Her words left the three men stunned.

But Cecelia Archer didn’t give them time to react. The moment she finished speaking, she rushed over, snatched Damien Vaughn’s glass, filled it to the brim, and GULPED it down in one go.

Only after chugging three glasses did she wipe her burning lips.

"Is that enough? Is there anything else he needs to drink? I’ll drink it all for him."

Mr. Lee and Mr. Jordan exchanged a glance, stunned for two seconds before bursting into laughter.

"How could we forget you? You come from sales, so your tolerance for alcohol must be good. How could we leave you out of the drinking? Come, come, have a seat with us."

"My apologies, Cecelia. I was too excited before heading out today and forgot to call you. Were you craving a drink? You even started drinking by yourself."

"You little lady, you look so gentle and refined, but you’re a completely different person when it counts. Not only is your work impressive, but so is your drinking!"

But did Cecelia Archer really have a high tolerance for alcohol?

For the past few years, she had been focused on taking care of Candy, so she hadn’t been very ambitious at work. She had never asked a client out for a private meal or drank with them, which was why her career had been so mediocre.

Although she had landed a few big deals this year, they had all been strangely and incredibly smooth, never requiring her to drink.

She had no tolerance for alcohol whatsoever.

Putting down her glass, Cecelia Archer took a closer look at Damien Vaughn.

The signs of his fever were already very obvious.

It wasn’t just his forehead; his ears and cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were faintly watery. He must be feeling awful. ’I have to help him!’

"Yes. I’ve been with the company for so long, and you two have been so good to me, but I’ve never had the chance to have a meal with you. I find it quite regrettable. Since everyone here knows each other, I won’t stand on ceremony."

She pulled up a chair and squeezed it between Mr. Lee and Damien Vaughn.

Acting like a clueless rookie who didn’t understand the rules of social survival, she told the two of them to make some room for her.

"I’ll just sit between you two. It’ll be more convenient for drinking later. Could you please scooch over a bit?"

Although the young woman was usually methodical at work, with a strong curiosity and a tendency to ask many questions, she always maintained a polite and distant demeanor.

They never expected that the topic of drinking would reveal her true feelings today.

This bold and uninhibited side of her, in the eyes of Mr. Lee and Mr. Jordan, made the pretty girl seem incredibly endearing—so unrestrained and genuine. They smiled and complied with her request.

"Look how excited you get at the mention of drinking. Fine, you can sit in the middle. You’ll have to drink a couple more later."

"Oh, Cecelia, you’ve really surprised me again today."

Damien Vaughn, on the other hand, watched Cecelia Archer acting completely different from before, his expression not nearly as amused.

’This woman... could it be that her previous gentle and quiet demeanor was all an act?’

’Acting so wild and unrestrained in front of her superiors... could it be that what Claire Clark said about her past was actually true?’

Cecelia Archer sat down, and the waiter brought out the dishes one by one. Mr. Jordan gave a few grand-sounding opening remarks and proposed a toast.

With great perceptiveness, Cecelia Archer stood up and poured four glasses of wine, but placed the one meant for Damien Vaughn in front of herself.

"That was beautifully said, Mr. Jordan! A round of applause for you! But it’s enough for him to just keep you company. He doesn’t need to drink. I’ll do it. He got a little injured while saving me just now, and I’m afraid drinking will cause inflammation. I feel terrible about it, so please give me a chance to atone."

What? President Vaughn was injured saving her?

Mr. Lee and Mr. Jordan immediately shot Damien Vaughn concerned looks.

Damien Vaughn had no idea what had gotten into Cecelia Archer. He frowned and was about to say something when she picked up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.

"My two bosses are reasonable people; they won’t make things difficult for you. You just focus on eating. Go on, eat."

Once again, everyone was: "..."

Cecelia Archer GULPED down two more glasses. A fiery burn spread through her stomach, her throat ached, and her head began to spin.

Yet, she didn’t show it on her face, appearing completely fine. This successfully ignited Mr. Jordan’s competitive spirit.

"Hey! You’re a goddess of wine! Cecelia, to think I’ve gone most of my life without a worthy opponent, only to have my status threatened by you. Do you know what people in our circle call me? The Wine Fiend! Back in the day, I drank every promising young talent in Veridia under the table!"

"No, I have to see who’s better today. Come on, you and me. Let’s drink. I want to see just how much you can really handle!"

And so, one glass after another, half an hour later, Cecelia Archer had her arm hooked around Damien Vaughn’s neck.

"You... aren’t you here to keep me company with drinks? HIC! Why are you just sitting there? Not pouring me a drink? Hmm? You don’t like me?"

The amount of alcohol she had consumed far, far exceeded what her body could handle. Cecelia Archer was now so dizzy she couldn’t tell east from west and had no idea where she was.

Luckily, there was someone next to her. Draped over him, she finally managed to steady her spinning head.

Damien Vaughn’s handsome features were right before her eyes. With her forehead pressed against his, Cecelia Archer slowly traced a finger down his face, surprisingly still able to recognize him.

’A famous male model in Veridia, the kind of man that rich men and women with nothing better to do all want to have a few drinks with.’

’He’s right here in my grasp now, so why isn’t he showing me any enthusiasm? Not even a smile?’

"What? You look down on me? Afraid I won’t pay you?"

Her warm breath, heavy with the scent of alcohol, wafted over the tip of Damien Vaughn’s nose. Cecelia Archer’s smooth cheek pressed against his, and her soft, pliant fingers scratched at his neck like a kitten’s paw...

’It was the first time in his life a woman had ever acted this way toward him, Damien Vaughn, and in front of other people, no less!’

Damien Vaughn’s expression was incredibly tense, but he didn’t push Cecelia Archer away.

’It was strange. Every time this woman made physical contact with him, not only did he not feel repulsed, but on the contrary...’

"It’s just money, isn’t it? I have it. Plenty of it."

Lost in a drama of her own making, Cecelia Archer muttered to herself as she unsteadily fumbled in her pocket for a business card. She held it between her right index and middle fingers, waved it in front of Damien Vaughn’s face, and, mimicking a suave playboy from a movie, tucked it into the collar of his shirt.

Through the fabric of his shirt, she patted him on the chest.

"See this? A bank card. No limit. Swipe it as much as you want. I’m a rich woman, too! Stop looking so glum. Come on, give me a smile."

After speaking, she giggled and started prodding at Damien Vaughn’s face again, leaving Mr. Jordan and Mr. Lee completely stunned.

This was the president of the great Vaughn Group, their ultimate boss!

If her earlier insistence on drinking for him was an attempt to suck up, what was she doing now?

Perched on his thigh, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other hand roaming over his chest and face... this was...

"Cecelia, Cecelia?"

Not daring to look at Damien Vaughn’s face, Mr. Jordan hurriedly tried to pull Cecelia Archer off him.

"If you can’t drink, you should’ve said so earlier. No one was forcing you. You just had to act tough, and look how muddled you are now. Get down. I’ll take you home."

The moment he touched Cecelia Archer’s arm, she recoiled as if pricked by a needle.

"AH! Someone’s touching me! Pervert!"

Cecelia Archer was suddenly reminded of Kevin Lee in that dilapidated factory in Corvane. Terrified, she clung tightly to Damien Vaughn’s neck, burying her face in his chest.

"I don’t want to go with him! He’s a bad man! Help! Hide me! Quickly!"