Inside the president’s office of the Star Umbrella Corporation.
Linus Vance leaned back in his spacious leather office chair.
His tie had been loosened a few inches, and his collar was open, revealing the sharp, attractive contours of his collarbone.
Betty pushed open the door and walked in, holding several printed copies of a cooperation agreement.
Today, she wore an extremely form-fitting white dress shirt under her signature white lab coat.
She had just reached the office desk and hadn’t even had time to set the documents down when a large hand firmly caught her by the wrist.
With a gentle tug from Linus, Betty let out a soft, breathless gasp as she lost her balance and fell directly into his broad, solid chest.
Betty instinctively pressed her hands against Linus’s firm chest, her voice carrying a soft, half-yielding sweetness.
“Boss…
it’s working hours.”
Linus didn’t speak.
He wrapped his hand around her slender waist with practiced ease, his fingertips lightly kneading the soft flesh at her side through the fabric of her shirt.
Betty’s body went limp, her breathing instantly thrown off beat.
Heated and weak, she could only collapse helplessly onto Linus’s lap.
Linus’s voice was low and husky as he leaned down close to her ear, his warm breath fanning across her sensitive earlobe.
“What’s wrong with working hours?
Who ruled that a boss can’t guide his Chief Biological Officer in his own office?”
He parted his lips, taking her fair, delicate earlobe into his mouth and gently nibbling on it.
“Ah…”
Betty abandoned all resistance.
She wrapped her arms around Linus’s neck, her eyes turning misty.
Biting her red lips, she didn’t dare make too much noise, terrified that the agents waiting outside might hear.
Linus’s large hand traced slowly up her spine, leaving a trail of shivers in its wake.
“How are the preparations for the task I gave you?”
Betty panted, taking small, rapid gulps of air.
“The documents…
are all ready.”
“I’m going to see Pepper Potts this afternoon.
The patent authorization for the Primary Medical Regeneration Factor is right here.”
Linus stopped nibbling, using his thumb to heavily swipe across Betty’s vibrant lips, smudging her lipstick into a gorgeous, messy streak.
“Potts has been pushed to the edge of the cliff by those old, stubborn fools on the board.”
“Approaching her with this epoch-making technology will be like handing her a glass of water in the middle of a desert.”
Linus’s slender fingers slid past the collar of her white shirt, his knuckles intentionally brushing against her smooth, delicate skin.
“She is highly guarded, but you are both women.
Let her know who is the one who can actually put food on her plate.”
“Go win her over.
If you do well, you’ll get a reward tonight.”
“But if you mess up…”
Linus’s large hand gripped the back of her neck, pulling her close to him.
“I’ll punish you right here on this desk.”
“I’ll teach you what adult business really means.
Understood?”
With a flushed face, Betty nodded obediently.
“I’ll definitely get it done.”
“Just…
don’t leave any marks on my neck.
I have to see people this afternoon.”
Linus did the exact opposite.
He bit down on her slender neck, deliberately leaving a highly conspicuous red mark.
“I want everyone to see whose exclusive property you are.”
“Go on.
Be a good girl.”
***
At 2:00 PM, in a small meeting room on the top floor of Stark Tower.
Pepper stepped through the door in her high heels, dragging her utterly exhausted body.
She had expected to meet that Asian man again—the one with the oppressive aura who had forcefully intervened in the board of directors.
To her surprise, the person sitting across the long table was an extremely beautiful, highly capable-looking woman.
Betty stood up and proactively extended her hand.
“Miss Potts, I am Betty, the Chief Biological Officer of the Star Umbrella Corporation.”
Pepper shook her hand politely and sat down opposite her.
“Dr.
Ross, did Mr.
Vance not come today?”
Betty pushed a very thick stack of documents in front of Pepper.
“The boss’s time is highly valuable.
I have full authority over this specific business alignment.”
“This is our sincerity.
Stark Industries’ weapons research and development has ground to a complete halt.
A stock market crash is only a matter of time.”
“If you want to shut Wall Street’s mouth, you need a flawless new concept.”
Pepper opened the folder.
After reading just two pages, her eyes widened, and she even forgot to breathe.
“This is…
Lossless Ultra-Speed Regeneration Technology?
How is this possible!
The medical field doesn’t have the purification standards to achieve this!”
Betty picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.
“Before I met Linus, I thought it was a fairy tale too.”
“But this technology is ready for mass production at any time.
We will provide the core patent authorization, while Stark Industries will handle the distribution channels and production line modifications.”
Pepper closed the folder and crossed her hands on the table.
The profits from this contract were astronomically high.
Once announced, the stock price of Stark Industries would absolutely rebound from rock bottom.
She stared into Betty’s eyes.
“Why choose Stark Industries?
Star Umbrella has the capability to capture the entire market on its own.”
Betty did not evade her gaze.
She spoke with absolute directness.
“Because our boss took a liking to your company’s potential.”
“To be more precise, he didn’t want to watch you get bullied all by yourself by that group of old capitalists.”
Pepper’s heart skipped a beat.
She forced herself to maintain her professional composure as a businesswoman.
“Mr.
Vance’s methods are highly aggressive.
It is difficult for me to fully trust someone who shorted our company to profit from our misfortune.”
Betty stood up, leaning her hands on the table to close the distance between them.
“Profit from your misfortune?
No, that is called controlling the board.”
She made no effort to hide the suggestive bite mark on her neck, a flash of fanaticism and tenderness crossing her eyes.
“Pepper, you’re too exhausted.
Tony is just a playboy who only knows how to run away, leaving this entire disaster on your shoulders.”
“On the other hand, Linus is a man who can hold up the sky for you with a single hand, even if it falls.”
“Why don’t you try relying on a man who actually has power?”
Pepper gripped her pen tightly, remaining silent for a long moment.
Looking at the final page of the contract, she gritted her teeth and signed her name.
***
At night, a light rain began to fall over New York.
The penthouse office of Stark Tower was completely empty.
Since Tony’s disappearance, no one had set foot on this floor except for Pepper.
At 11:00 PM, Pepper took off her high heels and curled up barefoot on the massive leather sofa.
The desk was piled high with layoff documents and PR proposals that required her signature.
She picked up the cold coffee beside her, preparing to force herself to stay up for a few more hours.
The door hinge made a faint, barely audible sound.
Pepper turned her head, only to see Linus Vance walking in with long strides, carrying a high-end food box in one hand.
He had changed into a pure black shirt today, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, exuding a dangerous yet captivating aura.
Pepper instinctively shrank back into the corner of the sofa.
“Mr.
Vance?”
Linus did not answer.
He walked straight to her, set the food box on the coffee table, and opened the lid.
Inside was a bowl of steaming, top-grade truffle soup.
Linus sat down directly beside Pepper.
Pepper’s voice trembled slightly as she tried to create some distance.
“Mr.
Vance, how did you get in?
The security system here…”
Linus let out a soft chuckle.
“The security of this building is like paper to me.”
“I am a major shareholder.
Isn’t it perfectly reasonable for me to come check on my hardworking female president in the middle of the night?”
He pushed the hot soup toward Pepper, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable note of command.
“Drink it while it’s hot.
It’s good for your body.”
Staring into Linus’s highly aggressive eyes, Pepper parted her red lips slightly and began taking small sips of the soup.
The warm liquid slid down into her empty stomach, dispelling the chill in her body.
Before she knew it, she had finished the entire bowl.
Linus set the porcelain bowl down and looked at Pepper.
“Tony left you all alone in this freezing office to stay up all night.
Isn’t it a bit of a waste for you to protect him so fiercely?”
“Why don’t you try following me instead?
I’ll handle all of this mess for you.
What do you say?”
Just as Pepper was about to say something, the secure private line on her desk suddenly rang with a piercing wail.
She rushed to the desk and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?
This is Pepper Potts.”
From the other end of the line came an extremely excited report from the military.
As Pepper listened, her eyes suddenly widened, and her fingers holding the receiver began to tremble uncontrollably.
Linus leaned back leisurely against the sofa, picking up a tissue from the coffee table to wipe his hands as he watched her back with an amused expression.
Pepper hung up the phone and turned around, her voice thick with a chaotic mix of emotions.
“Linus…
it was the military.
They found Tony.”
“He made it out of the desert alive.
He’s on a military plane back home right now.”