Hayden gaped, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at Vivian. How could this Vivian seem like a completely different person from the one he knew before? It was as though she had undergone a complete transformation.
"Why are you looking at me like that. Don't you recognize me as your boss's wife anymore?" Vivian caught Hayden's gaze and returned it with a playful smile.
Ethan had known since that day about Vivian's unpredictable, dangerous nature that defied all logic, so he wasn't surprised. Instead, he felt a pang of worry for Hayden.
"Don't you dare try anything with my secretary!" Ethan could almost read her mischievous thoughts from her eyes, especially after witnessing her playful advance on Hayden. It made his scalp tingle.
"What kind of scheme could I possibly have?" Vivian cupped her cheeks, looking innocent as a girl, her eyes blinking wide and guileless.
Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
"And what exactly am I thinking? Could it be... you're thinking the same thing?" Vivian hinted suggestively, wiggling her fingers before Ethan, causing his face to flush red and then pale in anger.
"Vivian!"
She shrugged playfully, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
Hayden was utterly lost in their unspoken exchange, but he watched Ethan with astonishment. It seemed like ages since he had seen Ethan openly display his emotions in front of anyone.
Since taking on the monumental responsibility of leading Sharpe Inc. at eighteen, cold indifference had become Ethan's shield against relatives who hungrily eyed the company. Over the years, even Hayden had only rarely glimpsed the genuine expressions beneath his mask. Gradually, he too had grown accustomed to Ethan's stoic demeanor.
Hearing Ethan's outburst now, it was as though he was seeing the straightforward, passionate young man he had first met.
"Anyway, you're not to lay a finger on my secretary! No more behavior like that—it's sexual harassment!" Ethan bellowed.
"Sexual harassment only applies if the other party feels uncomfortable." Vivian turned to Hayden. "Did you feel uncomfortable just now?"
Hayden, suddenly put on the spot, was momentarily stunned and instinctively intimidated by Vivian's assertiveness, shaking his head, "No."
"See!" Vivian stuck out her hip, her chin lifted high.
Ethan shot him a glare, seemingly irked that he wasn't taking his side.
Hayden felt unjustly implicated. "..."
"Such behavior is simply not allowed in my company!"
"Well, what about outside the company then?"
"Absolutely not! You're my wife now, Ethan's wife! How can you engage in such... such indecent acts!" Ethan fumed, nearly biting his tongue.
"Oh... so you're jealous! You should have said so!" Vivian pretended to have an epiphany.
"This isn't about jealousy! It's about you remembering your status!"
But Vivian wasn't listening, covering her mouth and giggling, as if to say, "I understand, I get it, any further explanation would just be an excuse."
Hayden was at a loss. Were they children squabbling? Was this still their esteemed CEO? How could Ethan be so easily provoked by Vivian, losing control like this?
"Cough." Hayden cleared his throat, intending to remind Ethan that now wasn't the time to argue about jealousy but to ask Vivian why she was here.
Vivian, however, preempted Ethan's glance towards Hayden, dropping a bombshell. "Since you won't let me touch the little secretary, I'll just touch you from now on. That wouldn't count as sexual harassment, right?"
Ethan was suddenly reminded of Vivian's lascivious touch from that day, his ears burning hot as he growled, "That... that's still sexual harassment!"
"How can touching my own husband be sexual harassment? You haven't forgotten, we're already married... we've consummated our marriage, haven't we?" Vivian pretended to be shy, advancing on Ethan step by step, her finger tracing circles as if to poke his chest.
Ethan retreated, a six-foot-five man feeling intimidated by a woman barely five feet three...
"Hack, hack, hack!" Hayden coughed so violently he thought he might develop tuberculosis, finally drawing the attention of the two protagonists.
Vivian looked at Hayden with dissatisfaction,
While Ethan didn't know what to do, Hayden bravely spoke up:
"Madam, did you come today to see the Mr. Sharpe for something specific?"
Vivian blinked at Hayden.
Only then did Ethan remember the ace he held against Vivian. Seizing the momentary distraction, he pushed Vivian aside and darted behind his desk, using its breadth to distance himself from her and turning his back to recompose himself, striving to regain his usual cold, stern demeanor when dealing with others.
"Vivian, if you came here to plead for your family's sake, you'd better give up. That decision is final. This is your punishment for marrying me under false pretenses and drugging me. Don't forget, the Shaw family's business is in my hands," Ethan said, feeling a hint of satisfaction, even though the truth wasn't entirely so. The thought of cutting down her arrogance, watching her regret and beg for mercy, filled Ethan with a suppressed anticipation.
He struggled to maintain his cold expression as he slowly turned to gauge her reaction.
"Bang!"
"Huh?" Vivian said.
"Eh?" Ethan said.
Why was Hayden being pinned down on the coffee table by Vivian?!
