"
She straddled my lap, her eagerness evident.
She was so different from Nicole.
"Eager, ain't you?" I chuckled.
She bit her lip, her eyes filled with a playful challenge. "Don't tell me you're not. There are so many tempting women out there. I need to mark my territory."
"You've already marked your territory," I pointed out.
She raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning playfully condescending. "Then let's mark it again. We can do it in the office, in the car, in the kitchen, on the couch, on the balcony..."
Her words grew increasingly suggestive, and I couldn't help but swat her playfully on the backside. "Behave yourself," I chided.
She gasped dramatically. "You spanked me!"
I fixed her with a mock-stern look. "Enough with the theatrics. I just don't want our relationship to be purely physical. It hurts that you don't seem to appreciate that."
She pouted, nuzzling my neck. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad."
"You're driving me crazy, you know that?"
Feigning anger, I stood up, adjusting my clothes. "Come on, let's go."
Chastened, she followed me meekly.
At Everlasting New Media, the team was having lunch. They all rose to their feet as we entered. "Good afternoon, Mr. Carter!"
"Great work, everyone."
I smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. Ten days in, and we were already at five million followers. If each follower translated to a dollar, that was five million dollars.
But I had bigger plans...
More lucrative plans.
Tony, radiating an air of directorial importance, was at the head of the table. He sprang to his feet when he saw me. "John!"
I nodded, pleased with his progress.
"Where's Lily?"
"Lily's in the South Sea on a shoot with Ms. Hadea," Mia supplied.
"Must be nice," someone sighed. "A working vacation, all expenses paid."
I'd seen Lily's latest video. Her on-camera presence had improved dramatically. We'd invested around a hundred thousand dollars in that shoot, and it was paying off. Viewership was exploding, and we had potential sponsors lining up. Even so, a single ad slot would only bring in ten to twenty thousand dollars.
Top-tier influencers could command upwards of two hundred thousand dollars per video, with annual ad revenue reaching two to three million. With the right business acumen, one person could run a mid-sized company on their own.
The envy in the room was palpable.
"Don't worry," I announced. "Once we hit ten million followers, I'm taking everyone on a trip to Radiant Cascade!"
"You're the best, Mr. Carter!"
Cheers erupted around the room. Most of the team were students, and few had ever been to Radiant Cascade.
A company-sponsored vacation was an enticing prospect for everyone.
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