Carol's answer came out plain and honest: "I don't want to."

That attitude got to Edward. His lips thinned, clearly annoyed. When he saw she really didn't care to know more, he tossed a glance out the window, shifting the subject. "I've signed off on the acquisition. Tomorrow, you'll meet with the M&A team and talk first round with the Morans."

She gave no response. With work, Carol had always just followed orders.

Only thing was, this deal? Not exactly simple...

As she zoned out for a sec, Edward suddenly leaned toward her. His breath cool as it brushed her ear. "There's a convenience store up ahead. Pull over."

Once the car stopped, he cocked his chin at her. "Grab a few boxes of condoms. Actually, get more than a few. We ran out of the stash last time. This stuff's better stocked up."

Carol, already wound up by the night, snapped a little. "I'm not going. You want 'em, go get 'em yourself."

Edward just grinned, shameless as ever. "If you don't go, then I'm not wearing one tonight."

She winced. Pills were harsh on the body, and if she ended up pregnant? That'd blow everything up.

Thankfully, Edward always handled that part himself. Never made her take the pill.

Carol swallowed her irritation. Unclipping her seatbelt, she swung the door open and trudged to the store.

Minutes later, she stood by the shelves, pointing. "These-I'll take all of them. Please bag them."

Behind the counter, the cashier gawked, whispering to another worker.

Carol ignored it all. Paid up, then dumped two full bags of condoms into the back seat.

Edward gave a low laugh, eyes twinkling. "What is this, wholesale supply?"

She started the car without looking at him. "You said we should stock up, didn't you?"

"Carol, are you trying to test my stamina now?"

He called her "Carol" in that low, teasing way that curled right into your spine. He almost never used that tone-except when they were tangled up in bed, when his voice would murmur against her ear again and again.

"Guess I'll just have to step up."

She frowned slightly, not hiding the frustration. "Didn't we already do it once tonight?"

Tomorrow's talk with the Moran family wouldn't be easy - they were always vague as hell. It was going to take every bit of her focus. She needed rest.

But Edward? He never took her schedule seriously.

He gave her a sideways glance, smirk curving up. His sharp features dipped into shadow. "Once and that's it? Come on, what kind of guy do you think I am? Some one-and-done loser?"

Carol just shot him a look and stayed quiet. Arguing over stuff like this? Total waste of breath.

Back at the riverside house, they'd barely stepped inside before Edward was all over her.

He pressed up from behind like a wall, flooding her neck and cheek with kisses. His hand slid beneath her dress.

Men's hands really did come GPS-equipped. Whatever they wanted to find, they found it.

Carol braced against the wall, grabbing his wrist to stop him. "Shower first."

Too far in to stop now, Edward's breath was heavy, voice coaxing. "Let's finish first-then we shower."

Then came that faint "click"-the sound of his belt buckle unfastening.

In the quiet room, it was electric. As if just that sound could light a match.

Carol gave in with a sigh. "Just once, okay? I've got that meeting first thing."

He paused. The air froze for a beat. Then Edward suddenly stepped away from her, nudging her forward. "Go get cleaned up."

Carol blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Still, she headed to the bathroom.

When she came out, Edward-once full of energy-was already dead asleep on the bed.She let out a quiet breath and silently lay beside him.

Sometimes, even she didn't know-did she fall for the young, energetic Edward, or the careless playboy he was now?

Same face, same person... but somehow, he felt like a stranger.

The words from earlier kept echoing in her mind-he's getting married...

She barely got any real sleep through the night, tossing and turning in restless bits.

After washing up in the morning, Edward noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "Rough night?"

Carol paused mid-motion while picking out a tie for him. Was that concern in his voice?

But before she could think further, his next line dragged her back to reality: "How are you supposed to negotiate a deal looking like that? Don't embarrass me. If you can't pull yourself together, just stay home."

"I'll cover it up with some concealer."

She reached out and tied a Windsor knot in record time-neat and tight.

Edward looked down at her and smirked, "How about we play with the tie next time?"

She looked up and caught that mischievous smile. For a second, she couldn't help but think-Maybe when Timothy named him Edward, he pictured a future general - commanding armies, conquering nations.

Well, Edward got the bold part right... just not the battlefield.

Since Edward was being picked up by Nathaniel Carter, the executive assistant, Carol headed to work first.

She wore a tight, purple split pencil skirt paired with sky-high 8cm heels. Didn't slow her down a bit-she was striding briskly like she owned the place.

Passing coworkers greeted her along the way; she returned each nod with poise, exuding the confidence of a seasoned woman.

"Carol!"

She turned at the sound and saw a woman approaching, taking off her sunglasses.

"Miss Cheryl, what can I do for you?"

The one in front of her was one of Edward's many flings-but among them all, she had stayed around the longest.

Honestly, if Edward hadn't dumped her in the end, Carol might've believed he actually liked Cheryl back.

"I want to see Mr. Dawson."

"Miss Cheryl, I think I made it plenty clear last time-there's nothing between you and Mr. Dawson anymore. So no, you're not seeing him. Please stop clinging."

"You're just an assistant. What gives you the right to interfere in matters between me and Edward. I'm being nice just asking you to take me to him!"

Cheryl's foundation was so thick that the frustration was practically caked on her face.

Carol wasn't in the mood for drama. She called out, "Security-"

Before she could finish, a loud smack cut her off. A stinging pain spread across her cheek.

"I told you not to call security!"

Carol stared at Cheryl's smug look for one beat-then slapped her right back.

She didn't hold back. Her hits were trained and tough, not something a regular woman could shake off.

Cheryl hit the ground, blood at the corner of her mouth. "You-you actually dared to hit me?!"

Carol shot her a cold glance and turned to leave, when someone suddenly shouted, "Mr. Dawson is here!"

Everyone turned to look in sync-and sure enough, that tall figure stepped into view.

Seeing it was actually Edward, Cheryl scrambled up and ran to him, tearing up in dramatic fashion. "Edward, I just wanted to see you, but... but she hit me!"

Edward glanced over at Carol and the faint red mark on her face. "You hit her?"

Carol's voice was calm and clear. "I did."

Cheryl's voice turned shrill with sobs. "Edward, you've got to stand up for me!"

Edward's gaze never left Carol, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Of course."

With that, he walked toward her.

Cheryl looked smug, while everyone else sensed the icy vibe he was giving off-Carol was in trouble, no doubt.

But she stayed cool, unfazed, as he stopped in front of her.

And then... he lifted his hand.

The next second, Edward flicked Carol on the forehead with his fingers - not too hard, but definitely more than a mosquito bite.

The warm sting took her by surprise, while Cheryl instantly panicked, "Mr. Dawson!"

"Handle it quickly," Edward tossed the words behind him as he turned to leave.

Carol gave a glance, and the security guards immediately dragged Cheryl away.

On the 66th floor, Carol was about to head over to the Mergers & Acquisitions department to speak with Michael Peyton about the deal. To her surprise, Michael beat her to it, already waiting with files in hand.

"Director Peyton? What's this about?"

"Mr. Dawson said he wants to sit in-told us to use his office."

Edward didn't inform her. Carol had no idea what he was up to, but went along without complaint.

Once in the president's office, Edward really just sat there, not interfering at all. "You two, go on."

Carol had retouched her makeup earlier, so the red mark on her forehead was barely visible.

She wore a slit dress today, her figure more than enough to catch Edward's eye. His gaze lingered for half a second before he crossed his legs and looked away like nothing happened.

Michael, of course, didn't notice any of that, focused solely on the papers. "Ms. Bright, I went through your revised acquisition proposal. Regarding payment, we had agreed on 40% in cash and 60% through a stock issue. Cutting the stock entirely... don't you think that's too aggressive? Acquiring Serenor in full cash might strain the group's funds. It's safer to go with stock issuance."

Carol parted her lips slightly. "It's just Serenor. Director Peyton, are you being overly cautious?"

"Ms. Bright, I think..."

"I'm not interested in what you think. What I think is what matters."

Carol had a reputation for being direct and assertive. Backed by her competence, no one dared to go against her.

As head of the investment department and one of Edward's trusted people, Michael usually had a voice. "Ms. Bright, I think you may not fully grasp the investment team's standpoint."

Everyone knew about Carol and Edward's ambiguous relationship, so Michael had to keep his tone in check. If it were someone else, he might've kicked them out already.

"Being this aggressive could backfire during the negotiations," he added more tactfully, barely holding back from saying he thought she should be replaced.

Carol easily read between the lines. She tapped her index finger on the table gently. "Director Peyton, have you even looked into Serenor's equity structure? They're tightly held, which makes a full cash acquisition ideal. Issuing stock won't necessarily shift control, but if someone sneaky exploits it, who's going to take the hit?"

"You're heading the investment team. Don't tell me you missed such a basic detail in an acquisition case?"

Her voice was calm, but the chill in her eyes was hard to ignore. The air tensed.

Michael stayed quiet, clearly shaken. He really had overlooked that.

Carol might come off tough, but she knew when to balance carrot and stick. She smiled and added, "I know you mean well, Director Peyton. At the end of the day, we're all just employees here. Why not let Mr. Dawson decide?"There was a flicker of appreciation in Edward's eyes, but his tone stayed laidback. "Up to you guys."

Then he turned to Michael. "Who's the person in charge on the Moran side?"

"Initially it was me and their mergers director. But since you wanted Carol assisting me, they swapped people too. Looks like Mr. Moran himself is handling the first round."

Edward narrowed his eyes slightly, fingertip tracing the edge of his jaw as he glanced briefly at Carol. "Then let's see what you two can pull off."

...

After stepping out of Edward's office, Carol went to find her right-hand woman, Vivian Price.

She was still stewing about Cheryl smacking her that day. Sure, she hit back right away, but the anger hadn't really gone away. She wanted Cheryl to get a real taste of what the world was like.

Back when Cheryl was chasing after Edward, Carol had dug up some dirt on her-not enough to totally wipe her out of the modeling world, but definitely enough to cause trouble.

Carol handed the info to Vivian, who immediately took the lead. "Don't worry, Carol! I'll make sure it's handled beautifully."

With a faint smile, Carol decided to move ahead. Once things with Cheryl were set in motion, it was nearly time for her meeting with Michael and Mr. Moran.

She called Michael, but he shot back a message: [Mr. Dawson says they're holding off today. He's rethinking the lineup.]

Wait, didn't he just say she was in charge? What now?

Edward's thoughts really were impossible to get a handle on...

Vivian worked fast. The very next morning, while Carol and Edward were having breakfast, the TV chirped on showing a scandal about Cheryl.

"-According to reports, rising model Cheryl has exited the industry due to poor professionalism and lack of skill. Her brand endorsement contracts involve high compensation penalties..."

Cheryl's face appeared on the big screen. In just one day, she'd gone from high-flying to rock-bottom-completely devastated.

Carol paused mid-spoonful of oatmeal. Weird. The info she gave Vivian was enough to rattle Cheryl a bit, not kick her out of the industry entirely.

And those words-"unprofessional and incompetent"? That kind of label was career-ending. Someone big had clearly moved behind the scenes...

She glanced at Edward, subtly trying to read him. But before she could ask, he beat her to it. "Was that your doing?"

He didn't even look up. And just like that, Carol felt a bit foolish. Right, what made her think it was actually him?

She kept her voice low. "It wasn't me."

Edward's eyes flicked up, skeptical. She misread the look, thinking he was upset for Cheryl. "If you're trying to protect her..."

"Don't talk while eating."

Carol: "..."

At that moment, Nathaniel walked in. As Edward's chief aide, he was well aware of how things stood between Edward and Carol.

"Mr. Dawson, the old gentleman wants to see you."

Hearing that, Carol got up to gather her things. Normally, when Edward headed to the family home, she'd go too.

But Nathaniel quietly added, "Miss Bright, the old gentleman asked to see only him."

Carol raised an eyebrow, glancing at Edward's calm face-

So, something hush-hush was brewing. She wasn't in the loop.

Carol stepped into the company, only to be greeted by an overly excited Vivian, who looked even more thrilled than she did.

"Carol, if I'd known Mr. Dawson was planning to get back at Cheryl for you, we wouldn't have bothered trying to contact the press at all! You were being too soft before, but look at him-one move and Cheryl's basically done for life."

If even Vivian believed Edward was behind it, then the rest of the office probably thought the same.

Carol didn't bother explaining. Since Edward clearly had no intention of helping Cheryl out, she might as well let everyone assume he was on her side. It'd keep unnecessary trouble off her back-why not?

The weather was downright cold, heavy clouds hanging low like they were smothering everything.

Edward had just stepped out of the family's old estate, looking visibly worse than when he went in.

For someone like him-always laid-back and cocky-it was rare to see him look like that.

He slid a cigarette between his lips, lit it casually, the flicker of flame bouncing in the fog-like smoke swirling around him, ember slowly burning.

A bright orange Aston Martin rolled up next to him. The window on the driver's side slid down, revealing Jonathan's effortlessly handsome face, full of that signature smugness.

"Went by the company to see you. Turns out you ghosted me."

With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, Edward glanced at him with a lazy posture, mumbling, "What's up?"

Jonathan leaned back, one hand on the wheel, one resting on the door. "Can't I drop by for the hell of it? Come on-thought we'd grab a drink."

Edward got in without a word.

"So, I heard you're tying the knot?" Jonathan asked.

Edward bit down on the cigarette, half-lidded eyes looking half-bored. "Who told you that? Christopher?"

"Who else could it be?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow as the car rumbled to life. "Still... kind of random, no? Who's the lucky girl?"

Edward didn't answer this time.

"What about Carol? You've been with her for years. What's your plan?"

Jonathan was pretty much the only one who dared to say it out loud-that Edward and Carol had a thing.

Edward's hair fell messily across his forehead, long lashes casting sharp shadows across his face. In the flickering streetlights, that sculpted profile of his went dead still like frozen stone.

Jonathan glanced sideways, realizing he'd stepped in it. Classic foot-in-mouth moment.

He scratched his nose, then smoothly changed the subject. "Oh, heard Jessica's coming back from Y Country. She's looking better than ever-killer looks, killer body. Shouldn't we show some respect and throw her a 'welcome back'?"

Edward's tone was slow, casual, with a half-smile, "We'll see."

Jonathan expertly turned the wheel, clicking his tongue. "Cold, man. Real cold. You remember the night she left? You drank yourself right into the ER. They thought it was alcohol poisoning."

The moment he brought it up, Edward's eyes darkened a shade. Jonathan caught the shift and quickly dropped the topic.The two of them ended up in a private room at the Royal Club, drinks flowing freely. With alcohol blurring his senses, Jonathan Lowe suddenly brought up Carol again, "You know, I used to think Carol would end up marrying your brother. I mean, the way she looked at Christopher, it was pretty obvious to me."

The moment he said that, the crystal cufflinks on Edward's wrist caught the dim light and gleamed with a sharp chill. His knuckles tensed visibly.

In the low lighting, he slammed his glass on the table with a dull thud, so heavy and sudden that it snapped Jonathan half out of his drunken state.

What's he pissed about now?

Before Jonathan could ask, Edward had already grabbed his blazer with one hand and left the room, his eyes dark as a storm cloud.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night slipped quietly through the thin curtains. Traffic streamed endlessly over the elevated highway, winding toward the ocean-no end in sight.

By the time Edward got back from Royal Club, Carol was already asleep.

He stared at the lump under the bed covers, tossed aside his jacket without a care, climbed in quietly, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his lips burning against her neck.

Half-asleep, Carol asked groggily, "Edward? That you?"

"Who else? Think it's Christopher?" he shot back, his tone immediately on edge. "Or... did you want it to be him?"

Carol blinked herself awake, trying to turn around, but he held her still. "Don't. Just... let me hold you."

The alcohol on his breath hit her full force, making her frown. "You've been drinking?"

He didn't answer, just kept going stubbornly. Then, almost accusingly, he nipped at her ear gently, tugging with his teeth. "Tell me the truth-have you liked Christopher all along?"

Carol sighed, "You're drunk."

Edward held her even tighter, his arms locked around her. "Answer me."

Back when she was around the Dawson family more often, she and Christopher did get along-at least until that incident... since then, things were different.

Outside, the wind howled. Inside, the tension was thick.

Late at night, people's minds slow down, and Carol had officially run out of patience after dealing with Edward's drama. She spoke without thinking, almost wanting to provoke him. "Yeah. Sure. I like Christopher. Always have. Happy now?"

Edward held her down, knees on either side of her hips, his voice as cold as a blade, "Right, I'm the reckless one. But you think Christopher's some kind of saint? He's not. He's not a good guy, and you and him? Never gonna happen."

Carol was used to Edward flying off the handle, but hearing this still stung a bit.

If there was no chance with Christopher, then what about her and Edward? That was even more of a dead end.

She couldn't help thinking-maybe this thing between her and Edward... was really gonna be over.

They had a rough night.

When Carol woke up, the space next to her was already empty, the sheets cool to the touch.

On the nightstand was a sticky note with just two words, scribbled quickly-

[Business Trip.]

Carol knew his schedule inside out. He didn't have any planned trips. Probably just stormed off again to cool his temper.

She tore the note up and tossed it in the trash without a second thought.

An hour later, just as she stepped into the office, Vivian came rushing over, lowering her voice as she leaned in, "Carol, Christopher's here. He's in Edward's office right now."

Christopher was both a shareholder and board member.

Carol's guard instantly went up. Edward had just left... and now Christopher shows up?

"Did he say why he's here?"

Vivian shrugged. "No idea."

Carol gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Can you make me a cup of coffee?"

The coffee was ready soon, and Carol walked into the CEO's office with the cup in hand.

The man sat facing away, a book in hand. His blazer was draped over the chair, just a shirt on.

Anyone unaware might've thought Christopher was the actual boss here.

Carol steadied herself, keeping her expression neutral. "What brings you here, Chris?"

Christopher turned, setting the book down. There was a soft smile on his refined, handsome face. "Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am."

Carol placed the coffee beside him and sat down across the table, getting straight to the point. "Is something up?"

"I heard Edward's out on a trip. Thought I'd drop by to check things out."

Carol hadn't expected him to admit it that easily. No one in the Dawson family played it simple-especially not Christopher, who used his gentle demeanor to hide his real game.

He took a sip of the coffee and smiled. "You've still got it-your coffee tastes just like before."

Carol gave a faint smile. She knew he didn't show up just to compliment her coffee.

"Normally, Edward'd take you along when he traveled, but this time..."

Compared to his roundabout way of asking, Carol kept her tone light. "Guess he didn't feel like it."

Christopher looked her in the eye, like he was trying to read her mind.

Then he set his cup down, casually tossing out, "So, how's the Serenor acquisition going?"

A flicker of unease crossed Carol's eyes. So that's what he was really here for.

"Everything's on track for now."

Christopher clasped his hands on the table. "There's a good chance the project lead might change."

That caught Carol flat-footed. Her fingers clenched slightly. She instantly recalled what Michael had said yesterday...

"You sure about this?"

Christopher didn't hide it. After a pause, he admitted, "Pretty likely. Word is it's from Grandpa. He's recommended someone new."

Carol's face stiffened a little. If that were true, unless Edward stepped in to protect her, she was probably out of luck.

Turned out, Christopher came just to deliver that heads-up. But instead of leaving, he waited for her to clock out and insisted on taking her to dinner.

It wasn't easy to brush him off, so the two of them went out for Japanese food.

Carol could tell he had something on his mind, like he wanted to say something but kept hesitating. She didn't ask.

By the time they walked out, the chill of the early spring evening hit hard.

Carol was lightly dressed, so Christopher took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders... and maybe it was just her, but he seemed extra attentive tonight.

They hadn't gone far when Carol stumbled. Thankfully, Christopher caught her in time-but she ended up bumping right into his chest.

And, just a few meters away, a camera silently caught every second of it...