Louis sat at his desk, typing away on a spreadsheet, absorbed in the numbers and financial details filling his screen. The office buzzed with activity—colleagues discussing reports, phones ringing, papers scattered—when suddenly, an unexpected silence fell over the room. Louis sensed the shift in the atmosphere and looked up, his fingers pausing mid-keystroke.

Cleopatra Thompson, CEO of Dimitri Group, walked confidently across the finance department, the sound of her heels clicking purposefully on the polished floor. She stopped in front of Louis's desk, a bold smile playing on her lips. Without a word, Cleopatra lifted herself onto the edge of his desk and sat, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She tossed her hair nonchalantly, her eyes fixed on Louis as if they were the only two people in the room.


Peter, who had accompanied Cleopatra, looked stunned. He stood a few steps back, his eyes darting around as he realized everyone was staring in shock. The other staff members gaped, some whispering among themselves, unable to believe what they were seeing. Cleopatra was utterly unfazed by the reaction, tapping her fingers lightly on her knee, exuding a calm, commanding energy that said she was exactly where she wanted to be.

'Louis," she said, her tone both casual and challenging, 'are you coming with me or not?"

Louis's face flushed slightly, and he swallowed hard, struggling to maintain his composure as the eyes of his coworkers bore into him. Clearing his throat, he stood up quickly and leaned in close to Cleopatra, whispering with urgency. 'Miss Thompson, this isn't the time or place. Let's go outside."


Cleopatra raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She shrugged and slid gracefully off the desk, her expression unbothered by his hurried tone. She followed Louis out of the room with a casual wave of her hand, leaving Peter and the rest of the staff still frozen in shock.

Once they reached the hallway, Louis turned to face Cleopatra, his expression a mixture of frustration and disbelief. 'Miss Thompson, what was that?" he asked, lowering his voice but unable to keep the edge out of his tone. 'You can't just… show up in the finance department like that and sit on my desk. It's not professional."


Cleopatra let out a soft, amused laugh, crossing her arms. 'Professional? I'm the CEO, Louis. And if I recall correctly," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, 'you signed a contract. You agreed to the terms of our arrangement."

Louis clenched his fists, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment as he struggled to control his frustration. He was painfully aware of the situation he had put himself in, and her words were a sharp reminder of just how much control Cleopatra held. Her piercing gaze remained fixed on him, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

'Get used to this, Louis," she continued smoothly, her voice almost teasing. 'You wanted my help, and you're getting it. But it comes with a price. You'll have to deal with me being… upfront." She reached out, tapping him on the shoulder lightly before stepping back with a grin. 'I'd suggest you try to relax."

Louis exhaled slowly, his hands still tightly clenched at his sides. Despite his frustration, he knew there was no escape from the situation he had willingly walked into. Cleopatra had won this round, and she knew it. As she turned on her heel and strode confidently down the hall, her laughter echoed faintly, leaving Louis standing alone, feeling both infuriated and powerless.

Louis returned to his desk with his head bowed, trying to control the storm of mixed emotions within him. As he sat down, he immediately felt the curious stares of his coworkers directed at him, as though waiting for an explanation for what they had just witnessed. Some of them whispered among themselves, while others simply looked on in awe and confusion.

Shortly afterward, Sarah, the finance manager who had been speaking with a colleague nearby, approached Louis with an expression of shock she couldn't hide. 'Louis… what just happened? Our CEO came and openly flirted with you in front of everyone!"

Louis felt his face heat up with embarrassment, knowing there was no use denying what had just occurred. He quickly tried to divert the conversation, hoping to quell Sarah's curiosity. 'Ah… actually, there are a few financial reports I wanted to discuss with you, Ms. Harper. Could we perhaps focus on those?"

Sarah looked taken aback by Louis's sudden shift to business, and her plan to pry further quickly dissipated. 'Of course, Louis… of course," she said awkwardly, then slowly stepped away, leaving Louis to avoid his coworkers' curious glances.

Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, a very different atmosphere prevailed. Peter stood in front of Cleopatra, his face full of concern. 'Miss Thompson, I must say… your actions earlier might have made Louis uncomfortable. The way you appeared in the finance department like that could be seen as a bit too… explicit."

But Cleopatra merely laughed, her gaze filled with satisfaction. 'Oh, Peter," she said, still smiling smugly, 'I'm beginning to enjoy this game. He's truly such an innocent and naive man. He's my best toy, Peter."

Peter fell silent, realizing that Cleopatra was unaffected by his advice. Internally, he could only hope that his boss's actions wouldn't have a negative impact on the company or on relationships with the staff, especially with Louis, who seemed overwhelmed by Cleopatra's dominant side.

Peter took a deep breath and cleared his throat, trying to shift Cleopatra's focus away from the game she was enjoying. He leaned forward slightly and spoke in a low voice. 'Miss Thompson, I've been investigating your father's accident, Mr. James Thompson, as you requested."

Hearing this, Cleopatra's smile disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. 'What did you find, Peter?" she asked, her gaze turning sharp.

Peter took a deep breath and continued, 'The strange thing is, all the CCTV footage in the accident area… they weren't found. They weren't damaged or experiencing technical issues. Those recordings completely vanished, as if someone had very carefully erased any trace."

Cleopatra narrowed her eyes, her forehead deeply furrowed as she absorbed this information. Her conviction grew stronger that this was no ordinary accident. It was murder—a plan carefully orchestrated.

'We need to investigate further," Cleopatra said firmly, her gaze filled with determination. 'Is it possible for us to speak with the wife of my father's driver? The man requested sudden leave on the day of the accident. He may have useful information."

Peter nodded quickly. 'I'll arrange the meeting, Miss. I'll make sure it can happen as soon as possible."

Cleopatra gave a brief nod to Peter, then her eyes shifted to a small photograph on her desk. The photo showed her parents, her father and mother, smiling happily. Her gaze softened, filled with longing, as if she were speaking to them directly.

In her heart, Cleopatra vowed that she wouldn't stop until she uncovered the whole truth. No matter who she had to face or how many secrets she had to unravel. Cleopatra Thompson would do everything to bring justice to her family.