Chapter 4

A few days later, Serena Vance arrived at the office, clutching a bouquet of lilies.

Seeing my new look, she first scrutinized me from head to toe, then sneered.

"Ms. Chloe, have you finally given up trying to imitate me?"

I ignored her comment and asked, as a matter of routine, "Ms. Vance, do you have an appointment?"

She looked like she'd heard the funniest joke imaginable.

"I never need an appointment to see Julian. His rules are for outsiders."

I nodded, saying, "Please wait a moment. I'll call and confirm if Mr. Sterling is available right now."

She pressed her hand down on mine, stopping me from dialing the CEO's internal line.

"Chloe, are you genuinely clueless or just pretending? Don't you know, if it weren't for your face looking like mine, you wouldn't even have a chance to get close to Julian?"

I reminded her, "Ms. Vance, Mr. Sterling isn't 22 anymore; he's 30. He doesn't have the energy for your games."

The next second, the blooming bouquet of lilies in her hand brutally slammed into my face.

I raised a hand to wipe away the pollen from my face.

And swiftly delivered a slap.

I hit her so hard my hand went numb.

Serena froze, her face a mask of disbelief.

"You dare hit me?"

I shook my hand, my tone flat. "Ms. Vance, I was merely acting in self-defense."

Being a stand-in was one thing; getting hit required separate compensation.

She trembled with rage, raising her hand to slap me back.

Just as her wrist was about to descend—

A cold, deep male voice abruptly rang out.

"Stop."

Julian Sterling had appeared at the doorway, drawn by the commotion outside.

His gaze first fell on my face, which was stained with shattered petals and pollen, and faintly reddened.

Then he looked at Serena's hand, still raised in mid-air, poised to strike.

I discreetly lowered my eyelashes, my voice laced with just the right amount of grievance and timidity.

"Mr. Sterling, Ms. Vance insisted on coming in without an appointment, and I merely tried to remind her, and then she..."

Serena quickly interjected, "Julian, it's not what you think. She hit me first, see?"

She turned her left cheek, revealing a clear palm print.

I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, pretending to be invisible.

After a brief silence, Julian told me to go to the restroom to clean up.

He then led Serena into his office.

A sharp pang pierced my chest, making my eyes sting.

It must have been the lily bouquet hitting me so hard.

The eight-figure number in my mobile banking app made me feel incredibly secure.

That was my true purpose for being here.

Everything else was irrelevant.

I shouldn't get caught up in their messy romance, fighting tooth and nail with his first love.

With that thought, I decided to act first and apologize later.

I would resign and leave Julian Sterling.