The autumn wind and rain lasted throughout the night. Osmanthus blossoms fell all over the ground outside my window, their sweet scent soaking into the damp air. When the first light of dawn appeared, those tiny yellow flowers seemed to bloom even brighter on the wet ground.
Half-asleep, I caught a faint trace of the floral scent brushing past my nose. My lashes trembled lightly, my brows easing on their own.
Rip.
The heavy curtains were pulled aside, and sunlight rushed into the room. The brightness pierced through my shallow sleep. I frowned slightly, slowly opening my eyes with irritation at being dragged out of a beautiful dream. My dark gaze drifted toward the source of the light.
A tall man stood by the window. His long, slender fingers curved slightly as he buttoned his shirt with unhurried motions. In the sunlight, the joints of his fingers appeared firm and strong; his nose was straight, his lips thin, an aura of cold restraint clung to him.
It was him—Gideon.
Remembering our passionate night, my mood instantly lightened, and most of my annoyance faded away. I narrowed my eyes, lazily propped my hand under my head, and turned slightly to watch him, looking both languid and satisfied.
With that movement, my pink silk nightgown slid down a few centimeters. My wavy hair tumbled over my shoulders, making my pale skin even more striking. Gideon's gaze swept across my loosened neckline, catching a glimpse of the love marks on my chest. His eyes darkened.
Feeling his burning stare, I tugged my nightgown up, my cheeks warming. He had been away on business too long; no wonder he lost control last night. I didn't even remember when he let me fall asleep.
While I was still dazed, Gideon walked toward me, his shadow falling across my face. My eyelashes fluttered as I looked up.
He was leaning over me, his amber eyes softened."Let's get married."
I froze."What… what did you say?"
"I said, let's get married." He repeated each word with patient clarity.
Then he kneeled on one knee, took my hand, and slid a beautifully cut diamond ring onto my finger. My heartbeat surged. I couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing.
"You… want to marry me?"Wasn't this man the one who firmly refused to get married?
This had to be a trap. Something was wrong. None of this felt real.
Just as I was about to question him, a loud WhatsApp call rang from the nightstand. Who on earth would interrupt at a time like this?
The ringtone grew louder and louder, pounding in my head until everything spun—
When I opened my eyes, I was lying face-down on my desk. Mia shook my phone at me."Vivienne, your phone's ringing."
I stared at her, then at the office around me, and finally at the caller ID: Cassian.
I had really thought Gideon proposed to me. Turns out it was only a beautiful dream during my lunch break.
I answered the call. I barely said "Hello" before the line disconnected. A WhatsApp message followed:
Cassian: [The interview is about to begin. Vivienne, I'll talk to you when I have time.]
I scowled.He couldn't have called later?I was dreaming!!!Gideon was proposing to me!!Proposing!!!
I clenched my fists, furious beyond words.
Mia nudged me and whispered,"Get it together. Lunch break's over. If Vivienne comes to inspect again, she'll give you trouble."
I straightened up a bit."She's disliked me since day one. Whatever. I'm not staying here long anyway."
"You're quitting?" Mia gasped.
"Yeah." I rested my chin on my hand, exhausted. "I already submitted my resignation."
"Is it because Vivienne keeps giving you a hard time?"
"Of course not. I don't care about her."
Mia sighed."We just graduated. The pay isn't high, but being a receptionist at Nova Haven is still an administrative role with room to grow. If you perform well, you might even get into the CEO's secretarial office someday. Think carefully. Big companies with good benefits and internal promotion systems aren't easy to find."
After months of working together, Mia had guessed my family background wasn't great. Receptionists represented the company's image, so dress and demeanor were strictly regulated. The uniform was nice, but people got tired of it most colleagues wore casual clothes to work and only changed into the uniform afterward.
Except me. I wore the uniform from home every single day.
Mia once joked about it. I told her that after graduation, I sent all my clothes back home and only brought summer clothes with me. Now that autumn had arrived, I couldn't wear them. The company gave us three sets of uniforms rotating them was enough.
Mia mentally translated:I had no warm clothes, no money to buy new ones, and my hometown was too far to retrieve them.
Seeing I never wore jewelry, she grew even more certain I wasn't well-off.
But she admitted I had a slim waist, long legs, an attractive figure, and a face that drew attention especially my fox-like eyes. Even girls blushed when I looked at them.
Even in the plain Nova Haven uniform, I stood out. Every time I walked across the lobby, plenty of male colleagues "accidentally" glanced at the reception desk. Some even tried approaching, offering breakfast or snacks.
I rejected all of them.
Mia suddenly remembered something, lowered her voice:"You're not quitting because of Vivienne… but because of Mr. Ashbourne, right?"
Just as she finished, a flashy Bugatti pulled up in front of the lobby. The young, flamboyant Mr. Ashbourne stepped out, tossed his key to the guard, and strode toward us.
Mia nudged me hard, signaling me to look.
Edmund, Mr. Ashbourne, was the third son of the Ashbourne family, and the younger brother of none other than my boss: Gideon.