Chapter 7 The New Boss

The staff on set couldn't help but take a sharp breath. The tall figure standing at the entrance was dressed in a sharp suit, his chiseled features cold and imposing, exuding silent pressure. For a moment, the entire set was eerily quiet. Violet locked eyes with the man's deep, blue gaze. Lucien finally spoke, his voice low and firm. "Violet, come with me." Doris, who was responsible for welcoming him, never expected to come back to absolute chaos. She watched anxiously as Violet was called away, while the set buzzed with murmurs. "This is bad. Big boss' first inspection, and this is what happens? Do you think Producer Violet will be in trouble?" "Forget that—did you guys even look up just now? The boss looks so handsome, even when he's pissed!" "Quit staring at his face. You'll be shaking once the punishment comes down." As Violet followed Lucien into the president's office, she could still catch glimpses of some employees pretending to pass by, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. The moment the office door shut, a few disgruntled staff members sneered. "Isn't she usually all high and mighty? She never lifts a finger to help anyone, and now she's caused such a mess in front of the boss. Let's see how she gets out of this one." "I can't stand her holier-than-thou attitude. Who knows what kind of games she plays behind closed doors." Inside the Office The moment Violet stepped inside, the man in front of her suddenly stopped. She turned to close the door, only to bump straight into him. "Ow." She stumbled back, her heel pressing against the door as she looked up in irritation at the man who had turned around. "You bumped into me." Lucien looked down at her. "Where does it hurt?" Violet suddenly felt that this conversation was going in a weird direction and remained silent. Obviously, my forehead! Where else? Lucien's thumb brushed over her temple. "Got into a fight?" That crisp slap—he had heard it loud and clear from the outside. Violet didn't bother denying it. "I can explain." Just as she was about to speak, she felt a warm hand wrap around her right palm. Lucien's fingers lightly kneaded her palm as he asked in a low voice, "Does your hand hurt?" She pulled her hand back. "Don't touch me." At this point, Violet seriously doubted his real reason for calling her to the office. Lucien let go, but his long legs took half a step forward, his broad frame looming over her, his crisp scent filling the space between them. "But the moment I see you, I want to get close to you. What should I do?" Right now, Lucien looked like a loyal dog that had finally found its owner—excited yet needy, waiting for her response. Violet glanced down at his restless leg and reminded him, "Are you crazy? This is the office. We have a superior-subordinate relationship. Can you keep work and personal matters separate?" Lucien let go of her, but his gaze never wavered. "Violet, the fact that we have a superior-subordinate relationship proves I've already kept things separate." Because if he hadn't, he would have taken revenge, stripped her of her career, and forced her out of this industry. He had considered it. But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Because, despite everything, he still wanted to get back together with her. He had thought that as long as Violet came back to him, he could let go of the past. But the reality was, the moment she paid him even a little attention, he turned into a peacock flaunting its feathers—an eager puppy, completely at her mercy. Violet couldn't deny his words. Considering how much Lucien held grudges, he had indeed been merciful to her—his first love and ex-girlfriend. "You called me in front of all those people just to say this?" Hearing how eager she was to leave, he suddenly seemed serious. "Why did you replace her at the last minute?" Violet stated the facts objectively. "You saw what happened between Flora and Mike that day. Keeping her around would have been a ticking time bomb. Besides, there are plenty of actresses who are better than her—it won't affect the quality of the production." Of course, there was another important reason—she hated Flora. The thought of spending the next few months in the same crew with her was unbearable. But since that was a personal grievance, Violet chose to leave it out. Lucien listened intently to everything she said, then leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Violet, what I really want to hear is that you replaced her because you couldn't stand her." "I'd rather you just say—Lucien, I hate her. Get rid of her for me. That's my dear Violet I know." The one who could make him surrender unconditionally with just a little pout. Violet's fingers traced the crisp fabric of his suit. "It seems, Mr. Lucien, you're still struggling to adjust to your ex-boyfriend status?" Lucien caught her slender fingers, his voice low as he leaned in. "Violet, I must have been a damn idiot back then to believe the bullshit reason you gave for breaking up." She had said she was bored, that she never loved him, and just like that, she dumped him in a few short sentences. Back then, the young and proud Lucien couldn't take that kind of humiliation. Their breakup had been a screaming match, locked inside their home, arguing until they lost their voices—fighting, then making love, over and over, for an entire week. By the time they finally separated, their bodies were covered in each other's marks. Before he left that house for good, he had stood at the door, staring at the woman sitting motionless on the couch, his pride trampled underfoot as he roared at her with all the pain in his chest— "Violet, are you going to make me stay or not?!" She had merely glanced at him before walking to her room, her gaze so cold that Lucien remembered it to this day. As he walked out, she spoke in an eerily calm voice, telling him to shut the door on his way out. That door slammed shut with force, sealing off their world from each other, and marking the complete end of their relationship. After that day, Lucien, with his doctorate in hand, left for Country A. The next time he heard about Violet was a year later, when her family had fallen from grace. He had gone mad trying to dig up news about her, yet restrained himself from appearing in front of her. Then, this March, he found out Violet was engaged - to his useless little nephew, of all people… Violet tried to push him away but failed, so she turned and grabbed the doorknob. "I have work to do. I'm heading out." Lucien didn't stop her. From behind, his deep and husky voice rang out. "Violet, this time, I'm not leaving again." Won't you turn around and look at me? The woman facing the door didn't respond. Her fingers, clenched tightly around the knob, had turned pale from the pressure. She twisted the handle and walked out. The moment she stepped out of the president's office, quite a few people were already waiting nearby to see how things played out. Doris quickly approached, concerned. "Violet, are you okay?" Violet smiled. "What could possibly happen to me?" Strictly speaking, Flora had humiliated her first, so her decision to replace her had been perfectly reasonable. Besides, Lucien had never intended to discuss work with her in the first place. Doris took a deep breath. "That's good. I was scared to death." The others, seeing Violet walk out as if nothing had happened, couldn't hide their surprise. Since when was their boss this easygoing? This was nothing like the rumors. Violet's gaze swept over the crowd waiting to watch her downfall. The smirk on her lips carried a hint of disdain. Sorry to disappoint you all. Back on set, since the screen test had been delayed, Violet worked through her lunch break to make up for lost time. As the day neared its end, she frowned when she noticed that the actress scheduled third still hadn't shown up. Glancing at her watch, Violet shut her script and stood up. "We're not waiting anymore. Wrap it up, everyone." The exhausted crew erupted into cheers, swiftly packing up their things. The moment of joy hadn't even faded when a group of people strode into the set. A female agent stepped forward. "Hey, our Pearl just got here. Even if you're calling it a day, shouldn't you at least finish her screen test first?" Violet's eyes shifted to the woman behind the agent—glamorous and impeccably dressed, flanked by three or four assistants. Her grand entrance instantly drew everyone's attention. Doris leaned in and whispered, "That's Pearl Black. A newly minted star, backed by major capital. Word is, she's about to become our boss's fiancée."