Chapter 13

After the dinner party ended, everyone was still in high spirits, so Bruce, the boss from the neighboring department, suggested continuing the fun at a KTV. Jessica shared a ride with Kevin and Vivian, and somehow, Bruce also squeezed into the car, unrelated as he was to them.

Upon arriving at the KTV, Jessica, not in the mood to socialize and taking advantage of others drinking, sat aside to sing by herself. Singing "All of me" while nursing her freshly broken heart, she couldn't help but be consumed by her sorrowful thoughts.

After finishing the song, feeling shy and not wanting to monopolize the microphone, she stood up. A male colleague, seemingly enchanted by her performance, raised his glass to hers in a gesture of appreciation.

Jessica returned to her booth to chat with her colleagues. The "Five Flowers" of Bruce's team were there, too. Known for their good looks, these five were the pride of Bruce's team on the 29th floor.

Each of the Five Flowers was unique, their faces still bearing traces of youthfulness, mixed with an eager ambition to achieve. Despite their apparent lack of depth, they always tried to present themselves as worldly and smooth. Among them was Katherine, with her voluptuous figure and long, black hair that fell to her waist, her dark eyes framed by thick lashes. She was very warm, engaging Jessica in lively conversation.

Jessica was puzzled: Given the recent promotion battle between Kevin and Bruce, why was Katherine being so friendly to her? They were supposed to be competitors, after all.

After a while, Kevin stood up, ready to head home, and asked Vivian to take good care of Jessica. Feeling bored and initially wanting to leave as well, Jessica saw that Vivian wasn't planning to go anytime soon and decided to stay put.

Having drunk a lot of water during dinner, Jessica got up to go to the restroom. On her way back to the room, she ran into Bruce and his two aides, Joey and Tom. The aides were supporting Bruce from either side, as he was quite drunk and barely able to walk.

Jessica nodded politely, ready to walk past them, when Bruce suddenly called out her name: "Jessica." Turning to him, she asked, "What's up, Bruce?"

Without responding, Bruce solemnly took off his watch, took Jessica's hand, and placed the watch in her palm, saying in a drunken slur, "I've drunk too much, keep an eye on my watch for me, don't lose it."

Jessica was taken aback: With his aides clearly sober and the "Five Flowers" from his team in the room, why entrust the watch to her? She looked down at the watch, a Cartier Ballon Bleu in 18k rose gold with a brown crocodile leather strap, admired at the company for a while: It was beautiful, as handsome as Bruce himself.

Jessica had encountered Bruce a few times around the office. He stood out with his tall, slender figure, over 6 feet tall, wearing black-framed glasses, with a high nose bridge and sharp nose, phoenix eyes, and thin lips, always serious. He favored the slicked-back hairstyle popular among finance professionals and often wore a light blue shirt under a vest jacket, sometimes navy, sometimes black. Every girl who passed by him would whisper excitedly, though he never paid them any mind, always keeping a cool demeanor.

Their first meeting was by the printer, where Jessica was photocopying a client's ID, and Bruce came to print something. Not knowing each other, Bruce saw the printer was occupied and walked away expressionlessly, while Jessica continued with her task.

Later, she often heard the company's girls gossiping about him: Despite being close in age to Jessica and her colleagues, he was highly regarded by the senior management for his early entry into the field and deep experience. Rumor had it he was once under Kevin, who treated him like a younger brother, but Bruce ended up taking many of Kevin's resources and now stood on equal footing with him as co-regional managers.

Jessica returned to the room to find Vivian had already packed up, signaling it was time to leave. But upon revealing she was tasked with safeguarding Bruce's watch, Jessica realized she couldn't depart just yet.

Shortly after, Bruce and his group re-entered. He gathered a few colleagues close, creating a huddle reminiscent of a sports team strategy session, only to declare with a mischievous whisper, "Tonight, we don't go home until we're completely drunk."

The announcement elicited mixed laughter and eye rolls, with Jessica finding the drunken antics somewhat dull. Unexpectedly, in a moment of tipsiness, her hand brushed against something and was suddenly clasped by Bruce. He tenderly held her hand, seemingly playful yet intent on conveying something more, before daringly intertwining their fingers. The alcohol in her system made Jessica's head swim slightly at the bold move.

Bruce, the company's most dashing executive, was making his interest known, leaving Jessica bewildered on how to respond to these overt advances.

As the evening wore on and guests began to leave, Bruce, still in high spirits, resisted ending the night. His drunken demeanor contrasted sharply with his usual composed and efficient self, resembling more a carefree youth than the corporate powerhouse he was by day.

Eventually, it was Eric, Bruce's superior, whose command led the lingering partygoers, including a reluctant Bruce, downstairs.

Past 2 AM, with the night deepened, Vivian began dropping everyone off. Eric, seated in the passenger seat, turned to the three women in the back mid-ride to address any potential misconduct by the inebriated executives, urging them to report any inappropriate behavior.

While the other two quickly dismissed any concerns, Jessica remained silent until Eric's knowing glance prompted her to assure, "It's okay, boss. Everything's fine," with a forced smile, masking the complexity of emotions stirred by the night's events.