Free Web NovelChapter 10: Not Normal
Grim. Ichor. Hellworth was the creep’s name.
Corrine sighed, her heart beating loudly as she tried to understand why he was here again. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Didn’t yesterday make it clear to him that he wasn’t wanted here or anywhere around her anymore.
Why did he come back after she told him no?
Corrine was beyond terrified and she thought this wasn’t normal.
He wasn’t normal.
They stared tensely at each other, the creep grinning shamelessly and Corrine calmly let go of her bag and stepped out of her office.
Berry, Lin and Stylie returned to their desks the moment Corrine stormed out of her office.
Grim’s diamond gaze followed her, wondering where his angel was going. He calmly stepped out of her office and gave her employees a questioning look. They returned his look with an even more bothered look.
Stylie turned to Berry and asked if she had any idea where the boss was heading to, looking so angry her gaze was enough to set a forest ablaze.
Berry shrugged and said, ’’Let’s just hope she forgot something in her car and was going to get it.’’
She leaned more on her chair and gave Grim an assuring look, her hands soothingly over her chest.
Stylie leaned against her desk, nervously running her fingers through her hair as she hoped that all would be well.
Soon after, they heard a noise, the sound of multiple footsteps rushing towards them. Stylie and Berry jumped from their seats, Lin staring about in confusion as their boss walked in with all the security guards of the building.
Hefty guards in uniforms stormed in behind Corrine with tasers and silver handcuffs. Their faces hard as they filled in, scaring Stylie and Lin as their eyes moved all over the place.
’’Where did you say you saw the burglar hiding last, Ma’am?’’
Stylie eyes became round with fear as Lin whispered the word ’’burglar’’ like it was the first new word to exist in his dictionary. Lin rose from his seat when their boss’s gaze flickered over to Grim looking the most stunned and amused in the room.
Corrine, without blinking, waved a finger towards where Grim stood, turned to nod at the security men before returning to her office.
Lin, Berry and Stylie all covered their mouths in horror. They stayed huddled up together in a corner as they turned to Grim who moved to stop their boss from stepping inside their office.
Corrine looked down at his outstretched arm placed before her like it was some disease.
Grim tilted his head down at her short figure, lips upturned in a smile, one that revealed how deeply captivated he was by her.
’’A burglar?’’
One of his eyebrows moved in amused disbelief. Her lovely scent pulled him closer even though she stood rigidly like a statue and gave off an ice cold aura around her.
This time, she glared at him and he felt something in him that softened, that melted down his heart like honey.
She was so beautiful even when she looked like she wanted him dead.
She said nothing but calmly removed his arm placed like a barrier in her path and continued the rest of her way inside her office.
Grim’s eyes closed as he focused on the rhythmic sound of her heels hard against the polished floors. He stared at her one last time.
She sat behind her desk, and without wasting a second she turned to her laptop and began to check her mails. He watched as those perfectly shaped fingers moved so skillfully over the device.
Are you really that immune to me?
There was a different kind of fire that burned in his gaze as he stared longingly at the first living being that hated him at first sight, and surprisingly, the first woman in his life that seemed hard to get.
He allowed himself to be escorted out of the building by the guards, not before winking to the girls who didn’t act shy or unfriendly around him. The ones he was used to and found normal.
Berry and Stylie nearly collapsed into giggles, both blushing furiously. Lin only leaned on the nearest wall, captivated as well as in awe of something he only considered beyond divine and perfect.
☆☆☆
Around twelve o’clock, Corrine was busy going over Marcus’s company’s official website. A paper cup of instant coffee was placed beside her as she continued to work hard, determined to get Marcus and his group to give her the break her company needs.
Her heels rested beside her chair as she massaged the back of her neck and cracked her fingers. She was also feeling grateful and relieved that she finally got rid of that nuisance and hoped he finally understood she was not the kind he could easily distract with his nonsense.
As she worked, she kept thinking about her amazing boyfriend and wondered what he was doing right now in China.
Meanwhile, Stylie and Berry kept laughing and giggling at themselves. Replaying every moment of that sexy wink they received from him. Lin turned his chair around when he could no longer ignore their silliness. Their giggles and suppressed laughter was distracting him from composing a letter he should have finished hours ago.
He rolled his eyes when he saw them winking at themselves and blushing as they did.
Their hearts grew heavy with affection and he could guess they were already each married to him in their minds now.
’’Hey!’’ he yelled when he could no longer afford to pretend that they were not being annoying. Stylie turned quickly to face her work with a suppressed laugh and Berry moved in her seat to face their serious, hardworking work mate.
’’Don’t tell me you also don’t dream about him working here with us?’’
Lin rolled his eyes, shifting his chair over to his desk.
Of course he does. But he wasn’t being shameless by making it that obvious and annoying.
Berry tried not to laugh out as she tried to concentrate on her own work.
It would be nice to have someone that beautiful working here. At least it would be something they would look forward to each day they wake up and sigh at the thought of going to work.
’’Everyone,’’ Corrine called out softly as she stepped out of her office with her laptop. It made all three of them pause from whatever they did to turn to her. Corrine kept scrolling on the laptop while saying, ’’Marcus just posted something huge on his page and I think it might be something to work towards to.’’
Berry and Lin shared a glance before returning to their boss with curious looks.
Corrine paused and faced her team.
’’Hollywood wants the next big action/romance script and this time they will be selecting from authors or screenwriters they have never worked with.’’
’’Cool,’’ Berry said quickly with a smile.
’’There is a deadline though for the submission pool. What they are looking for exactly is unknown and the contract will only be offered to the work that best fits their interest and what they will be investing in heavily this time. Big or well-known actors will be used and Marcus and his company is going to be shouldering the expense of the movie and the writers will be...’’
They all listened as the room grew colder and Corrine smiled, ’’...taking at least eighty percent of whatever the movie earned as some sort of reward.’’
The three stared at each other and thought they heard wrong. Stylie smiled and Berry stood up and said, ’’Woah, boss, that’s great news! We got to try and see!’’
Lin nodded, a smile of anticipation taking over his face as they all turned to Corrine.
Corrine looked slightly disturbed because they could all be writing and submitting something that might never be reviewed or close to what these people want. Which makes this unusual opportunity the more challenging for her.
’’But...why wouldn’t they disclose the kind of movie they want?’’ Stylie began intelligently, mirroring Corrine’s thoughts out loud. ’’I mean, wouldn’t that make it much easier for everybody and protect some authors from slaving all their energy and time on a project that might never be reviewed?’’ She cried out and both Lin and Berry nodded in agreement.
This only made Corrine anxious and doubtful about pouring their energy into something with almost no certainty.
’’Well, I have been speaking to Marcus and all he told me was that he has a shadow-like description or overview of the kind of movie this people are looking for...’’
Corrine’s gaze lowered a bit as she moved her leg feeling awkward at what she was about to say next.
’’...and he said I am the least on the list of serious authors he knew and will be disclosing it to,’’ Corrine mumbled out, trying not to be hurt by her own words. Though, the way she told them was the slightly kind/meaner version of how he replied when she begged him to give her this chance to make her break.
’’Harsh,’’ Berry said, getting angry. ’’That little dwarfie sure knows how to be mean when he is not saying it right in our face.’’
Lin only looked down and shook his head. Stylie has not seen Marcus physically but she has been around long enough to know how unlikable he was in this place. She shook her head and frowned in disgust.
’’I might just run him over next time I see him cheating on his wife on the sidewalk.’’
Stylie pressed her lips together and smiled at the thought.
Everyone’s faces soured before Stylie asked if they would be participating or not. Corrine nodded that they will.
’’This time, I will think of something that might help us win.’’
Stylie sighed, ’’There will be over a million submissions. How are we going to win over this contract?’’
’’Don’t worry, Lie Lie. Have more faith in our boss. We are going to win this time.’’
Corrine was about to nod when she swayed, her laptop falling from her hand as the image of Berry splitted into two. The pain hitting her in waves.
’’Boss!’’ Stylie stood along with Lin.
’’Boss, boss, boss, are you okay?’’ Came Berry’s slightly muffled voice as Corrine tried to regain her balance.
The pain was merely a flash, a quick reminder of her health status as her vision returned and she could breathe properly.
Berry, Lin and Stylie were already at her side, wondering if their boss was fine.
’’Boss, are you fine? Do you need water or...’’
’’I’m okay,’’ Corrine stood straighter. A fear unlike any other clouded her eyes. It was one her curious looking team mates couldn’t see or guess. It made her heart pound, like a haunting tick of how much time she has left.
The more reason she needed to try and make this work this time.
’’I’m alright,’’ She assured more firmly, before pulling out of their hold. Then she thought of something to distract them from what just happened.
’’I’m just hungry.’’
She blinked and continued with, ’’Why don’t we all prepare ourselves and eat lunch at that new place you mentioned Stylie, last week?’’ She smiled, but they all looked horrified as they shared a concerned look.
’’Boss,’’ Berry began calmly, easing them from the uncomfortable silence that followed. ’’It wasn’t Stylie that suggested the new place. It was Lin.’’
Lin looked at Berry.
Corrine’s eyes widened a bit but she was stronger than letting them know how messy her head was. But she remembered them speaking about a new place that sells great fast food. But she could not remember clearly who suggested it and when.
’’Of course, it was Lin. I must have misremembered. Shall we?’’
Corrine didn’t wait to hear their response before picking up her laptop to return to her office.
Lin blinked multiple times and asked, ’’Wh–wh–when did I say there was a new place?’’
Berry shook her head at how clueless their little hardworking bean was. Stylie returned to her desk to prepare herself.
’’I said that because I wanted to be sure. It’s now glaring that there is something wrong with Boss. None of us ever talked about a restaurant but there is a memory of Stylie or you talking about one in Boss’s head?’’ She hit Lin on the stomach before walking to her own desk. Lin stood there for a while, looking confused and strangely creeped out by what just happened.
Berry waited until there was no one looking before grabbing her phone and disappearing under the table to text someone about their next move.
