In response to Su Banxia's words, Ye Hengtian merely smiled faintly. "I know you dote on these two children of yours, Miss Su, and I also know you'll agree to my request."
"Mr. Ye, you're really something!"
Su Banxia shot him a fierce glare.
"Once you've made up your mind, Miss Su, give me an answer. The time I'm giving you to think it over isn't that long."
With that, Ye Hengtian turned and left without looking back.
Su Banxia stood rooted to the spot, her fists clenching involuntarily. Everything had been going wrong since she returned to the country!
"Mommy!"
As soon as Su Guoguo stepped out of the school gate and spotted Su Banxia, she bounced over excitedly.
Seeing her child, Su Banxia immediately pushed aside all her frustrations, a smile spreading across her face as she scooped the little girl into her arms.
"Mommy, were you thinking about something just now? My brother and I saw you standing there lost in thought."
Su Guoguo looked up, her face full of innocence.
"Mommy was thinking about spending more time with you two from now on."
Su Banxia's lips curled upward slightly.
Su Guoguo buried her head deeper into Su Banxia's embrace, while Su Hao remained as aloof as ever.
Looking at her son's cold expression, Su Banxia couldn't help but sigh. He really was his father's son, even their personalities were so alike.
Back at home, Su Banxia replayed Pei Shaoze's words from the afternoon in her mind, sinking back into contemplation.
If she walked away after causing such a huge mess, it would indeed be her fault.
But if she stayed, she didn't have the courage to face Pei Shaoze directly.
These two thoughts clashed in her head, leaving Su Banxia feeling like her skull was splitting.
She drifted off into a restless sleep. Waking up the next day, she dropped the kids off at school and planned to go home to pack her things, only to run into the person she least wanted to see at the doorstep.
"P-Pei, President Pei?"
Su Banxia froze, her heart racing with anxiety.
"The kids are taken care of. Isn't it time for Secretary Su to get back to work?"
Pei Shaoze leaned against the wall, his eyes unreadable.
Su Banxia felt her legs go weak. Clearing her throat, she said slowly, "President Pei, I can write you an IOU for the money I owe you. I promise I won't run."
Hearing this, Pei Shaoze narrowed his beautiful eyes, a dangerous aura radiating from him.
"P-Pei, President Pei..."
Su Banxia's confidence wavered, and she instinctively stepped back.
"I'll say it again: resigning is out of the question. If Secretary Su doesn't settle her debts, I have plenty of ways to keep you tied to the company."
Pei Shaoze's voice was low, but each word struck Su Banxia like a hammer.
Her face flushed bright red. She knew all too well what Pei Shaoze was capable of; she couldn't afford to gamble.
"Have you made up your mind, Secretary Su?"
Pei Shaoze stepped forward slowly, cornering her.
"P-President Pei, your Ding Sheng Group can find any secretary it wants. Why insist on keeping me?"
Su Banxia bit her lower lip, her voice soft and weak.
Pei Shaoze curled his lips into a gentle smile. "Because Secretary Su is special."
With that, he straightened up, his gaze teasing. "Are you ready to come to the company with me, Secretary Su?"
"I..."
"Of course, if you refuse, I wouldn't mind having your two children come stay at my place."
Pei Shaoze's pleasant voice was laced with threat.
"I'll go!"
Su Banxia clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and nodded immediately.
Pei Shaoze nodded with satisfaction. "If only you'd realized this sooner."
Watching him walk away, Su Banxia couldn't help but tighten her fists. This man knew exactly what she feared and used it to threaten her without restraint!
How infuriating!
Back home, Su Banxia quickly changed clothes and rushed to Ding Sheng Group.
As the president's executive secretary, the work was heavy and monotonous. Su Banxia spent her days at his beck and call.
Pei Shaoze's temperament was utterly unpredictable, driving Su Banxia to the brink of fury.
But one thing she could appreciate was that when it was time for the kids to get out of school, Pei Shaoze gave her enough time to be with them.
To Su Banxia, that was a huge mercy.
She was organizing some documents when her phone rang, interrupting her train of thought.
Seeing the unfamiliar number on the screen, Su Banxia frowned. She swiped to answer, and a familiar voice came through the receiver.
"Miss Su, have you forgotten everything I said?"
Ye Hengtian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the traffic below, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Ye Hengtian!"
Hearing that voice, Su Banxia's expression shifted slightly.
Ye Hengtian turned and leaned back in a chair nearby, his voice calm as water. "So you do remember me, Miss Su. I wonder how much you recall of our agreement?"
Su Banxia forced a smile. "Mr. Ye, you overestimate me. What I say doesn't necessarily carry weight with President Pei."
"I believe you have the ability, Miss Su. I'll be waiting for your good news."
Ye Hengtian's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.
"You..."
"I told you, time is running out for you. I recall your eldest daughter is in Yanshi now, isn't she?"
Ye Hengtian cut her off, a chill in his eyes.
Su Banxia laughed in anger, her tone icy. "Mr. Ye really knows how to play on people's fears!"
Ye Hengtian smirked. "I'm just trying to protect the Ye Group."
"Fine! You're really something, Mr. Ye!"
Su Banxia hung up in frustration, slumped over her desk, and rubbed her hair in distress.
When Pei Shaoze returned from his meeting and saw her looking so troubled, he frowned. "Is the file I gave you that difficult, Secretary Su?"
Startled by the cold voice in her ear, Su Banxia quickly sat up straight and shook her head. "I was just doing some relaxation exercises."
"Is that so?"
Pei Shaoze glanced at her messy hair and chuckled. "Your way of relieving stress is truly impressive, Secretary Su."
Su Banxia's mouth twitched. She lowered her head to look at the documents, occasionally stealing glances at Pei Shaoze out of the corner of her eye. Several times she wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.