Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Life is full of surprises. Since I entered the office, he had been engrossed in the documents, seemingly unaware of my arrival. I gazed at his thick hair, took a deep breath, and spoke in a polite tone, "Mr. Wharton, are you looking for me?" He looked up at me, and I quickly flashed a standard smile, not daring to offend the big boss. Herbert's eyes scanned me from head to toe, and I could feel the coldness in his gaze. There was an unmistakable hint of disdain or contempt. It made me incredibly uncomfortable. I hated the way he looked at me, as if I were nothing more than a weak, insignificant ant. But I still had to work in his company, so I had no choice but to endure it for the moment. Finally, he set the pen down and leaned back in his wide leather chair. His voice was cold as he said, "I didn't expect our female employee to be so open. This is really unexpected." His cold tone and provocative words made me snap back, "It seems your private life is quite rich as well." I thought to myself, We're basically the same. If I'm a loose woman, then you're a playboy! The expression on Herbert's face darkened considerably. It seemed like I had angered my boss again... Bella's POV: I quickly lowered my head. Although I was feeling somewhat pleased, I also felt a bit regretful. After all, I still wanted to keep my job at the Wharton Group. I shouldn't have acted so impulsively! After I spoke, the office became eerily quiet, and I could almost hear our breathing. I stole a glance at the expression on the boss's face. He was still looking at me with a complicated expression. I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Then, in the next moment, I saw Herbert pull out a hundred and fifty dollars from his wallet and place them on the desk in front of me. With a serious expression, he said, "Miss Stepanek, I think it's necessary to clarify that, aside from being the boss of the headquarters of the Wharton Group, I don't have any other part-time jobs. That's why I'm asking you to take back the 150 dollars." I was stunned. So, the boss had called me to his office just to prove that he wasn't a prostitute? "I understand what you mean," I said with a smile. I secretly sighed in relief. Perhaps things weren't as bad as I had imagined. But then Herbert's next move completely confused me. He reached out and tried to hand me the 150 dollars back, but then he threw another 100 dollars on top of it. I stared at him, puzzled. "Mr. Wharton?" I asked. "This 100 dollars is your reward for last night. It wasn't very good! It's only worth this much!" Herbert's tone dripped with superiority. . . . Five-year-old Annie, who can understand animals, saved Landon Hawthorne, a wealthy businessman, from suicide. Now she's his whole world and he's her legal cheat-code against every villain fate throws ...