Love, Hate, and Revenge

Chapter 7

"It seems you're ready to leave at any moment." He looked at her and said coldly.

Hmph! Ivy Winslow sneered inwardly. If it hadn't come to this, she would never have set foot here or faced this devil. Even if carried in a grand sedan chair, she wouldn't have come. Hatred as deep as blood feud for her father's death flashed in her eyes. Her heart ached dully, her jaw clenched, and she remained silent.

Sebastian Hastings felt the heat inside him rapidly cool. His grim face was shrouded in frost, and his voice was unusually cold: "I'll give you ten days to design five luxury car models. They must be capable of impacting the global market, and one of them must surpass the Modern Edia. Can you do it?"

His unfathomable eyes gazed at her as his thin lips slowly parted.

Ten days? Five models? Wasn't he deliberately making unreasonable demands? Good ideas came from inspiration in life, which couldn't be achieved overnight.

Faced with his aggressive and contemptuous gaze, Ivy Winslow knew that even if it were a fire pit, she would have to agree.

"I can agree to that." She gritted her teeth and said each word deliberately. "But you must also agree to my request."

More demands? How dare a subordinate make demands of the boss? Sebastian Hastings felt deeply displeased. He leaned back against the sofa, his fingers unconsciously tapping on its back, his eyes icy cold.

But Ivy Winslow did not look at him.

Overseas, the Vista Group was the biggest global competitor of the Hastings Group's products. With the modern version of Edia designed by her, Vista had taken the world by storm and now overshadowed the Hastings Group. How could the ambitious Hastings Group simply back down?

The upcoming press conference was, in essence, a challenge to the Vista Group. To seize the opportunity in the global market, as far as she knew, Vista currently had no outstanding car models worth showcasing.

She was not afraid that Sebastian Hastings would refuse!

"There are two units of the Panica global limited edition luxury car, produced overseas by the Vista Group, in City A. I want them." Her expression was indifferent, her words unwavering, but her eyes were fixed intently on his handsome face, not missing any subtle expression.

If he was truly involved in her father's death, she didn't believe he could hide it so well, without the slightest trace of panic.

Sebastian Hastings's eyes were calm, his pupils slightly contracted, like lightning splitting through thick dark clouds in his dark irises, sparking with points of light. He leaned forward slightly at the right moment, curling his fingers and hiding them in his palms. The cold, still light in his eyes gradually lost some of its chill, gaining more scrutiny. The muscles in his face relaxed, revealing a faint, elusive smile.

Apart from his usual coldness, there was really no unusual panic on his face. In fact, he looked very calm!

Ivy Winslow felt a hint of disappointment, but also a hint of anticipation. She didn't really want to believe that Sebastian Hastings could be so ruthless and vicious. Even if he hated her, he wouldn't be so heartless.

He lit a cigar, took several deep puffs. His handsome face appeared and disappeared in the smoke, his eyes deep and unfathomable, his face bearing an inscrutable silence.

Ivy Winslow's breathing suddenly grew shallow. She couldn't read his heart!

In the tense standoff, she heard his deep, magnetic voice ring out calmly: "I agree."

"Cough." Ivy Winslow breathed a sigh of relief and coughed softly, choked by his cigar smoke.

"Good. May our cooperation be pleasant." She smiled faintly, stood up, and turned to leave.

Suddenly, an iron arm wrapped around her slender waist, rendering her unable to move.

A flash of annoyance crossed her eyes as she turned her head to glare at him.

Sebastian Hastings's lips curled into an inscrutable smile. His hand remained on her waist as he leaned down to look at her, his eyes deep.

Ivy Winslow hadn't expected him to be so frivolous with an employee in such an office setting. Rumors said he was serious and stern at work. She had clearly been wrong to believe such gossip. Shocked, her red lips parted in anger.

His burning lips pressed against hers. Her breath was instantly seized by his forceful kiss!

The air between them was filled with the scent she had once been deeply infatuated with. Her brain went blank. She struggled, but he held her tighter, greedily absorbing her fragrance and sweetness.

Ivy Winslow's mind roared. Her breathing grew labored, and her chest felt as if it would burst with discomfort. What made her even angrier was that, at that moment, she still found herself drawn to his scent. Subconsciously, she didn't completely resist, nor did she want to push him away.

"Since you have such abilities, why do you need to trade with me for a huge sum of money? Or are you simply a money-grubbing, fickle woman?" After a long while, he pulled away from her lips, savoring her sweetness, yet his words were full of mockery.

His venomous, contemptuous words struck Ivy Winslow's fragile heart like a hammer. Her mind instantly cleared. He was merely humiliating and toying with her. A flash of anger gleamed in her cold, shining eyes, and she suddenly pushed him away with force.

"Sebastian Hastings, have some self-respect. If you humiliate me again, I won't let you get away with it." Ivy Winslow, her heart full of pain, shouted sternly and fled through the door.

"Won't let me get away with it? Heh." Sebastian Hastings sneered, his lips curving into a handsome arc. Such a threat was nothing but an itch. Watching her disheveled retreating steps, a teasing smile appeared in his eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest, pondered for a moment, then walked to his desk and pressed a button on the phone: "Send Pete in."

Soon, a tall man with bronze skin and hawk-like eyes walked in.

"Good day, President."

"Pete, go to the United States immediately. Investigate the designer Alice's detailed life over the past three years in the U.S. and compile a report for me." Sebastian Hastings looked in the direction Ivy Winslow had left and gave the order clearly.

"Understood, President. I'll book a ticket right away." Pete nodded and quickly left.

Sebastian Hastings sat back down on the sofa, his mind somewhat hazy. This woman seemed to have changed a lot in the three years since she left him, so much so that he found it hard to believe.

Or had she never changed at all? Had he simply underestimated her before?

Had he really missed something?

Ivy Winslow rushed back to her office in agitation, ran into the restroom, and placed her hands on the smooth marble countertop. She looked up at herself in the mirror.

Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips, kissed by him, were vividly red and still carried his scent!

Damn it. She frantically washed them with water.

No. How could she have let him kiss her? They were long over.

She must never let him touch her again. This was her bottom line, her dignity. There was no longer any connection between them. The only reason she had come here today was to find her father's murderer. Nothing more.

His mocking, teasing eyes flashed before her. Her heart ached with stabs of pain. How could she be so worthless?

The entire morning passed in restlessness. Her eyes stared at the car models on the computer screen, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess. Designing five globally impactful car models in ten days with her mood so terrible, could she really do it?

Ivy Winslow gently stroked her face with both hands. Her cheeks were still burning. She rushed into the bathroom, turned on the spotless, high-end faucet, splashed cold water on her face, dried it, touched up her light makeup, and prepared to go out for lunch.