CHAPTER 204: EGGPLANT

Melissa’s breath hitched, and before she knew it, she was already holding it. Her eyes were glued to the man before her, who was staring at her so plainly. Her lips parted in awe, her heart beating much louder than it ever had.

Even though the man before her stared at her without any emotion, it somehow added allure to his naturally sharp eyes. His brows were thick, his nose was thin and pointy. It was like all his facial features fit perfectly on the shape of his face, so that not a single detail seemed out of place.

He’s...

Throb...

He’s... my type.

Melissa gulped hard. She had never met a man who had made her heart skip a beat at first sight. Even Derek, whom she found already attractive, never made her heart beat in her ears. Yet, this man, whom she had just bumped into, never said a word, and only holding her gaze was enough to make her heart skip a beat.

The corner of Atlas’s lips curved down at the sight of her hand clinging to his suit. Slowly, he raised a finger, hesitating a bit with mild disgust. He pressed his forefinger on the woman’s forehead.

"Huh?" Melissa blinked back to life, only to feel a certain pressure on her forehead. She took a few steps back on instinct until there was a safe arm’s length distance between them.

Atlas shook the hand that had touched her as if he had touched something dirty. He glanced at her, let out a shallow breath, shook his head, and continued on his way.

"..." Melissa, still in a daze, snapped back to reality. She turned her head as Atlas walked past her. "Ex—excuse me?"

His steps halted, and he glanced at her.

"Uhm." She cleared her throat and sported her prettiest smile, approaching him. "I’m sorry for bumping into you. I wasn’t looking where I was going."

Atlas arched a brow. "That’s your reason for stopping me?"

Her breath hitched once more as her cheeks quickly turned a more pinkish shade. Just now, he had spoken, and even when his voice was too flat—the flattest she had ever heard—it sounded surprisingly good.

"I’m just a little...." she trailed off, biting her lips while tucking her hair behind her ear. A gentle smile then dominated her face, fluttering her eyelashes ever so tenderly. "Do you work here?"

And as she asked, her eyes fell on the company ID around his neck. Her smile stretched wider.

"I’m actually here because I need to discuss something with someone in the higher-ups," she pointed a finger up. "Can you tell me which direction I should go?"

Atlas blinked ever so slowly, tilting his head as the walking eggplant before him was acting very strangely. It reminded him of Slater, but an eggplant.

"Okay," he nodded, pointing in a direction. "There. That’s where you go."

"Huh?" Melissa intuitively turned her head, her face contorting a little the second she saw the reception desk. "No, I mean..."

Shifting her attention back to him, all she saw was the distance between them. In a second, the man had already stepped out of the building.

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, staring at the entrance. But as she remembered him, she couldn’t help but bite her lips. "Even his voice is good. Too bad he’s just an employee here."

Surely, some were blessed with looks but not with a good family background. Some were born into a good family, but not with good looks. There were only a very few who were successful and handsome at the same time.

Derek fell into that category. He may have his downsides, but Derek was still considered a successful man.

Yet, Melissa couldn’t help but find herself giggling. Like a girl meeting her crush for the first time, she smiled and thought of the magical encounter she had just had.

Little did Melissa know, even in this busy lobby, one person was paying attention to Atlas. Standing at a distance, Scarlet crossed her arms and kept her eyes fixed on Melissa. Since only a few people knew Atlas’s face, the man could actually go in and out of the building without a problem or getting recognized.

Talk about hiding in plain sight.

"Melissa Young, huh?" Scarlet whispered, aware of Melissa’s existence... or rather, almost everyone connected to Lola. She pondered it for a second before she smiled.

As she unfolded her arms, she marched in Melissa’s direction and stopped a step away from her.

"Miss Melissa Young?" she called, causing Melissa to flinch.

Surprised, Melissa turned to the owner of the voice, only to be met with a woman in a smart formal suit. She looked professional—too professional. Deep lines appeared between her brows as she studied the woman from head to toe.

"You are...?"

"My name is Scarlet." Scarlet approached her with a smile, offering her hand to Melissa. "Assistant Director of Summit Partners, and also the team leader of the NL Group and Summit Partners’ collaboration."

Melissa’s eyes lit up, and she quickly took her hand. "Nice to meet you. I—" she halted, confused about how this woman had even known she was coming.

"Haha. You must be wondering how I know you’d be here," Scarlet chuckled. "To be honest, I wasn’t aware you’d be here today. It just so happened I was going out and saw you."

"Oh..." Melissa pursed her lips. "What an honor that you recognized someone like me."

"Who wouldn’t? Weren’t you popular?" Scarlet tilted her head to the side. "I’ve seen your last commercial and also read about your engagement to Derek Lancaster. Since the big boss knew about it, all of us do as well."

The big boss? Melissa thought.

Scarlet’s smile stretched as she retrieved her hand. "Are you here because of the progress of the collaboration?"

"Uhm, yes."

"I figured." Scarlet nodded and motioned with her hand. "How about you come with me to my office?"

Melissa’s mouth fell open slightly before she smiled widely. "Sure. Thank you."

Having said that, the two of them strode off to Scarlet’s office.

****

[Atlas POV]

Atlas was just heading out of the building because his brother was whining to get him out of the cafe across the street. He had sent people to get him, but he wouldn’t budge. So, he was heading out himself.

As he was near the entrance, someone suddenly bumped into him. He stopped, not pleased at all. But when he gazed down, his brows knitted in confusion.

That is... his thoughts trailed off as the woman looked up at him. ... an eggplant?

He blinked, and then the eggplant also blinked back at him.

An eggplant with human facial features. Strange.