CHAPTER 11: CHAPTER 11: APOLOGIZE TO HER

"You!" Rhonda Sullivan was trembling with anger, utterly lacking her usual dignified demeanor.

Ruby Sullivan let out a mocking laugh and turned to leave.

That scoff landed lightly in Rhonda Sullivan’s ears, becoming the final straw that broke her sanity. She took two quick steps forward and subconsciously extended her foot—

Ruby Sullivan had seen her move the moment before and had internally mocked how, over the years, this woman’s behavior remained as lowly as ever.

However, in the next second, Ruby Sullivan caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, and then she deliberately tripped herself!

Uninvited!

"Ah—"

An alarmed cry caught Ethan Sterling’s attention. He fully witnessed Rhonda Sullivan extending her foot.

With a clear bang, Ruby Sullivan fell to the ground. Pain showed on her face as she held her ankle, angrily staring at Rhonda Sullivan.

Rhonda Sullivan was momentarily startled. How could it cause such a commotion from just a trip?

Yet, upon facing that breathtakingly beautiful face again, she panicked: "What are you looking at, you vixen? Do you think just because of a bit of beauty, you can—" Before she could finish her words, someone forcefully pulled her back.

Subconsciously thinking it was some unruly employee, her fierce look hadn’t faded yet, but upon locking eyes with the man in front of her, she trembled all over.

Ethan Sterling looked at her with a gloomy expression, anger in his eyes like a storm. She had only seen that look on the night Ruby Sullivan disappeared five years ago.

Rhonda Sullivan inwardly cried out bad luck. Forcing a smile, she softly said, "Ethan..." Yet, the rest of her words were swallowed under his dark gaze.

Though Ruby Sullivan was holding her ankle in some disarray, she remained elegant. She looked up at Ethan Sterling and mocked, "Could this lady be a friend of Mr. Sterling?"

Ethan Sterling’s eyes turned cold as they landed on the part she was holding, and he froze abruptly.

The ankle was already rapidly swelling, with traces of abrasions around it. Just by looking, one could imagine how painful it must be.

"Miss Wenny, I’m sorry." Saying this, Ethan Sterling reached out to help her up, but when he leaned close, he hesitated.

The faint scent of grass wafted to his nose, suddenly reminding him of a woman who also had this light fragrance.

She used to grow various herbs in her garden and spent all day experimenting in the kitchen. Magenta rosemary not only aided digestion but also served as hair dye. In his memory, she always enjoyed the aroma of those leaves.

Wenny, what is it this time?

Ethan Sterling gazed at her with a probing look.

Ruby Sullivan seemed indifferent, using his hand to stand up, subtly leaning against him.

The surrounding colleagues gradually began whispering, "So she’s Wenny, my god, seeing her in person!"

"Yes, I never thought Wenny was not only beautiful but also talented. Seeing this, she really matches the boss well!"

Rhonda Sullivan listened to the voices around her and, seeing the intimate appearance of the two, was so furious she nearly ground her teeth to pieces.

"Ethan..." She began, trying to call back the man’s thoughts.

"I believe this lady didn’t do it on purpose. It’s all my fault for not noticing her extended foot." Ruby Sullivan suddenly spoke, interrupting her words. Her face pale and her voice weak, she really seemed to be in extreme pain.

Rhonda Sullivan turned pale, instinctively wanting to argue.

"It’s an honor that your company chose to hire me. Less conflict is better than more, so let’s consider today’s incident blamed on me, and I won’t dwell on it with this lady."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rhonda Sullivan’s sharp voice rose sharply: "I don’t need your pretentiousness..."

"Shut up." Ethan Sterling’s eyes flashed with cold light, like a sword hanging high overhead waiting to drop. He looked at Rhonda Sullivan with no emotion: "Apologize."

"Ethan, you..." Rhonda Sullivan, as if stripped of her dignity, with tears in her eyes, couldn’t believe Ethan Sterling actually asked her to apologize for a stranger!

The tears did not touch Ethan Sterling’s heart, his last bit of patience worn away. Rhonda Sullivan in her disgraceful state was a sight he had never seen before.

Thus, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable disgust.

"Apologize to Wenny and take her to the hospital, and I’ll overlook this." Ethan Sterling commanded coldly. Rhonda Sullivan instinctively refused.

"I won’t!" She glared hatefully at the woman hiding behind Ethan Sterling’s back, metaphorically biting her teeth to pieces and swallowing them. "It’s just a fall, and she wants to be sent to the hospital?"

"Yes, no need to bother," Ruby Sullivan brushed her hair: "It’s not that serious. Just a cold compress when I go back. But we may need to delay the press conference we discussed later, Mr. Sterling."

She directly looked at Ethan Sterling, her clear gaze seemingly penetrating his soul, curling her lips into a smile.

"There’s a saying that birds of a feather flock together. It seems Mr. Sterling’s eye for friends is somewhat..." She left her lips pursed, not finishing the thought, "If there are further personal safety issues working with Mr. Sterling, I may have to reconsider accepting this job."

Though it sounded like a joke, it was a clear threat in her words. Ethan Sterling was momentarily stunned. Wenny’s reputation in The Euronian-Meridian Sphere was renowned far and wide. He had spent significant effort and financial resources to have this renowned perfumer return to collaborate.

He immediately made a decision, looking at Rhonda Sullivan with pressure in his eyes: "Rhonda, apologize."

Silently chanting the name that made her wish she could drink blood and eat flesh, Ruby Sullivan sneered coldly in her heart.

Once, when they were the closest, Ethan Sterling called her by none other than her full name. "I won’t!" Rhonda Sullivan’s eyes filled with tears, looking pleadingly at Ethan Sterling.

Ethan Sterling’s voice was utterly cold: "Rhonda Sullivan, this is the last time, apologize."