"Baby, you look sad. What's wrong?"
Larissa immediately noticed Kassandra's expression.
"It's nothing much," Kassandra replied. "I was suspended by my boss."
Larissa blinked.
Then her face lit up.
"Wow, baby girl! That's awesome."
Kassandra stared at her.
"Awesome?"
"Of course. You can finally get some rest."
Kassandra sighed.
"But I'll be bored at home."
Larissa laughed.
"Is that why you're sad?"
She threw an arm around Kassandra's shoulder.
"I can take a few days off and stay home with you."
A smile appeared on Kassandra's face.
"You're such a good friend."
She paused.
"What did I do to deserve someone as nice as you?"
Larissa grinned.
"Who knows? Maybe you saved a god in your first life, so he rewarded you with me."
Kassandra laughed.
"I don't remember doing that."
"How could you?" Larissa replied. "We're talking about your first life."
The two friends shared a laugh.
Then Kassandra suddenly became quiet.
"Lari..."
"Hmm?"
"Would you leave me if you found out I've been hiding something from you all this time?"
Larissa frowned.
"What could you possibly be hiding from me?"
She poked Kassandra's forehead.
"And why would I leave you?"
Her expression softened.
"We're meant to be together."
Kassandra raised an eyebrow.
Larissa quickly corrected herself.
"As friends!"
Kassandra burst out laughing.
"I mean in this life and the next."
For a moment, Kassandra's heart warmed.
"Thank you."
Larissa waved her hand.
"Now stop being emotional."
She leaned forward.
"By the way, what exactly did you do to get suspended?"
Kassandra sighed.
Then she explained everything that had happened between her and Jessica.
By the time she finished—
Larissa was furious.
"Not again!"
She jumped to her feet.
"That woman actually slapped you?"
Kassandra nodded.
"And you didn't do anything?"
"What was I supposed to do?" Kassandra asked. "She's my boss's fiancée."
"And?"
Larissa crossed her arms.
"So what?"
"She should be thanking her lucky stars I wasn't there."
Kassandra couldn't help but smile.
"Calm down. It's not that serious."
"Not that serious?" Larissa repeated.
"And your boss?"
She pointed accusingly at the air as if Ryan were standing there.
"You're the victim. Why did he punish you?"
Kassandra shrugged.
"Love is blind, as they say."
"Love or not, I don't care."
Larissa narrowed her eyes.
"Tomorrow, you're taking me to your company."
"What?"
"I'm going to knock some sense into your boss."
Kassandra nearly choked.
"Larissa, are you tired of living?"
"What?"
"We're talking about Ryan Lee."
Larissa rolled her eyes.
"So?"
"The ruthless and heartless CEO."
Kassandra lowered her voice dramatically.
"According to what I've heard, it's better to offend the devil than cross paths with Ryan Lee."
Larissa stared at her.
"Is he really that scary?"
Kassandra nodded seriously.
"More than scary."
She thought for a moment.
"If there's a stronger word than scary..."
"That's Ryan Lee."
For a second, the room was silent.
Then Larissa burst out laughing.
"You make him sound like a movie villain."
Kassandra pointed toward the door.
"You haven't met him."
Lee Empire
The atmosphere throughout the company was unusually tense.
The only sound filling the office was the constant tapping of keyboards.
No one dared to chat.
No one dared to make mistakes.
Everyone could feel it.
Their CEO was in a terrible mood.
Nobody knew the exact reason, but they had all noticed the difference since Kassandra's suspension.
Inside the CEO's office—
Ryan took a sip of his coffee.
His expression darkened.
"What is this?"
The secretary standing before him nearly stopped breathing.
"Boss?"
"Do you call this coffee?"
The room instantly became colder.
"Who told you to put sugar in my coffee?"
The secretary's face turned pale.
"I-I thought—"
"You thought?"
Ryan placed the cup down.
"This is the fifth cup today."
The secretary lowered her head.
"Sorry, Boss."
Ryan's gaze shifted to another document.
A few seconds later—
"What is this?"
The employee holding the report froze.
"Boss?"
"Who submitted this document?"
"I-I did."
Ryan tossed the file onto the desk.
"You're fired."
The employee's face drained of color.
"Boss, please! Give me another chance!"
Ryan didn't even look up.
"Security."
The door suddenly opened.
"What's going on here?"
A cheerful voice interrupted the tension.
Everyone turned.
A handsome young man walked into the office with a relaxed smile.
Alexander Crown.
The youngest doctor in the country.
Known by many as the Miracle Doctor.
The employees immediately looked relieved.
Their savior had arrived.
Alexander glanced around.
"Everyone out."
Nobody needed to be told twice.
Within seconds, the office was empty.
The moment the door closed, Alexander dropped onto the sofa.
"I really didn't expect to see you like this."
Ryan ignored him.
Alexander crossed one leg over the other.
"So..."
His eyes wandered around the office.
Then toward the empty assistant desk outside.
"Where's your little assistant?"
Ryan continued reading.
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't see her outside."
Still no response.
"Don't tell me she quit."
Ryan finally looked up.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
Alexander laughed.
"That look would scare most people."
Ryan remained silent.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not most people."
Alexander leaned forward.
"So where is she?"
A brief silence passed.
Then Ryan finally answered.
"I suspended her."
Alexander blinked.
"You did what?"
Ryan returned to his documents.
Alexander stared at him.
Then he started laughing.
"Oh."
Ryan ignored him.
"Ohhh."
The laughter grew louder.
Ryan's eyebrow twitched.
Alexander pointed at him.
"Now I understand."
"Understand what?"
"Why you've been terrorizing your employees all morning."
Ryan's expression darkened.
Alexander grinned.
"You miss your assistant."
"I don't."
"Sure."
"I don't."
Alexander nodded dramatically.
"Of course."
Ryan closed the file in front of him.
"It seems you're not busy enough."
Alexander immediately recognized the dangerous tone.
"I don't mind sending a few hundred extra patients to your hospital."
Alexander's smile vanished.
"Let's not say things we'll both regret."
For the first time that day, the corner of Ryan's mouth almost moved.
"Do you think I came here because I wanted to look at your cold face all day?" Alexander complained.
Ryan didn't even bother looking up from the documents on his desk.
Alexander rolled his eyes.
"I came because I'm trying to find a way to suppress your Cold Poison."
That finally earned him a brief glance from Ryan.
"You know the Red Moon is approaching."
The teasing expression disappeared from Alexander's face.
His tone became serious.
"We need to make preparations in advance."
Ryan closed the file in front of him.
"I know."
"Do you?"
Alexander stood up and walked toward the window.
"Every year it gets worse."
His expression darkened.
"The last time the Red Moon appeared, you nearly lost control."
Silence.
Ryan's eyes turned cold.
"I won't lose control."
Alexander laughed.
"You say that every time."
Ryan said nothing.
Alexander turned around and looked directly at him.
"I'm serious."
"The Cold Poison is spreading faster than before."
A brief silence filled the office.
Then Alexander frowned.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Ryan picked up another document.
"I'm not deaf."
Alexander's eye twitched.
"I swear, one day I'm going to become a patient because of you."
For the first time, Ryan looked slightly amused.
"Then treat yourself."
Alexander stared at him.
"I really hate you sometimes."
"No, you don't."
"Unfortunately, you're right."
Ryan returned his attention to the document.
But for some reason, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To a pair of sea-blue eyes hidden behind oversized glasses.
And a strange heat he had felt that day.
A heat that shouldn't have existed near someone carrying a Cold Poison.