“You’d better mean that. He’s a brilliant man. You’re not good enough for him. Stop trying to drag him back into
your life.
I let out a bitter laugh and hung up.
Gabriel, the brilliant tvy League entrepreneur. Everyone thought I wasn’t good enough for him, that we were from different worlds.
“You’re a pearl, too.”
Leo’s words echoed in my head. I stopped walking. An idea sparked in my mind.
My new campaign theme: You, too, will become a shining pearl.
Forgetting all about my anger toward Cora, I rushed back and worked through the night, drafting a new proposal. The next day, I pitched it to the
team, and they loved it. We interviewed dozens of young women, sharing their stories of underestimated efforts and quiet triumphs. We wove
their experiences into a new product line and a campaign for International Women’s Day.
This time, the pre–launch buzz was explosive. Our hashtag went viral.
To celebrate, Leo gave the entire project team a generous bonus and treated us to a lavish dinner. The party planners, to liven things up, had crea-
ted a “mission box.” Everyone had to draw a dare and complete it to get their bonus check.
My dare was, of course, the impossible one: Get the boss to wipe your mouth for you.
For the sake of that bonus, I swallowed my pride, begged a colleague to switch seats with me, and ended up sitting next to Leo. But as soon as I sat down, my courage evaporated. What kind of monster wrote this dare? I fumed silently. They clearly want me to fail.
I kept my head down, nervously shoveling food into my mouth while I tried to come up with a plan. Suddenly, Leo leaned closer.
Chapter 2
I kept my head down, nervously shoveling food into my mouth while I tried to come up with a plan. Suddenly, Leo leaned closer.
“What’s your mission?” he murmured, a playful glint in his eye. “You didn’t switch seats just to be near me, did you?”
06:33
My nerves got the best of me. I bit into a sesame–filled mochi ball too hard, and the hot filling squirted out, smearing all over my chin.
Leo chuckled, quickly grabbing a napkin. He cupped my chin with one hand and gently wiped away the black sesame paste with the other.
“So tense,” he teased. “You’re not scared of me, are you?”
stared into his eyes, completely frozen, my mind blank.
A cheer erupted from around the table. “Vivi! Did you get the impossible dare?”
“Oh my God, she actually did it!”
Leo’s brow furrowed, and the pressure of his fingers on my chin increased slightly. He leaned in so only I could hear. “Was this really just for a
dare?”
I nodded dumbly, then realized my mistake and shook my head frantically.
slow, warm smile spread across his face.
Then, a deep, cold voice cut through the air from behind us. “Let her go.”
