Chapter 3 Resignation Report

Bryson stared in shock at the phone screen after the call was abruptly disconnected. He hesitated for a few seconds, then dashed toward the front desk.

Katherine had always been kind to him—he couldn't just leave her to fend for herself!

Time dragged on endlessly, heightening the tension, until the blaring sound of an ambulance siren suddenly pierced the air outside the hotel.

Bryson was still at the front desk, trying to coax the receptionist into revealing Alfred's room number.

When he saw paramedics rushing past with a stretcher, his heart sank.

A sense of foreboding gripped him, and he hurried to follow them.

The elevator stopped on the twenty-third floor.

Bryson was the first to step out, and relief washed over him when he saw Katherine standing in the hallway, her clothes impeccably neat, as if nothing had happened.

The paramedics brushed past Bryson, heading straight for Katherine.

She pointed toward the room and said something to them. Without hesitation, they rushed inside.

Moments later, Alfred was carried out on the stretcher. He was clad in a bathrobe, clutching his throat, his face swollen and distorted, struggling to breathe.

As the paramedics hurriedly wheeled Alfred away, Bryson turned to Katherine, wide-eyed. "Katherine, what—what happened?"

"He had a mango allergy, " she replied calmly.

"What? How? Didn't he know he was allergic?"

Katherine lowered her gaze, hiding the fleeting glint of coldness in her eyes. A faint smile tugged at her lips, but she didn't answer. Unbeknownst to anyone, Alfred's allergic reaction was no accident—it was orchestrated by her.

Bryson pressed on, "Did you get the contract signed?"

Katherine raised the document folder in her hand, signaling that the deal was done.

The next day, after arranging for a bouquet to be delivered to the hospital, Katherine and Bryson boarded the car back to the bustling city of Sacford.

"Katherine, last night scared me to death! After you left, I immediately called Mr. Murphy…" Bryson trailed off mid-sentence, realizing he'd said too much.

He glanced nervously at Katherine's expression.

Sure enough, the smile on her face had stiffened.

So Vincent knew Alfred had taken her away?

A wave of bitterness surged through her, spreading like wildfire through her body. Even her fingertips tingled with discomfort.

The alcohol she'd consumed the previous night seemed to churn in her stomach, sending faint pangs of pain through her.

Noticing Katherine's pale complexion, Bryson realized his mistake and quickly turned his head, pretending to sleep.

Though he'd only been working for a few months, he was well aware of the secret relationship between Katherine and Vincent.

It wasn't long before Bryson, feigning sleep, heard the steady tapping of keys on a keyboard beside him.

Katherine was typing her resignation letter.

Her fingers moved across the keys, but her thoughts drifted far away.

Five years ago, she had just become Vincent's personal secretary.

At a business dinner, Vincent had to leave unexpectedly. Left alone, Katherine found herself fending off the unwelcome advances of a business partner, who tried to take advantage of her half-drunken state and drag her to his room.

Vincent had returned just in time, landing a punch that sent the man sprawling. He then carried her out of the room.

That night, overwhelmed by the failure of her younger brother's surgery and a whirlwind of emotions, she gripped the lapels of Vincent's expensive suit with trembling hands and cried in his arms.

She remembered how patient Vincent had been with her, soothing her with gentle words: "It's okay now. Don't be afraid. This won't happen again."

That night marked the beginning of their clandestine relationship—publicly, they were boss and subordinate; privately, they were lovers.

As Katherine typed the final period of her resignation letter, she couldn't tell whether the pain in her stomach or elsewhere hurt more. All she knew was that she felt utterly miserable.

Before returning to the office, she forced herself to stop by the pharmacy near the company building to buy some painkillers.

"One pill at a time. And make sure not to drink alcohol after taking it. Oh, and absolutely avoid this if you're pregnant, " the pharmacist kindly reminded her.

Pregnant?

Katherine's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly realized her period was three days late.

Her fingers tightened around the box of painkillers. "Could I also get a pregnancy test, please?" she asked, her voice barely steady.