Chapter 43
Cordelia was taken aback as Jesse blocked her path with a sneer, his eyes filled with hostility and disdain.
“Hah, so my dear junior is all grown up now! You’ve got your sights set on my position, huh?” he taunted.
Cordelia didn’t want to engage with him, so she tried to walk around him, but Jesse’s voice stopped her.
“You think that sly old fox Michael genuinely wants to promote you? He’s just using you,” he said, his tone mocking.
Cordelia turned to face him, a bit taken aback by his words.
Jesse, clearly irritated, tugged at his tie, his movements slow and deliberate as he closed the distance between them. The heavy scent of tobacco on him made her stomach churn.
“Look, Cordelia, if you want my position so badly, just take it! Why come at me like this?”
“I’ve never wanted your place,” Cordelia replied, her voice cold as she met his eyes. “Mr. Johnson asked me to come over and said that—”
“Those who are capable work more?” Jesse interrupted with a scoff. “That fox used me the same way back in the day!”
Cordelia’s gaze darkened as she leaned back, putting some space between them.
“Centrolis is a tough market, even the director can’t make any headway there. And you? You think you can handle it?” Jesse continued, his words dripping with sarcasm.
“We’ll have to try and see if that’s possible,” Cordelia replied, her voice clear and determined. “The company doesn’t care about seniority. If you’re so worried about me taking your spot, then compete with me fairly!”
Jesse chuckled, his tone almost condescending.
“Ha! Cordelia, you’re cute with how naïve you are. Alright, since you’re so determined to take on that challenge, let me share some of my wisdom from the years I’ve spent here.”
Jesse’s voice dropped as he leaned in closer.
“There are four major families in Centrolis. If you manage to win over any one of them, you won’t have to worry about your career ever again!” he said darkly. “But don’t even think about the top family, the Hamertons. You could try the Bayers though! The heir is a notorious womanizer. Who knows? He might take a liking to you!”
Cordelia’s expression turned sour as she clenched her fists, but after a few moments of silence, she forced a smile and spoke up again.
“You always talk about women and their beauty,” she remarked, her voice steady and sharp.
Jesse paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her closely.
“Jesse Ford,” Cordelia said, addressing him by his full name with a cold, piercing stare. “So, to you, it must be true that women only get ahead by using their looks, right? You believe that women have to sell themselves to achieve anything?”
Jesse sneered at her, clearly unbothered by her words.
“Hah, it seems you must be envious of women’s so-called advantage since you bring it up so often,” he said mockingly. “You must hate that you’re a man and can’t use those ‘shortcuts’ when you fail to seal the deal!”
Cordelia crossed her arms, unflinching as she met his gaze.
“That’s fine though,” she continued, her tone biting. “There’s a country well-known for its advanced transgender surgeries. It’s not far, and it’s pretty cheap. A round-trip ticket would only cost you half a month’s salary. You could easily free up a weekend for the procedure.”
Jesse’s face twisted in shock as he gnashed his teeth. “What!?”
“You’re good-looking, Mr. Ford,” Cordelia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’d look better than me if you became a woman! The company would be counting on you for all its sales then!”
A few bystanders who overheard chuckled and whispered among themselves, clearly amused by Jesse’s embarrassment.
Cordelia smirked, turning on her heel to leave.
Jesse stood there, rooted to the spot, his mind racing as he processed her words. For a moment, he felt dazed, unable to move. The sharpness in Cordelia’s cold gaze reminded him too much of Marcus, the man who had beaten him not long ago.
…
Later that evening, after dinner, Cordelia sat down at her computer to look up some information. Marcus, curious, peeked over her shoulder, only to see Josiah’s photo on the screen.
Cordelia spent the entire night studying the details about Josiah, memorizing his preferences and other relevant information.
Marcus’ gaze darkened as he watched her, feeling an unfamiliar tension rise within him. Silently, he left the room and went to the balcony, closing the door behind him. There, his sandbag and boxing gloves awaited, and he began boxing in frustration. The more he hit the bag, the more his frustration grew.