"Shadowsweet: Hard to Resist"
by Fei Qing
2019.03.06
[Volume One: A Taste of Sugar]
"I'll be back at the law firm soon. For now, help me keep the client calm!"
Hanging up the phone, Sienna Thornton stuffed her mobile back into her bag, tightened the leash, and once again pressed the doorbell in front of her with determination.
The large, hungry Alaskan dog was pacing restlessly around her, nearly pulling her down several times.
At the law firm, a client was waiting to discuss the details of an upcoming foreign court case, but the person she was supposed to hand the dog over to was taking their time to open the door.
After waiting for ten minutes, Sienna's patience ran thin. She was just about to turn back with the dog when the elegant English-style front door swung open.
Relief swept over her, but as she saw the man standing inside, she took a deep breath.
The man's hair was dark, shiny, and damp on his forehead, and water droplets trailed down his toned, sun-kissed chest.
He was a very tall man, exuding an intense aura of dominance.
Sienna instinctively took a step back, her line of sight awkwardly shifting elsewhere.
It seemed like he just finished showering.
But why would he choose this exact moment to shower, knowing she was coming to drop off the dog?
What exactly was he planning?
Sienna rolled her eyes internally but quickly replaced her impatience with a slight smile, acknowledging that he was a relative of her boss.
With a slight tug, she pulled the dog to stand between herself and the man.
"Are you Simon Forrester?"
The man nodded expressionlessly.
Sienna handed over the leash with both hands, briefly explaining, "Partner Reed had to leave the country urgently, so Misha needs your care for a few days. Partner Reed has already discussed the details with you, right?"
The man took the leash, his tone indifferent, "I thought he would bring the dog himself."
Sienna smiled, said nothing more, and watched as he took the dog away.
She was just about to turn and enter the elevator when she saw the dog, already halfway through the door, excitedly lift its head and snatch the loosely tied towel from the man's waist.
"..." Sienna was shocked, quickly turning her face away, and swiftly stepped into the elevator behind her.
The elevator descended slowly.
The sharp-looking woman felt slightly uncomfortable as she tucked her black hair behind her ear, her cheeks and earlobes tinged with an awkward warmth.
Moments ago, when the dog pulled down the man's towel, she seemed to have seen something she shouldn't have.
...
"Ding", the elevator reached the ground floor.
A red Mini Cooper with a black roof was parked outside.
Sienna hurried into the passenger seat.
The assistant in the driver's seat smiled, "You were up there for quite a while. Did Partner Reed's cousin give you any trouble?"
Thinking of that strange man, Sienna curled her lips, her tone mocking, "Aside from a rather unique dog handover ceremony, no trouble at all."
...
Two weeks later, the day after Sienna returned from the United States, she received another case.
The assistant gently placed the organized documents on her desk, "The client alleges that her ex-boyfriend sexually assaulted her and then refused to pay the settlement compensation. She wants to hire us to send a legal notice to him."
"?" Sienna put down her pen and lifted her face from the case files, leaning back into the soft leather chair, frowning, "This is the international department. Why is a civil case like sending a legal notice being assigned to us?"
"Look at the documents! The client's ex-boyfriend is Partner Reed's cousin, and Partner Reed instructed that this case be handled by you personally."
"Partner Reed's cousin?" Sienna was startled, recalling the scene from half a month ago when she delivered the dog, and that man with a strong aura of dominance...