Chapter 7 The Black Stockings and Bra on His Bed The towering building stretched so high Lily couldn't even see the top. She craned her neck until it hurt. She had never been to Cloud Corp before. She had always known the Ginger family couldn't compare to the Bolt family. But standing here now, watching the endless flow of sharp-suited employees, she realized-this wasn't just a matter of "can't compare." It was an entirely different world. Not even the Ginger family's prime could touch this level of wealth and power. Every woman who walked past was dressed in sleek business attire with perfect makeup-even the receptionists. In a place like this, no wonder Jared looked down on her-a housewife. A housewife she became for him. Lily pressed her lips together, a wave of shame tightening her chest. She stepped to the side and called Timothy. "Ma'am," his voice answered promptly. "Timothy, I'm downstairs. Could you-" She wasn't planning on going up. Just wanted him to take the soup and file. But before she could finish, he interrupted. "I'm in a meeting. I'll send someone down to bring you up right now." "I'm not-" She didn't get to finish before the line went dead. Within two minutes, his assistant came out to greet her with utmost respect. "Ms. Lily, please come this way." "I'll just give this to you. You can hand it to Jared," she said, holding out the file and soup. The assistant smiled politely. "I'm sorry, Ms. Lily. We're not allowed to handle Mr. Jared's personal items. You'll need to deliver them yourself." Left with no choice, she followed him inside. ... In the CEO's office upstairs, Jared had just come out of a meeting, frowning, clearly agitated. He yanked on his tie in frustration. "Mr. Jared, Ms. Lily is here," Timothy announced, placing a document on the desk. Jared froze. His brow eased slightly, and a look of mild expectation surfaced in his eyes. Of course Lily would come running back the moment she saw an opening. He knew her too well. "Should I delay the next meeting?" Timothy asked. "Push it thirty minutes," Jared replied coolly. If Lily was here to apologize, he wasn't going to make it easy. She needed to be humbled-just enough to learn her lesson. Timothy nodded and began rescheduling. ... Lily had taken the regular elevator up, stopping at multiple floors. It took longer than expected. "Is Jared in?" she asked the assistant. "He's been insanely busy lately. Back-to-back meetings," the assistant rambled. "Timothy said he's been sleeping here, even doing international calls all night." Lily frowned slightly. Jared's stomach was weak, and it was always because he skipped meals when he overworked. "We're here," the assistant finally said. "You can head in. I've got other things to do!" Before she could say anything, he'd disappeared. She looked at the heavy black doors in front of her. Even from here, she could feel the weight of Jared's presence. She'd just drop the items and leave. Whatever he had to say, she'd ignore it. With that resolve, she pushed open the doors. The office was bathed in grey tones-cool, elegant, and expensive. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows let in the morning sun, casting golden light over everything. Jared's scent lingered in the air, subtle and familiar, stirring memories she wished she could forget. In those rare, intimate moments, his large, warm hands would wrap around her waist, his well-defined chest pressed to hers... Now the room was empty. Jared wasn't here. Was he too busy? Or did he already know she was coming and chose not to see her? She hadn't planned to see him, but realizing she wouldn't still filled her with a hollow ache. She stood in the middle of the room for a long moment, then walked to his desk, placing the soup and file carefully on the surface. Her eyes fell on a wrinkled blazer draped over the edge. It smelled faintly of smoke. Jared hated wrinkles. No matter how busy he was, he always made Timothy bring fresh clothes from home. She used to iron all his clothes herself, neatly hanging them in his closet. Before she could stop herself, her hand lifted the blazer. She blinked, realizing she'd already slung it over her arm. Annoyed at herself, she moved to place it back-just as the office door swung open. Sarah walked in. She was wearing a black blouse with the top two buttons undone, revealing a generous amount of fair skin. Her pencil skirt barely covered her thighs, which were wrapped in sheer black stockings. With her sharp features and commanding presence, she was a total knockout-and she knew it. "Who let you in?" Sarah marched forward, snatching the blazer from Lily's arms. She glanced at the desk. "You're the maid from the Bolt house?" Lily, tall in her own right, found herself level with Sarah only because the woman was wearing five-inch heels. Lily's jaw tightened. "No." Sarah gave a dismissive shrug. "Whoever you are, don't come in here again. Don't touch Jared's things." Then she turned and strode into the lounge. The door to the lounge was wide open. Lily's eyes immediately landed on the mess inside. A double bed, rumpled sheets, and Jared's white dress shirt, black slacks, and navy boxers tossed over the edge. Sarah picked them up, carried them into the bathroom, then came back to smooth the bedding. And that was when Lily saw it. Peeking out from beneath the duvet: a black stocking and a leopard-print bra. Her breath caught. Color drained from her face. Busy? Jared wasn't busy. He'd just had time for another round with Sarah. Sarah walked back out and frowned. "Why are you still here?" Lily pointed at the file. "That needs to be handed to Jared directly." "Give it to me," Sarah said, eyes darkening with something less than polite. This wasn't the sweet, demure Sarah from the restaurant. Here, in Jared's office, she acted like the woman of the house. And Lily-the legal wife-felt like an intruder. Jaw tight, Lily stepped forward. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!