Chapter 1 Carnal Desire
“Here’s the result of the paternity test!”
The gorgeous Molly McPherson tossed a document in front of Tom Gallagher in a haughty and confrontational manner.
Tom was momentarily taken aback before reaching out for the document. After he read its contents, his hands trembled as he showed a mix of joy and sadness.
What a wretched fate! He had made a mistake that night—that drunken one-night-stand from 10 months ago!
“Your wife has been barren for years. You’re unlikely to have any kids. Won’t you think of the Gallagher family bloodline? Jordan Gallagher is your biological son!” Molly kept pressing.
This was Molly’s only way to marry into wealth. Thankfully, she gave birth to a son.
After Molly’s continuous pestering for a month, the Gallagher family finally decided to welcome Jordan into their family a month after his birth.
Tomorrow was the big day—Molly looked forward to finally leaving her decrepit house. She gleefully breastfed her son and accidentally fell asleep.
To her horror, she woke up to find her baby suffocated in her arms.
“No! Jo! My Jo!”
The death of her son had dashed her hopes of living a wealthy life. She had a vacant look in her eyes as she clutched the body that had turned purple.
When she was freefalling into a pit of despair, she suddenly heard the sounds of a baby crying from outside the house. As if guided by a supernatural force, she put on her coat and approached the source of the noise.
She found a newborn crying behind a pile of weeds. She lifted the baby and noticed it was a girl.
Molly scanned her surroundings. After confirming there was no one around, she looked at the sky. Dawn had just broken. A bold idea flashed across her mind.
…
23 years had passed.
A hiring manager scanned the man before him. Jordan Gallagher was a 23 year old top graduate of Talbot University.
The manager flipped through Jordan’s profile with pity. Jordan was totally qualified for the role of special assistant to the CEO, as he had graduated with a Master’s at the young age of 23.
But the manager had an issue with Jordan’s height. He glanced at Jordan again.
A woman at 5’6″ was considered tall, but a man of the same height would be considered a little short.
Competency was key, but a special assistant needed to be presentable. In that aspect, the male candidate before Jordan was more well-rounded—a better fit.
Jordan had disguised herself as a male for 23 years. Her greatest fear was being scrutinized. She grew nervous under the manager’s stare.
After some deliberation, the hiring manager felt it was a pity to eliminate Jordan.
“How about this? Come back for another round of interviews at 9:00 am tomorrow. Please come to this meeting room 15 minutes earlier. Someone will call the CEO on your behalf.”
The hiring manager had decided to let the CEO pick his own assistant.
“Got it! Thank you, Mr. Klein!” Jordan was beyond excited.
She had applied to the top company in the world, Kinsler Group, without any expectations. She never expected to be called for a second round of interview.
She happily left the meeting room with unbridled joy written across her face.
From what she had heard, only five candidates made it to the second-round interview. Hence, she stood a high chance of getting the job.
If she got that job, she and Bella would live more comfortably. She could provide Bella with better housing and education.
…
Marnie Wakefield’s expression fell when she saw Jordan exiting the meeting room.
She couldn’t believe Ezra Kinsler was hiring a special assistant. Was he trying to get her replaced?
She clenched her fist and decided that she would never allow anyone to take her place. She might be the assistant to the deputy CEO, but she had worked on Ezra’s scheduling all this while.
As such, she and Ezra were close.
If Ezra got himself a special assistant, she would have no good reason to get near him.
“Hey, you’re here for the interview, right?” Marnie approached Jordan.
Jordan nodded while giving Marnie a confused look.
Marnie continued, “Are you coming in for the second-round interview tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” As Jordan had no idea who Marnie was, she could only politely answer the questions.
Smiling, Marnie said to Jordan, “The interview time has been pushed back to 10:00 am. The venue remains the same.”
“Huh? Oh.” Jordan still looked puzzled. “May I know who you are?”
Before Marnie could reply, they heard an urgent string of high heels clicking.
“Marnie, Mr. Wakefield is looking for you,” someone called for Marnie urgently.
Marnie nodded at Jordan before hurrying away.
Jordan believed in Marnie’s words, given that the latter worked for Kinsler Group. WIth that in mind, Jordan made a mental note of the updated interview time.
…
The next day, Jordan sent Bella to preschool. Since it was still early, she leisurely made her way to the interview by train.
When she arrived at the lobby, she thought of freshening up at the restroom, but she received a call from the HR Department.
“Is this Mr. Gallagher? Why aren’t you at the interview yet? We’re going to meet Mr. Kinsler soon.”
Shocked, Jordan checked the time. It was 9:00 am, though. Were they meeting Mr. Kinsler an hour earlier?
She did not ask further. She quickened her pace. “I’m on the first floor. I’ll be there soon!”
“Why are you not taking the interview seriously? We told you to arrive ahead of time! Will you check the time now? Whatever. We’re heading up now. Please get to the CEO’s office on the top floor by yourself.”
With that, the HR personnel hung up on Jordan.
Jordan was taken aback. She listened to the beeping sound in the call.
Snapping back to her senses, she hurried up the Kinsler Group tower.
…
Ezra sat in his specious office and glared at the two interviewees before him.
He was told that five people would show up, but only two made it. One of them had a faint coffee stain on their sleeve—which did not escape his sharp observation.
He wondered, “Do they not take Kinsler Group seriously?”
After he had a brief chat with the interviewees, he said to one of them, “You’re the one.”
Then, he strode out of his office.
“Sorry, I’m late—”
Jordan bumped into someone’s chest and fell backward.
Ezra quickly grabbed her by the waist, and the lower half of their bodies collided against each other.
Her terrified expression flashed before his eyes as he held onto her tiny waist.
A familiar jolt of electricity spread across Ezra’s body. He instantly had a hard-on.
However, he frowned when he realized Jordan was a man. He shoved Jordan aside and stormed off.
Jordan, who had collapsed onto the floor, scrambled up in confusion.
What was wrong with that man? He saved her from falling, only to shove her again. The pain from being shoved to the floor was even worse.
She furrowed her brows. Since she couldn’t rub her backside in public, she clenched her jaw and got up.
At the same time, a handsome, slender man stood in the corridor with a roguish smile. The diamond stub on his left ear added a hint of recklessness.
He looked raffish but elegant at the same time.
That was the deputy CEO of Kinsler Group, Connor Kinsler.
When Connor saw Jordan grimacing, he put on a knowing smile and went after Ezra.
Everyone else hurried out of the CEO office.
Joseph, the hiring manager, noticed the bitterness in Jordan’s expression and cast her a sympathetic glance.
“I’m sorry. The interview has ended. You’re not selected. Please leave.”
With that, Joseph left with the other interviewees, leaving a shocked Jordan at the door.
Connor knocked on the door of Ezra’s break room and walked in. He found his older brother Ezra in the restroom.
He immediately knew that Ezra was taking a cold shower. He poured himself a glass of red wine and lounged on the couch, waiting for Ezra.
Soon, Ezra left the restroom wrapped in a bath towel. He wiped down his damp hair while shooting daggers at Connor, who was clearly laughing at him.
Indeed, Connor was staring at Ezra—the CEO of Kinsler Group—with glee.
“Wipe that smug smile off your face!” Ezra tossed the towel onto Connor’s head and sat right beside his little brother.
He too poured himself a glass of red wine.
“Ew! That’s filthy! You’re disgusting!” Connor wailed and whined, pulling the towel off his head and dumping it onto the ground.
Who knew where the towel had been on Ezra’s body? How could Ezra just toss it onto his head?
Ezra squinted at Connor. How dare Connor accuse his towel of being filthy?
Upon meeting Ezra’s hostile gaze, Connor immediately waved to dismiss his remark. “I was joking. Your towel is not filthy at all.”
Then, Connor picked up the towel with two fingers and flung it to the far end of the couch with disdain.
Ezra paid Connor no attention. So, Connor inched closer with an ingratiating look.
“Hey, bro, I saw it…”
Then, he pointed at Ezra’s crotch with a suggestive smile.
“You can keep your mouth shut, you know?” Ezra snapped at him with a rather shameful expression.
He took a sip of the red wine to hide his embarrassment.
