With an easygoing demeanor, Marcus reminded her, âDonât forget to pick it up.
Itâs a nice car.
Oh, and Iâve also installed a car seat.
You can take Matthew for a ride.
â
Melissa sensed Marcus exerting his influence over her, but she refused to falter.
With a steely smile, she replied, âThank you for your consideration, Mr.
Fowler.
Iâll take good care of your car.
â
Marcus, pleased with himself, was in high spirits.
In a smooth, persuasive tone, Marcus chimed in, âEverything I do, Melissa, itâs for Matthewâs sake.
No need to read too much into it or inflate your own importance.
Letâs avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
â
His words dripped with insincerity and a hint of reproach.
Melissaâs lips curled into a sneer.
âYour lessons wonât be forgotten.
I wonât overestimate myself,â she retorted before ending the call abruptly.
Determined to reclaim a sense of control, Melissa made her way downstairs to retrieve the car key.
As she entered the lobby of the Waston Group, whispers swirled around her, hinting at the gossip surrounding her and the CEO of Fowler Group.
However, no one dared to approach her directly.
After securing the key, Melissa approached the car.
Yet, as she swung open the door, her anger turned to shock.
The once elegant gray interior had been transformed into a garish display of light pink.
From the leather seats to the steering wheel cover, everything screamed a sickly shade of pink.
Only the small rug under the seat remained white.
For the car accessory hanging from the rearview mirror, there was a crystal carrot with a small rabbit figurine nibbling on it.
Staring at the absurd sight, Melissa found her mind raced with bitter thoughts.
It seemed like a cruel joke.
Her reverie was interrupted by a smiling attendant from the dealership, presenting her with a hefty bill.
âMiss Brown, hereâs the invoice.
Mr.
Fowler requested a complete overhaul of the carâs interior.
The total comes to 2.
6 million dollars.
How would you Like to settle the payment?â
2.
6 million dollars?
And she had to pay the bill? Why?
Melissaâs heart sank.
Why was she being saddled with this expense?
Her earlier resolve crumbled as she reached for her phone, dialing Marcus with trembling hands.
After all, she didnât have 2.
6 million dollars in total.
Melissa confronted Marcus with growing anger.
However, Marcusâ response surprised her.
In a calm, almost soothing tone he said, âThere is a platinum card in the console, with 20 million dollars in it.
The PIN number is Matthewâs birthday.
You can swipe it first.
Handle it yourself, Melissa.
Iâm in a meeting,â he instructed before abruptly ending the call.