"Abstinent, Overbearing CEO"

Chapter 2: A Slap Across the Face

The CEO’s office of the Dai Corporation. It was still a little before 9 a.m., and Desmond Dai’s long, slender fingers drummed relentlessly against the surface of his desk. His sharp eyes were fixed on the door, awaiting something—or someone. Moments later, Rosalina entered, holding a cup of coffee.

“Mr. Dai, your coffee,” she said quietly, her voice betraying none of the tension that seemed to hang in the air.

Desmond, for the first time in a long while, reached out to take the coffee. The moment his fingers brushed against Rosalina’s, he felt her slight shiver—a tremor so subtle, yet unmistakable. It struck him as odd. This woman, who had so often teased him, now seemed almost nervous, like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a tiger. What on earth was going on in her head?

His gaze drifted to her neck, where a faint red mark lingered just below her jawline. He frowned.

“Button up your shirt,” he ordered curtly.

Rosalina’s face flushed with embarrassment. She immediately lowered her head and hastily buttoned her blouse. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dai.”

Perhaps it was because of her childhood experiences, but Rosalina always hated the feeling of being tightly confined, especially around her neck. She had grown used to leaving her shirt slightly unbuttoned, thinking it would make her feel freer. But today, she had made the mistake of applying a bit of foundation in an attempt to conceal the area, only to find that it didn’t quite do the trick.

“Mr. Dai, I’ll leave now,” she said quietly, looking away to avoid his piercing stare.

Desmond merely nodded in response, his gaze lingering on her retreating figure. As she walked away, a memory from the previous night resurfaced in his mind. He felt a sudden, involuntary tension in his abdomen, and his throat tightened. He wasn’t one to indulge in excessive pleasures, but for some reason, Rosalina—this woman who seemed so bold in her advances—had stirred something in him that he couldn’t easily shake.

Not long ago, his assistant had taken some time off, leaving Rosalina to step in as his personal secretary. Desmond knew all too well that she had ulterior motives, just like any other woman who sought to get close to him. But he found himself oddly curious about her, wondering just how far she would go before she gave up. He had expected her to falter, to show fear, but instead, she had boldly pressed on. Her constant teasing had escalated, and at one point, she had even dared to place her hand on his thigh. Any other woman would have been thrown out on the spot, but Rosalina... he couldn’t bring himself to do it. What was it about her that made him hesitate?

Last night, after a social event, Rosalina had offered to escort him back to his hotel suite. As soon as they entered, Desmond had picked her up effortlessly and thrown her onto the bed. He had assumed that she would be just as eager to comply, but instead, she broke down in tears, trembling as if she were terrified.

“Don’t you want to be in my bed?” he had asked coldly, his voice dripping with derision. “Are you scared?”

“Mr. Dai, I’m sorry... Please, just let me go...” she had begged, her words almost inaudible through her sobs.

But Desmond hadn’t relented. He didn’t know how many times they had gone back and forth that night—each time more intense than the last. Rosalina’s cries of surrender had only fueled his desire, pushing him further, as if he were under some kind of spell. She had passed out in the end, and it wasn’t until later that he realized that she had been a virgin.

What had she been thinking?

Meanwhile, Rosalina sat nervously at the desk outside Desmond’s office, clutching her stomach in discomfort. Her period wasn’t due for another few weeks, so it couldn’t be cramps. Could it have been from last night? She remembered how she had begged him to stop, her body wracked with pain until she had passed out. Desmond Dai was not human, not in the way that mattered.

“Rosalina, are you okay? Your face doesn’t look too good,” came a concerned voice.

She looked up to see Su Ruo, Desmond’s other assistant, who was a year older than her. Su Ruo had been kind to her from the beginning, and she had even defended Rosalina when rumors swirled about how she had risen from a simple administrative assistant to become Desmond’s personal secretary.

“Rosalina is no slouch,” Su Ruo had said to the others. “She earned her place here, so mind your own business.”

“I’m fine,” Rosalina said softly, her hand still pressed against her abdomen. “I’ll be okay after I drink some warm water.”

Before Su Ruo could respond, the sound of high heels echoed down the hall. A young woman appeared at the door, her face twisted in disdain as she spoke to the receptionist.

“Is Rosalina here? I need to see Desmond Dai.”

The receptionist hesitated, then turned to Rosalina. “I’m sorry, Rosalina. Miss Qin has no appointment, but she insists on seeing Mr. Dai.”

Rosalina stood up and met the woman’s gaze. “Miss Qin, I’m afraid Mr. Dai is in a meeting right now. You’ll have to wait until it’s over.”

Qin Mengyan sneered at her. “Do I really need an appointment to see Desmond Dai?”

“I’m afraid that’s not my decision,” Rosalina replied calmly, though her voice had a steely edge to it. “If I let you in without prior notice, and Mr. Dai gets upset, both of us could be in trouble.”

The arrogance on Qin Mengyan’s face grew, her painted lips curling into a sneer. “You’re just a secretary. Who do you think you are to stop me from seeing Mr. Dai?”

The tension in the air escalated as Rosalina stood her ground. But Qin Mengyan, never one to back down, raised her hand and slapped Rosalina across the face with a resounding crack.

“Rosalina, you’re nothing but trash! Back in high school, you were a nobody, and now you think you’re important just because you’re Desmond Dai’s secretary?”

Su Ruo immediately stood up, anger flashing in her eyes. “Miss Qin, this is the Dai Corporation. Show some respect.”

Rosalina, her left cheek reddening from the slap, glared at Qin Mengyan. “If I’m trash, does that mean Desmond Dai collects trash?” she retorted, her voice steady despite the sting on her face.

Qin Mengyan’s face twisted with rage. “You—!”

Before she could strike again, a large, powerful hand seized her wrist, stopping her mid-swing. Desmond Dai had appeared out of nowhere.

“Which hand did you use to slap her? This one?” Desmond growled, his grip tightening as he twisted her wrist. His face was a mask of fury, his features hard as stone.

Qin Mengyan screamed in pain. “Mr. Dai! My father’s company still has business dealings with yours!”

Desmond’s gaze never wavered. “Is it this hand?” he repeated, his voice cold as ice, the fury in his eyes unmistakable. He was a beast, unleashed from its cage.

Rosalina, terrified that Qin Mengyan’s wrist would snap under Desmond’s grip, reached out and grabbed his arm. “Mr. Dai, please... let her go.”

Desmond didn’t acknowledge her. His eyes were locked on Qin Mengyan as her wrist began to bruise, the color turning dark purple. Rosalina’s heart raced as she watched, her breath catching in her throat. Desmond’s strength was terrifying.

“Mr. Dai!” she cried out, her voice desperate.

In that moment, a memory flashed through Desmond’s mind—Rosalina, gripping his clothes, pleading for mercy. Something about her soft, trembling voice made him hesitate. He released his grip on Qin Mengyan’s wrist, his voice low and dangerous.

“Get out.”

Qin Mengyan, now nursing her injured wrist, glared at him with tears of humiliation in her eyes. Her body trembled with rage and fear, but her feet felt as heavy as lead. She couldn’t move.

Desmond turned to his assistant, Wu Yan. “Cancel all business dealings with the Qin family. Have security remove her from the building.”

“As you wish, Mr. Dai.”

Rosalina’s heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of fear and relief. What had just happened?