On the Day I Was Kicked Out of the Wealthy Family, I Had a Flash Marriage with a Tycoon-Chapter 97: An Iceberg-like Aura

Chloe Sterling stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed, shutting out the voices from outside.

Two minutes later, she stood before the door to the president’s office. She knocked twice, and a man’s cold, deep voice, tinged with anger, answered from within, "Come in!"

Chloe Sterling paused for a moment, then pushed the door open and went inside.

Jasper Lockwood was sitting behind his desk, his eyes lowered to the document in his hands. He exuded an icy aura. Without looking up, he said just one cold word, "Speak."

Chloe Sterling: ".......Jasper Lockwood."

At the sound of her voice, Jasper Lockwood’s head snapped up. His eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at the young woman before him. "Chloe! When did you get back?"

Chloe Sterling replied, "I just got back."

Jasper Lockwood set down the document in his hands and immediately added, "Sorry. That wasn’t directed at you."

"What’s wrong? Why were you so angry?" Chloe Sterling asked.

"Just some nonsense at the office. It’s nothing," Jasper Lockwood said, standing up. He walked over to her and gently pulled her into his arms. "Did you come straight to the company as soon as you got back to Crestfall? Have you been home yet?"

Chloe Sterling pursed her lips. "No," she answered. "I came to find you as soon as I got back."

Hearing that, a smile touched Jasper Lockwood’s previously icy expression. His fingers gently lifted her chin, and he gazed at the face he hadn’t seen in days before lowering his head to kiss her.

Chloe Sterling’s body stiffened for a moment, but she soon melted under his powerful yet tender kiss, slowly raising her arms to wrap around his waist.

An unknown amount of time passed before the two slowly pulled apart.

Chloe Sterling’s cool, fair face was flushed crimson. The fierce aura around Jasper Lockwood had completely vanished. He led her behind the desk and had her sit in his chair, then pulled another chair over for himself.

"Just sit here for a bit. We’ll go home soon."

Chloe Sterling nodded. "Okay."

「Outside the office.」

Henry Chamberlain and an executive approached, their expressions growing more nervous the closer they got to the door.

The executive suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face tense. "Assistant Chamberlain, what kind of mood is President Lockwood in today?"

Henry Chamberlain answered truthfully, "He’s alright. A little better than the past couple of days."

’Because the missus is coming back today.’

"However, he might not be in the best mood right now because of something else."

"Ah!" The man’s face fell in despair. "Then what should I do? Should I wait and come back later?"

Henry Chamberlain said, "It’ll be the same even if you wait. Unless you wait until tomorrow, but the Second Master wants your report today. You definitely can’t delay until then."

"Sigh," the executive lamented. "It’s all my fault. How could I make such a rookie mistake? What if President Lockwood gets upset and fires me? I... I have a family to support. What would I do?"

Henry Chamberlain said, "It won’t come to that."

The executive replied, "How could it not? You know President Lockwood’s temper better than anyone. He has zero tolerance for mistakes. I’m definitely finished this time."

Henry Chamberlain said, "I meant you’ve made plenty of money at Lockwood Group over the years. Even if you lost your job, it’s not like you wouldn’t be able to support your family."

The executive stared. "......Are you even human?!"

Henry Chamberlain chuckled. "Go on, President Lockwood is waiting for you."

The executive remained rooted to the spot, hesitating to move forward.

The female secretary outside the president’s office finally found an opportunity to speak. She immediately stood up and said, "Assistant Chamberlain, there’s someone in President Lockwood’s office."

"Hm?" Henry Chamberlain looked at her. "Who is it?"

"It’s that Miss Sterling who’s visited before," the secretary replied.

Hearing this, Henry Chamberlain froze for a second. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I saw her go in with my own eyes just a little while ago."

Henry Chamberlain smiled and said to the executive next to him, "You should probably come back later."

"Miss Sterling? Is she President Lockwood’s confidante? Or the wife from the rumors?" the executive asked, his face full of curiosity.

There were many rumors about Jasper Lockwood’s wife. Some said she was a woman he was in love with. Others claimed their marriage was just a transaction so he could acquire company shares, and that the two rarely interacted.

Then there were the rumors from the Country E branch, which claimed Jasper Lockwood was fond of the beautiful female secretary who was always with him. None of the secretaries from headquarters had gone to Country E with him, so the woman by his side couldn’t have been a secretary at all—she had to be a confidante.

Henry Chamberlain said calmly, "Rein in your curiosity and focus on how you’re going to explain yourself to President Lockwood. That said, you’re quite lucky today."

"How so?"

"The Big Boss Lockwood must be in a good mood by now."

The executive understood at once and smiled. "Right. I’ll come back in a little while, then."

Henry Chamberlain said, "Just wait for my signal. I’ll get you when the Second Master calls for you."

"Got it. Thanks a lot. I’ll buy you a drink some other time."

The executive left, feeling relieved.

Henry Chamberlain stood guard outside the office, preventing anyone from causing a disturbance.

「About an hour later.」

Henry Chamberlain’s phone rang. It was a call from Jasper Lockwood, telling him to bring the executive over.

Although Henry Chamberlain had reassured the executive, the man was still incredibly nervous upon seeing Jasper Lockwood.

’Besides, there’s no woman in President Lockwood’s office,’ he thought.

The executive kept his head bowed, speaking cautiously. "President Lockwood, the contract has been revised. Since the other party hadn’t fully signed the previous version, we won’t suffer any losses. This was indeed my mistake, and I’m willing to accept any punishment."

Jasper Lockwood leaned back lazily in his chair, like a composed predator, his intimidating presence undiminished. He spoke slowly, saying only five words: "Don’t let it happen again."

The executive immediately replied, "Yes, sir. It absolutely won’t happen again."

Expecting to be punished next, the man braced himself. As long as he wasn’t fired, he would accept any penalty.

Then, he heard Jasper Lockwood’s indifferent voice say, "You may leave."

At his words, the executive snapped his head up, staring at the big boss before him in disbelief. ’Is this really our Big Boss Lockwood?’

’So lenient?’

’Unbelievable.’

Seeing the man just staring at him, Jasper Lockwood spoke again. "Is there something else?"

"N-no, nothing. I’ll leave right away." The executive snapped out of his daze and immediately turned to exit the office.

Seeing his dazed expression, Henry Chamberlain asked, "What’s with that look? What did the Second Master say?"

The executive mumbled, "’Don’t let it happen again. You may leave.’ Just those seven words!" After a pause, he asked, "Is President Lockwood acting like this because Miss Sterling is here?"

Henry Chamberlain didn’t say anything, which was a tacit admission.

"Who on earth is this Miss Sterling, anyway? I didn’t see any woman in President Lockwood’s office just now."

Henry Chamberlain said, "It’s for the best that you didn’t. Don’t be so curious. Just get back to work."

「In the lounge of the president’s office.」

Chloe Sterling was leaning against the comfortable sofa as warm sunlight streamed through the window, gracing her face. She suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness. She had gone to bed late last night and woken up early to travel, getting less than five hours of sleep in total.

She slowly closed her eyes. Just then, the door was pushed open, and Jasper Lockwood walked in.

Seeing her drowsy expression, he asked, "Sleepy?"