Forever And Always

Viola Qi looked at herself in the mirror, her hands lying flat on the edge of the sink. The mirror had a thick, golden frame, which easily fitted along with the overall look of the deluxe presidential suite.

"Come on, Viola Qi. You can do this. This is the big break you've been wishing for ever since you became a journalist. Just believe in yourself." Her fingers tapped nervously on the bathroom counter as she gave herself some pep talk. Although there wasn't an ounce of makeup on her face, Viola Qi was undoubtedly a beautiful woman.

Seconds later, she heard the door to the suite open with a faint click, and the sounds of footsteps on the marble floor.

At that moment, Viola Qi was so nervous that her heart almost jumped out of her throat.

Carefully, she opened the bathroom door ever so slightly to take a peek at the person she was about to interview. Much to her surprise, the first thing that she noticed was the strong smell of alcohol.

Through the small door crack, Viola Qi saw a pair of charming eyes. A million things were running through her mind then.

'Is he drunk? How do I interview him? I've never interviewed a drunk person before! What if he gets angry and tries to beat me up!'

With a sigh, Viola Qi was already deliberating whether or not she should just sneak out before he noticed that she was there.

The man, Maynard Chu, took off his sleek, black suit and threw it haphazardly on the sofa. He was now only wearing his black slacks and a white, button-down shirt paired with a silk tie, making him look rather dashing.

He had obviously one too many to drink. As his body got hotter and hotter, he also felt a lustful desire awakening inside of him.

Maynard Chu frowned at the strange yet familiar feeling. When he was about to sit down on the sofa, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in,"

Maynard called, his voice was cold and robust, but had a pleasant tone to it. Viola Qi, who was still peeking from the bathroom, was instantly drawn to his voice.

At this point, she couldn't head out, and had to stay put until she could make her timely exit.

The door opened, and a tall woman wearing a white coat and a pair of high heels came inside. Everything about her looked classy and noble.

"What are you doing here, Yesenia Lu?" When Maynard Chu saw her, he finally slumped onto the sofa. With his legs crossed and his arms resting widely across the top, he looked like the ruler of the world.

With a gentle smile on her face, Yesenia Lu slowly walked up to him, her heels clacking crispy against the floor. "I heard that you were drunk, so I came up to see you. Perhaps you need me to take care of you?"

"Fuck off!" Maynard Chu scoffed, waving his hand away.

The corners of Yesenia Lu's mouth twitched slightly, but she tried to maintain the charming smile on her face.

"Don't you want to turn the air conditioner on? It's so hot here..." she said, pretending that she didn't hear Maynard curse her. She came here with a goal in mind, and she wasn't just about to give up.

Standing in front of Maynard Chu, Yesenia slowly unzipped her coat with her slender and delicate fingers. The coat gently fell to her feet as she gracefully rolled her shoulders. The fiery red bra she wore stood out beautifully against her fair skin.

Even Viola Qi was stunned by the amount of sex appeal that woman had. She had never expected that a person like Yesenia, who was a superstar adored by millions of people, would have such a lascivious side!

Viola looked intently at what was happening. She saw how Yesenia Lu's eyes sparkled with immense passion as she gazed at Maynard Chu.

"I want you out of here in thirty seconds,"

Maynard Chu said with a low grunt as he ruffled his short hair. He did not have a hint of interest in the woman in front of him. 'What an incredibly dense man!' Viola Qi thought to herself.

Biting her lip, Yesenia Lu stepped out of her heels, her feet touching the cold, hard floor. She stepped closer towards Maynard Chu, and boldly sat on his leg.

"Maynard, I've been in love with you for a long time..." Leaning in closer, she ran her hands up Maynard's arms. "I've been trying to get you to notice me for such a long time now. Don't you have any feelings for me?"

Her head bent down, and she placed soft kisses on his neck.

All of a sudden, the expression on Maynard Chu's face changed. In a blink of an eye, he pulled the woman off of his body and picked up the clothes she left on the ground. Before Yesenia Lu could react, Maynard Chu had gotten a hold of her wrist.

"Maynard..." Yesenia Lu mumbled, feeling shocked.

With a sneer, Maynard Chu pulled her across the room, opened the door and pushed her out. Then, he threw the clothes outside with her.

Not bothering to see her reaction, he slammed the door shut.

Maynard Chu pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his neck in disgust. He threw the handkerchief into the trash bin and cursed. With a grunt, he stormed into his bedroom to go change his clothes.

As soon as he left, Viola opened the bathroom door and poked her head out, checking to see if the coast was clear. When she was sure that Maynard wasn't going to come back anytime soon, she quickly grabbed her things.

She lightly rubbed her face. What happened the past few minutes was a real eye-opener for her! Yesenia Lu tried her best to seduce Maynard Chu and he completely turned her down!

Viola Qi took her handbag and quickly turned to leave. However, she was in such a hurry that she had clumsily knocked over the vase beside the mirror!

Bang! The vase exploded into a million tiny pieces on the ground with a sharp crash.

Viola Qi's face turned pale. Tightly holding her handbag, she felt her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Frozen in place, she saw the bathroom door open widely.

Viola was so frightened at what may happen next that she staggered backwards.

Maynard Chu stood by the door. He was in the middle of changing his clothes, and so his shirtless body revealed his bronze skin and his smooth and tight muscles.

He glared at Viola Qi coldly. Biting her lip, Viola tried to force an apologetic smile.

"Heh.. I can explain. I-- Ah!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Maynard had grabbed her by her wrist and dragged her to his bedroom. Shocked, Viola fell onto a big, white bed, with Maynard pressing onto her.

"Let me go!" Terrified, Viola screamed out and struggled to push Maynard off her.

Maynard, slow as he was, could sense that his own unusual reaction was caused by some drug. But when he saw that Viola's long hair spread out like the sea and her faint fragrance wafted to his senses, the growing heat from inside him became stronger.

He held her arms over her head, and stooped down to press his lips against hers, completely ignoring her struggle.

With her eyes wide open, Viola recalled something that had happened in the past. She bit his lips hard, the metallic taste of blood spreading on her mouth.

"You better behave yourself," Maynard smirked, licking off the blood at the corner of his mouth. His clear eyes looked clouded because of the drug that he took.

Viola struggled even harder and began to kick around. Her action did not anger Maynard. In fact, he even laughed at her attempt.

With one quick movement, he took his tie from the edge of the bed and tied it around Viola's wrists twice.

"Bastard! Bastard!"

Viola was short of breath. She wanted to yell for help, but his thin lips were pressing against hers once more.

Light shone through the windows as the sun rose in the early morning. Viola's long and thick eyelashes trembled, and for a moment she was at a daze. Remembering what had happened last night, she jolted up. The movement caused her so much pain that it made her gasp out.

The blanket slipped down her body, and she saw all the purple bruises splattered across her skin.

Slowly, she moved the slightest bit. Viola gritted her teeth as she felt how much her body ached. Looking beside her, she saw Maynard sleeping soundly. There was nothing more she wanted than to tear that man apart.

But, she had to go to work, and didn't have the time to deal with him just yet. Viola hastily stood up and looked for her clothes on the ground. Upon seeing her clothes torn and ragged, she gave a low, annoyed groan.

Thinking quickly, she knew that Maynard was going to stay here at the presidential suite for several days. It was highly likely that he still had a lot of clean clothes inside his closet.

Viola opened the tall, mahogany closet, and saw a number of expensive-looking shirts and suits. With a shrug and a sigh, she took a shirt and put it on.

The shirt only reached up to her thigh. 'I can't go out like this!' Viola also took a suit and put it on her. After she had buttoned it up, she felt a little more comfortable.

Viola was about to head out when she remembered that she hadn't seen clearly the person who took advantage of her last night. Slowly and quietly, she walked over to the other side of the bed and carefully looked at the sleeping man.

The bangs were scattered on his full forehead, and his sharp eyes were closed. There was no longer a cold and intimidating look on his face -- in fact, he looked a bit angelic. He had a straight nose and a sharp, angular jaw.

When Viola saw his face, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

"Oh my God!" She cursed in a low voice.

He looked exactly like her small son.

Viola shook her head and rubbed her eyes, then stared at his face again to make sure she wasn't just seeing things.

Her lower lip trembled.

Five years ago, a man--this man!--had taken advantage of her one unfortunate night. Viola got pregnant and was expelled from her school because of it. It was so difficult for her during those times that she almost had to live on the streets. Going through all those hardships was far from easy. And now, for the second time around, this man had hurt her yet again!

With a sneer, Viola took out a pen from her bag.

"I won't be able to live with myself if I don't get some sort of justice right now!" Carefully, Viola poked at Maynard's side to make sure that he was fast asleep. When he didn't stir, she began to scribble all over his face.

After that, she took out her phone and took photos of him. When she was satisfied, she went out the door with a triumphant smile on her mouth.

Viola had already gone home to change into her blue uniform before she arrived at the office for the magazine she worked at. Her long hair was tied into a simple ponytail. After taking a deep breath, Viola stepped in.

Meanwhile, Maynard had finally woken up. He stretched his arms and felt that the woman had already gone.

Maynard put on his boxers and walked into the bathroom. There, he saw his reflection on the mirror. There was a turtle drawn on his face, as well as the word "BEAST" written in bold letters. A quick and angry fist came slamming down on the bathroom counter.

He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water across his face. When all the marking had washed away, a devilish smile appeared on his lips. "Very nice!" he said with a sinister laugh, drops of water sliding down his angular face. 'Okay. You've caught my attention, woman...'

An hour later, Viola arrived at the well-known Bright Hotel. She went straight up to the second floor with the intention of getting to the No. 5 Presidential Suite. Although there was no one else in the corridor, she knew that this place had surveillance at every corner. 'I have to be careful, ' Viola swallowed.

When she got to the door, she was debating with herself whether she should just go for it or not.

Squaring her shoulders, Viola made up her mind and knocked at the door.

The door opened before her.

But there was no one in the room. Looking around, she took a cautious step inside.

As much as Viola didn't want to come back here, she had no other choice. She looked around the room quietly, and saw her reporter ID on the massive bed.

Viola heaved a sigh of relief.

God knew how panicked she felt when she realized it was missing. There was only one place where she could have left it that day, and it was a miracle that it was still there.

After grabbing her ID, she turned to leave as quickly as possible.

She had just taken two steps when an alarm suddenly rang loudly. It was so loud that Viola jumped from fright.

Over a dozen bodyguards, all in black suits, swarmed inside the suite.

With nowhere else to go, Viola had her back to the window.

"Wait! Don't come any closer!" she shouted.

Just then, Maynard appeared. The bodyguards respectfully stood up straight and made way for him.

"I advise you to give up right now. There's nowhere to run," Maynard said indifferently.

With her teeth clenched, Viola realized that she had been like a careless fish who took the bait Maynard had thrown.

Her face turned red from anger. "You bastard!" she shouted, and quickly turned to climb out the window.

"Arrest her!" Maynard ordered with a wave of his hand.

The room was on the second floor, and each floor was more than three meters tall. Although the two floors together were not exceptionally high, it was enough for a person jumping from the second floor to get injured. Because of this, Maynard was confident that Viola wouldn't have the guts to jump down.

Viola hesitated for a second on the window ledge. Her legs trembled as she looked down at the ground below.

However, she thought about what would happen if they managed to catch her, and how that would be so much worse. Gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes tight, she jumped out.

Viola fell heavily on the green lawn, rolling over a couple of times before feeling the sharp pain on her left foot.

With great effort, she limped towards the road. Luckily, a couple nearby had just gotten off a taxi.

Viola's eyes lit up, and without a moment's hesitation, hopped inside the car. After telling the address of the magazine office, the taxi was soon driving down the road. When the bodyguards finally arrived at the scene, she was already too far away.

They could now only see the clouds of smoke the taxi belched out.

As soon as Viola got back to the office, a colleague of hers approached her. "The chief wants to see you." With a grunt, she limped into the chief editor's office.

Stephanie Zhang leaned over the glass table, staring down at Viola. She had a pair of black framed glasses, and a thick layer of makeup painted on her face.

"What the hell are you doing, Viola? You didn't get an interview with Maynard and you even had the audacity to leave work!" The editor in chief pounded her fist on the table with a loud bang.

"Chief, please listen to me first. I had some troubles..." Viola said as she laughed nervously.

"And what exactly were those troubles?" Stephanie gave a loud sigh. "Did you get any information about Maynard? Anything at all?" she continued, massaging her temples with her hands. "I have specifically given you this task so that you could prove your skills. But what have you done? You've let me down, Viola!"

Viola lowered her head and pretended to be distraught.

In truth, she just rolled her eyes in secret.

Maynard was the CEO of the Chu Group, the leading group in Y Country, whose industries were all over the world. They practically owned the economy in this country.

All that aside, Maynard Chu was not only rich, but also incredibly handsome.

Maynard was also the prince of X Country, making him the first in line to the throne. This added a whole different layer to his already interesting profile.

It was understandable that many girls sought him out. However, he was cold and indifferent to others. He was infamous for not giving face to anyone and rejected every single interview he was offered.

The task given to Viola was definitely a hard bone to chew on. 'Was Stephanie really confident that I could pull this off?'

"Chief editor, I was wrong. Please forgive me this time," Viola still said, although she already had doubts about Stephanie's intentions.

"I expected nothing more from you. I'll have to lower your salary," Stephanie Zhang said flatly as she pushed up her glasses.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, chief," Viola said, laughing bitterly. "I'm sure I'll be able to repay your kindness."

"Viola, I'm not being cruel just for the fun of it. Until you have some juicy information, there's nothing I can do but deduct your salary. I'm trying to push you! You have a great potential in this magazine." The editor in chief sat down and stretched out her hand, admiring her newly manicured nails.

Upon hearing what Stephanie said, Viola swallowed her anger and obediently nodded her head. "I know. You have a lot of other things to deal with every day, and I've caused nothing but trouble. It's all my fault. But, please give me a chance to make amends for my previous mistakes," Viola said with a forced smile.

Give her a chance to make her pay back!

Just when Stephanie was about to brush off her request, the landline phone on her table rang. Stephanie suddenly had a sweet smile on her lips.

Viola clenched her teeth and decided to shut her mouth for the time being. Her hands were balled up to fists at her side.

"Hello, this is Star Magazine. This is Stephanie Zhang speaking. Who is on the line?"

As Stephanie Zhang busily talked on the phone, Viola saw how she smiled and laughed. 'Tch! Just a moment ago she looked like a brutal witch!'

After hanging up, Stephanie Zhang's laugh trailed off.

Her eyes surveyed Viola from head to toe. Viola started to feel her palms getting sweaty.

"So... why didn't you tell me you got an interview with President Maynard Chu?" Stephanie Zhang asked, her eyes filled with admiration and jealousy.

"Pardon?" Viola was totally confused.

"You usually look quiet. I didn't expect you to be so capable. Just now, President Chu called and said that you did a good job at the interview. He permitted you to go on with your work and do a follow-up interview," Stephanie Zhang said, her tone much warmer than it was a few moments ago.

'W...what?!

Did I really just hear that correctly?' At that moment, Viola felt like the room was spinning around her.