Chapter 1 Asked Him For Help

The ambience outside was warm through the yellow brightness of sunshine, but the room felt wintery in the inside.

"Mom, I don't want to be Cory Luo's mistress. There are other ways..." Melissa Wen begged but was cut short.

"Other ways?" Mrs. Wen screamed, "You mean other ways that rely on you?

Do you know how your father started his company? Every single ounce of that startup came from my parents' money!" Mrs. Wen's sharp nails pointed at her daughter's face. It was as if the malice and disgust in the former's heart had burst out in one single load.

"Mom..." Melissa Wen continued to beg, though her voice was lost to her crying. Her heart was stung deeply. Trying to hold back her tears, she looked straight into Mrs. Wen's eyes.

'Her dislike for me has reached a point where we are totally incompatible. I am in a fine pickle now!

On one hand, Dad's company is in danger, and on the other, Mom is being extremely unreasonable.

What do I do?'

With a mocking smile, Mrs. Wen looked at Melissa Wen, as if measuring her up.

The hatred she had in her heart had only grown from the day poor Melissa Wen was born, and it had become unreasonable levels after seeing that the latter was growing up to be more and more beautiful every day.

"You'd better be ready for that." And with that final injury, Mrs. Wen left with her limited edition bag slung her shoulder.

As soon the mother had left, Melissa Wen couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground, sobbing in anguish.

It was the same night that she came up with an astonishing decision.

Sitting in the reception room of the Ren Group building, Melissa Wen held on to a kraft paper folder and gazed at the clock on the wall with a nervous glance. As time went by, her fear and uneasiness grew.

She had no way of knowing whether what she was about to do was right to wrong.

But she had to do it, because it was the only way out she could think of.

She knew that the current CEO of Ren Group was Charles Ren, who was also the brother of her best friend, Elisabeth Ren. Melissa's acquaintances were limited, and Charles Ren was also the only rich and powerful man she knew.

If she hadn't been pushed into such a desperate situation, she wouldn't have come up with this impossible idea of running to the Ren Group.

"Miss Melissa, I'm so sorry. It's time for us to get off work." The secretary suddenly came over in high heels with an apologetic look on her face.

"No, that's okay! I was being too abrupt. I should have made an appointment first." Melissa shook her head with a bitter smile on her face. 'How can I see Charles without an appointment?

I mean I only meet him just a few times when I came to the Ren mansion.'

Melissa put the kraft paper folder into her backpack and was about to leave.

"Miss Melissa."

The elevator door suddenly opened and a slender man in a custom-fit tailor-made suit walked out with a hand in his pocket. He called out her name at first sight.

"Mr. Charles." Melissa stood aside. She had never even imagined that Charles Ren wouldn't be in the building the whole afternoon and would arrive now.

And she had not expected to see him just when she was about to give up.

She was a little surprised at this turn of fate.

"Please. Come in with me." Charles Ren untied his suit jacket and loosened the tie. The secretary had already pushed the office door open.

"Yes, sir." Melissa followed him quickly.

"Tell me, how can I help you?" The secretary had informed Charles Ren of Melissa's arrival as soon as the latter had come to visit.

Otherwise, there was no way she could have stayed in the reception room of the Ren Group building an entire afternoon.

Melissa brought out the documents she had spent the whole night preparing and put it on his desk. She then bowed her head and stepped aside with an expectant look on her face.

Charles raised his eyebrows and opened the folder. His eyebrows were raised every time he turned a page, and finally he finished reading them all.

"Do you want me to help the Wen Group?" Charles threw the folder back at the desk, and slid into a comfortable posture on his chair.

"Uh... Yes, you are right." Melissa braced herself and nodded.

"It seems like you yourself prepared all these documents. That being the case, you would also know the current situation of the Wen Group. Do you think it is worth my help?" Charles asked in an ironic tone. When his eyes fell on the submissive little woman in front of him, there were several complex emotions in his eyes that no one else could have understood. But very soon, he returned to a business-like manner.

"I..." Embarrassed, Melissa opened her mouth and then stuttered, "As long as you help the Wen Group get through the current difficulty, I'll be at your disposal."

"You?" Charles sneered. Was this woman a complete idiot? Or was she just being arrogant?

"Yes, me." Melissa nodded, feeling her arms go numb.

She felt like several ants were crawling across her skin, like a prey that had been targeted by a hunter and could be torn up at any time.

All her time playing with Elisabeth Ren, Melissa had felt like Charles was dangerous somehow, so every time she went to the Ren mansion, she would try her best to avoid him.

"Alright... Then tell me, how much debt is your father's company in at the moment?" Charles didn't want to force Melissa to leave. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her sharply.

She had on a light make-up, and a decent suit. Her short hairs were hanging over her shoulders, and a butterfly hairpin was resting on her head. Her previously round face looked much thinner now.

"Several... Several billions?" Melissa wasn't sure. She had only heard from Mrs. Wen that the debt was around that number.

After saying that, Melissa looked at Charles uneasily, who merely gave her an unfathomable smile in return.

"Several billions?"

He murmured and then said out loud, "Indeed! I guess nine point nine billions qualify for the term 'several billions'!"

"I, I'm sorry. I, I really don't know the exact number," Melissa apologized. Her heart was pounding.

"Those who don't know the truth are innocent. It's human nature," Charles suddenly said in a lighter tone, seemingly to help her stop panicking.

"I..." Melissa suddenly felt a sharp pain on her face, as if she had been slapped forcefully but could not defend herself.

"Okay then. Show me your sincerity." Charles knocked at the folder on his desk and smiled as if he was making fun of her innocence.

"Sincerity? I..." Melissa was completely stunned. What did he mean? She widened her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's through fear and shock. She didn't know what kind of sincerity was needed, and neither did she know what Charles meant.

Could it be that Charles wanted to drive her away?

"I'm really, really sorry. I'm leaving now. Thank you for your time." Melissa reached out her hand to pick up the folder, bit her lips to hold back the tears in her eyes and was about to leave.

However, Charles wouldn't let her leave so easily. He reached out his palm on the folder with a long face.

"I... Mr. Charles..." Melissa wanted to ask why she was not being allowed to take the folder back, but her phone rang at that moment. She looked at Charles, and then looked at her backpack. She was once again in a dilemma.

"Answer the phone," Charles ordered.

"I..." Melissa hesitated.

"Do you want me to answer it for you?" The ringtone seemed to become louder and louder, as if calling out to the receiver, and Charles's face was becoming grimmer and grimmer. He stood up and bent over to answer the phone for her.

"No, thanks. I'll do it!" Holding her bag, Melissa shook her head and took a few steps back.

"Answer it," Charles repeated.

"Hello..."

"Melissa, I'm at your home now. Where are you?" An obscene voice came from the other end of the line. Hearing that, Melissa's fingers tightened around the plastic shell of the phone. They turned pale due to the force she was applying.

"Uncle Cory, please leave my house." Melissa bit her lips and tried to calm down.