Chapter 8 Tell Them You Will Marry Me

Like vultures rushing to the smell of blood, the reporters at the scene immediately pointed their cameras at Pauline and Edmund. Camera shutter clicks sounded one after another, and some of the reporters even directly started a live broadcast. When they had come to cover the MC Group's press conference event, they had never imagined that they would be handed such a big piece of news on a silver platter. Any reporter who wasn't present at the scene would be upset about missing the event.

A flurry of questions rang out through the hall. "Mr. Lu, can you explain the relationship between you and this lady?"

"Mr. Lu, is this lady telling the truth? Or is she an actress hired by the MC Group to increase your exposure?"

"Miss, how did you meet Mr. Lu?"

Upon hearing all this, Edmund unhappily pursed his lips and clenched his jaw in anger. Ignoring their questions, he grabbed Pauline's wrist and pulled her away. Behind him, the reporters continued to chatter away. "Mr. Lu, don't go. You haven't answered our questions yet."

"Mr. Lu..."

At that time, James, who was still standing in front of the microphone, said, "I'm sorry, dear friends from the press. Mr. Lu will not answer questions that have nothing to do with the press conference at hand."

Meanwhile, Pauline found herself being dragged to the elevator with the sound of James' voice fading behind her. Edmund was holding her wrist so tightly that it hurt. She tried to get rid of his hand several times, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't free herself from his grasp. She had no doubt that he would kill her on the spot if it was possible.

In the elevator, she could see the muscles on his face tightened in fury. Although he was silent, she knew that he was burning with anger.

As soon as they entered his office, he threw her onto the sofa. "You're so talented, Miss Song. You've been pregnant for three years." There was a storm brewing in his eyes, and a sneer played at his lips.

Not daring to meet his gaze, Pauline lowered her head with a guilty conscience and said in a low voice, "You didn't want to listen to me before, so I had no choice but to do this."

Edmund's face darkened and he subsequently raised his voice, making her heart race. "What a good idea! Well, Miss Song, please tell me what you want me to listen to. Are you going to say that you still miss me?"

When Pauline didn't reply, he pretended that her silence was a 'yes' and sneered. "Well, what do you know? Thank you so much, Miss Song," he said sarcastically.

Pauline dug her fingernails into her palm to keep calm and hide the uneasiness in the bottom of her heart. "Mr. Lu, please save my grandfather. I'm willing to exchange my life for his."

Edmund scoffed and looked down at her with indescribable contempt. "Miss Song, I'm afraid you think too highly of yourself. I don't think your life can be mentioned in the same breath with the life of the leader of the Song family."

For a moment, Pauline was dumbfounded. Edmund's words were true. How could her life compare to her grandfather's? She was like spoiled leftovers. No one needed her. And yet, right now, her grandfather did. Because other than her, who else would try so hard to save him? If anything, the monsters of the Song family wanted him dead. But to save her grandfather, Pauline couldn't think of any other way but to somehow convince Edmund to help her.

"I know you hate me and don't want to see me at all, but I really have nowhere else to turn. Can you save my grandfather for the sake of our friendship in the past?" Pauline stood up, held his hand tightly and begged.

Anger surged through Edmund's veins as soon as he heard the last few words, and his hand shot out and closed around her neck. The fierce look in his eyes made it seem as if he was going to swallow her alive. He continued to increase the force in his hand. Pauline's face gradually turned red until she was struggling for breath. Her vision began to blur. Perhaps he really hated her so much that he couldn't help but want to kill her.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Edmund, may I come in?" Katrina Lin asked gently.

Her voice snapped Edmund back to his senses, and he finally let go of Pauline.

Pauline immediately covered her red neck and gasped for breath. However, she couldn't help but break out into a fit of violent coughing. She had to bend down and put her hands on her knees to steady herself.

"I told you not to pretend to be weak in front of me. It makes me sick. Don't challenge my patience." Edmund looked at her coldly as if he did not care about her at all.

Pauline raised her head in shock. Edmund saw tears streaming down her pitiful red face. Somehow, her helpless appearance now reminded him of the night they had had sex, and his body began to heat up. He loosened his tie in an attempt to dispel this feeling, but found that he could not drive it away.

In the end, in one swift movement, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down on the sofa before climbing on top of her.

At the same time, Katrina pushed the door open and came in without waiting for his reply.

When her gaze landed on Pauline, her face stiffened. "Edmund, who is she?" she asked in an aggressive tone.

Without any panic, Edmund stood up and said indifferently, "She came here to sell her body."

"What a dirty woman! Why did you bring her back to your office?" Then, turning to Pauline, she said coldly, "Why don't you leave now?"

Her sweet voice gave Pauline goose bumps. Pauline immediately got up. Then, forcing a sweet and pure smile on her face, she tucked her hair behind her ear, wrapped her arms around Edmund's neck, and said in the most nauseating voice she had ever used in her life, "Edmund, last night, you said that I was your sweetheart and that you could promise me anything. Why are you acting different in front of this woman? Don't you want to take responsibility for what you have done? Anyway, the press is still down there. I'll just go and tell them that you will marry me tomorrow."

"Whatever. I'll just deny it," Edmund said casually, pulling her hands away from his neck. "Anyway, for me, it will just be another romantic affair. The public won't take it seriously. But for you, Miss Song, your reputation will be ruined. Oh, wait, I forgot that you're used to being shameless. Why would you care about other people's opinions?" After saying that, Edmund slipped his arm around Katrina's waist.

Clenching her fists, Pauline watched the two of them leave together. All the grievances and humiliation she had suffered in the past few days suddenly exploded out of her.

"Edmund Lu, you bastard!"

"Since you know that I'm a bastard, don't provoke me again. Otherwise, I won't mind making the Song family disappear." There was no fluctuation in Edmund's voice, as if his words were not a threat but just an ordinary greeting.

As he walked away, Pauline remembered the past and clutched her chest in pain. "Pauline, even if you want the stars in the sky, I will go and get them for you."

"Really? I'm not clever. Don't lie to me."

"How dare I lie to you, little princess! I promise I'll give you whatever you ask for."

'Edmund, you big liar! You promised me that you would give me anything as long as I asked, but you broke your promise, ' Pauline thought bitterly in her heart. How could people take their vows back so easily?

Pitifully wrapping her arms around herself, Pauline curled up on the sofa and whimpered.

As soon as he reached the door of the elevator, Edmund withdrew his arm from Katrina's waist and said in a calm voice, "I don't like strangers coming to my office. Don't come to my office next time."

Katrina scoffed in disbelief. "Stranger? I'm a stranger? After spending three years together?"

She felt a pang of pain in her heart. For three years, she had stayed by his side, but it seemed that it all counted for nothing.

When Edmund didn't say anything, she cried, "What about her? Who is she? Why can she come to your office?" She couldn't accept his words at all.