At this point, Vera Wave was struggling with all her might. Before Kris could react, she clawed at his face and pushed him away forcefully.
Having used too much force, Vera stumbled and fell, quickly curling up against the corner of the desk.
"No... Don’t come any closer!"
Gazing at the pale girl huddled on the floor, Kris Cooper felt a wave of remorse.
He must be insane! How could he do such a thing to her?
Instinctively, he approached her, trying to help her up by her arm.
"Don’t come any closer, don’t come any closer... I beg you, don’t..."
Cradling her head in her hands, Vera’s whole body was trembling.
"I’m sorry, Vera," Kris Cooper reached out to embrace her. "I’m sorry, it’s all Brother Kris’s fault. I scared you. I’m sorry, I... I didn’t mean to. I just... I just lost my head for a moment... I’m sorry..."
Holding her, he repeatedly kissed her hair, comforting her and apologizing.
Her face was buried in his chest. The subtle scent of tobacco filled her nose, and that embrace somehow possessed a strangely calming power.
Vera gradually calmed. She raised her face and looked at Kris Cooper.
Realizing she was still in his embrace, a mixture of shame and anger surged through her. She pushed him away, scrambled to one side, and grabbed something from the desk as she retreated.
"Kris, I’m warning you, you can’t act recklessly ! Otherwise, I... I’ll fight you to the death!"
Kris was shoved to the ground. As he looked up at her, he saw that the dazed, terrified expression on her face from moments ago had vanished. Now, she stood defiantly, tightly clutching a roll of—fax paper.
The sound of knocking echoed through the office.
Before Kris Cooper could respond, Vera had already shouted.
The door handle turned, and the door opened.
A female assistant from the CEO’s Office opened the door. "Mr. President, the conference room is ready..."
Halting mid-sentence, she immediately noticed something was amiss in the office.
Kris Cooper was sitting on the floor. Not far from the desk stood a young, attractive woman, her clothes disheveled, clutching a roll of fax paper.
She instantly realized she had walked in at an incredibly awkward moment.
"Get out!" Kris Cooper roared.
"S-Sorry! My apologies!"
The assistant hastily excused herself, closing the door tightly behind her.
Vera’s mouth fell agape, her wide eyes fixed on Kris Cooper’s face.
A moment ago, the assistant had addressed him as "Mr. President." She wasn’t the president, so clearly, the assistant hadn’t been speaking to her. If not her, then it must mean...
As Vera gazed at the man before her, a startling realization struck her—he was the President.
Her fingers trembled, and the roll of fax paper slipped from her grasp. The paper unfurled, rolling with a soft *WHIRR* until it stopped at Kris Cooper’s feet.
No wonder he dared to sit in that chair! No wonder Tommy Taylor had been so deferential to him...
She had been so incredibly audacious! To think she’d actually mistaken him for the star attraction at the bar?!
Clutching the end of the fax paper roll, Vera swallowed hard.
"I-I’m sorry, K-Kris... no, Mr. President! I... I... I failed to recognize true eminence when I saw it! I was so blind... I was so... brazenly forward... no, I mean, just incredibly audacious!"
The young woman’s voice trembled, her face drained of color, and sheer panic was written all over her.
By this time, Kris Cooper’s anger had mostly subsided. Realizing he had likely terrified her, he took a shallow breath and bent down, intending to help her pick up the roll of fax paper.
"Don’t move!" Vera yelled urgently.