His confidence was so natural, it seemed he was certain I would go to him.
I was so angry that all I could do was to laugh. I wondered how big my love for him had been in the past that made Leo was so sure I would always at his beck and call, that I was ready to go through fire for him.
Evelyn, who was standing beside him, looking dagger at me. She took a cup of tea in her hand and walked toward me with a feigned smile on her face.
"Miss Andrew, forgive me for troubling you to come here in person," she said sweetly. "This is all my fault for not having enough experience so I wasn't able to impress our partners. I heard the Summer Group's CEO, Mr. Summer, specifically requested you as the contact person!”
"Mr. Summer might be young but he’s famous in the industry for being extremely strict,” she continued, her voice laced with a false humility. “Some even say he doesn’t have much respect for women in business. If you have any tips on negotiating, please share them with me.”
I caught the insinuation behind her words. She was clearly suggesting to Leo that I had used questionable means to secure the deal.
Sure enough, Leo's eyes darkened. He raised to his feet and clutched my wrist firmly.
"Julie, I remember that when you went to Summer Group to fight to get this deal, you did not come home until the next morning. Did you use your body as leverage?"
Slap! The sound of my hand hitting his face echoed sharply. I had put every ounce of strength into that slap.
I could not believe he would stoop so low, not only in his actions but also in his assumptions about me. Just because he had no boundaries didn’t mean I was the same.
If he had cared even a little, he would have known that the reason I stayed out all night was because I had drunk so much at a business dinner with Sumer Group that I ended up in the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding.
I had secured the deal purely through my abilities, my proposal stood out among countless competitors.
Leo pressed his tongue against his cheek. His entire demeanor was radiating with fury.
"How dare you slap me! What, did I strike a nerve?" Leo sneered. His voice was laced with contempt.
Evelyn stroked his face gently with a worried expression. Then she pretended to defend me, "Leo, just let this be. Don't make a big deal out of this. I believe she was forced to do this."