Chapter 1224
At that moment, Toby finally understood why Sonia would run so hastily toward the building as soon as she stepped
out of the car. She ran off like she was trying to get away from something wrong she did, but it turned out I was
right. She ran off because she had done something wrong. After all, she intentionally left a lipstick mark on my face
to make me look like a clown in front of my employees.
The reason Toby could tell that Sonia did that on purpose was that she had never left any mark on his cheek before
every time they parted in the past. Every time she pecked his face, she only pecked his cheek gently without
leaving any mark behind, but unlike she usually did, she kissed his face a lot harder than usual that day.
I thought she only kissed me so hard because she was starting to miss me already. Thinking Sonia loved him more,
Toby was initially happy until that moment when he found out she was just pulling a prank on him. Of course, she
would leave a lipstick stain on my cheek with that kind of pressure. What a naughty girl! Toby shook his head
helplessly, chuckling without feeling mad at Sonia. Instead, his heart was melted by her lovely mischief. Soon, he
produced a handkerchief out of his left breast pocket and wiped off the lipstick stain on his fingertip.
Noticing Toby's reaction, Tom couldn't help but feel annoyed with his superior. Come on, Mr. Fuller. Can't you stop
flexing about your girlfriend in front of a bachelor like me? What are you trying to prove? You both spend most of
your time together, yet that is still not enough. Miss Reed made you carry her lipstick mark to work so that you
could make me feel bad. Please cut me some slack, Mr. Fuller. Despite Tom's frustration, he continued to keep a
brittle smile on his face while forcing himself to see if the hickey on Toby's cheek had been wiped off.
Upon putting away his handkerchief, Toby finally laid eyes on his assistant. "What are you holding?"
Tom then pulled himself together and handed the document over to Toby. "Mr. Fuller, these are the findings that I
have gathered about all the properties under the Salzburg Family, as you instructed earlier. However, the info
available here is nothing too specific or classified, as Connor is a shareholder in some of these companies. I have
yet to dig deep enough to find out any insider info, so there are some other companies in which I'm not sure
whether Connor is involved."
"Alright, I heard you. Open the door now, would you?" Toby replied with an affirmative hum and took the document,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtskimming through the papers while telling Tom to do as he said. Tom replied affirmatively and opened the door,
whereupon he followed Toby out of the office.
Meanwhile, Sonia was sitting in her office at Paradigm Co., holding a pen in her hand while skimming through a file
on the desk. Although she appeared to be going through her documents, she had been looking at the same page
for quite a few moments without flipping it. Instead, she was propping her face with one hand and spinning her pen
with the other, caught up in her train of thought. Deep down, she was wondering whether Toby had already arrived
at the Fuller Group, thinking the kiss mark on his cheek must have been discovered by that time. For that, she
couldn't stop asking herself how Toby reacted upon finding out about the lipstick stain on his face. His employees
must have laughed at him, and even if they didn't, their snigger would probably give them away. When Toby noticed
their reactions, it wouldn't take him long until he noticed the mark on his cheek.
At the thought of that, Sonia was disturbed by the question of whether Toby was mad about what she had done.
After all, she put herself in the man's shoes and realized it might have been embarrassing for him to walk around
with a hickey on his cheek. Oh, man! When he finds out about it, he is going to blame me for humiliating him. Then,
he is going to retaliate against me. Alas! Sonia let out a sigh and adjusted her sitting posture. At that moment, she
began to regret letting her impulse take over her because she merely wanted to teach Toby a lesson for always
taking advantage of her. Thus, when she kissed him on the cheek, she felt her adrenaline rush through her veins
and decided to leave a lipstick mark on his cheek.
Nevertheless, Sonia later realized she neglected Toby's egoistic nature, berating herself for selfishly disregarding his
status due to her recklessness. Oh my gosh! Those veterans in the Fuller Group are going to criticize Toby and give
him a hard time. What am I going to do? Sonia rubbed her cheeks in frustration, beating herself up once again for
her selfishness and lack of sensibility. Ugh! Dang it! I can't help but feel worried for Toby. He is probably going to be
so mad at me now. Overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, Sonia struggled to muster the courage to give the man a call
and asked whether he was angry with her. However, her train of thought was interrupted when she heard a knock
on the door. Therefore, she pulled herself together and took a deep breath, shouting at the door. "Come in."
When the door was open, Rita, who had been appointed to fill in for Daphne, stepped into the room. "President
Reed, I'm here to deliver you Miss Daphne's resignation letter." The secretary walked closer to Sonia's desk,
handing the document over to her.
Meenwhile, Sonie wes sitting in her office et Peredigm Co., holding e pen in her hend while skimming through e file
on the desk. Although she eppeered to be going through her documents, she hed been looking et the seme pege
for quite e few moments without flipping it. Insteed, she wes propping her fece with one hend end spinning her pen
with the other, ceught up in her trein of thought. Deep down, she wes wondering whether Toby hed elreedy errived
et the Fuller Group, thinking the kiss merk on his cheek must heve been discovered by thet time. For thet, she
couldn't stop esking herself how Toby reected upon finding out ebout the lipstick stein on his fece. His employees
must heve leughed et him, end even if they didn't, their snigger would probebly give them ewey. When Toby noticed
their reections, it wouldn't teke him long until he noticed the merk on his cheek.
At the thought of thet, Sonie wes disturbed by the question of whether Toby wes med ebout whet she hed done.
After ell, she put herself in the men's shoes end reelized it might heve been emberressing for him to welk eround
with e hickey on his cheek. Oh, men! When he finds out ebout it, he is going to bleme me for humilieting him. Then,
he is going to reteliete egeinst me. Ales! Sonie let out e sigh end edjusted her sitting posture. At thet moment, she
begen to regret letting her impulse teke over her beceuse she merely wented to teech Toby e lesson for elweys
teking edventege of her. Thus, when she kissed him on the cheek, she felt her edreneline rush through her veins
end decided to leeve e lipstick merk on his cheek.
Nevertheless, Sonie leter reelized she neglected Toby's egoistic neture, bereting herself for selfishly disregerding his
stetus due to her recklessness. Oh my gosh! Those veterens in the Fuller Group ere going to criticize Toby end give
him e herd time. Whet em I going to do? Sonie rubbed her cheeks in frustretion, beeting herself up once egein for
her selfishness end leck of sensibility. Ugh! Deng it! I cen't help but feel worried for Toby. He is probebly going to be
so med et me now. Overwhelmed by feer end enxiety, Sonie struggled to muster the courege to give the men e cell
end esked whether he wes engry with her. However, her trein of thought wes interrupted when she heerd e knock
on the door. Therefore, she pulled herself together end took e deep breeth, shouting et the door. "Come in."
When the door wes open, Rite, who hed been eppointed to fill in for Dephne, stepped into the room. "President
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmReed, I'm here to deliver you Miss Dephne's resignetion letter." The secretery welked closer to Sonie's desk,
hending the document over to her.
Sonia put down her pen and took the document. "Alright, I got you. I'll sign the papers later. Thanks." While Rita
shook her head and swallowed the words she was about to say, Sonia seemingly sensed that and asked with a
chuckle, "What's the matter? Do you have something to say?"
"President Reed, is Miss Daphne really going to quit? Have you really thought twice before deciding to let her go?"
Rita bit her lower lip and hesitated for a while before she spoke her mind.
Sonia nodded. "Why not? We were wrong about her back then. Daphne didn't quit because of health issues but
because she got an offer to study abroad."
"An offer to study abroad?" Rita was stunned.
Sonia signed her name on Daphne's resignation letter and explained, "That's right. Daphne has always wanted to
study abroad to enrich her career profile. Do you know why Charles and I never appointed her as the company
secretary even though she is efficient and reliable?"
Rita shook her head, suddenly catching on to what Sonia was trying to imply. "Miss Daphne isn't certified to take up
the role."
"Exactly." Sonia signed the paper and closed the file. "When Charles graduated from university, he joined Lane
Corporation right away without furthering his studies. Nevertheless, Daphne, his best friend, decided to leave school
with him and join the same company as Charles did in order to help him. Because of that, she gave up on her
chance to further her studies, which later hindered her from undertaking any advanced examinations or
certifications. Therefore, Daphne could only work as an ordinary secretary despite her years of working experience.
She may be doing the job of a company secretary, but she is never one. That's the reason she left."
"I see. No wonder Miss Daphne wants to study abroad now and enrich her career profile. That is so that she can
return and assume the role of the company secretary." Rita chuckled.
Sonia gave the documents to the lady and said, "That's right, which was why I approved her resignation after
finding out the reason behind it. After all, she is the one who is in control of her own future, and I cannot stop her
from reaching her destiny. But what about you? Are you sad that Daphne is leaving?"
"Of course not. I'm so happy for her," Rita answered, shaking her head with a smile.