Vanessa Liu scoffed coldly, casting a dismissive glance at Eric's phone.
But the moment her eyes registered the screen—her own image, caught in a compromising act—her face went pale.
She froze.
Even someone as bold and unrestrained as Vanessa couldn't handle this.
Her seductive figure, exposed body, gasping moans—all captured on video in the most shameful detail.
"You… you were in the office last night?"
Her arrogance collapsed. Vanessa slumped into her leather chair, her voice suddenly soft and trembling.
Eric Chen leaned against the desk, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.
"Still so fired up, Director Liu? Doesn't look like it."
He paused, then said mockingly,
"David Tong's performance was pretty pathetic, huh? If it were me, I'd make sure you screamed till you couldn't walk."
"You bastard…"
Vanessa's fury flared—but so did her panic. She knew she was screwed.
As long as Eric had that video, she'd never be able to touch him again.
If it ever got out, not only would her career be ruined, but David Tong—Vice President of the company—would be finished. And so would the future she had painstakingly built.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the fire in her chest. Then, like flipping a switch, she stood up, adjusted her skirt, and walked gracefully over to Eric.
Smiling sweetly, she placed a soft hand on his shoulder.
"Eric," she said gently, her voice silky smooth, "you know how hard it is for a woman to survive in this world. I've made mistakes, yes, but most of what I did… it was because Mr. Tong told me to. I never wanted to target you."
As she spoke, her fingers slid down his arm, her body inching closer with every breath.
Vanessa had always been able to control men.
But just as her hand reached his waist, Eric grabbed her wrist, his smile gone cold.
"You really think I can't tell the difference between sincerity and seduction?"
Vanessa froze. Her plan had failed. Completely.
Eric stood up and stared her down, his voice steady and calm.
"Money? Keep it. I'm not interested.
The video? Stays with me.
Think of it as insurance—my protection from snakes like you."
Vanessa's lips trembled. "You… you're insane. Do you know who David Tong is? If he finds out—"
"Tell him," Eric cut in sharply, raising one finger,
"And while you're at it, let him know: the video's already backed up to the cloud. If he wants to play rough… I'm ready."
With that, Eric turned and walked out of the office, leaving a furious storm behind him.
BANG!
A loud crash echoed behind him as Vanessa hurled a paperweight at the door, her entire body shaking with rage and shame.
She slumped into her chair, biting her lip. How could she have been so careless?
How had this pathetic loser Eric Chen turned the tables on her?
In frustration, she picked up the phone and called David Tong.
He answered on the third attempt, annoyed. "Why the hell are you calling me during a meeting?"
"Our video… Eric recorded it," she said, voice cracking. "He has everything."
Silence.
David Tong's face drained of color. His rise to Vice President had nothing to do with merit—it was because of his powerful, older wife. If she ever saw that video… he'd be done.
"Give him money," David said finally, suppressing his panic. "I'll reimburse you. Just get rid of it."
"Money doesn't work. He doesn't want it. He even rejected me when I tried seducing him."
"What?!"
Vanessa gritted her teeth. "Yeah. Apparently, he's different from other men."
David cursed under his breath. "Tell him whatever he wants to hear. I'll take care of it. Just stall for time."
After the call, Vanessa sank into her chair, exhausted.
She knew David Tong wouldn't risk himself to save her.
She was just a tool to him. A body to relieve stress.
If she wanted to survive this… she'd have to handle Eric herself.
—
Back at his desk, Eric sat in silence.
His mind wasn't on the office, not after what he'd seen last night.
Olivia Bai.
His wife, his childhood sweetheart… had clearly been with another man.
He needed proof. He needed to find that bastard and destroy him.
On a whim, he opened his browser and pulled up a recent promotional campaign from Olivia's company.
His eyes scanned the screen—until they locked onto one face standing just a bit too close to his wife.
A man.
Smiling. Confident. And with his hand almost touching her waist.
Eric's eyes narrowed.
"Found you," he muttered.