Owned by Ruthless Billionaire Brother

3

A voice from an assistant could be heard on the other end of the phone, probably reporting on tonight's schedule. Liora knew he was usually very busy and was worried he might not have time tonight. She hastily said, "I'll wait for you in your office. After you're done with your work, it won't take too much of your time."

Dashiell responded with a simple "okay" and hung up. Liora was dazed for a while before snapping back to reality.

Sitting on the bed, she found her fingers trembling. Without giving herself a chance to overthink, she grabbed some fresh clothes, headed to the bathroom, took a shower, blow-dried her hair, changed her clothes, and left the house.

Sable was in the kitchen with the newly hired family nutritionist preparing dinner. Seeing Liora rushing out, she followed, "Mrs. Liora, where are you going? Dinner isn’t ready yet!"

“I'm not hungry yet, I'll eat when I get back.” Liora got into the car and told the driver, “Go to the office.”

The driver was personally chosen by Dashiell, a man of few words. Upon hearing the address Liora gave, he started the car without a second word and drove directly into the underground parking lot of the company.

The elevator to the CEO's office required fingerprint access. Liora took the staff elevator, checked in at the reception desk first, probably as instructed by Dashiell and his assistant. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, a familiar male assistant was waiting by the elevator door. He respectfully led her into the special elevator for the leaders on the left, scanned his fingerprint, and the elevator went straight up, stopping at the 26th floor.

The top floor of the building.

“Thank you,” Liora said politely.

“You're welcome.” The assistant's name was Calix. Apart from him, there was a personal assistant named Gideon and a special assistant named Finlo. Outside the CEO's office, there were also two female secretaries responsible for answering internal calls and printing documents.

Outside the CEO's office was a semi-circular working area. The two female secretaries were busy working. After greeting Liora, they immediately lowered their heads to continue their work. The phone rang incessantly, but they were organized and efficient.

The pantry was spacious, with the aroma of coffee permeating the entire office floor. Next to the pantry were two lounges. What stood out from other companies was the lack of any green plants here.

“What would you like to drink?” Calix handed Liora a tablet, took her bag, and led her towards the office. “Please choose, I'll bring it to you shortly.”

“Just warm water is fine, thank you.” Liora glanced at the tablet. It listed over a dozen rare and precious teas on the market, each costing tens of thousands for just ten grams.

It wasn't just tea they were drinking; it was a display of wealth.

Liora stared at the warm water cups on the coffee table. The transparent glass cups were engraved with vintage patterns. She traced the patterns with her thumb. From the moment she entered the office, her heart was in turmoil.

She feared rejection, but she feared acceptance even more.

Regardless of the outcome, she wasn’t willing.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance. Liora looked up and saw Dashiell just entering, making eye contact with her.

He was dressed in a black suit, with broad shoulders and long legs, exuding a dominating presence. The profile of his face was sharp as a knife, his eyes and eyebrows pitch black, and his lips were pursed straight, showing no extra emotion. He swept a glance back after lowering his eyelids, and the assistant understood, promptly closing the door behind him and leaving.

After the door closed, he finally walked towards her with long strides.

The familiar sense of oppression followed closely, and Liora's heart suddenly raced.

Her ears buzzed, and all she could hear was the intense sound of her heart beating.

First came the cold scent of cedar, followed by the lingering smell of tobacco on Dashiell, probably from a client or from him spending a long time outside. The smell was faint and not overpowering.

Liora lifted her eyes slightly. Dashiell had already sat on the other side of the sofa. He unfastened his cufflinks, turned his face slightly, his eyelids slightly raised, waiting for her to speak first.

The words she had prepared so many times felt stuck in her throat. She fidgeted with the glass in her hand, swallowed hard, and said, "I..."

Dashiell unfastened his second cufflink, didn’t look at her, just checked his wristwatch, a silent hint.

It was as if he was indicating his patience was running out.

"I want to ask for your help..." Liora forced herself to look directly into his eyes. The pounding of her heart was too loud, and she could barely hear herself speak, repeating the same words, "Give me a child."

Dashiell's face showed no emotion, just a slight furrowing of his brow, his pitch-black eyes staring at her, his tone calm, "A child?"

"Yes, a child." Thinking of Leander, Liora suddenly calmed down, "You know, Leander is desperate to die, his will to live is weak. The doctors say that this is not good for his recovery, he needs to adjust his mindset as soon as possible... I lied to him that I am pregnant, so he has the motivation to live."

"I know, even if he recovers, he won't be able to become a father."

"He has always hoped to have a child. I want to fulfill his wish." Thinking of Leander crying on the hospital bed, her heart ached unbearably. With a pleading tone mixed with indescribable bitterness, she said, "So, I came to you, hoping you could help me."

Silence filled the air.

Dashiell stared at her without saying a word.

His eyes were very dark, the brow ridge descended straight down from his brow bone without any curves, giving off an overwhelming sense of pressure. His features were more refined than Leander's, with a sharp and elegant appearance in his suit. The aura he emitted was aloof and proud, his expression always cold, appearing indifferent.

Just like now.

Liora wasn’t afraid of him, but she couldn't communicate with him calmly. Even if they were sitting at the same table for a meal, she would try to avoid eye contact with him.

Some people naturally exude a strong presence, even their peripheral vision carries a sense of aggression, just like Dashiell.

He just raised his eyes, and his dominating aura filled the room, "How can I help?"

Liora hadn’t anticipated this question.

She hesitated for a moment, blinked her eyes in disbelief, opened her mouth slightly but made no sound.

"It's just..." She took a deep breath, plucked up her courage, and said, "Be with me..."

She couldn't bring herself to say that word, her face turned red with embarrassment, and she lowered her head.